IEP accommodations--anyone know? UPDATE

[HelenePA]

I'm not sure if ours are there over the summer. Mine isn't in HS yet but when I was in band (many moons ago) the only ppl I ever saw in the school over the summer were the janitors, some office staff and the band/football teachers coaches.

ETA I'd love to stay and argue more but I have to try to find my dd8's cat ears for her costume.. ToTing at the mall tonight

 

[simpilotswife]

Yep, it is federal law and that law was made when the federal government was picking up the tab for all these accommodations, not the individual school districts. Her school district now being forced to buy a computer for a child means another child that doesn't have an IEP has to go with out a classroom aid or additional textbooks or something else. I understand that kids with special needs need some extra help but it has gone WAY overboard. Check out your school district's special education budget in relation to the overall operating budget for the school and you will see what I mean.

If my child needed a laptop to get his work done in school, I would figure out a way to get that done and I would NEVER expect the school to pay for that--allowing him to use it in class IS the accommodation.

That may be but what if you couldn't afford it, knew you were entitled to it and it meant the difference between your child being a successful student or a dropout? Would you still feel that way?

There is a school district in our state that has to pay $80,000/year for a student to attend a school in a neighboring district because the parents didn't feel the program that the one district had was good enough. Most of those costs are to hire a special teacher in the other district and to TRANSPORT this student to the other district. Fine, send your child to the other district but the school should be in no way responsible to get your child back and forth. It is just ridicules what parents will push for in the name of an IEP.

So tell me were you privy to that child's needs? Were you sitting in on the meeting to be able to speak to why the student's current program in that district was good enough? Can you REALLY speak to what those other costs entail? No of course not.

There are many times when outside districts have a program that is more appropriate to a child's needs. Perhaps that other district has a program that is specialized for that child's disability. We are seeing more and more of this type of situation when it comes to children on the Autism Spectrum. I know that my district has a specialized program for Mentally ******** children and many districts send their children to our program. Children who come to this program have a specific set of needs that may not be able to be addressed in a typical classroom setting such as the need to be toileted. Should those children remain in a situation where their needs will not be addressed or should they attend a program that is tailored to help them to be productive adults?

See how easy it is to generalize without all the facts?

There has NEVER been a post/thread here about special ed where the families haven't been advocating talking everything to the extreme and pushing for everything possible they can get. That mindset is just unfathomable because for every "extra" your ONE child is getting means a classroom of other children are going without. Make the school pay for a laptop for your child, fine, but spend 2 seconds thinking about the OTHER kids in the school that will now go without-just because they don't "qualify" for an IEP.

Tell me...will those other children still be able to learn if they go without? Will they still be able to read their textbooks and comprehend what they are reading? Will they still be able to sit in the classroom and comprehend the lesson being taught without those additional items? Of course they will...a child with special needs cannot without the accommodations that are put into place for them.

As for your assertion that there has NEVER been a post or thread where people aren't pushing for everything that they can get, that would be incorrect. And while it may seem to you that people are pushing for the world, they really are not. You obviously do not have any experience with trying to procure special ed services for a child otherwise you would know that what sounds like extreme bullying on the part of the parents is basically how they have to approach school districts. You are only seeing the financial tip of the iceberg, not the daily failure of school districts to ensure that teachers comply with and enforce student IEPs. If the school districts worked harder at giving children the services that they needed sooner, special education budgets would not need to be so high.

 

[simpilotswife]

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???

Well then your state should not be requiring the use of the calculators. If it is part of their curriculum then they should be providing it just as they provide textbooks. In NYS school districts are now required to buy the calculators for exactly that reason.

 

[HelenePA]

one last thing... if you feel your "general ed" students aren't gettting what they need deserve or are entitled to... GO FIGHT... I did... I wanted my son out of that monkey gym set up with no heat, no ac or doors or windows to open... I called my board of ed in harrisburg.. how do you think SpEd parents get what they want? they fight for it.. go sit in at your school board meating and fight like we do..

 

[golfgal]

That may be but what if you couldn't afford it, knew you were entitled to it and it meant the difference between your child being a successful student or a dropout? Would you still feel that way?



