On the subject of private evaluations - Just Do It

Even if you are 100% in agreement with your school district's evaluation of your child, ask for an IEE. (State reasons for disagreeing, though). Why? Think of the evaluation as a consent to a major surgery that has the potential to affect your child for their entire lives. Even if it all sounds good, it's so big that it's scary - don't you want a second opinion?

The school district must pay for an IEE (or show cause for denying you one, which you may need later if you ever end up in Due Process Hearing.) If they say "no", insist that the denial and the reason for the denial be noted in the minutes of the IEP meeting.  They can provide you with a list of local professionals who they have deemed qualified to do them, or they can provide you with a list of the qualifications a professional must have for their IEE to be acceptable if you choose your own professional. You can request one per year if I recall correctly. I will confirm this and edit to add the link confirming or denying it. The IEE may agree with, disagree with, or ADD TO the school's evaluation. Maybe they agree that your child codes for Autism, but they also catch that they code for ADHD, ED, a learning disability, or other co-morbidities that will open more doors for you in accomodations later down the line with the schools.

Now, go completely outside the district. An IEE is still an EDUCATIONAL evaluation. It may not provide you with a medical diagnosis (depending on the professional involved).

If you have insurance, make an appointment with a developmental pediatrician or child psychologist. Try to find a CP who specializes in or is familiar with Asperger's/Autism in girls if at all possible (if applicable, ie your child IS a girl...). This will get you a medical diagnosis. If you don't have insurance, scrimp and save as you can and try to find someone that works on a sliding scale basis and may only need to retest certain areas of the evaluation (ie you know your child doesn't have any cognitive problems/learning disabilities, but you want them specifically screened only for Autism/Asperger's/PDD.) A medical diagnosis will lead to insurance coverage of some therapies and assistive technology, or you can apply for Social Security Disability based on it (long story there and it does take time, sometimes years) that may eventually provide your child with insurance that may cover therapies or assistive technology.

If the IEE determines that your child is not autistic, but you obtain a medical diagnosis of Autism, you have firm standing to insist that your child be accomodated "based on need, not by label".

And that is where we are in our journey right now; we have an ED label with the school district, but multiple medical diagnoses from independent medical evaluations we did over the entire summer. We actually did this *twice*, with 2 practices. I have some testing from her previous teachers to submit to the 2nd one before I will receive their report. (Because I figured hey, maybe I'm paranoid, but they can't disregard two completely independent reports as easily as one - ie the "you shopped for a doctor to say what you wanted" angle).

And if there is one thing I have learned about paranoia, it is to pay attention to it. If there is any potential minefield that I can disarm BEFORE stepping into an IEP meeting, I am better prepared.

Accommodations continued - class goals

Have you ever really thought about the term "Behavior Intervention Plan"? I read an excellent web page today that went into great detail about a Plan works best when it's used by a Team, instead of simply being a list of expectations for one individual. The Team consists of the special education student, the Parent(s), the Class, the Teacher(s), and the Administrators.

So, why not set goals for your whole team instead of just your child? If everyone works as a Team, the Behavior that you want can be more easily attained; the Behavior that you don't want can be more easily shown alternatives; and everyone can learn from the experience, not just the Student.

With that in mind, we're going to ask for these goals to be implemented in Caitlyn's BIP. This is just my working copy, haha, so it still needs a lot of work! I want to be able to think of concrete measurable goals for the above for "probe taken 4 out of 5 times" and such - just like is expected of Caitlyn.

BIP goals for her class:

• To have staff and peers educated about Asperger's
• To show by example and discussion how to cope with frustration, anger, and dissappointment 
• To show acceptance of learning differences and abilities with praise or modification
• To involve Caitlyn in decision making regarding learning and social interactions.
• To offer tasks which focus on areas of Caitlyn's strengths and personal interests.
• To have planned opportunities for Caitlyn to demonstrate abilities.
• To value Caitlyn for her difference, not in spite of it.

Accommodations continued - Behavior and Assistive Technologies

We are going to get Caitlyn an iPad (if we get the proper consent from the school) to use instead of the AlphaSmart she has been provided because it has such a limited use and cannot be taken home. I read an excellent article here that detailed how wonderfully this device can be harnessed for special needs children. I'm really looking forward to it helping her not only in class, but at home!

