IEP accommodations--anyone know? UPDATE

[daughtersrus]

so let me get this straight you can comment on how it is sad for others to feel the way they do BUT when i said the same thing it is a major big deal??

So in other words yours is the only right opinion and no one else should have one unless it agrees with yours.

And you wonder why so many people feel the way they do.

The part that I find sad is the bolded part of your post.

And I think it is sad that special needs parents take and take without any regard to what it is doing to the rest of the kids as long as they get every single thing they can.

I don't consider parents that fight for the rights of their child/ren to be taking and taking. I know that I do think about the rest of the kids and I thought about them before my kids were even born by voting for the referendums requested by the school board. Do you think that the parents of the Gen Ed kids thought that they were taking and taking when their children took over the SpEd classroom and DD#1 and her students used a closet for their classroom? Or when the district had to pay the lawsuit because they took services away from DD#3? The school district's insurance policy is self-funded so it came out of the pool of money that we've talked so much about.

 

[huey duey & luey]

I know. It's unbelievable. I don't know why I keep coming back to this thread. It's depressing.

me too! I Said I wouldn't comment again. I just can't believe it.

I just have to feel that some of these people have never been personally affected or embraced by a special needs child. They have no idea what they are missing.

 

[Wishing on a star]

WOW, just WOW.......

I know that there are awful people who have no regard for the needs of the less fortunate.
And, like schools don't have computers, and use of a computer is just SO much of a hardship.

I should be more used to it.
But, a couple of the anti-disabled posts here are still totally and completely disgusting.

But, after having said that...
OP: I wouldn't want my son at the mercy of the the schools equipment anyhow.
(In fact, I decided I didn't want my son to be at the mercy of our school district at all!!)
Get your son a cheap laptop with a word-processor on it. Sometimes, it's not whether you are right or not, but whether it becomes insane to put more time and effort into a battle than what you might possibly get out of it.
Just get your son what he needs.

In fact, if it would be that much of a hardship for you, I am wondering if there are not organizations in your area that take in outdated equipment such as computers, and make them available to needy students????

 

[palavra]

Apparently you have no experience with a teenager diagnosed with ADD. Mine is 18, a senior in high school, and I still have to tell him to do everything. I wish people would educate themselves BEFORE they make generalizations like yours!

A big ole hearty amen to that. I think many of these threads that get nasty could be avoided if people would just get the facts before making sweeping generalizations.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

This thread is like a welfare discussion. Holy crow, people.

Hanathy hasn't said anything about hating the disabled, warehousing them, or abandoning them to the gutter. Good gravy. Hanathy has simply expressed a sentiment that EVERYONE should consider: how does this impact others? There are certainly times when an individual's needs can outweigh the needs of the many and the individual's needs must still be met. And there are certainly times when an individual's needs must come secondary to the group. It can't always be "I, me, mine."

Can we all agree on the following:

IEPs are designed to level the playing field for students with special needs, allowing them to learn and achieve to their potential.

Some schools deliberately drag their feet and obstruct parents trying to get the most basic IEP conditions written into the plan.

Some parents have unrealistic expectations and demands for what is reasonable.

The color of the sky on a bright sunny day is blue.

 

[huey duey & luey]

And I think it is sad that special needs parents take and take without any regard to what it is doing to the rest of the kids as long as they get every single thing they can.

you are also being very contradictive. You are looking out for the best interests of your child, and that is just what these parents are going to do as well. Why shouldn't they fight for the accomodations their child needs.
You seem very concerned with the rights of your child, so it makes it hard to believe that you wouldn't do everything necessary for your child to succeed to the best of his/her ability

 

[palavra]

This thread is like a welfare discussion. Holy crow, people.

Hanathy hasn't said anything about hating the disabled, warehousing them, or abandoning them to the gutter. Good gravy. Hanathy has simply expressed a sentiment that EVERYONE should consider: how does this impact others? There are certainly times when an individual's needs can outweigh the needs of the many and the individual's needs must still be met. And there are certainly times when an individual's needs must come secondary to the group. It can't always be "I, me, mine."

