Please suggest accommodations

NatashaBrady · May 5, 2016

Change of topic-now we are discussing my daughter's testing process. I appreciate the input!

Edited May 16, 2016 by NatashaBrady

NatashaBrady · May 5, 2016

Oh, whoops, the CBD example of DOD wasn't as good as CAP's. Now I see they have questions in the workbook to answer.

PeterPan · May 5, 2016

If you're going to do flashcards, use Quizlet. There are some other good apps. (anki, etc.)

That's good that you're getting fresh evals! Have you gotten an eval by a developmental optometrist? Since you're suspecting visual processing problems, that's one I'd DEFINITELY be doing, mercy. You find dev. optom. through COVD.

As far as your list, you're saying accommodations to me while the real curiosity is whether the things *fit* her. For instance, just my two cents, but if a person who finds foreign language hard (ie. anyone with a language disability) is going to do a foreign language, I'd SURE want that to count toward high school graduation. Some colleges will take latin, some won't, so that's another question you could ask. And some will count classes in 8th and others won't.

See beyond that, my question was whether any of these courses are STRENGTHS for her? Has she carried a load like this previously? How was she with it? How is she doing with writing? Has she done the previous levels of that program to let you know that she's prepared to go into that class successfully?

Is there going to be anything artistic or anything that plays to her STRENGTHS in the schedule? Honestly, 8th grade is your last really fun year. Since those are all things that are probably hard for her, I'd seriously consider taking 8th as a joyous year, doing projects that she's really engaged with, and not even bothering with most of those things. And lest you think that's just hairbrained advice, I've seen it given in other threads over the years too. I just think that, for a person with a disability, making 8th *hard* isn't going to be worth much. It doesn't count (except in some places the math) toward her high school credits, but it's leaving her tired.

I know you said it's not negotiable. :) I'm just saying the biggest accommodation is to say she has strengths and that we're going to create a load that stretches/challenges her some AND leaves time/energy for strengths. Like maybe even a 50/50 mix. For instance, the apologia lower sciences are not well-regarded, and the physical science, if properly done, may have a lot of math. So the ultimate accommodation is to drop it. Some univ won't count 8th gr latin toward high school graduation requirements, so again I wouldn't. Knowing it's going to be hard for her, I would wait and do it in 9th. You'd like her to have 2-3 years of a foreign language in high school, so it might as well be latin 1-3, kwim?

I agree with you that asking a person with dysgraphia, possible vision problems, and maybe OT problems to do a mapping course entirely driven by drawing is sort of a stretch. That would have killed my dd. There's a really wonderful course Around the World in 180 Days that I would do instead. Or, again, wait and do 180 Days for 9th to get her high school credit!! Then for 8th, just me, I would see if there's something she's passionate about That way not everything is stuff hampered by her disabilities.

I haven't seen DoD. Honestly, I don't like a lot of what CAP puts out. It tends to be dry. Unless the teacher is bringing a lot to the table, I wouldn't. Ok, we just haven't really *loved* the CAP stuff. Maybe you will. That's a good year to do logic puzzles at home instead. I think the Mindbenders series are what we did. They're a lot of fun! We did one a day.

Has she done this co-op before and done well with the structure and level of services their able to provide? If they have, that's a good sign! Did you mention Inspiration software for the writing? Honestly, the co-op experience we had was so, well, unqualified. The co-op could provide enough service for average kids, but once you said the kid needs more structure, more guidance than normal, the people just weren't qualified. So if she's done it before and fits in, you're fine. If she's new to it, I'm just saying *I* would take a step back before paying a lot of money in books and stuff to implement that list. Or cut the list in half, because I think you could get HALF of it to work with accommodations but might feel overwhelmed and out of balance trying to do the whole thing. But I hope whatever you do works out well! :)

Edited May 5, 2016 by OhElizabeth

Heathermomster · May 5, 2016

DS carries a laptop to class, types his work, and has been granted access to the cover's Internet. He uses an Echo SmartPen during lecture. In the past, teachers have allowed him to complete tests at home. DS uses Quizlet to prepare his own study cards and mind mapping sw too.

I would order any and all Apologia support material for the PS class. DS uses BookShare with the VoiceDream app and Audible books with Immersion reading on his Kindle.

