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

Tue Sep 8 22:19:31 UTC 2009

I had a very bright Korean child who was well versed in Korean braille who we
successfully integrated into a Sixth Grade class with strong VI Itinerant
support.  He didn't go into the elementary VI-SDC because they were too young
and he needed peers.  He learned English very fast and won the Braille
Challenge two years later.

Your situation is different.  Does your district offer Newcomer classes.
Your student needs to improve his English, as we don't do well in Mandarin
braille!  Until your student becomes more proficient in braille, he could use
a tape recorder to record his answers and buddy up with a sighted student who
could read him the questions.  Has this student been assessed by the Newcomer
team?  Is he smart enough to enter even Newcomer classes?  It isn't the job
of the VI Itinerant to determine intelligence, though we provide input.  We
knew my Korean student was bright because he was a talented pianist.  He also
had excellent tracking skills when reading Korean braille though I had no
idea what he was saying.  He was enjoying reading.

Good luck!

Toni Anderson
VI-SDC, Dona Merced Elem.
10333 Palo Alto Drive
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(909) 941-8869

________________________________

From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org on behalf of Carrie Gilmer
Sent: Fri 9/4/2009 8:16 AM
To: 'Professionals in Blindness Education Division List'
Subject: [Pibe-division] Options on intital IEP--and advice on beginninghigh
need

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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