need feedback please

Submitted by an LD OnLine user on

I am not sure if this is the appropriate board to post this to, but maybe you can direct me to the right place.

I have been struggling trying to get my daughter help at her school. She was diagnosed as special education in December 2001 by the school system and currently is part of an IEP (individual education plan) program at her school. She is currently in 8th grade (the last year in this particular school). I am having trouble with the school giving her what she needs. The IEP they have written is vague, and, according to our recent private neurological assessment (learning disability - DSM-IV-TR: 315.1; 315.2; DSM-IV-TR:296.9) is not giving her the adequate help that she needs. I have tried the regular route and am now about to head towards more drastic means. The school has updated the IEP, but it is still lacking based on our January 2003 assessment.

Currently, I am looking for resources (laws/legislation - state and federal, advocacy information etc.) to back up my case so that I can get my daughter what she deserves. I would like to hold the school accountable, but at this point I am getting the runaround and have no facts to back up my concerns.

Can anyone give me some advise on how to move forward. Is there somewhere I can get the information I need in order to prove my case. I would like to say to the school:

1) by law, you are required to give my daughter: a, b, and c.
2) how do I go about getting her what she needs to succeed
3) who in the public school system is striving to help my daughter.

Additionally, I do not know much about my daughter’s specific disability. The codes (as written above) have been explained to me, but I would like to know where I can find this information so I can review it for myself in order that I may better understand things.

Please help! Anything you can do would be greatly appreciated.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 09/09/2004 - 7:14 PM

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Wrightslaw.com is a good place to start. Also, talking with other parents who are dealing with the same issues is very helpful.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 09/09/2004 - 7:54 PM

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http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/dsmivtrcodes.htm

This will tell you more about what the codes mean.

The wrightslaw website, mentioned above, is great.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 09/09/2004 - 10:56 PM

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Wrightslaw as mentioned above is a great website. Also you could call the ABA ( American Bar Association) or your local bar association and they will refer you to a lawyer who specializes in education law. They will charge you $35.00 to talk to an attorney for about 30 minutes to see if they can help you. Not a bad price to see if you have a case or if they can help you.

I recently did this myself and actually went in and spoke to an attorney for about 45 min. regarding our situation.

Another great website is www.schwablearning.org the folks on this site are very knowledgable about rights and resources.

Good luck!!!

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 09/10/2004 - 3:42 PM

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I’m in Canada — we have no recourse if the school does not provide ‘FAPE’ — it doesn’t exist up here. What the school offers is what you get — and in these days, that is not usually much, especially for dyslexic kiddos. So, I learned early (had advice from many on this board) to stop telling the school and teachers what they ‘needed’ to do — I took what they offered, negotiated for extra assistance where I (not often) could, and ignored what I didn’t like when there was no other option. My focus has been on getting my child the help he needs OUTSIDE of school, and teaching him to become an independent learner who can negotiate the system within the confines of his own abilities or lack thereof.

Often the schools WOULD help if they could — but the system itself is stacked against our kids, and so the teachers and schools do the best they can — totally inadequate in most cases, but sometimes the best you can do is the only option. To them, your kid is THEIR JOB…at the end of the day they go home, and your kid is just another product they processed at work. That is not cruel and unkind, it is simply true. I don’t mean that most teachers don’t care deeply about their students — I believe they do — but in the end, it is their JOB. Not their LIFE.

I chose to ensure that my son got what he needed (is getting what he needs) outside the system, as much as is possible given our restraints of budget and time. (Mom the Tutor — better than nobody, so far!) He is still a struggler — reading is where it should be, but spelling, writing and math are a struggle — but we are making progress!

I don’t wish to offend, but is a protracted legal battle really going to result in what you want? Or is it better to accept that it is unfair, and wrong, but then privately do whatever is possible to help your child overcome the cards stacked against her or him? Time is rushing past — the school boards have all the time it takes to fight in court, but your child does not!

I know this is hard to accept — it IS UNFAIR! But daddy always said, ‘who ever told you that the world was FAIR?’ Sometimes, you get the cards you get, and the choice is to play or give up…give up is not an option for our kids, on that I’m sure we all agree!

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