[Pibe-division] Options on intital IEP--and advice on beginning high need

[Carrie Gilmer]

Hi All,

Help/advise or experience here GREATLY appreciated:

 

Background is limited to this:

11 year old turning 12 in a few weeks

Sighted until age nine: total vision loss due to hydrogen explosion (massive
facial burns and scarring/father killed in explosion)

Mandarin speaker, only here from China to new family since July 09

School background is very sketchy: moved a lot and lots of tension in
divorce and back and forth-most consistent school was perhaps in American
medical foster care the last 18 months before he came here Socialization: he
seems to be much much younger emotionally right now (not surprisingly)

 We know: he can write his name in print in Chinese, shows some
understanding letters make words and very basic counting 

Can do self care (bath, dress, feed, etc) and has been doing chores as other
siblings in America since he came

Picking up on English-showing signs of intelligence/brightness at home

He wants to go to school like his new siblings, he wants to learn-asking why
they could start but not him yet.

 

Problem: parent wants to ease him in, he needs to be evaluated and initial
IEP--

Thinking of partial days and ELL first few weeks (also has a plastic surgery
scheduled in a few weeks so he will have some lost time after starting if he
starts in the next week or two)- school is offering homeschool general ed
instruction as an option and ELL as he is comfortable at school to begin-(I
am unsure what the general ed with no blindness experience would do with him
at home-we have not gotten that far yet as far as the school knowing WHAT
they would do-only that it is possible to do it)-what are the school's
options to provide service during intital eval and IEP development?

 

How can we get some service during the eval period-from day one upon
entering the school? i.e. a para, some orientation to the classroom and
building, some rudimentary "pre-braille" or alphabet instruction-so he is
not just sitting unengaged in the hour or so he may be in the classroom-also
for accommodations/access for ELL

Would we do 504 or does he meet eligibility as blind student and an intitial
baseline IEP can be written for during eval period? Anybody have anything
like this intital to get some service going right away? Or would you do only
Ell during eval period and wait to send him (could be at least two months)
until full IEP off evals for any service?

Thanks! 

 

Carrie Gilmer 

 

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