A good IEP!

[MinnieVanMom]

We went to our first IEP in the real school Tuesday. Yes, we are going to go to "kidney" garten this fall!

I have fought, kicked, screamed and had advocates in the past and didn't expect much. What a surprise! I had a pre meeting with the autism specialist and we both thought of the same things our child would need for school.

At the IEP they are going to use an old one which really doesn't meet child's needs but they went on to say that old one has hours broken down for services. So they offered up the following:
Para in the room that is shared with others for 135 hours a week.
15 minutes of speech therapy a day
OT twice a day at childs request.

The OT we had to "push" a bit but it was not bad. They are also going to do testing a new evaluation. Wow, no fight, no fuss and we are extremely hopeful for the new experience in school.

 

[bookwormde]

Sound like you did good!!.

When he gets settled in after a couple of months be sure and call another meeting to specify an appropriate level of non academic curriculum i.e. social skills, and TOM individual and small group instruction with appropriate generalization.

Just remember this is a process and you will be adding supports and accommodations regularly. I figure it takes at least 3 meetings a year to move the process along at an appropriate pace. There are a large number pieces to the puzzle to get everything that is needed for your child to get and appropriate education.

Again congratulations

bookwormde

 

[ecki]

Glad to hear things went well -- especially with transitioning to Kindy!

 

[Ali]

I am so confused about why you think this is good. How do you get OT twice a day at the child's request? Who is providing it and how can that person possibly have such a flexible schedule as to go to a classroom at a child's whim? Is the teacher providing some kind of quasi-occupational therapy like play doh and sensory play activities? At my school the OT is only here on MOnday and Tuesdays so the kids are seen on those days only on a seriously tight schedule to make sure everyone's minutes get accounted for. And how do you get a para for 135 hours a week? How is that possible? I work 7.75 hours a day and with 5 school days a week that makes 39 or so hours a week where I am working with students.
At my school the Speech therapist is there on Wednesdays and Fridays so it is all group based and all of my students are seen together - up to 10 at a time. 15 minutes of speech therapy a day is great, if it is individual and it is speech based - working on making sounds of language. If you meant language therapy then it isn't that great because generally all kindergarten speech/language is done in groups and it takes that long for the group to get settled into an activity.

I know Florida is different than any other states when it comes to special needs kids and services but I have never seen anything like this.

Please respond about the parapro thing because I am so confused!

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Sounds like you're on the right track, but you'll want to follow up and monitor closely to make sure these things are actually happening. You'd be surprised at how many services don't get delivered the way they were promised at the initial meeting. I also don't understand the OT-by-request concept. Usually kids are scheduled to meet with their OT at a certain time of day either individually or in small groups. How will a kindergartner be able to request OT and will that person always be available in the room?

 

[MinnieVanMom]

I still think it is good no matter what.

As for the OT, our child will be given a card that is may be used up to twice a day. When life gets to be too much, said child will be able to use the card to be excused from the room to go either into the gym or outside to release the energy so that once back in the classroom time will be used productive and on task.

Our child needs a lot of stimulation and when not given, it comes out in behaviour, or lack of good behaviour. We all feel teaching to use the cards and being allowed a specific time period to be used to jump, spin, carry, throw with an aide is a perfect solution.

For the para: it is a para that is assigned to the classroom to help all students but in fact she is there for the SN children. She is a "floater" but will assist our child in staying on track, helping with instructions, watching behaviours, and she will also help other SN children in the class.

Speech is something we are grateful for as we didn't have it two years ago. We are working on constant cluster and with us making sure each word at home is correct and 15 minutes of 1 on 1 therapy a day is super. This is going to in exclusion.

This is an inclusion program so our child and others will all be the neurotypical children in a "regular" classroom. How is it 135 hours? I really don't know how the district came up with that number but thinking about it does seem very wrong. In fact impossible! I am now wondering if it was minutes. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. It has to be minutes or about 3 days. Either way the para is in the classroom for all other students also so if we all have her in our IEPs and she is there everyday. I am happy.

I have already learned to keep an eye on what they say they will vs what happens. I am grateful for the idea to do an IEP every few months as childs needs change that quick.

I am still just happy for an easy and good IEP.

 

[ecki]

OK, so it's not really formal OT, it's more like a "break" card or we call it "free-stim" time (in a joking manner).

Here's what my 4 year old has on her IEP for next year -- her primary diagnosis is Autism.