Can we all agree on the following:

IEPs are designed to level the playing field for students with special needs, allowing them to learn and achieve to their potential.

Some schools deliberately drag their feet and obstruct parents trying to get the most basic IEP conditions written into the plan.

Some parents have unrealistic expectations and demands for what is reasonable.

The color of the sky on a bright sunny day is blue.

There is a basic flaw in your logic. Parents of "normal" don't have to fight for the rights of their kids on anything like the same basis as parents of special needs kids do. And generalizing that parents who have special needs kids don't care about the other kids is just pathetic. How about we agree to this-ALL parents want what is best for their child, and I very much doubt that most people sit around and wonder how it's going to affect Suzi down the street.

 

[LisaR]

This thread is like a welfare discussion. Holy crow, people.

Hanathy hasn't said anything about hating the disabled, warehousing them, or abandoning them to the gutter. Good gravy. Hanathy has simply expressed a sentiment that EVERYONE should consider: how does this impact others? There are certainly times when an individual's needs can outweigh the needs of the many and the individual's needs must still be met. And there are certainly times when an individual's needs must come secondary to the group. It can't always be "I, me, mine."

Can we all agree on the following:

IEPs are designed to level the playing field for students with special needs, allowing them to learn and achieve to their potential.

Some schools deliberately drag their feet and obstruct parents trying to get the most basic IEP conditions written into the plan.

Some parents have unrealistic expectations and demands for what is reasonable.

The color of the sky on a bright sunny day is blue.

I most certainly can agree with everything you said.

There is a basic flaw in your logic. Parents of "normal" don't have to fight for the rights of their kids on anything like the same basis as parents of special needs kids do. And generalizing that parents who have special needs kids don't care about the other kids is just pathetic. How about we agree to this-ALL parents want what is best for their child, and I very much doubt that most people sit around and wonder how it's going to affect Suzi down the street.

I disagree with you that parents of "normal" kids don't have to fight for their kids. They most certainly do. Time and time again, the ones without a disability are passed over because the teacher has to deal with the ADD kid or the autistic kid that is having a meltdown because his tag is itching him. And for those that think I am being insensitive, I am describing my son (not at school but in the middle of Disney). This type of disruption in class would not benefit anyone.

I do agree that parents want what is best for their kids. I think it is sad that most people are too wrapped up in getting what they want for their child that they do not care about anyone else. My son has many learning disabilities and a severe medical disability. I would never expect the school system to meet his needs. In order to do that, they would need to inconvenience all of the other kids and I certainly did take that into consideration. Having one child with disabilities and one without has allowed me to see things from both perspectives.

 

[palavra]

I most certainly can agree with everything you said.



I disagree with you that parents of "normal" kids don't have to fight for their kids. They most certainly do. Time and time again, the ones without a disability are passed over because the teacher has to deal with the ADD kid or the autistic kid that is having a meltdown because his tag is itching him. And for those that think I am being insensitive, I am describing my son (not at school but in the middle of Disney). This type of disruption in class would not benefit anyone.

I do agree that parents want what is best for their kids. I think it is sad that most people are too wrapped up in getting what they want for their child that they do not care about anyone else. My son has many learning disabilities and a severe medical disability. I would never expect the school system to meet his needs. In order to do that, they would need to inconvenience all of the other kids and I certainly did take that into consideration. Having one child with disabilities and one without has allowed me to see things from both perspectives.

What you are describing has nothing to do with fighting for things that your child needs in the classroom. You are talking about how a teacher might handle a disruption in the classroom. ANd what you have said is the crux of the problem in American education. All children are guaranteed the right to an education. Well, where should the ADD kid or the kid with sensory issues go? A special school? The whole reason that IEP's exist is to deal with the issues, medical and emotional, that kids with disabilities have. Most parents do not have to worry about their child being able to communicate in class, have an appropriate workspace, etc. If you don't expect the school to meet his needs, how are his needs met? Is he in a regular classroom with no IEP?

 

[Wishing on a star]

These people just keep talking themselves even deeper into the hole...

