What am I supposed to ask in a IEP meeting ( possibly child with autism)?

Question

My son is 3 and he is average or above average in academical skills but very delayed in social skills . The preschool class has 13 children , 2 teachers and 2 assistants . Many children seem to have major problems like severely retarded , Down syndrome ,etc. Since my child is not retarded , I was wondering if this class would be at his functioning level and challenging enough . Is it possible to ask that he will be placed in a regular preschool ? I don't think the school has a regular preschool , but there are independent preschools in my city . Also , I would like my son to have ABA and I know they don't do this program at this school . What else am I supposed to ask for?

Answer 1

You may be able to find some useful information on this website:  http://www.wrightslaw.com/ especially regarding IDEA 2004.  If you don't agree with what the school recommends in the IEP you are legally allowed to request an independent evaluation that the school must pay for, and hopefully you can proceed from there and have your son placed appropriately.

Answer 2

check with your state educational department, or in my case the Parent Education Network. They will give you booklets of your rights and so forth

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Answer 3

The federal special education law called IDEA 'individuals with disabilities education act'

is suppose to be followed by all public schools.

According to this law, ALL children who qualify for special education are suppose to be placed in a REGULAR classroom setting and see if the child progresses.

IF the child does NOT progress, THEN teh child is placed in a different setting such as a different class, school etc.

This is called 'least restrictive environment'.

You need to do EVERYTHING in writing. Go to this IEP meeting with a letter requesting your child to be put in a REGULAR preschool. By law this is where he is suppose to be UNLESS he can not progress in this setting.

If they say no, write a letter to the head of this meeting requesting 'prior written notice' of their refusal. The IDEA law I mentioned also requires schools to give this notice to parents anytime they  stop, start, change or refuse a parents request.

They have to have LEGAL reasons for refusing him to be in a regular preschool. And put these reasons in writing in the prior written notice.

If they DO have legal reasons for refusing this, they won't mind giving you the prior written notice. If they do NOT have legal reasons for refusing, they most likely not give you the written notice when you ask for it. If they don't, the next step is to file a formal complaint with teh state dept of education.

The state will make them give you the notice and if they in fact do  NOT have legal reasons for refusing him to be in a regular school , at this point they will magically change their minds because they will not want the state to know they made their decision illegally.

All this applies for the ABA, too.

Go to www.wrightslaw.com and www.reedmartin.com and read about the special education laws that parents and schools are suppose to follow.

Answer 4

You can ask whatever you want to ask, but here are some suggestions:

You want to know about a regular preschool, so please ask!  I would ask the teachers or the preschool before the IEP meeting if possible too so that maybe any needs that would come along with him being in a regular preschool can be addressed in his IEP.  At the IEP meeting, goals will be set for him and since you say that he is very delayed socially, some appropriate goals about social behaviors will be set.  I do not know what the class make up is at his preschool, but are there other students who are able to communicate at an age appropriate level?  If not, this may not be an appropriate setting for him because he will need students to practice communicating with.    However, I do like the fact that there are so many adults to work with the children.  That is a definite plus.

At the meeting, since you suspect autism, ask how to go about finding out if your child really does have autism.  This may be something that the teachers will have difficulty answering since this is a difficult subject.  Ask your pediatrician as well and they can recommend a place to go.  Early detection is so important.  Perhaps your child's teacher can even write a letter for you to take to your pediatrician about some of the delays that your child is showing in school since a one-on-one doctor visit is so different than being in a group of children.

I am not sure what ABA is, but ask this too.  Don't be afraid to ask anything at the meeting.  IEP meetings are so overwhelming, even for teachers, so I can't imagine how it feels to be a parent in one of these meetings.  Teachers use so many abbreiviations and acronyms without realizing it.  If you don't understand something that is said, ask.  You won't look dumb, you will look smart enough to ask what is going on with your child.  Even well meaning teachers use "teacher talk" way too often in IEP meetings.

For many students on the autism spectrum, social stories are great for teaching social skills.  I have a student that I make up stories for.  For example, this student doesn't understand how to make friends and always asks, "Are you my friend?"  I wrote up a story for her that explains how you know if someone is your friend.  Kids that have social skill delays don't just pick up on these things--they need to be taught.  Ask your child's teacher for more ideas for working on your child's social development.  Good luck to you.

