IEP accommodations--anyone know? UPDATE

[golfgal]

Can you please explain? Special Ed is not a place, it's a program. If the needs of the child/ren change, special ed must change with them.

?????

Putting a program IN PLACE, means implementing a program, starting a program, beginning a program??

 

[Hannathy]

By this logic, why not have all students buy their own books. That would save the district a lot of money.



Students at our schools are not allowed to carry backpacks during the day. They must be in their lockers.

How do you get buying a back pack for maybe 50 bucks that every kid buys anyway to buying all your own books? Not a good comparison.

Being allowed to carry his back pack IS a reasonable accommodation and easily obtained for heavens sake.
No it is easier to stomp and scream for the lap top than do common sense things.

 

[HelenePA]

I have never posted this on the dis but my 10 yr old dd is in a lifeskills class.. why? who knows... did something happen at birth? open heart surgery? car accident? All I know is she can NOT spell, reading is iffy at best, math we work on nightly. If she ever gets up to grade level she will be transfered out of the lifeskills class and put in a normal setting.. so yes it CAN end.. will it? I hope.. I pray. Do I think it will? Honestly.... probably not. Does this mean she shouldn't go to school? get some extra help when needed and with things she needs to learn with?

If one of your children get into a car accident and come out with a head injury wouldn't you be glad these things exist for YOUR child who now needs it? Think of it as an insurance policy...

 

[simpilotswife]

OP....tell the IEP coach to stuff it. DS was also dysgraphic and had ADHD. He used an Alphasmart all the way through high school (and he REALLY used it). Tell the IEP coach that you want an Alphasmart...especially now that you are making noises about a laptop, I'll bet you get one fast.


As for everyone else who says that the parents should be providing the accommodations, sorry that's not the way it works. Children are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education. Sometimes that appropriate education includes assistive technology or other services that cost additional money.

Unfortunately most people and school systems do not realize that addressing a child's needs very early on reduces the need for special education later but that is a whole 'nother discussion.

 

[golfgal]

I just looked at our district general special ed fun-total cost $61,497,732, total reimbursement from the federal government $8,608,251. Part of the program is funded through state and local taxes but that is part of the overall taxes received for the entire school district. That budget increased 5.13% over last year while the general operating fund (all the other students) decreased by 12.31%. Which makes up almost ALL of the 15% decrease our state is sending to our district this year, the rest is being made up in the non-special ed student transportation fund. NONE of the cuts are happening in the special ed department yet my kids are facing classes of 40+ students, reduced programming, etc. THIS is how special ed is taking away from the other kids.

 

[Hannathy]

I just looked at our district general special ed fun-total cost $61,497,732, total reimbursement from the federal government $8,608,251. Part of the program is funded through state and local taxes but that is part of the overall taxes received for the entire school district. That budget increased 5.13% over last year while the general operating fund (all the other students) decreased by 12.31%. Which makes up almost ALL of the 15% decrease our state is sending to our district this year, the rest is being made up in the non-special ed student transportation fund. NONE of the cuts are happening in the special ed department yet my kids are facing classes of 40+ students, reduced programming, etc. THIS is how special ed is taking away from the other kids.

Yep it's got to come from somewhere!!!

It's still the same pool of money no matter how you spin it.

 

[LisaR]

I have never posted this on the dis but my 10 yr old dd is in a lifeskills class.. why? who knows... did something happen at birth? open heart surgery? car accident? All I know is she can NOT spell, reading is iffy at best, math we work on nightly. If she ever gets up to grade level she will be transfered out of the lifeskills class and put in a normal setting.. so yes it CAN end.. will it? I hope.. I pray. Do I think it will? Honestly.... probably not. Does this mean she shouldn't go to school? get some extra help when needed and with things she needs to learn with?

If one of your children get into a car accident and come out with a head injury wouldn't you be glad these things exist for YOUR child who now needs it? Think of it as an insurance policy...

But if your child NEEDED something to make her life easier and the doctors and therapists all agreed but the school was dragging their feet, would you spend years fighting them on this, all the while watching your DD suffer? I am betting you would go out and get her what she needed. We are at least two months, if not three months depending on where you live, into the school year. How long do you let this continue before you take action?

 

[golfgal]

Golfgal is wrong.