17. Be referred to appropriate Special Education counselor or case manager if meltdown occurs to address cause, ownership of behavior, and alternative outcomes instead of punitively placed in administration office.
18. Be placed in adaptive Physical Education. Measurable goals should include mastery of monkey bars, jumping rope, walking a balance beam, running safely/addressing gait and movement issues, eye/hand coordination (catching and throwing different appropriate objects/balls), eye/foot coordination (ie kicking a ball), spacial recognition, observation, and reaction.
19. Be provided appropriate keyboarding class and instruction in order to appropriately use given assistive technologies such as the AlphaSmart.
20. Parent to provide iPad and appropriate applications/syncing ability with existing classroom technology/charging cord to replace AlphaSmart. Parents agree download ability will be locked with password protection unavailable to student and that no non-educational games or distractions will be on provided iPad. Wi-Fi connection may be used at teacher discretion and will be unable to be used without school’s WEP key. Sound may be used at teacher discretion with or without Parent-provided earbuds.
21. Teachers to be given instruction on appropriate uses of iPad for given class assignments. Parent will provide handout(s) on included software capabilities dependant on which applications Parent purchases/loads.
22. iPad applications will include but not be limited to a Visual Schedule; word processing program; calendar; behavior/incentive reward app; Social Stories; Visual Tutorials; e-textbooks if available/applicable; e-workbooks if available/applicable; flashcards and memorization improvement apps. Word correction/substitution of word processing program will be turned off if ability to do so is present.
23. iPad will be configured to a Google account (for Google documents) that can be accessed via any school computer by teacher, aide, or administrator to print out. Documents on Google update in realtime, save automatically every 5 minutes, can be used with multiple participants, and do not require the iPad to be physically attached to any school computer for downloading/printing off of assignment. Parent can view assignments at home in real time using said Google documents account.
24. Parent will provide handout(s) on how to use Google documents for teacher(s)/aide(s)/adminstrator(s) if needed.

What we're going to ask for at the upcoming IEP/ARD

This is really, really long, so I'm going to break it down into sections. This one is about her homework, which is currently taking us approximately 3 hours a day (due to particular subjects), 7 days a week. That's not workable with her needs at home and private therapy appointments, etc. Testing is also an issue; on her most recent test she scored a 0 - she didn't write down anything at all because she froze up completely. Memorization is a major issue; multiplication tables last year nearly killed us. Now that we're working on states and capitals, she can't do 10+ of them in a week. She had no problem the previous week with the smaller assignment of 4 states and capitals.

Desired Accommodations:

1. Monitoring during independent work
2. Read, simplify, clarify directions on assignments and tests, including standardized tests
3. Additional time given to retrieve details when answering questions verbally by 25%
4. Extended time to complete assignments and tests, including standardized tests up to 50%
5. Extended time of 50% for complex memorization assignments before testing OR
6. Breaking down memorization assignments into smaller testing sections if 70% or better mastery is not being attained on pre-test
7. Science and Social Studies assignments modified in length by 50%
8. Reduced homework assignments by 50%
9. Additional time for homework given of 1 day if needed. Parent will email communication to teacher of why time is necessary (therapy appointments that afternoon, meltdown, not understanding instructions for assignment given, not all materials present for assignment) that night for the teacher to access in the morning and will also note in Caitlyn’s planner why the assignment is not yet complete.
10. Check with Caitlyn prior to test taking to determine her anxiety level and prompt to utilize relaxation techniques.
11. Each homework assignment clearly written in the appropriate class square of Caitlyn’s planner by the aide or teacher of that class
12. Review all homework assignments are easily identified and written in Caitlyn’s planner before going home at end of day. Due date for each assignment should be clearly marked on corresponding square in planner to prompt Caitlyn to turn in assignment during that class time.
13. In each class, Caitlyn’s binder/bag/folder(s) to be checked, as applicable, before an assignment is declared “missing”.
14. Parent emailed that day if assignment is missing.
15. Review all homework materials are present and easily identifiable in Caitlyn’s binder, folder, or bookbag as applicable.
16. No penalty to grading of late assignments if 11-15 were not provided.