Speech: 4 times a week for 30 minutes per session individual plus 1 time a week for 30 minutes group.

OT: 4 times a week for 30 minutes per session individual

PT: 1 time a week for 30 minutes per session individual, 2 times a week for 30 minutes per session group

Play Therapy: 1 time a week for 30 minutes per session individual, 1 time a week for 30 minutes per session group

Special ABA Consultant: 4 times a week for 1 hour per session, plus 1 time a week at home for 1 hour, plus her 1:1 aide does her ABA trials twice a day.

Kayla will be in an integrated class. We're lucky we live in a very understanding school district! I've never had any problems getting Kayla what she needs as long as I have a reason for it.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

Ecki,

Your IEP looks great! Wow, I am so impressed. I have spent the past two years doing home based ABA. It how we got our child verbal. Funny I use to cry that there was no sounds and now I wonder if it is possible to turn it off for a bit. Yet, I still remember when there was no sound and I would never trade back.

We have all worked so hard and to have our little one in a NT classroom was the goal. Now we just need to watch carefully what happens. I am homeschooling all summer and surprised how quickly math skills are catching on.

BTW, I love the free Stim!

Wishing all a wonderful weekend.

 

[bookwormde]

If you have a chance take a look at Jim Ball’s work on ABA, which is a skill streaming system of teaching. It seams to be well adapted for spectrum children as they become more advanced with its emphasis on skills rather than behavior. I am taking his seminar now and have completed the first 2 sessions and am in the homework phase with my son’s school, which last 4 months before the final session. I am not a big ABA fan but his adaptation seems to overcome most of my objections.

bookwormde

 

[BeckyScott]

Okay, thanks for the clarification, I was gonna say, if my son had OT at his discretion, he'd never go!

Let's see, he has:
1/2 hr/wk PT
1/2 hr/wk OT
1 hr/wk speech (2 1/2 hr sessions)
1 hr/wk language (half is push-in)
1/2 hr day most days in the resource room for specialized instruction
shared para

He's in 2nd grade, though. The specialized instruction didn't start until this year, when things got more academic. He also started kg with his own para, and now is fine with shared.

 

[MinnieVanMom]

We finally got the IEP in writing and it is 135 hours of Para a month. Sorry, I should have taken notes at the IEP. So that will just great.

If we let little one have free stim time it would also just want to spend all day in gross motor skills rather than learning. However if time to move is not given it comes out badly in behaviour.

I have used and still use ABA. I was taught by Dr. Tom Higbee of USU and we spent two entire years using ABA. Little one has learned to talk because of ABA. We also use it to control behaviours. I even do it with DH I am so happy to have the autism specialist at the school be the same person who I private paid to help with our program two years ago.

I keep reminding myself to keep an eye on the program at the school, make sure they are doing what they say they will and keep changing the IEP as little ones needs change. That was something that was brought up here and I really appreciate it!

We went to a graduation party tonight and within 30 minutes we returned home. DH stayed but little one was just out of control and some parents didn't realize when they were talking about how rough and weird my child was that I was right there.

So we left. Too bad they don't know that in fact it was not so bad at all.

 

[BeckyScott]

I even do it with DH

Isn't it interesting how you get so used to doing things a "different" way, that you catch yourself doing the same thing in other situations?

I was DS's room mom this year, and the other kids in his class thought I was insane. Any kid that looks about DS's size, I automatically treat them like they have autism. I phrase things a specific way, get all animated, try to help them with things a "typical" kid already knows how to do...

It's come in handy enough, I suppose, as oldest DS is displaying some signs of Aspie... but I've already adapted the way we do everything to accomodate autism, so it's not like I really needed to change anything. We own 4 timers, if you don't count the microwave and the stove. I am constantly insisting that they look at me when I tell them something, and have them repeat it back so I know they were listening. That's just the way it's always been.

The only problem I have is that I adapt everything to an 8-year-old with delays, so the 10-year-old doesn't get as much demanded of him as he is capable of. Embarrassing to say, it was only about a month ago that he started picking out his own clothes to wear in the morning. I still have to do that with the youngest and probably will need to for a while, and I just automatically picked out oldest ones too.

 

[1stluvispooh]

Wow speech everyday!!! You Rock! DD only gets it once a week which really turns out to be 3 weeks a month. That's ok I really am not that impressed with the speech therapist at school.