Answer 5

Hmmm -

I know that IEPs started out for SEND kids and then got extended to all school kid's. I had no idea that they were for all pre-schoolers too.

K -

1.  so has he been diagnosed with anything ?  That makes some difference

2. I take it no statement of SEN or full assessment has been done

3. SO why in a SN pre-school?????

4. On the IEP - make sure that you know what the targets are. ASK HOW are they going to measure their so called strategies and outcomes. When are they measuring - WHO is measuring and WHO is providing.

IF any one IEP says - child will ..... then ask for it to be removed or replaced with School will.....

The obligation of provision should never be put on the child.

Ask when they are going to assess or request external interventions - if they say no need to then ask why is he in special measures?

Is he already on the SEND ladder - School Action?

Answer 6

You definitely have the right to ask for a regular preschool class for your son.  The teacher may have to make some accomodations/modifications for your son, but it can be done.

Don't expect them to place him in an independent preschool.  Most school systems will have him change public schools before they will pay for a private preschool.  Make sure that you discuss transportation issues if he has to go to another school.

Some people might tell you to fight for a personal assistant for him, someone who will attend class with him and help him out.  Schools do not easily give children their own assistant, and there are pros and cons to assigning kids their own assistant, so think about this carefully and maybe even talk to the teacher of the class that he'll be going into.

As for ABA therapy, it is virtually impossible for him to be in a regular preschool class and still receive ABA therapy as it should be done.  You can request ABA, but the school system does not have to provide it, and you may have a fight on your hands if you insist.  If you really want ABA you may need to look at doing it privately after school - insurance or a government program may pay for it, but schools are not required to.  Some parents have fought this, but in our district all except one, a case where a child had severe autism, lost in court.

One other thing to think about - have you observed the preschool class and talked to the teacher about challenging your son academically?  Right now his class has a 2:6 teacher:student ratio.  That's pretty good, and unless you get him a personal assistant, you're unlikely to find that level in a regular class.  Your child may be able to function just fine in a class with more students, especially if the ones in his class now are pretty intense - it's just something to think about.

Go visit other preschool classes in the public schools and see how you think your child would fit in.  You may not be able to get the school or teacher you want for him, but it will at least give you an idea of where he is in relation to the other kids, and you'll have a better idea of what to expect and what modifications/accommodations he'll need.

Good luck!

Answer 7

1) I think you will need to get your child diagnosed BEFORE you request an IEP. A school will be unlikely to accommodate any requests for someone who is not diagnosed because they will want to protect themselves legally.

2) A child with a higher IQ than his or her peers is unlikely to thrive in an environment with people with a lower IQ. This is why schools have gifted, mainstream, and remedial programs; each child goes into his own category to increase the likelihood of succeeding.

3) Read the following about ABA:

Regarding Lovaas and ABA:

http://www.neurodiversity.com/library_sc...

"Screams, Slaps & Love: A surprising, shocking treatment helps far-gone mental cripples"

http://www.neurodiversity.com/library_ch...

O. Ivar Lovaas Interview With Paul Chance

"After you hit a child, you can't just get up and leave him;

you are hooked to that kid"

On ABA itself:

http://oregonspeechandhearing.org/Archiv...

"Ethical Considerations When Asked to Collaborate with ABA “Therapists.”

Regarding the use of aversives:

http://users.1st.net/cibra/warningindex....

Parent testimonies:

http://users.1st.net/cibra/testimonyinde...

"Black and Blue, nightmares, depression"

"We were duped into believing that ABA was the only road to recovery for children with autism. So we kept him there."

http://users.1st.net/cibra/testimonyinde...

"I could hear her screams"

http://users.1st.net/cibra/testimonyinde...

"Multiple Bruises On Her Body"

http://users.1st.net/cibra/testimonyinde...

AN OPEN LETTER to Families Considering Intensive Behavioral Therapy for Their Child with Autism

http://users.1st.net/cibra/testimonyinde...

Open Letter, Part II "They crippled my son in just 25 minutes."

http://users.1st.net/cibra/testimonyinde...

Our Real Nightmare..."Extinction"

4) Once a proper medical diagnosis has been obtained, then you will know where best to place your child and what to request in terms of an IEP.

