Special Education Program Consulting

When you get an inter-disciplinary team together of experts to meet about a student and their education there are several expectations that have to rise above w...hat would be a parent teacher conference style meeting. 1. For each professional presenting levels should be presented, a discussion of how goals are progressing, and what they’re working on in their sessions. 2. The team is there to improve the contract called the IEP and to adjust goals, accommodations, and modifications as they see them in this school year. Every year a student grows and changes, this year has been a very different year for students adjustments need to be made to this most important document based on the teams discussion. 3. The chairperson should be a true leader, moving the team along, keeping pacing for reporting, letting their expectations be known to the team ahead of the meeting, be highly organized, and point out what should be changed in the IEP. The chair persons organization directly affects the contract. If it feels like a parent teacher conference which just a reading of the report card without any discussion of goals, levels, or progress, then the team was unprepared for the meeting. Every committee on special education meeting to create an IEP needs to have a purpose. Defining that purpose for your team is extremely important. They should come prepared to work on the contract that is the IEP.

When you fight for children as an Educational Advocate, they come for you. The Administrators and Coordinators will bad mouth you to the principals, teachers ...and even parents but still we ADVOCATE. They will attempt to try to tell people you do not know what you are talking about (when actually you are the ONLY one at the table who does KNOW). They will show their lack of knowledge at the table and their lack of emotional control but still we ADVOCATE. They will do everything in their power to delay the process by NOT working collaboratively for the child but still we ADVOCATE. They do not do their jobs for YEARS and identify all of the areas of need yet we are still 'nice' to them as we have to work the process the RIGHT way as we still will ADVOCATE. They will hide documents, they will say they did not receive things (which you know they did), they will continue to unnecessarily delay the children receiving appropriate services as when they do it shows how long the child went without the necessary services for rehabilitation but still we ADVOCATE. They will try everything to stop you from bringing to light all of the child's needs but still we ADVOCATE. Now, who exactly is the TROUBLEMAKER in this equation -- the person trying to help the child get the services that research shows he/she needs OR the Admins who have for many years refused to acknowledge the needs and provide the services? Call me a TROUBLEMAKER all you want as if it takes being a TROUBLEMAKER to save the children -- I will wear it as a badge of HONOR for the children. We, Advocates are the FAPE Defense League and we will continue to Advocate for all of them! #all4them #FAPEDefenseLeague #getfape

Dear Autism Specialist - The VB MAPP testing is a Milestone assessment containing 170 measurable Milestones Test that are balanced across 16 skill areas, and 3 ...developmental levels (0-18 months, 18-30 months, and 30-48 months) of children with Autism and other developmental delays COMPARED to typically developing four year old's. The second part is the VB-MAPP Barriers Assessment, which provides an assessment of 24 learning and language acquisition barriers often faced by children with language delays. As you are aware, many kids with Autism are DELAYED in their skills and telling a mama that her 4 year old with Autism has basically aged out of the test is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard since her kid does not have even some 18 month skills! Sincerely, Ms. You damn skippy I educated her on the TRUTH

Dear IEP Team in Backwardsville who does the opposite of LRE, I was seriously shocked when I reviewed the draft IEP your school division is offering a little g...uy with average cognitive abilities. You are saying he is a general education student in one part of the IEP but then you have a goal where he will work towards being in general education increasing increments as long as he had no behaviors. Hum.... NO! Nota going happen! He IS a General Education student who is entitled to full access to the General Education curriculum with all of the supports and services he needs. What we will NOT do is let you act like he is General Education but instead 80% of his time at the beginning of the year will be in Special Education without access to his FAPE. May I suggest you call in someone who understands LRE, FAPE, and Behavior because you need all of their help to turn this crap around and for you to learn that you can not make a child earn his General Education time with his 'good behavior'! Sincerely, Ms. Ain't going for one minute of this

