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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 2:08:32 GMT
Just received an email from the psychologist, basically they will prepare the paperwork but she doubts Steven will be accepted for testing. I have an appointment scheduled with his doctor and will get in touch with our insurance to see what testing through them will run. She should have kept her opinion to herself. I would suggest getting an advocate or at the very least studying up on your options. Email her back and say something like: "I am glad you are getting the paperwork ready, but am disheartened to hear that you have already basically decided he doesn't qualify for testing. Please let me know the date of the meeting that you will give me the Prior Written Notice with your evidence and data that validates your predetermination of lack of eligibility to be tested so that I can arrange for Steven's advocate to be at the meeting. " Then be ready to follow up with a mediation or due process request (these should be on your state's DOE website) It may be that she has sound reasoning for her decision. I know I was asked to test a student and after looking at the data determined that we would not do the testing requested. The student wanted (yes, student requested first, then parent) to be tested for a learning disability. After looking at the student's attendance, grades, test scores, and missing assignments as well as talking to the teachers, it was determined that we would not do testing. Had the family pushed the issue and gone (or threatened) mediation or due process, we probably would have tested, so if you feel strongly, push for it. Thank you for that, I wish I had though of it when I replied to her email this morning. I will work it in next time I have to respond to her.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 2:10:37 GMT
Push the school to test him. Dysgraphia may be an issue. It can interfere with understanding. He may have an issue that is not so obvious, but that is really what the testing looking for. I am pushing, I really didn't like their answer of there is nothing we can do for him, we've seen worse. Just because some other child has worse handwriting doesn't mean there isn't a problem for my son.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 22, 2016 3:11:09 GMT
What do his teachers think? Can you get one in your corner.
Seriously, the accommodations you seem to be looking for are not costly. Extra time on assignments, ability to type certain assignments. Books on tape might be a costly endeavor, but it could be that in the iep it is written that he can listen to the book, but that it will not be provided. With that said, often there are audios on YouTube or you could rent from a library
Of course they aren't allowed to decide based on money, but we know sometimes it is
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Post by mom2samlibby on Mar 22, 2016 3:18:17 GMT
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Mary Kay Lady
Pearl Clutcher
PeaNut 367,913 Refupea number 1,638
Posts: 3,074
Jun 27, 2014 4:11:36 GMT
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Post by Mary Kay Lady on Mar 22, 2016 4:50:13 GMT
I'm not bashing 504s at all, but the legal protections from IDEA are much stronger if he qualifies. What tests is she complaining about? While testing isn't free, testing (at least around here) is done by district staff. For instance, academic testing is done by the sped teacher, behavior and social by the psych, speech by the SLP, fine and gross motor by the OT, health is updated by the nurse... We have to pay for the protocols, but it really doesn't cost what the private sector charges because we aren't charging for our time. I guess I can't wrap my head around the school fighting you without good reason. Our teachers come to us if they feel a child may need more help because if they aren't on our caseload, we often don't know them and would have no idea of their struggles. In emailing back and forth she's not complaining about the tests, in her last email to me today said it's highly unlikely he will qualify. It's basically while his state test scores are low they are normal low barely. A few more points and he would have been below normal every year he's been tested. Last year in the 7th grade for the first time he did slip below normal but not by much. In other words while he's struggling he's not struggling enough. I guess he's going to have to really fail before they think there is a problem. I get the impression the reason she doesn't want to test him is she doesn't see a problem with how he's doing in school. He squeaks by, whatever is going on with him is not a major learning disorder. He can read but it's hard for him, he can write but it looks like a preschool wrote it. Your response really gets my knickers in a twist. That's EXACTLY what I was told all through elementary school. I KNEW that my DS had a learning disability (I'm a former teacher.) and it made me very angry that testing was denied. Please call the head of your special education department for your school district. Be polite yet persistent. Your child's needs are not being met. Part of the advantage of sending your child to public school is that testing and is made available to identify learning disabilities. That testing is paid for by your tax dollars. Your son has a right to it. Regardless of how your child tests if there is a suspected learning disability he should be tested. It's no different than if you thought he needed glasses. If he was able to pass his classes without them you wouldn't say that he didn't need them, would you? This is no different.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 12:52:08 GMT
Thank you for this, while he doesn't have everything on the list he has quite a few of them.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2016 12:54:09 GMT
In emailing back and forth she's not complaining about the tests, in her last email to me today said it's highly unlikely he will qualify. It's basically while his state test scores are low they are normal low barely. A few more points and he would have been below normal every year he's been tested. Last year in the 7th grade for the first time he did slip below normal but not by much. In other words while he's struggling he's not struggling enough. I guess he's going to have to really fail before they think there is a problem. I get the impression the reason she doesn't want to test him is she doesn't see a problem with how he's doing in school. He squeaks by, whatever is going on with him is not a major learning disorder. He can read but it's hard for him, he can write but it looks like a preschool wrote it. Your response really gets my knickers in a twist. That's EXACTLY what I was told all through elementary school. I KNEW that my DS had a learning disability (I'm a former teacher.) and it made me very angry that testing was denied. Please call the head of your special education department for your school district. Be polite yet persistent. Your child's needs are not being met. Part of the advantage of sending your child to public school is that testing and is made available to identify learning disabilities. That testing is paid for by your tax dollars. Your son has a right to it. Regardless of how your child tests if there is a suspected learning disability he should be tested. It's no different than if you thought he needed glasses. If he was able to pass his classes without them you wouldn't say that he didn't need them, would you? This is no different. They haven't officially turned me down yet. I am submitting the paperwork for testing but from the answers in my emails with the psychologist it's obvious she's going to deny testing.