Just incredible....

I suppose that they feel that their special snowflakes must have the 'perfect' classroom, accompanied ONLY by other perfect 'Stepford children'.

 

[daughtersrus]

My son has many learning disabilities and a severe medical disability. I would never expect the school system to meet his needs. In order to do that, they would need to inconvenience all of the other kids and I certainly did take that into consideration. Having one child with disabilities and one without has allowed me to see things from both perspectives.

Do you home school your son or are you paying for him to go to a private school?


Having 3 children, I've seen three different sides. DD#1 was in the gifted program in our district, DD#2 was in GenEd in our district and DD#3 was in self-contained SpEd in our district and is now in an out of district placement at the district's expense.

 

[agnes!]

There is a basic flaw in your logic. Parents of "normal" don't have to fight for the rights of their kids on anything like the same basis as parents of special needs kids do. And generalizing that parents who have special needs kids don't care about the other kids is just pathetic. How about we agree to this-ALL parents want what is best for their child, and I very much doubt that most people sit around and wonder how it's going to affect Suzi down the street.

I think all parents love their kids.
And parents of all kids sometimes have to fight for them.
And sometimes parents of so-called normal kids have to fight just as hard as anyone else.

And some of what has been posted in this thread has made me very sad.

agnes!

 

[torinsmom]

UPDATE: The IEP coach emailed and said thinking about it more closely, he wouldn't send a personal laptop to school for his kid either. He called this afternoon and is going to make sure all DS' teachers have a computer available for him to use in the classroom That is all he needs, and it sounds like it will be easy to arrange.

I don't know quite how some people here got the impression that I wanted to school to buy a brand new laptop for my son. I never once said that. I said his accommodations say that he is to be PROVIDED WITH a word processor to do written assignments. There is no reason to send a personal laptop to school when all he needs it for is one or two classes and then only when they are doing written assignments. He can't use it for tests or for worksheets, or for math. Yes, I have insurance on the laptop, but last time I filed, it took 4 weeks to get a check. I don't have $600 laying around to buy a new one in the meantime. Our insurance does not cover theft. Things are stolen every day at his school and it only takes being inattentive for one moment and it could be gone.


BTW, DS has struggled for a few years, but we worked together to make sure things got done. I am the kind of person who doesn't like to make waves. Now that it has gotten to the point that he needs to do more writing in several classes, I decided to take more of a stand. Looks like it worked.

 

[torinsmom]

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.

Our high school has calculators for the kids to use. They check them out from a pocket chart and leave their student ID in the pocket. If my kid was a math geek, I would probably buy him his own, but he isn't. We have an older model(mine from 25 years ago, LOL) to use at home. It works fine for the lower maths he is in.

 

[LisaR]

What you are describing has nothing to do with fighting for things that your child needs in the classroom. You are talking about how a teacher might handle a disruption in the classroom. ANd what you have said is the crux of the problem in American education. All children are guaranteed the right to an education. Well, where should the ADD kid or the kid with sensory issues go? A special school? The whole reason that IEP's exist is to deal with the issues, medical and emotional, that kids with disabilities have. Most parents do not have to worry about their child being able to communicate in class, have an appropriate workspace, etc. If you don't expect the school to meet his needs, how are his needs met? Is he in a regular classroom with no IEP?

I agree with you that this is the crux of the problem in American education. I agree wholeheartedly!

Where we disagree is how we go about fixing this.

I believe my son is entitled to the SAME education as my daughter. I do not believe that my son is ENTITLED to a DIFFERENT education than my daughter. I believe he deserves the best but I do not believe it is the schools responsibility to dumb down my DD's education because my son takes longer to complete an assignment or read a book.

If my son had very simple problems like requiring a laptop for writing (which is something he requires but it is not his only issue) I believe it is my responsibility to provide that. I do not want my DD to have to forgo a field trip because the school can't afford buses because they had to fund a laptop for my son. I don't want the science lab to have to cut back on equipment and I don't want art or music cut because my son would require a full time aide. And yes, in the long run, I believe all of the funding is coming from the same place. If a school didn't have any need for special education, I firmly believe that funding would go back into the school system for other things.