Can your DD type or does she use speech to text sw? Now is the time to sort that out. DS and I have played around recently with using EverNote on the Android to speak chemistry notes. DS has been typing all of his work since 6th grade. I don't know how visual processing issues look to an outsider. My DS is 2e with 3 SLDs.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Heathermomster

kbutton · May 5, 2016

I think the Livescribe pen would be a big help. There is a thread on a private group about how to use one effectively (and this is a good grade to practice in), but I bet if you post on this board, you'll get strategies for using it. It's an accommodation that would carry her through high school and into college. We are talking about getting one for my son.

Co-op can be a mixed bag. I would not expect the worst or the best, but I would anticipate where the group has the potential to create a dynamic that is unhealthy and be ready to step in. Some co-ops are amazing. Some expect 9th graders to do work that a senior would be doing. They are all different. They have varying levels of what is okay for a kid with disabilities because kids with disabilities are often outside the experience of frequent co-op users.

I think OhE"s point about putting out for a class that isn't going to count in high school is a way of getting some perspective--you want your daughter to LEARN, you want her to to be able to use accommodations and eventually be able to advocate for herself or even help set up/select materials for her own accommodations. You do not want her to have to hide because someone thinks accommodations are for special snowflakes, or feel overwhelmed to the point that she's getting by rather than learning the material and learning how to use her accommodations.

I hope that makes sense. I would be determined to know my child, know what my child is capable of, and then let expectations and comments from others roll off my back. I just would.

Apologia offers a multi-media version of this course if you think that would help her. It is a full-course in itself, and you could use it to go back over things at home: http://www.apologia.com/physical-science/170-physical-science-2nd-edition-full-course-cd-rom.html

I am not familiar with the other courses, but this seems to be very heavy on the humanities. Is your daughter a humanities kind of kid? (My older one is not; my younger one is, so far).

PeterPan · May 5, 2016

Agree with Kbutton that getting them to *use* their accommodations is a bigger hurdle than determining what would be their accommodations. Kids don't want to look different.

NatashaBrady · May 5, 2016

Thank you for responding!

She already goes to this co-op, and loves it, and doesn't want to stop going, so while I COULD force her to not go, I'm not convinced it's in her best interest to take her away from her friends. I care nothing at all about what classes in 8th grade count for high school and/or college admittance.

The classes she did this year were:

Elemental Science Biology for the Logic Stage

Our Mother Tongue (we skipped the diagramming in this)

Trail Guide to Bible Geography

IEW Ancient History Based Writing Lessons

Literature was things like Bronze Bow, Black Ships Before Troy, etc.

This year she also did gymnastics, double dutch, martial arts, and art.

I spoke with the co-op about her struggles, and they LOVE her. She is a highly motivated student, and loves things like extra credit. I do wish I could pick and choose classes from the co-op, but I can't. It's all or nothing. I let her choose whether or not she wanted to continue, and she said she does. So, are they the perfect curriculum choices for her? Not necessarily. She does love science. Audio books help a TON. Her comprehension is, and always has been, great, which has always baffled everyone. Even in second grade they said in her paperwork how they were not sure how she was comprehending so much, because it didn't match her reading level.

She really, really, really likes to feel included, to feel "on grade level", to feel like she can do it. I have to admit, it's a lot more work on me. The other moms simply have their kids do their assignments on their own and call it a day. I can't do that with her. I am okay with that though. Her feeling good about herself is really, really important to me.

If you're going to do flashcards, use Quizlet. There are some other good apps. (anki, etc.)

That's good that you're getting fresh evals! Have you gotten an eval by a developmental optometrist? Since you're suspecting visual processing problems, that's one I'd DEFINITELY be doing, mercy. You find dev. optom. through COVD.

As far as your list, you're saying accommodations to me while the real curiosity is whether the things *fit* her. For instance, just my two cents, but if a person who finds foreign language hard (ie. anyone with a language disability) is going to do a foreign language, I'd SURE want that to count toward high school graduation. Some colleges will take latin, some won't, so that's another question you could ask. And some will count classes in 8th and others won't.

See beyond that, my question was whether any of these courses are STRENGTHS for her? Has she carried a load like this previously? How was she with it? How is she doing with writing? Has she done the previous levels of that program to let you know that she's prepared to go into that class successfully?