5) Good luck!

Answer 8

You ask for what you want for your child.  Be specific and write things down before you go, so you don't forget anything you really wanted to ask or say.  Be prepared to brainstorm ideas with the teacher if you are asking for something she says the school has no money for, such as extra staff or equipment   Write down your own notes during the meeting about things that were agreed upon and date the notes.  

Keep all notes and information about your child, his disability, his IEP, contacts with his teachers, etc. together in a special place.  Keep them organized.

Answer 9

Your son sounds the same as mine was. Since this is a school that tends to aide special needs kids they will know what to look for BUT here is my thing my son needed "normal" kids to learn from. He is still picking up thier behaviors at the age of 6 but also showing beahvior signs of frustration. I dont want my son to have ABA at school, he has so many thing sgoing on know that I think this would hurt him in the long run. Now during the summer I let him go to an autistic summer class and he picked up thier behaviors, not a good thing.  I have asked for information on what is to be learned, to be contacted IMEDDIATELY if there is a behavior issue such as biting.

Answer 10

Let's look at this one piece at a time.

In terms of his current Pre-school. One good thing is all the help that they have. You probably won't find this level of support at most private Pre-K's nor will they be as well trained. It is something to consider.

Before you move him, ask the teacher what kind of differentiated instruction she is using that benefits your child. Usually Pre-K's do circle time, calendar and small independent tasks. With that kind of support, she should be grouping your child with the other higher children for these tasks.

The other thing to consider is the behavior that occurs in the class. If things are under control and kids are behaving nicely, then it may still be the best place for your son. If behavior is out of control, you may need to ask for a different placement because you child already has social skills deficits.

I suspect that your child is labeled Developmentally Delayed. That does not preclude him from attending an autistic Pre-K, which many school district's have. If he scores as above average for autism on an autism or Asperger's rating scale, then he should be eligible for that Pre-K.  

Another thing to ask is if the district has other Pre-K's that are for student's who are higher than the current placement. Sometimes different schools have different class compositions, so it is worth a look.

Your son is only three, so he is basically learning to socialize and learning things like shapes, colors, letter identification and certain calender information. If they are teaching your son these things, I don't really see a reason to move him. As he gets older however, this becomes more of an issue.

You don't mention whether or not your child can communicate. If he cannot, then you do need ABA instruction and the sooner the better. If he is speaking normally, you would be better off getting him placed where there is direct instruction in social skills, such as an autism class.

I am glad you are being so alert at this time. The more information you get, the better off you are. I suggest you go to the Wright's law website so you fully understand your rights as a parent of a special needs child.

Finally, if you go to the Autism Speaks website, they should have a list of ABA schools in your area. You might also go to the CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) to find more information.

Answer 11

You should advocate for ABA. It is a powerful program and I have seen kids like your become integrated into regular Kindergarten when they started ABA at age 3. It is the only documentable effective treatment for this diagnosis. If the district resists, try asking for a private preschool with an aid trained in ABA. There are book out there that can help you get an ABA program started in you own home. The Maurice book, also address how parents can advocate for your child.

With the child's level of intelligence, it sounds like he might be aspbergers syndrome rather than autistic. That's a kind of autism that effects people with normal to above normal intellegince.

Answer 12

Students with disabilities can be served in regular classes in grades K-12 if that is determined to be their "least restrictive environment"

HOWEVER...

School districts are not required to provide REGULAR preschool services at all in many states, wth the exception of Headstart which is only for low income families. If your family  does not qualify for Headstart, your only option is often private preschool (which you would pay for) or the federal VPK which is only for 4 year olds and only 1/2 day or in the summer.  

However the districts are required to provide SPECIAL education services for children ages 3-5. This is where your child is.  If you refuse these special education services before your child is in Kindergarten, then there is no where else for him to go unless you choose to pay for private preschool.  

The school has fulfilled its legal responsibility by offering the services.

Your child is likely developmentally delayed.  He will be re-evaluated before his 6th birthday to see what is more specifically his disability, if any.  

He is only 3 and I would say hold off on starting the "legal fight".  It is usually not necessary an definitely not going to make for a positive experience for you.  Schools are not the enemy, they are trying to help your child. Just talk to them and ask questions and try to work together.