Last week was the school eligibility meeting...and today is the first of the IEP (individual education plan) meetings. Typically there is only one IEP meeting, but our request list is more complicated and will require additional meetings.
I sent a letter last week to school personnel about the absolute need for a one-to-one aide, and that is a decision left to the county's director of special education. It doesn't look very promising, but I just cannot see Maxwell accessing complete education without this additional support. The school personnel keeps reiterating that no other child in any of Bellingham preschools has a personal aide and there is a lot of support currently in the classroom.
So that issue will be put aside until the next meeting. Today we will focus more on Max's needs as far as weekly therapy sessions with OT/PT/Speech, sign language instruction, health plan, etc. It should be interesting...hoping we are on the same page for at least the majority of requests.
I am finishing up some paperwork and then we head off to developmental playgroup and then off to the IEP.
9 comments:
As a parent who deals with a school district within WA state, all I can say is 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'. Keep asking for a one on one aide. Keep asking and don't ever stop asking. If that is what you feel Max needs then you keep going. And you work your way up the chain of command. I have fought for three years to have my child in a gifted program simply because 'regular' classrooms were not stimulating enough etc....after three years of them telling me 'she is being challenged..we offer her other things to do' and me saying "NO, I KNOW my child and she is bored' they finally tested her. Guess what? She's gifted (DUH!) and so now they are scrambling and she is in a private gifted program...busing etc all provided by the district.
SO keep on with it. No matter what range on the scale your child is on, if they don't fall within 'normal' (what IS normal btw?! lol) then you have to fight for your child!!!
Keep up the great work!
Hugs
Jaye
I agree Amy..I had to do a lot for dragonboy in school at first and had to beg for a program for Pixie..it took years but they both are flourishing in their programs..Because of parents like US persisting in the best educations for our children
Just keep doing what you are doing and make sure Max gets all he needs, I know you will because you are a great mom!!
Hugs,
Crystal and Eva
Wasn't Max one of the only children to also get a medical waiver (sorry I don't remember all the details, but I do remember it being a rare event), so why would education be any different than medical care? Why has he worked so hard with all these therapists to just tread water in the school system?
good luck with the ips i think he should qualify for one on one
Your strength and persistance are simply amazing. Max is so blessed to have such a supporting mom!
Love Jenn
Just because no other child in the district has an aide doesn't mean Max doesn't need one. They can't base his educational needs on other children or past precedent. They must look at his own INDIVIDUAL needs--that's the law and that's why it's called an INDIVIDUALIZED Education Plan. I can't even begin to imagine where Katie would be without having a one-on-one for the past 3 1/2 years. Stick to your guns and keep fighting!
Leslie & Katie
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