Within the first few minutes of our IEP meeting the other day, I was SHOCKED. SHOCKED. SHOCKED. Maddison is "no longer eligible" for an IEP, per Maddison's case manager. This is based on the fact that Maddison is no longer in need of any "services" for her "emotional disturbances" in school, related to her Diabetes. Say what? What emotional disturbances? Ohhhhh.....where to start.
Basically, our school wants to transition Maddison from her IEP to a 504 because her Psych reviews this year is expected to show that her "emotional disturbances" have apparently vanished off the face of the planet. Hmmm....maybe that has to do with the fact that her teacher this year is capable? Caring? Doesn't humiliate her in front of the class? FIRST, let me say, I was completely thrown off by Maddison being labeled as an "Emotionally Disturbed" child. The criteria for "ED" is this:
(A) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors.
(B) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers.
(C) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal circumstances.
(D) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression.
(E) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems.
Ummmm, yes this WAS Maddison for a short time last year. But....Ummmm.....NO. Maddison is not an ED child!! She was a child that had a CRAZY teacher that made her feel like a nuisance to the class!!! I could explain all day. I wont. Last year was HARD for Maddison. It wasn't HER issue, but how her teacher and tough times with Diabetes made her FEEl.
Oh MY. MY understanding last year when Maddison qualified for an IEP was that she qualified because she was considered "at risk" for falling behind in class because of her Diabetes affecting cognitive learning ability and missed class time affects her ability to complete all assignments timely. Isnt that why she would be eligible for an IEP? WELL.... only one area of extensive testing (last year) showed Maddison struggling academically, so, we proceeded to write the IEP for OHI, with OHI being Diabetes of course. Or, so I thought! The IEP was written around Maddison's Psych testing results which showed her to be "at risk for "ED"!!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!! I HAD NO IDEA!!!
"ED" is NOT what I thought Maddison's IEP was built around. I thought it was built around the simple fact that she is OHI and needs an INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLAN!! Because Maddison is no longer in need of "ED" intervention (or any other "services) she is no longer "eligible" for an IEP. Of course, now she must have all the academic and Psych testing re-evaluated before this is final, BUT, this is what Maddison's case manager is telling me. I beg to differ, and I WILL fight to the death on this. As always. Gotta love us D moms :)
Moving my blog again
15 years ago
4 comments:
you betcha you fight this and yes my son had the same problem the teacher told me that she did not want him in her class because she could not in her words "effectively teach " with a disabled child in her class . He was a distrubance to her not any one else. Just her . So the principal and I had quite a discussion and felt my son would be better off with another teacher well we found one and she was a delight and happened that her husband was a type 1 d person and she understood completely and I loved it . so I would be raving mad if I were you and I would bring these points that you mentioned up in a meeting with the principal .
504's are great. It is a contract where you write out all of Maddison's rights on paper. You write out her protocol and then it must be signed AND followed by all the personel who work with her. YOU can change the contract at any time, but whatever they agree to...they have to follow through on.
Good luck. Your baby isn't ed! She is exceptional!
IEP's, yep! One of the reason's I quit working for the school system and started working for the student as an advocate. There are lots of words that start with "E" like extraordinary and excellent.
I'm so confused after reading your post about the school wanting to reverse an existing IEP. An IEP can be given if you can prove that fluctuating blood sugars, in Madison's case, can interfere with concentration; i.e., effecting a D child much the same as ADD. There are recent studies showing how D can effect cognative ability. This is not necessarily true for all D children (actually, I think it is; just that some are able to compensate). If you believe Maddison's ability to concentrate is effected by D, you do have grounds for an IEP based on that. Heck, just bring her to a psychologist and you would probably be able to get an ADD diagnosis, hand it to the school, and they would not be able to deny her an IEP. Ridiculous that the school is making you jump through hoops so your daughter is taken care of while in their care.
Post a Comment