Parents Request Modification, School Says Unnecessary

[Brittney M]

Looking for input / experiences navigating IEP placement & curriculum modification:

Right now it feels like we’re not speaking the same language as our school team.

 

A bit about our sweet student:

• FSIQ: 66

• Multiple diagnoses impacting cognitive and adaptive functioning (FASD, ASD L2, IDD)

• Two full educational evaluations completed (school + outside evaluator)
  → Results are nearly identical, indicating validity

• Reading comprehension: ~2nd grade equivalent

• Receptive & expressive vocabulary: both under the 1st percentile

• Numerical operations & computation: under the 1st percentile

• Already retained one grade (our decision, due to her disabilities)

 

Current concerns:

• I first raised concerns about curriculum modification in September

• We now have a full semester of data showing:

• Even with an extensive list of accommodations, the gap between the grade-level curriculum and her actual understanding is astronomical

• Oh, I also homeschooled her for 5 years so I'm pretty intimately aware of her academic abilities.

• • Lack of meaningful progress
  • No transfer of skills ("Can do it" at school but has never been able to demonstrate a glimmer of understanding at home)
  • No testing that demonstrates she can contextualize or apply grade-level material
  • Relative strength in working memory (42nd percentile) Meaning she can immediately echo and imitate in the moment, but nothing is transferring to true understanding.

   

What we’re hearing from the team:

• “I know what this (30-page evaluation) says, but that’s not the student we see in the classroom.”

• “This is absolutely not a kiddo who can’t get a standard diploma.”

• “She socializes with peers, a different placement would be devastating to her.”

 

Our perspective:
Her post–high school goal is to live independently someday. That’s the end target we are working toward.

Right now, she is in 6th grade and:

• Misspells her middle name, doesn't know her birthday

• Does not know her address

• Cannot reliably read a clock

• Has ~1st grade number sense

• Struggles significantly with functional understanding

We strongly feel that keeping her on curriculum that is far beyond her cognitive ability is not providing FAPE, specifically, appropriate education.

 

Real-world examples we’ve used to explain this gap:

• She can read a box of mac and cheese, but doesn’t understand what any of the words mean

• If she’s on a public bus and needs stop 13, seeing stop 12 gives her no understanding of whether she’s one stop away or fifty

• If she needs to leave at 6:10 and the clock says 6:11, she will continue waiting until it shows 6:10

• 
  We fear the team is comfortable “helping her pass along,” and we’ll end up with a high schooler who still has 1st-grade daily living skills, unprepared to meet her own stated goals.

We meet again in a few weeks.

 

Thank you so much for reading and sharing your experiences.

[Carolyn Rowlett]

Wow.  Sounds like you have your ducks in a row, but the school refused to look at the ducks.

One question:  If you homeschooled for 5 years, how long has she been in the public school system?  Around 2 years?

Given that you seem to have the data, here are my suggestions:

1. When you state "lack of meaningful progress" are you talking about IEP goals or gen ed?  If you can point to lack of progress on IEP goals, that is an argument for change - placement, modifications, etc.  (Of course, IEP goals can speak to gen ed progress, such as reading level, but having them in the IEP is best for enforcement of change.)

2. Is the director of special education involved yet?  A lot of times just going up the chain of command will get things addressed.  Send an email to him/her with all background information.  "Up the chain of command" could mean going all the way to the superintendent and school board.

3.  When are post-secondary transition services required (or allowed - sometimes the requirement is 16, but can start as young as 14) in your state?  I would calendar to request a transition evaluation as soon as you can.  That will help to point out all the ways in which she is not prepared for post-secondary life.  If the school does an insufficient one, request an IEE.

4. Reach out to your state department of education (special education division) to see if they have any suggestions.  Also ask when you can request a transition evaluation.  Finally, see if they can refer you to any agencies who do pro bono advocacy.

5. If your state offers mediation or facilitated IEP meetings, request one or both of those.

6. If you can afford one, if the school district keeps dragging their feet, you may need to hire an advocate and/or attorney to force this issue by filing a due process complaint.  Sometimes just the filing brings the school to the table with more flexibility.