services for 15 year old

[lwilliams1922]

Dd is about to head back to public school for now. She is ADHD,odd,aspergers,borderline personality as well as math disorder.

 

I will have an iep meeting but haven't located an advocate yet. Can any one point me to a list of services to look through or list some suggestions. I just don't know how to document or describe all the things I've had to help her with.

 

 

Thanks for any suggestions

[Guest mward723]

Hi. I am just beginning to homeschool my ADHD, OCD, and Aspberger's DS, but I can offer what I know about an IEP with the public school system (been there, done that). :)

DO you have a psychological evaluation on DD? That would help to confirm diagnosis. (I made a copy for each teacher, the special ed director, and the vice principal). They can test her if not (personally, I didn't trust them to adequately test ds so we had a psychologist of our choosing do testing first).

Also, samples of some of her past work that reveal "troubles" are a good idea to take with you. You can verbally describe to them what you have observed with dd, but if you want to document it onto paper that would probably be better. Anything you can physically give them a copy of to keep is best, that way they don't come back and tell you that you didn't mention it, they didn't notice it, etc..

 

Be prepared to fight for your child. If they say no to something and you know better....tell them that is not acceptable. With public school it's all about budgets and it's been my experience that they try to cut expenses wherever they can get away with it. If DD needs what she needs, then that needs to be clearly etched in stone in the IEP.

Also, make sure once the IEP is in place that you communicate via e-mail or however with each teacher. Teachers are all supposed to be given a copy of the IEP, but sometimes things fall through the cracks. I always made initial contact with each teacher at the beginning of the year to make sure they each had a copy and offered to answer questions about DS or help in any way I could. Be prepared to have at least one teacher who (though required by law) chooses not to read the IEP or follow it. You will have to fight again for DD. Your greatest asset in that situation will be your Special Ed director. If you talk to a teacher about something they are not doing that they are supposed to be because it is in DD"s IEP and you are getting nowhere, then talk to your Special Ed Director. Mine always managed to straighten a problem teacher out. :)

 

Keep all copies of e-mails too. Documentation is so important!

 

Good Luck! You'll do fine! :)

 

MarLena

[lwilliams1922]

She just had testing done:

 

Current/updated Diagnosis

axis 1: major depressive disorder with psychotic features

ADHD combined type

generalized anxiety

oppositional defiant disorder

nonverbal learning disorder

aspergers disorder

mathematics disorder

axis 2: emerging borderline personality disorder

 

 

She needs a small class size and individual attention or she starts zoning. I gather that is next to impossible unless they put her in a program for GED students. She is not able to complete work unless someone is with her redirecting her so homework will be almost non existent. Yet she has a high IQ decent SAT scores (verbal portion) and 15 college credits.

 

I think home schooling is a better evnirnoment but with the ODD it's just too much emotinally for all of us.

 

I just don't know what to even suggest in terms of support.

[Ottakee]

Depending on her exact needs, in our area she would likely have the option of a few different placements:

 

1. most restrictive would be a separate school for kids with emotional needs. Very low student to staff ratio and individualized work though so that can be a big plus.

 

2. highschool in the classroom for emotionally impaired kids. Generally 10-12 kids at a time with a teacher and 2 assistants. Individualized and group instruction--like science might be a group lecture/labs but individual homework based on ability/needs.

 

3. Classes for LD students/resource room

 

4. Regular classes with 1-2 hours a day of study skills with a special ed teacher and an aide to help with homework, staying on track with classes, etc.

 

5. full time regular ed with modified work if needed.

 

It is hard to know though exactly what would be the best fit. So much would depend on your daughter, her needs, what the school offers, the other students, etc. Just remember, if something isn't working, you can always go back and amend the IEP to change it.

[Guest mward723]

My DS had a combination of classes that were LD with teacher and about 10 students in the class and mainstreamed into co-taught classes where a parapro assisted him.

 

They will make suggestions based on her diagnosis and they may want to observe her in the classroom first. Just make sure that their suggestions sound like the best thing for your DD.

 

They will probably modify her work, simplify it. They can tell that she's getting the information from less problems and less work. My DS also had something specified in his IEP that gave me control over his homework and if it was too much, I could either have him do less problems or not do things at all.

 

Just remember that everything can be modified and as Ottakee said, you can always go back and amend the IEP. Our Special Ed director told us that if we had to do a new one each week, that's what we'd do. :)

[lwilliams1922]

I just met with the school psychologist and guidance person.

We went over some initial thoughts before the IEP meeing.

 

 

It looks like we will try her in a regular program with an aide to be with her for all classes.

 

So far they seem pretty open to taking some of home school credits towards credits. She did some credit by exam test recently and they are also willing to let her take others.

 

I'll need to look more at possible modifications in her work. She is set on going to college so I don't want her to lower standards but there is clearly a point where she breaks down with busy work.