There are many kids who need special ed accomodations on a temporary basis, or whose level of accomodation changes.

We are talking PROGRAMS, not students. Yes, kids' needs change but the programming doesn't. If a school offers OT to the kids they have to CONTINUE to offer OT in the school-not necessarily to students that no longer need it but if budgets are tight they can't STOP offering it because they it is part of the special education program.

Also, facility space-if a program is in a room that has 500 sq feet (say a self-contained room for severely autistic children) and you build a new school that program needs and EQUAL or BETTER space--or heck, even if you just want to move them to a different room-it has to be a BETTER space to justify the room. One school district had a converted wood shop for their self-contained classroom in the high school. They put in a BEAUTIFUL new room at the newly built middle school-carpeted floors, in room bathrooms, wheelchair accessible sinks, etc. Well, when the state came out, the room was 50 sq feet smaller then their existing room so they couldn't move the program. The high school NEEDED that extra space and couldn't use it while that beautiful room at the middle school sat empty. Tell me this is REASONABLE.

 

[golfgal]

OP....tell the IEP coach to stuff it. DS was also dysgraphic and had ADHD. He used an Alphasmart all the way through high school (and he REALLY used it). Tell the IEP coach that you want an Alphasmart...especially now that you are making noises about a laptop, I'll bet you get one fast.


As for everyone else who says that the parents should be providing the accommodations, sorry that's not the way it works. Children are entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education. Sometimes that appropriate education includes assistive technology or other services that cost additional money.

Unfortunately most people and school systems do not realize that addressing a child's needs very early on reduces the need for special education later but that is a whole 'nother discussion.

And I say buying a laptop for a student is not appropriate, USING the laptop is appropriate but I don't see why the school should have to provide the laptop. Our kids NEED a graphing calculator for their math class yet we have to buy that-which I do gladly times 3 kids. How is this really any different???

 

[Hannathy]

But if your child NEEDED something to make her life easier and the doctors and therapists all agreed but the school was dragging their feet, would you spend years fighting them on this, all the while watching your DD suffer? I am betting you would go out and get her what she needed. We are at least two months, if not three months depending on where you live, into the school year. How long do you let this continue before you take action?

Exactly!!!

 

[Hannathy]

And I say buying a laptop for a student is not appropriate, USING the laptop is appropriate but I don't see why the school should have to provide the laptop. Our kids NEED a graphing calculator for their math class yet we have to buy that-which I do gladly times 3 kids. How is this really any different???

agree with that also.

Accommodation is being allowed to use the laptop, being allowed to carry and keep a back pack with them during the day if it normally isn't allowed.

Somewhere the word REASONABLE has been lost in the reasonable accommodation part in all this entitlement mentality.

 

[Mermaid02]

But if your child NEEDED something to make her life easier and the doctors and therapists all agreed but the school was dragging their feet, would you spend years fighting them on this, all the while watching your DD suffer? I am betting you would go out and get her what she needed. We are at least two months, if not three months depending on where you live, into the school year. How long do you let this continue before you take action?

My son actually has a 504 plan that requires the school to provide him with a laptop- luckily ALL kids here in 7th and 8th grades are issued laptops. Next year the high school will have to provide him with one. I am already on top of it, but I have been fighting for my son's educational rights since 2nd grade.

As far as the posters here begrudging the special ed kids their education, just be glad you aren't in their shoes or their parents shoes.

 

[2girlsmom]

Again, OP stated that the school ALREADY HAS the laptops available. This is not a matter of them having to purchase ANYTHING, it is already there.

By the way, my SIL teaches in public school in the state next to ours, their district this year was sued by GP students (not spec ed), and now their district is REQUIRED to provide all school materials to ALL students. The parents in that district don't have to buy pencils, tissues, backpacks, etc. NOTHING. I am the first to agree that parents should contribute to the costs when possible. I can also assure you that the students in my district (which does NOT give everything to the students) will NOT allow them to bring a home laptop to school due to the risk of it being stolen and the district not wanting to be responsible for it. I know of several students who require a laptop for the IEP, and the school district IS providing the laptops to the students, the laptops stay in EACH classroom.

By the way, my school's Spec Ed is funded at 60% federal grant, 20% state grant, and 23% private contribution fund. Oddly, my district is showing as over-funded due to the private contribution, must be how they are affording to build new schools and remodel the high schools at millions at a time.