So tell me were you privy to that child's needs? Were you sitting in on the meeting to be able to speak to why the student's current program in that district was good enough? Can you REALLY speak to what those other costs entail? No of course not.

There are many times when outside districts have a program that is more appropriate to a child's needs. Perhaps that other district has a program that is specialized for that child's disability. We are seeing more and more of this type of situation when it comes to children on the Autism Spectrum. I know that my district has a specialized program for Mentally ******** children and many districts send their children to our program. Children who come to this program have a specific set of needs that may not be able to be addressed in a typical classroom setting such as the need to be toileted. Should those children remain in a situation where their needs will not be addressed or should they attend a program that is tailored to help them to be productive adults?

See how easy it is to generalize without all the facts?



Tell me...will those other children still be able to learn if they go without? Will they still be able to read their textbooks and comprehend what they are reading? Will they still be able to sit in the classroom and comprehend the lesson being taught without those additional items? Of course they will...a child with special needs cannot without the accommodations that are put into place for them.

As for your assertion that there has NEVER been a post or thread where people aren't pushing for everything that they can get, that would be incorrect. And while it may seem to you that people are pushing for the world, they really are not. You obviously do not have any experience with trying to procure special ed services for a child otherwise you would know that what sounds like extreme bullying on the part of the parents is basically how they have to approach school districts. You are only seeing the financial tip of the iceberg, not the daily failure of school districts to ensure that teachers comply with and enforce student IEPs. If the school districts worked harder at giving children the services that they needed sooner, special education budgets would not need to be so high.

Because it was all over the news because it was such an extreme example of entitlement and most of the thought was that the family WAS offered an appropriate education yet the school district lost the case.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

I don't know that "jealous of special ed students" is the frustration that people are expressing. In a time where more and more parents are asked to purchase textbooks, specialized calculators, and piles of supplies, it can feel absurd that a school would buy a laptop for a student. After all, the non-special ed student needs paper and a text in order to receive his education, but he has to buy his; meanwhile, the special ed student gets the more expensive equipment gratis? It doesn't feel right to many people, and it shouldn't feel right.

All students should have their basic education fully funded.

 

[krcit]

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.

 

[kirstenb1]

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.

They could have "talked" about it, but until the addition is made in writing to the IEP, with all parties signing off on it, it won't happen. At our school, the principal is there during the summer, however, the OT, PT, and Speech Therapists all are off. That's why you see a backup in getting accomodations made or changed at the beginning of the year. The above people are testing new students, seeing current students etc. A whole new meeting has to be called to make a change to the IEP.

 

[HelenePA]

I don't know that "jealous of special ed students" is the frustration that people are expressing. In a time where more and more parents are asked to purchase textbooks, specialized calculators, and piles of supplies, it can feel absurd that a school would buy a laptop for a student. After all, the non-special ed student needs paper and a text in order to receive his education, but he has to buy his; meanwhile, the special ed student gets the more expensive equipment gratis? It doesn't feel right to many people, and it shouldn't feel right.

All students should have their basic education fully funded.

Yes all students SHOULD! If you dont feel like your student is getting want she/he needs deserves FIGHT for it... I have 2 in school not in SpEd heck one might be gifted I'm not sure I haven't had her tested yet Do you think we get this stuff thrown at us with out a fight? do you know what we had to do to get my dd into the proper classroom? its not like you can just go ask to have them in SpEd... dr's, psy's, observation, more dr's, therpy notes, people dont seem to know how to talk to each other so your telling them all the same thing to 10 different people... it takes months of pure bullcrap sometimes to get this.. I wish she was normal, I wish I knew how to fix her, I wish there was a cure... I dont want this.. I want her to live a normal life like her sister and 2 brothers. I will fight to get her what she needs to learn just like I will for my other 3 if I think they aren't getting it.

 

[simpilotswife]

Because it was all over the news because it was such an extreme example of entitlement and most of the thought was that the family WAS offered an appropriate education yet the school district lost the case.