Is there going to be anything artistic or anything that plays to her STRENGTHS in the schedule? Honestly, 8th grade is your last really fun year. Since those are all things that are probably hard for her, I'd seriously consider taking 8th as a joyous year, doing projects that she's really engaged with, and not even bothering with most of those things. And lest you think that's just hairbrained advice, I've seen it given in other threads over the years too. I just think that, for a person with a disability, making 8th *hard* isn't going to be worth much. It doesn't count (except in some places the math) toward her high school credits, but it's leaving her tired.

I know you said it's not negotiable. :) I'm just saying the biggest accommodation is to say she has strengths and that we're going to create a load that stretches/challenges her some AND leaves time/energy for strengths. Like maybe even a 50/50 mix. For instance, the apologia lower sciences are not well-regarded, and the physical science, if properly done, may have a lot of math. So the ultimate accommodation is to drop it. Some univ won't count 8th gr latin toward high school graduation requirements, so again I wouldn't. Knowing it's going to be hard for her, I would wait and do it in 9th. You'd like her to have 2-3 years of a foreign language in high school, so it might as well be latin 1-3, kwim?

I agree with you that asking a person with dysgraphia, possible vision problems, and maybe OT problems to do a mapping course entirely driven by drawing is sort of a stretch. That would have killed my dd. There's a really wonderful course Around the World in 180 Days that I would do instead. Or, again, wait and do 180 Days for 9th to get her high school credit!! Then for 8th, just me, I would see if there's something she's passionate about That way not everything is stuff hampered by her disabilities.

I haven't seen DoD. Honestly, I don't like a lot of what CAP puts out. It tends to be dry. Unless the teacher is bringing a lot to the table, I wouldn't. Ok, we just haven't really *loved* the CAP stuff. Maybe you will. That's a good year to do logic puzzles at home instead. I think the Mindbenders series are what we did. They're a lot of fun! We did one a day.

Has she done this co-op before and done well with the structure and level of services their able to provide? If they have, that's a good sign! Did you mention Inspiration software for the writing? Honestly, the co-op experience we had was so, well, unqualified. The co-op could provide enough service for average kids, but once you said the kid needs more structure, more guidance than normal, the people just weren't qualified. So if she's done it before and fits in, you're fine. If she's new to it, I'm just saying *I* would take a step back before paying a lot of money in books and stuff to implement that list. Or cut the list in half, because I think you could get HALF of it to work with accommodations but might feel overwhelmed and out of balance trying to do the whole thing. But I hope whatever you do works out well! :)

NatashaBrady · May 5, 2016

We just bought her her own laptop this year (actually just a few months ago). I wish we would have done that sooner. It has helped TREMENDOUSLY. I have been looking into different smart pens. That's on my next to buy list. Can you tell me more about how it works? The Echo one I actually have in my Amazon cart lol! She also completes mosts tests at home.

DS carries a laptop to class, types his work, and has been granted access to the cover's Internet. He uses an Echo SmartPen during lecture. In the past, teachers have allowed him to complete tests at home. DS uses Quizlet to prepare his own study cards and mind mapping sw too.

I would order any and all Apologia support material for the PS class. DS uses BookShare with the VoiceDream app and Audible books with Immersion reading on his Kindle.

Can your DD type or does she use speech to text sw? Now is the time to sort that out. DS and I have played around recently with using EverNote on the Android to speak chemistry notes. DS has been typing all of his work since 6th grade. I don't know how visual processing issues look to an outsider. My DS is 2e with 3 SLDs.

kbutton · May 5, 2016

I am so glad to hear that the co-op is a known quantity, that she likes it, she's motivated, and this is all just how you roll!!!

I wish I knew more about the specific courses to give you more information. Best wishes! Good for you for being willing to do the extra work to help her be successful. That's just the reality for kids who have learning issues.

kbutton · May 5, 2016

You can find youtube videos that demonstrate the pens as a starting point.