 

[golfgal]

Again, OP stated that the school ALREADY HAS the laptops available. This is not a matter of them having to purchase ANYTHING, it is already there.

By the way, my SIL teaches in public school in the state next to ours, their district this year was sued by GP students (not spec ed), and now their district is REQUIRED to provide all school materials to ALL students. The parents in that district don't have to buy pencils, tissues, backpacks, etc. NOTHING. I am the first to agree that parents should contribute to the costs when possible. I can also assure you that the students in my district (which does NOT give everything to the students) will NOT allow them to bring a home laptop to school due to the risk of it being stolen and the district not wanting to be responsible for it. I know of several students who require a laptop for the IEP, and the school district IS providing the laptops to the students, the laptops stay in EACH classroom.

By the way, my school's Spec Ed is funded at 60% federal grant, 20% state grant, and 23% private contribution fund. Oddly, my district is showing as over-funded due to the private contribution, must be how they are affording to build new schools and remodel the high schools at millions at a time.

Nope, operating budgets and capital improvement budgets can not be co-mingled.

The OP said that they have computers in the school, not that they have them available for students to use individually. She saw laptop carts that the teachers use but they are not necessarily for the students.

So your special ed that is SUPPOSED to be funded 100% from the federal government is only funded at 60%-the rest is coming out of your overall funds to your school from the state.

 

[HelenePA]

But if your child NEEDED something to make her life easier and the doctors and therapists all agreed but the school was dragging their feet, would you spend years fighting them on this, all the while watching your DD suffer? I am betting you would go out and get her what she needed. We are at least two months, if not three months depending on where you live, into the school year. How long do you let this continue before you take action?

Are you teachers there during the summer? of course not! Either are SpEd teachers, it is almost impossible to have stuff set in place until after school starts with IEP's 504's until some time into the new school year. Until it was written into his IEP the teacher did NOT have to allow him to bring his own personal computer to class. Would you let other students who didn't need it take it to class to use? of course not.. until it was in the report he HAD to have something he was stuck.

 

[HelenePA]

I can NOT believe there are people out there jealous of special ed students... the world has gone mad this week I tell you... Are you jealous of cancer patients on your insurance as well? I mean they use up more money than you (a general you for the healthy folks) do and cause your rates to go up...

 

[LisaR]

Are you teachers there during the summer? of course not! Either are SpEd teachers, it is almost impossible to have stuff set in place until after school starts with IEP's 504's until some time into the new school year. Until it was written into his IEP the teacher did NOT have to allow him to bring his own personal computer to class. Would you let other students who didn't need it take it to class to use? of course not.. until it was in the report he HAD to have something he was stuck.

This has been an issue since middle school and he is now 16. He has had a few months of assignments for this school year. How much longer do you propose the OP waits?

 

[Hannathy]

Are you teachers there during the summer? of course not! Either are SpEd teachers, it is almost impossible to have stuff set in place until after school starts with IEP's 504's until some time into the new school year. Until it was written into his IEP the teacher did NOT have to allow him to bring his own personal computer to class. Would you let other students who didn't need it take it to class to use? of course not.. until it was in the report he HAD to have something he was stuck.

I'm almost positive if the parents had went in calmly and explained to the teachers his problem with a solution in mind, that of letting him bring his lap top to class that the teachers would have let him use it from day 2 of class. Or gone to the principal with this solution then they could have e mailed the teachers.
So no you don't have to wait 3 months at least not in an easily solved problem like this one.

 

[HelenePA]

if it was me? yes I would have TRIED to have something in place but I'm not in her shoes. I will not judge. I just hope the problem gets fixes ASAP for the student...

 

[Hannathy]

Are you teachers there during the summer? of course not! Either are SpEd teachers, it is almost impossible to have stuff set in place until after school starts with IEP's 504's until some time into the new school year. Until it was written into his IEP the teacher did NOT have to allow him to bring his own personal computer to class. Would you let other students who didn't need it take it to class to use? of course not.. until it was in the report he HAD to have something he was stuck.

Actually in High school the administration is there in the summer and Guidance counselors are there, so they could have gone in and talked to the principal about him bringing his lap top some time over the summer.