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Post by anonrefugee on Mar 22, 2016 13:28:10 GMT
We've been on our dyslexia road for a long time now, and have seen so many changes in the last decade.
But I've found myself getting angry and more distressed with each page of this thread. I want to shout, maybe shake, people like those OP is dealing with at the school.
It doesn't matter if his scores are "good enough" if there's a difference. The glasses or hearing aid analogy is true. Why not give a student the tools they need to be successful?
I am also heartened to read so many fellow RefuPeas with this viewpoint! Maybe change is taking place!
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Post by twinks on Mar 22, 2016 18:34:23 GMT
I agree with anonrefugee, this whole thing is disheartening to me. The one thing that I am confused about is mediation, due process, and Prior Notice of Decision that were mentioned earlier. I thought those were the protections/safeguards afforded under IDEA. If the student has not been identified as needing Special Education Services yet, then those things are not available to be looking at - at least in my opinion. Also someone pointed out from my previous post about the hiring of a tutor. I think I may have misposted about that as well. Maybe one doesn't get a tutor until they are identified - I am not sure. I had both a child identified as needing SPED services and another who was behind a couple of grade levels for which the school did "pull out services" with a tutor. I can be confused and I apologize that I misposted. Someone posted earlier that you can have an independent evaluation at the school's expense. Yes, but, this is only after a number of steps/sequences has happened and again, I believe, only after the child has been identified as needing SPED services. The whole thing here is the OP is saying her child is struggling, failing, has had to hire a tutor to help and is wanting the school to test and is coming up with a roadblock with the school psychologist. It is heartbreaking for me to read of OP's son struggling. It is damaging to his self-confidence. I think anytime a child is struggling, we need to look for answers - whether they are barely getting by or making it. The focus should be on the struggling. Again, I would look to the book "From Emotions to Advocacy" or under "Child Find" on www.wrightslaw.com to come up with your rights and your sons rights to be tested. If you get the same kind of brush off from the school psychologist, I would be researching a neuropsychologist in your area, talking to his peds (for perhaps a good referral), or something to get some testing done on my own. If you go the route of a private evaluation, make sure it is done by a reputable professional who is known to work with school districts. I would then be contacting the school for a meeting over the results. Just keep in mind that a good, reputable, psychologist/neurpsychologist who does this kind of testing is hard to get into and it can be 3-4 months before your first appointment. I am heartbroken for your son having to struggle. Knowledge is power and sometimes we, as parents, just need to know the answers.
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Post by pmm on Mar 22, 2016 20:45:24 GMT
Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you. The organization that I used with my son is called: Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities www.ocecd.org/
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Post by lindywholoveskids on Mar 25, 2016 17:45:14 GMT
OP, keep us posted!