Um yeah....and of course the news never lies

Hell I'm still waiting for the news to get the facts straight about the flight with Steven Slater (psycho Jet Blue flight attendant). I was on that flight and the erroneous reporting about that situation was astounding.

The fact of the matter is that a hearing was held and the child was placed in another program, that doesn't happen without grounds. Just because "the thought" was that the child was offered an appropriate education doesn't mean that this was the case. Every day there are districts and teachers who ignore IEPs because "the thought" is that the kid doesn't need it. Sadly that kind of thinking is why special education costs can be so high.

 

[angwill]

My DS16 has dysgraphia, which is a writing disability. In his IEP, one of the accommodations is using a word processor to do his written work. Every year in his IEP meeting, we talk about having something in his classes for him to use to do his work. Every year there is an excuse. Monday, we had our meeting and the history teacher is insisting that DS have a way to type his work out. I mentioned him using an Alphasmart, which he used in middle school. So, DS comes home today and said the IEP coach told him the Alphasmarts do not work well and suggested he should bring his laptop to school every day. I am sooo not okay with this. For one, his laptop could get stolen or broken. In addition, he could be using it for things other than work(music, games, etc). Isn't the school required to provide him with something to use, instead of me having to provide it?

How ironic our school has the alphasmarts and refuses to allow netbooks or laptops. If it says they provide and alphasmart insist they provide one.

I do agree though that alphasmarts are a PITA and a laptop is so much easier for the kids to use. You could go with a netbook that is more shock proof and then you delete music and games from it and have the school assign a someone who will be responsible for it while he is in gym etc. Check it periodically to make sure no new music or games have been downloaded by DS. This is just a suggestion and I am not saying you have to do this for your son.

 

[angwill]

Um yeah....and of course the news never lies

Hell I'm still waiting for the news to get the facts straight about the flight with Steven Slater (psycho Jet Blue flight attendant). I was on that flight and the erroneous reporting about that situation was astounding.

The fact of the matter is that a hearing was held and the child was placed in another program, that doesn't happen without grounds. Just because "the thought" was that the child was offered an appropriate education doesn't mean that this was the case. Every day there are districts and teachers who ignore IEPs because "the thought" is that the kid doesn't need it. Sadly that kind of thinking is why special education costs can be so high.

What did happen with the Jet Blue flight attendant?

PS. My brother had an IEP and was in special ed when he was younger. He left high school barely reading and writing because of his needs being ignored.

 

[Hannathy]

They could have "talked" about it, but until the addition is made in writing to the IEP, with all parties signing off on it, it won't happen. At our school, the principal is there during the summer, however, the OT, PT, and Speech Therapists all are off. That's why you see a backup in getting accomodations made or changed at the beginning of the year. The above people are testing new students, seeing current students etc. A whole new meeting has to be called to make a change to the IEP.

But why did it have to be on his IEP the first day? If they had talked to the principal and had it ok'd for him to use his lap top why did it ever have to be on it? other than to cost a fortune in meetings and specialists time.
This problem never needed to become a problem if the parents had simply got permission for him to use his lap top.

Not everything has to be on an IEP.

 

[angwill]

But why did it have to be on his IEP the first day? If they had talked to the principal and had it ok'd for him to use his lap top why did it ever have to be on it? other than to cost a fortune in meetings and specialists time.
This problem never needed to become a problem if the parents had simply got permission for him to use his lap top.

Not everything has to be on an IEP.

The problem is that if it is not written on the IEP there typically will be those who refuse to abide by the verbal agreement. If it is written on the IEP they have to legaly abide and if they don't you have it in writting which is a written reminder of what the child needs. If you simply state that it was agreed to in the meeting the teacher can say if it is not in writing and I don't agree so I will not allow it.

 

[golfgal]

I don't know that "jealous of special ed students" is the frustration that people are expressing. In a time where more and more parents are asked to purchase textbooks, specialized calculators, and piles of supplies, it can feel absurd that a school would buy a laptop for a student. After all, the non-special ed student needs paper and a text in order to receive his education, but he has to buy his; meanwhile, the special ed student gets the more expensive equipment gratis? It doesn't feel right to many people, and it shouldn't feel right.

