[blindkid] school placement told if I want an aid have to go a special school

[Richard Holloway]

Joy's posting made me realize that I assumed you had already been to  
your IEP meeting and this was somehow the result. (Even if you have,  
you can always call for another one if you feel what they came up with  
was not appropriate for your child but it may me slightly more  
complicated if you have already signed and agreed to a particular  
placement for next year.)

If you haven't done an IEP yet, that's where they will HAVE to offer  
their recommendations in writing one way or another (or more  
accurately they put in writing what they are offering), but they may  
not offer the reason why, or at least the reason that was apparently  
already expressed to you (verbally) in writing on the IEP forms.

Be aware that you do NOT have to sign and agree to what they offer and  
you can (if need be) reschedule a future IEP to resolve possible  
differences instead of agreeing to what they want at this time, again  
if it is not appropriate for your child. There are additional  
processes as well to resolve disputes but hopefully they will not be  
required.

I should mention that our daughter, now age 6 is changing schools  
because she has now outgrown the public pre-school in our area that  
goes only through kindergarten.

We had a STRONG impression (from a variety of discussions with people  
who work in our school system) that they were going to try and "make"  
us send her to the the school in our area where the vision resource  
room is and where most of the blind and low vision kids generally go.  
We did not feel this was the most appropriate placement for a number  
of reasons.

We had a giant IEP meeting. A dozen or so of us met for something over  
four hours as I recall. It was sometimes stressful and tense but  
ultimately they offered exactly what we were hoping for. I know it is  
not always so "easy" (a relative term but we did make this happen with  
just that one long meeting) but I do want you to know that it is true  
that sometimes people who work for the schools say things are one way  
but when you get to the IEP it goes better than expected. I hope this  
is the case for your situation.

Again, good luck with it all-- I know you are probably very stressed  
out but it can all be resolved.

Richard



On Jun 26, 2009, at 1:25 AM, Joy Orton wrote:

> Lauren,
> Have you had an IEP meeting yet? That meeting is the place where the  
> IEP
> TEAM, including the parents, have to decide on placement and  
> services--which
> school, how much time with an aide, and so on.
>
> Don't go on what one person tells you--who said it, do they have the
> authority to say it, do they know what they are talking about? We  
> have had
> people tell us crazy things like, "I don't think your child in that  
> class
> would be best for the other kids," and "My blind friend tells me that
> Braille is on the way out." Use the education talk of "Free and  
> appropriate
> public education" in the "Least restrictive environment."
>
> I ditto the advice to get it in writing.
>
> Joy Orton
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