Well, the jury is in... Andy's articulation problems, according to the insurance, are an educational problem tha should be addressed by the school. According to the school, he isnt actually developmentally delayed by the problem, so it ain't their problem. I can't send him to regular school when no one can understand a word he says. Where have we done this dance before?
So please, everybody buy t-shirts. :P Anybody want to have a bake sale?
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That is an outrage! Does Joey have a medical diagnosis at all? We are just entering into the world of IEP's, our son starts Kindergarten this September. We have our first 'planning' meeting with the IEP team this Wednesday. We are also afraid that we are going to be told the same thing in a few years. Our son is classified as 'high functioning"- I wonder if that is just used so that he can be removed from some support systems-be that in the educational forum or medical.
I encourage you to find the disability advocat and fight a good fight. The ADA and any other possible law.
I have been a teacher for 16 yrs but never have had to deal with IEPs as a parent. Each school is controlled by the administration & psych- not to mention the special ed department. A child that can't express themselves needs services.
Could you email me personally and tell me what state and city you are in... even the district? My aunt is a special ed administrator and has helped me with using the right 'legal' words to enforce my rights for my son.
I just started blogging about my son- my blog is 'autistic fish" as my son loves all things from the deep sea, especially the fish.
Hang in there- don't give up' let's find some advocates to help you get the services that your son deserves and needs to have fair and equal access to a quality education.
Eva
Yes. Joey is diagnosed with autism and sensory integration dysfunction. Andy is not. WE go see the developmental pediatrician on May 23.
However, a medical diagnosis does not ensure service or coverage. Many insurance companies when they see "autism" will NOT COVER ANYTHING. To get around this, Joey is also categorized as dyspraxic and apraxic. These should be secondary, but we've had to make them primary.
The SLP coded Andy as apraxic and motor planning disorder, but the insurance says because the goals are to improve articulation, that's educational.
I hate the term "high functioning", especially in paperwork and in IEP meetings. It is so often used to deny service for us, so we steer away from it. "High functioning" does not mean "functional."
The ADA only applies IF Andy is considered disabled. Currently, he is not- apparently not being able to speak clearly is not considered a disability!
Weird. Good luck with your IEP! My advice: don't rely on school personnel. Get your child FULY evaluated INDEPENDENTLY, and use that information to design the IEP. Also, doing an ABLLS will give you a nice baseline for kindergarden.
Hi!
Being new at this... what is the ABLLS? We are going to bring in our own paid advocat into our meeting... wary of what we don't know yet. We are excited that our school district has an early intervention K-2 autism program for students who can mainstream for part of the day with full autism support. It is an exciting program... I pray and hope.
Eva
Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills. Many ABA programs actually base themselves on the ABLLS test, as it is designed for children with language delays, and it is measuring skills and progress, rather than being diagnostic. There is actually a whole curriculum you can follow with the ABLLS. The point is to teach early elementary aged kids the skills they will need to be independent and functional. It is NOT comprehensive, but it IS extensive, so it is an excellent tool to include in your evaluation- it gives you clear guidelines of what skills your child needs to work on, and can be used to show measurable progress.
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