Pretty much all kids with autism fall under the heading of "kids with special needs." As a result, in the United States, most parents of kids with autism are involved with the creation of Individualized Education Plans, or IEPs. IEPs are legal documents which specifically describe goals, program elements and accommodations for children with special needs. In theory, once parents, teachers and administrators agree on the contents of an IEP, the schools are required to full it.
Of course, that's all more easily said than done. In most cases, the process of developing and agreeing on an IEP can take quite a while (weeks or even months) - and even then, schools may or may not really do what's described in the document. Sometimes parents and schools are in serious disagreement about appropriate placement, accommodations, and so forth; other times the schools either can't or won't do what's described in the IEP.
Creating and managing an IEP can be a full time business for parents, and it certainly is a full time business for many advocates, consultants and lawyers. In an ideal world, however, parents should be able to work fruitfully with their public school districts to implement the IEP.
Here are a few tips and tools for families about to tackle the IEP process for the fall. I'm also hoping you'll be able and willing to offer your own tips for parents!
I have nothing to add, but I do think one point should be stressed…RECORD..RECORD! Take a small recorder , and apologize if necessary, I say ” I just want to make certain I don’t miss anything and can go over it at home”. Truth, they see each other daily and conversations get to be like that game where ya whisper in one’s ear and pass it on ..they can really twist the truth!
Another thing, I don’t suggest going in alone, simply because when it’s suggested “don’t be intimidated”..it’s a lot easier when you aren’t alone ,they will be less likely to intimidate. I personally believe an advocate is necessary, one who is on par with the team, an educator or psychologist, with luck you can pull in one from among your friends or relatives. Don’t forget to compensate them as you would anyone for a service. Ask for a time table, if something , example such as earphones are necessary for your capd child, it’s not something that can wait until November, if that is the case ask them to send you home/hospital tutoring until they can have all that’s required. Chances are they won’t want to do that and will expedite a few things for you. When your child is in a private school, such as mine, understand that your county is still on the hook for services. If they only provide some educational ones “in house” then be ready to transport during the school week, I do this twice a week. For any federal programs someone is actually sent to my son’s private school all school year and all summer. Accomodate him!! That is my usual line, “accomodate him or pay for a private school for me”. So far I’ve seen that work for only one woman, and she did receive an otherwise 70K yearly private education “on the county” that wouldn’t accomodate him.
These are great tips!
Can you say a bit more about how you were able to get your district to get you the earphones quickly? My experience has been that I hear “absolutely, we can make that happen in just a few days’ time,” and then it doesn’t.
By the time I see it hasn’t happened, and reach the person in charge, and get a response, and then push for action, and then GET action – months have passed!
In short, I have generally been told what I want to hear, and then been shafted when it came to actually implementing the details of the plan. Since the overall setting and general parameters of the plan were in place, it didn’t seem worthwhile to SUE over something as apparently slight as earphones, etc. – yet that was just one of several accommodations that just never happened.
Lisa
“I’m about to file a complaint with the Department of Justice”…sounds good to me..short of suing.
Not sure if that is the correct agency..sounded right to me tonight? Sad that we as parents have to threaten to get the few things our children are entitled to.
I agree that recording IEPs is a good idea. One thing to remember (in CAlifornia anyway) is that you need to notify the IEP chair or teacher (in writing) that you will be recording the mtg. and you have to give them minimum 24 hrs. notice. As for requesting special items such as headphones, have a date written into the IEP in which the items will be provided eg:within 30 days my child will have headphones. Also during the IEP it is always helpful to set up a review date (eg:3 months) into the IEP to review progress/update equipment needs, check on status of mainstreaming etc.
Donnat is correct, of course, however, what to do after that just doesn’t “work” and you “still” don’t have your headphones or anything else ordered. I don’t think they expect to have any objections to their sloppiness in getting things together, and they need a little jolt at times. Sure I have, as I’m sure Lisa has, made the polite phone calls, attended the right meetings, followed up, and “still nothing”? Your child should not be in an instructional setting without the necessary items in place, that’s why I suggest sending him home/hospital tutoring until everything is together, my next step if that hadn’t worked “probably” would have been to make that “dept of justice” comment..
Hi Lisa,
I guess we were lucky—didn’t have any real issues with coming up with an IEP.
One thing I have noticed is a few families that got so caught up in life that they basically forgot what was in the plan.
I know this is a trivial suggestion, but parents do need to pay attention to the plan and make sure that nothing gets forgotten.
W&N