Each IEP team member should be educated about the student's disability and how it affects them. If they are not willing to learn, they should not be making ed...ucational decisions about your child. Once, I was told by a principal, I don’t need to know what Apraxia is; that’s why I hire people. My response was, I don’t care if you hire people. If you’re part of this IEP team making decisions, you need to know. I don’t care if you even hire people. Congratulations though, want a cookie? #iep #iepadvocate #apraxia See more

February 19, 2020 Ms. Principal Anywhere City, VA 24123... Dear Ms. Principal, It is our understanding that JellyBean currently has a 504 in place from FCPS but he continues to struggle despite those accommodations. We are requesting all of his scores from both reading and math assessments including the benchmark testing he has participated in since he began his educational experience. Additionally, if he is or has ever received any computer programs which are used as a RTI tool, any extra work on his math skills or reading, please provide us a copy of the computer generated programs collection of data and assessments which were performed. We are also requesting a breakdown of all his state assessments (VA-SOL's) but not just the scoring, the actual breakdown of his scores which will show us all where his struggles fell within those assessments and will assist the team by understanding all of his areas of strengths and weakness in reading and math. It is my understanding that these state assessments breakdown reports are not a report that you receive or print but I am requesting that you please print this report for our review and his educational record. Thank you in advance for your assistance in obtaining this necessary data to fully understand his needs in the school setting. Sincerely, Mr. KNOWS Reading and Math data is where we find those gaps in a child's learning to be able to provide the specific help they need

Parents, If it is recommended by a child's doctor, in psychology reports, and/or every piece of research in the field, etc.. - the school division can not just... say "We don't do that here!" BUT if they by chance let that foolishness come out their mouths, your response needs to be "Okay, great for clearing that up for us. Now can you quickly put that in a Prior Written Notice and we will be happy to take a private placement where they do provide what is recommended for my child." Learn to hold them accountable for these types of 'words" and this type of clear bs because they have to meet the needs of your child and if you have all of those recommendations from all of their treating doctors, therapist, etc... they must consider those recommendations and if they refuse to -- seek an Advocate or an Attorney immediately for a consultation. Sincerely, Ms. Tired of hearing "We don't do that here!" and parents saying "ok" we will settle basically for what you are 'offering' --- hold out for those recommendations and seek assistance if you need it now! (Not when he is suspended and about to be expelled in middle or high school basically because his needs were not met in elementary school! P.S. Response to "We don't do that here!" is "What? Provide FAPE?"

Dear Ms. Special Education Director, I am very confused by ABC Schools recent actions in regards to my daughter and her accommodation she requires to decrease ...her anxiety in the classroom and to assist with attention to task. Yesterday, I was informed that SugarPie would have to serve detention due to using her stress ball and 'running' according to the principal. As these are all parts of her coping needs along with behaviors due to her disability, I do not understand Ms. Salley Sue's lack of understanding of her sensory needs as a principal. Please accept this as my request for a in depth OT evaluation including sensory evaluation with the Sensory Processing Measure across different environments along with the Sensory Profile and Anxiety Scales, Behavioral scales and a FBA on her behaviors in the classroom by a BCBA to develop a BIP to address these problem behaviors instead of continuing to punish them. Additionally, I am requesting that this detention be put on hold until the Team can meet and discuss her needs as this is a Manifestation of her disability. Sincerely, Ms. StopPunishingMyKidsfortryingtocope

Dear Parent, I appreciate our your time today, when we discussed the needs of your child within his educational sitting here at CAT School District. As we all... have explained to you many times, Billy Bob does not have any problem behaviors here at school as you are seeing there at home, so this must be a home problem not the schools. Billy Bob is a perfect angel at school other than the few behaviors he has just like the regular kids which are not impeding his ability to learn because we have a wonderful accommodation in his IEP to let him RETAKE all his tests to get a better grade (like YOU wanted him to have). We understand that you want us now to remove that RETAKE accommodation but we are REFUSING otherwise he would not make those pretty grades that make us all so HAPPY! Sincerely, We like watering down grades at our school instead of adding services and accommodations to help the LEARN NOT pass the curriculum