All students should have their basic education fully funded.

Yes all students SHOULD! If you dont feel like your student is getting want she/he needs deserves FIGHT for it... I have 2 in school not in SpEd heck one might be gifted I'm not sure I haven't had her tested yet Do you think we get this stuff thrown at us with out a fight? do you know what we had to do to get my dd into the proper classroom? its not like you can just go ask to have them in SpEd... dr's, psy's, observation, more dr's, therpy notes, people dont seem to know how to talk to each other so your telling them all the same thing to 10 different people... it takes months of pure bullcrap sometimes to get this.. I wish she was normal, I wish I knew how to fix her, I wish there was a cure... I dont want this.. I want her to live a normal life like her sister and 2 brothers. I will fight to get her what she needs to learn just like I will for my other 3 if I think they aren't getting it.

This is the EXACT attitude that drives me NUTS about special ed parents-would I LIKE classes with 20 kids in them, yes, would it improve the quality of education our kids receive, YES, is it REASONABLE to expect that or fight for it-NO!! The problem I have is that the school tells you that the proper classroom is X but you think it is Y so you FIGHT for Y when maybe your child would be JUST FINE in X. Don't you get that??? Why do you just assume that the school is out to get your child and that you know better? I don't know of ANY special ed teacher, administrator, whatever that doesn't have the best interests of their students at heart but they also have to deal with the other 150 or whatever number of kids in the special ed program too and they can't do everything for everyone and just like the non-special ed kids, sometimes the parents have to step up to the plate and buy a dang laptop to make things a little easier for their kid .

 

[Magpie]

Um yeah....and of course the news never lies

Hell I'm still waiting for the news to get the facts straight about the flight with Steven Slater (psycho Jet Blue flight attendant). I was on that flight and the erroneous reporting about that situation was astounding.

I'd like to know, too! What did you witness that was different from the news?

 

[HelenePA]

Not everything has to be on an IEP.

Legally yes it does. Welcome to the world of SpEd.

 

[golfgal]

Um yeah....and of course the news never lies

Hell I'm still waiting for the news to get the facts straight about the flight with Steven Slater (psycho Jet Blue flight attendant). I was on that flight and the erroneous reporting about that situation was astounding.

The fact of the matter is that a hearing was held and the child was placed in another program, that doesn't happen without grounds. Just because "the thought" was that the child was offered an appropriate education doesn't mean that this was the case. Every day there are districts and teachers who ignore IEPs because "the thought" is that the kid doesn't need it. Sadly that kind of thinking is why special education costs can be so high.

This was an ongoing battle in the courts for several years-not a case of he said/she said.

 

[simpilotswife]

This was an ongoing battle in the courts for several years-not a case of he said/she said.

Exactly my point. Ultimately the court decided that the child should be placed in the other program. If you want to be ticked at anyone be ticked at the school district who wasted all of that money on attorney's fees.

 

[HelenePA]

This is the EXACT attitude that drives me NUTS about special ed parents-would I LIKE classes with 20 kids in them, yes, would it improve the quality of education our kids receive, YES, is it REASONABLE to expect that or fight for it-NO!! The problem I have is that the school tells you that the proper classroom is X but you think it is Y so you FIGHT for Y when maybe your child would be JUST FINE in X. Don't you get that??? Why do you just assume that the school is out to get your child and that you know better? I don't know of ANY special ed teacher, administrator, whatever that doesn't have the best interests of their students at heart but they also have to deal with the other 150 or whatever number of kids in the special ed program too and they can't do everything for everyone and just like the non-special ed kids, sometimes the parents have to step up to the plate and buy a dang laptop to make things a little easier for their kid .

Keep fighting.. get other parents involved. Do you think we have it easy?!?! wanna trade? Lady you have no idea. How many kids are in your kids classes? my other two only have 22 each if you dont like it get it changed. Find a way. Yell, scream, elect new ppl to your school board. Lord I would love not to fight for what my dd needs so yes I do think if you want it your going to have to fight for it just like we do.. like it or not that's how it works.