I know things have changed since I went to school because now there is a feeling that everyone needs to be integrated into a regular classroom. I do not agree with this. When my son was younger, he would have absolutely been put in a regular classroom and it would not have been remotely fair to the other kids. It will never be okay in my world to dumb down education so a few can keep up.

You ask where these kids should go. Yes, I think a special school or classrooms that cater to these kids is perfectly acceptable. They are welcome to move up into the regular classroom when they can handle the normal workload. Again, I am not talking about the kid that needs one simple fix to function in the regular classroom. I am talking about the child that has a multitude of issues and requires far more time and attention from the teacher and slows down the rest of the class. This won't fix the funding aspect of it but it will give the kids without disabilities a chance to learn on or above grade level.

And no, I do not think there is one simple solution to this. It is a mess without an easy fix.

How did I met the needs of my son? Very simple. I homeschool him. I am not burdening the school system nor do I need to argue with them on a daily basis. I honestly don't know how parents do that day in and day out. As with the OP'er, I think many just give up and the kid falls through the cracks.

If I wanted to put my son back into the system, he could now easily integrate into a regular classroom without any disruption. He is my son and I feel it was/is my responsibility to get him up to grade level. That meant doing whatever was necessary with regard to therapy and special classes; none of which cost the school system a dime. I never would have sent my DD to kindergarten without knowing the basics so why would I send my son to school if he couldn't perform at grade level?

These are not throw away kids. My son is incredibly smart; much more than my DD. However, his needs did not fit in with the way the schools teach. To met his needs in public school would take away from other students. That seems very selfish to me. YMMV.

Wow! This was long. Sorry about that.

 

[torinsmom]

And has she tried this? NO In fact she said he could use his laptop but she feels the school should buy it and won't send it. So she is depriving her son just to get everything she possibly can from the school versus just making sure her son can get an education.

Schools also make all sorts of accommodations that aren't on IEPS without problems.
In your example there is a big difference in using a calculator and using a lap top just for the typing.

I did not say the school should BUY him a laptop. I said they should provide a WORD PROCESSOR, which could be a laptop, desktop, or other word processing device. I am not trying to get everything I can from the school. I just want his IEP to be followed.

Actually didn't she say the school has laptops already?

What accomodations do you know of that are being made that aren't on an IEP or 504?

Yes, I did. Some people just don't have good reading comprehension I suppose.

I

I don't think that the OP is asking for a laptop. She's asking for her DS to have access to a computer in the classroom. It was the IEP coach that told him to bring his laptop from home. I can't imagine that his classrooms don't have either a laptop or desktop for him to use while in there.

Thanks for understanding what I am asking for. No need to buy a laptop. Just make sure one is in the classes where he needs one.

No common sense says to use his own laptop and not get it on an IEP.

that would be the smart and money saving method,no it is easier right to pay thousands of dollars to have specialists sit in a meeting to come to the same conclusion a 5 minute conversation with the principal could handle. Yeah that makes a lot of sense and a good use of money.......

I didn't call a meeting to discuss this, so no money was spent. The school called me to meet; it was a required annual meeting. No specialists to pay. The IEP coach is on staff, as are his History teacher and the vocational rehabilitation person they include on 11th grade meetings. The word processor came up when we talked about accommodations. And no, a conversation with the principal would not fix this. If it isn't in the IEP, teachers do not have to accommodate. If you went to the principal with the concern, he would pass you on to the EC dept.

Actually, common sense says to allow him to use one of the computers that is already in his classrooms.

Again, I don't think that the OP is asking for a laptop. She just doesn't want her son to have to bring his own to school every day.

What is so wrong with allowing him to use a computer that is already there?

Yes, again you are right. I'm not asking for a laptop to be bought, just for a word processor to be available to him during English and History.

 

[torinsmom]

but isn't common sense to try first? before spending thousands and thousands of dollars on a meeting?

They have a very simple solution to the problem but they don't want to solve the problem they want to make a point and that is what I find crazy. are you more worried about your child or proving you were right?