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 25, 2016 18:11:28 GMT
Your response really gets my knickers in a twist. That's EXACTLY what I was told all through elementary school. I KNEW that my DS had a learning disability (I'm a former teacher.) and it made me very angry that testing was denied. Please call the head of your special education department for your school district. Be polite yet persistent. Your child's needs are not being met. Part of the advantage of sending your child to public school is that testing and is made available to identify learning disabilities. That testing is paid for by your tax dollars. Your son has a right to it. Regardless of how your child tests if there is a suspected learning disability he should be tested. It's no different than if you thought he needed glasses. If he was able to pass his classes without them you wouldn't say that he didn't need them, would you? This is no different. They haven't officially turned me down yet. I am submitting the paperwork for testing but from the answers in my emails with the psychologist it's obvious she's going to deny testing. go over her head. Go to the sped department hit the director or the coordinator with the request
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2016 21:57:52 GMT
They haven't officially turned me down yet. I am submitting the paperwork for testing but from the answers in my emails with the psychologist it's obvious she's going to deny testing. go over her head. Go to the sped department hit the director or the coordinator with the request I received the paper work in the mail on Thursday. I got it filled out and mailed back this morning. His district is on spring break so it'll be a bit before I hear back. I've been emailing with his English teacher. His reading level is 5.4, how is that not a concern? But she says his DAZE scores are on grade level. I'm not sure why there is a discrepancy. She also says that "his reading level and comprehension seem to be on the same level as most of his peers and he struggles with evaluating text based evidence to draw inferences from the text". - that's a quote from the email. Maybe I'm being overly concerned if he's where his peers are? He is in general English not Honors or Resource.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 25, 2016 22:33:51 GMT
go over her head. Go to the sped department hit the director or the coordinator with the request I received the paper work in the mail on Thursday. I got it filled out and mailed back this morning. His district is on spring break so it'll be a bit before I hear back. I've been emailing with his English teacher. His reading level is 5.4, how is that not a concern? But she says his DAZE scores are on grade level. I'm not sure why there is a discrepancy. She also says that "his reading level and comprehension seem to be on the same level as most of his peers and he struggles with evaluating text based evidence to draw inferences from the text". - that's a quote from the email. Maybe I'm being overly concerned if he's where his peers are? He is in general English not Honors or Resource. What is she basing his reading level on? Do you understand what DAZE is? (I can explain it if you don't). What grade is he in again?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2016 22:39:48 GMT
I received the paper work in the mail on Thursday. I got it filled out and mailed back this morning. His district is on spring break so it'll be a bit before I hear back. I've been emailing with his English teacher. His reading level is 5.4, how is that not a concern? But she says his DAZE scores are on grade level. I'm not sure why there is a discrepancy. She also says that "his reading level and comprehension seem to be on the same level as most of his peers and he struggles with evaluating text based evidence to draw inferences from the text". - that's a quote from the email. Maybe I'm being overly concerned if he's where his peers are? He is in general English not Honors or Resource. What is she basing his reading level on? Do you understand what DAZE is? (I can explain it if you don't). What grade is he in again? His reading level is based on STAR. I do not understand DAZE. I don't know what STAR stands for either. He is in the 8th grade.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 25, 2016 22:55:35 GMT
What is she basing his reading level on? Do you understand what DAZE is? (I can explain it if you don't). What grade is he in again? His reading level is based on STAR. I do not understand DAZE. I don't know what STAR stands for either. He is in the 8th grade. STAR (standardized test for the assessment of reading (though there is STAR math now too) is a computerized test in which the student reads a question or something and the chooses the best of four answers. Ask what his percentile rank is. Ask them to show you his growth (or non growth). Ask them for any report that they can give you (I can get a list, but like you I am on Spring Break). DAZE is a timed assessment. The student reads silently and about every 7th (on MAZE an DAZE) word or so there is a parenthesis with three words inside. The student circles the word that make sense in the sentence. For instance: Katie could hardly believe her luck, she (ran, found, sat) the watch she had lost the day before. In this case, you would circle the word found because it makes the sentence make sense. What were his scores on DAZE?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2016 2:16:29 GMT
His reading level is based on STAR. I do not understand DAZE. I don't know what STAR stands for either. He is in the 8th grade. STAR (standardized test for the assessment of reading (though there is STAR math now too) is a computerized test in which the student reads a question or something and the chooses the best of four answers. Ask what his percentile rank is. Ask them to show you his growth (or non growth). Ask them for any report that they can give you (I can get a list, but like you I am on Spring Break). DAZE is a timed assessment. The student reads silently and about every 7th (on MAZE an DAZE) word or so there is a parenthesis with three words inside. The student circles the word that make sense in the sentence. For instance: Katie could hardly believe her luck, she (ran, found, sat) the watch she had lost the day before. In this case, you would circle the word found because it makes the sentence make sense. What were his scores on DAZE? I don't know his scores on DAZE his teacher just said they were grade level, I took that to mean 8th grade.
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Post by Legacy Girl on Mar 26, 2016 4:51:42 GMT
I haven't read all the responses, but I'm the mom of a dyslexic DD, and I would strongly urge you to have him tested for dyslexia. My DD's main symptoms were spelling problems, atrocious handwriting, difficulty connecting letters with sounds, difficulty copying from one piece of paper to another (or from the white board to her paper), etc. I always say that dyslexia is such a sneaky learning disability! The fact that you've indicated your DS may wish to become a mechanic could be an additional indicator -- many dyslexics are great with their hands and love to solve problems in unique ways.
One last thing: learning foreign languages is notoriously difficult for people with dyslexia. If you can get your DS on an IEP, you may be able to have the foreign language requirement waived. Another possibility is to have him enroll in American Sign Language classes, which are a better choice for dyslexics and often meet the language requirement.
Please keep trying until you find the answers to his challenges. And if there's anything I can do to be helpful or supportive, please let me know. I've been there, and I understand the heartbreak, as well as the triumph that comes when things start to fall into place.
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