[Pibe-division] Options on intital IEP--and adviceonbeginninghigh need

Wed Sep 9 22:43:19 UTC 2009

I used the terms "Newcomer class"  to signify a program in the
Ontario-Montclair School District in which students newly arrived from
non-English speaking programs were taught curriculum at the middle school
level.  I highly doubt that any student was placed in that program before
they were assessed.  For more particulars, you could contact
Ontario-Montclair Student Services (909) 459-2500.

There are likely few decent options before a student is assessed.  Home
school with a V I teacher (if you can get one) sounds logical, or if the kid
can take it--mainstream placement.  Your district will likely move faster if
some school is advocating for the student.  My bright Korean student was not
the one who was in a Newcomer class.

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: Wed 9/9/2009 5:56 AM
To: 'Professionals in Blindness Education Division List'
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Options on intital IEP--and
adviceonbeginninghigh need

Dear Toni,

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I have been a parent/child advocate
for about ten years; my own blind child is a freshman at the U of MN
Minneapolis this fall. The parent contacted me for the first time last
Wednesday and on Thursday I attended the first meeting at the school-it was
essentially an introductory meeting for myself and the school. There is much
to learn about the child yet, and little to go by so far to evaluate him on.
He appears to be at least average intelligence. I am not concerned for the
evaluation from either the school or how I can help the parent get good
information on his capabilities over the next month. My concern is for the 30
days during the evaluation period.

This child appears to have no Braille experience ( and possibly no actual
reading experience even in his native language) and is essentially newly
blind. His background appears to be uneducated properly overall for a nearly
twelve year old-that is it does not appear he could read fluently in his home
language and his math may be little more than counting. The district is
offering full ESL classes and will have a Mandarin interpreter for all evals.

I am interested in what you term Newcomers classes-and a newcomer team. Is
this a specific to special education Newcomer class and team? Could you be
more specific on how this was set up and operates-and under what authority, I
mean are direct service hours by special ed given and some kind of 30 day
short term IEP written? I am guessing due to your geographic location you may
have regular newcomers in upper grades( higher than k-3). This district has
some as all do, but it is not usual at all for this district and this child
in particular with the combination of poor to little prior education, no
records, total blindness, and life trauma due to severe facial burns and
complete loss of birth family and then non-english speaking, is something
they have never had experience with before. 

 I have never had to advocate for an interim IEP before an initial before so
I am looking for some experience and actual practice.  As I said the district
did not appear to be aware of any ability on their part to provide DIRECT
special education support  or any special education instruction before fully
evaluating and writing an initial IEP. I am aware of what to put in as far as
goals and the writing of such a thing-I mean I know what he needs to become
oriented and engaged in a basic way the first month as well as
accommodations-but I was not sure how to/what to use in arguments and
convincing that interim IEP's "worked" or are proper under the law or what
other teachers have done in advocating to administrators an individual IEP
for a child whose individuality is fairly unknown. 

The district appeared willing to send in partial para support-but not
necessarily a para that had experience with a blind child ("someone to lead
him around so he would not get lost" was their words), and was willing to
have a general ed or homebound (medically fragile) general ed teacher come to
the home and spend time with him, they only offered (and after questioning)
that they could have the Teacher of blind students "talk" with the ESL or
general ed teacher...this seems wholly inadequate for a good first 30 days
for this child to become engaged. I have a call into my state's dept of ed.
special ed director and they returned my call yesterday but I was at work, I
anticipate talking with them today. 

 Thanks,

Carrie Gilmer, President

Minnesota Organization of Parents of Blind Children

A Division of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota

Home Phone: 763-784-8590

carrie.gilmer at gmail.com

________________________________

From: pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:pibe-division-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
Toni_Anderson at sbcss.k12.ca.us
Sent: Tuesday, September 08, 2009 5:20 PM
To: pibe-division at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Pibe-division] Options on intital IEP--and advice
onbeginninghigh need

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

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