Really, the people at the meetings work at the school. They are paid the same whether they are in an IEP meeting or sitting in the teacher's lounge. DS' history teacher was there for all of 10 minutes(even though he is supposed to be there for the whole meeting) The IEP coach met during his planning period. The vocational rehabilitation person is in her office unless she is in a meeting. I am the one who probably "lost" the most money. I had to take a half day to go to an hour long meeting.

Again, the meeting was not called by me. It was an annual review which is required under the law. I did not call the meeting to try to make a point.

And you don't seem to understand that reasonable does not have the same meaning for kids with a disability. As I said, maybe keeping up with a laptop sounds reasonable to you because it is easy for you. For a student with ADD, it is not easy and not necessarioy reasonable.

Yes, it is easier said than done. DS would leave his head at school if he could. Medicine does not work for him. He can manage fairly well, but it only takes one time of being careless for the laptop to be damaged or stolen.

uh contracted means paid it comes out of somewhere and if they weren't at meetings they could be doing something else or not be being paid so many hours.

Using the teachers computer could be a violation of privacy laws that everyone on here are so quick to spout. It would be very easy for him to access things he shouldn't.

The meetings at our school happen during school hours. Teachers and other staff involved are paid salaries, so being at a meeting is not going to affect how much they are paid. Doing something else is not worth thousands of dollars. I just sat through a 2 hour IEP meeting today for the same child I had a 2 hour meeting for last week. I would rather have been somewhere else, but this child needs an IEP.

Oh, and a personal laptop could easily be used to access things he shouldn't be accessing at school. The school computers are monitored and have special controls on them for where kids can go on the internet, and even what games can be downloaded.

Apparently you have no experience with a teenager diagnosed with ADD. Mine is 18, a senior in high school, and I still have to tell him to do everything. I wish people would educate themselves BEFORE they make generalizations like yours!

I thought things would be better by now, but no such luck. DS functions pretty well, but he does get distracted easily when he is not in a structured setting. This would include the cafeteria, the courtyard between classes, or the bus. That is when the laptop would be likely to be damaged or left lying somewhere unattended.

 

[CMHusband]

The Alphasmart is LAME! Get your son a basic laptop to use at school. My son has the same problem as yours and is in the 6th grade. Sometimes its better to just anti up on your own rather than wait around for the IEP team and the school district to bring it on.

 

[torinsmom]

The Alphasmart is LAME! Get your son a basic laptop to use at school. My son has the same problem as yours and is in the 6th grade. Sometimes its better to just anti up on your own rather than wait around for the IEP team and the school district to bring it on.

They are taking care of it now. All the Alphasmarts are broken, so they will just make sure he has access to a computer in all his classes.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

These people just keep talking themselves even deeper into the hole...

Just incredible....

I suppose that they feel that their special snowflakes must have the 'perfect' classroom, accompanied ONLY by other perfect 'Stepford children'.

Interesting post, Wish. When the school couldn't provide the classroom experience you wanted, you decided to homeschool.

My kid attends an inner-city school next to what was recently dubbed the most dangerous neighborhood in America. Our classroom has kids from every race, color, creed, and walk of life from the impoverished to multimillionaires who were rejected from the $25,000-a-year private schools. Our school has as many special ed teachers as regular ed teachers. And we have students with profound disabilities.

Based on this information, if we were to take a poll, who do you think people would find was looking for the 'perfect' classroom?

Based on your numerous posts lambasting schools and teachers, you've left many with the impression that your child is a special snowflake that must have the 'perfect' classroom.

There is a basic flaw in your logic. Parents of "normal" don't have to fight for the rights of their kids on anything like the same basis as parents of special needs kids do. And generalizing that parents who have special needs kids don't care about the other kids is just pathetic. How about we agree to this-ALL parents want what is best for their child, and I very much doubt that most people sit around and wonder how it's going to affect Suzi down the street.

Which of my statements was false or flawed? I never said that parents of special needs kids don't consider the needs of others. I said that everyone should consider how their requests and wants might impact others.