NatashaBrady · May 5, 2016

Thank you for responding! You can read my post to a previous responder, but she is already in this co-op (for 7th grade) and loves it. They also love her. In fact, they have told me out of all the kids in 8th grade, she is not even on their radar of being concerned. They told me she tries and wants to learn, and that goes much farther than a kid who is more capable but doesn't even try. They are aware of her disabilities, and have done great in supporting her. None of the kids have ever said one thing to her negatively. Her work definitely isn't the same as the other kids, but I am okay with that. I will probably buy that multimedia course. Especially since I don't remember physical science :X

I think the Livescribe pen would be a big help. There is a thread on a private group about how to use one effectively (and this is a good grade to practice in), but I bet if you post on this board, you'll get strategies for using it. It's an accommodation that would carry her through high school and into college. We are talking about getting one for my son.

Co-op can be a mixed bag. I would not expect the worst or the best, but I would anticipate where the group has the potential to create a dynamic that is unhealthy and be ready to step in. Some co-ops are amazing. Some expect 9th graders to do work that a senior would be doing. They are all different. They have varying levels of what is okay for a kid with disabilities because kids with disabilities are often outside the experience of frequent co-op users.

I think OhE"s point about putting out for a class that isn't going to count in high school is a way of getting some perspective--you want your daughter to LEARN, you want her to to be able to use accommodations and eventually be able to advocate for herself or even help set up/select materials for her own accommodations. You do not want her to have to hide because someone thinks accommodations are for special snowflakes, or feel overwhelmed to the point that she's getting by rather than learning the material and learning how to use her accommodations.

I hope that makes sense. I would be determined to know my child, know what my child is capable of, and then let expectations and comments from others roll off my back. I just would.

Apologia offers a multi-media version of this course if you think that would help her. It is a full-course in itself, and you could use it to go back over things at home: http://www.apologia.com/physical-science/170-physical-science-2nd-edition-full-course-cd-rom.html

I am not familiar with the other courses, but this seems to be very heavy on the humanities. Is your daughter a humanities kind of kid? (My older one is not; my younger one is, so far).

NatashaBrady · May 5, 2016

Thank you!

I am so glad to hear that the co-op is a known quantity, that she likes it, she's motivated, and this is all just how you roll!!!

I wish I knew more about the specific courses to give you more information. Best wishes! Good for you for being willing to do the extra work to help her be successful. That's just the reality for kids who have learning issues.

NatashaBrady · May 5, 2016

Oh, I've also just completely "taken away" assignments when it was too much. Although it's an academic co-op, mom still has the final say-so. (if it wasn't like that, it wouldn't even be a consideration, or I may as well put my child in school)

NatashaBrady · May 13, 2016

I just wanted to update this...after I said the curriculum was non-negotiable, I decided to forgo the co-op this year. My daughter is sad to not be with her friends (but we plan to still try to get together) but is perfectly fine with not doing it otherwise. Thanks for all your helpful answers!

OneStepAtATime · May 13, 2016

I just wanted to update this...after I said the curriculum was non-negotiable, I decided to forgo the co-op this year. My daughter is sad to not be with her friends (but we plan to still try to get together) but is perfectly fine with not doing it otherwise. Thanks for all your helpful answers!

Good luck.

PeterPan · May 14, 2016

When will you get your results back from your evals? If you need to talk through anything, people are here. That's kind of awkward, wanting to plan your upcoming year but not knowing what curve balls the eval results will throw at you... Have you ever had an eval by a developmental optometrist? That would be something to get done while you wait.

NatashaBrady · May 14, 2016

They aren't starting it until July (because since I requested in April and there wasn't 60 days left in the school year, they had to wait until the new school year starts to start the evaluation and then at that time they have 60 days). So, it could be the end of August/beginning of September. No, she has no had an evaluation from a developmental optometrist, but I did request a recommendation for one from her regular optometrist. The optometrist didn't seem to think she needed to see a developmental optometrist but she gave me a card for one anyway.

Of course the co-op leaders are making me feel guilty. They said they will miss us more than we know and the girls are so eager to learn, and all good things. I mean, that's good, but made me second guess my decision. But, I prayed a lot about it and felt peace about it, until I started to feel guilty LOL!

When will you get your results back from your evals? If you need to talk through anything, people are here. That's kind of awkward, wanting to plan your upcoming year but not knowing what curve balls the eval results will throw at you... Have you ever had an eval by a developmental optometrist? That would be something to get done while you wait.

Edited May 14, 2016 by NatashaBrady

NatashaBrady · May 14, 2016

Also, I don't know what/if any services the school district will offer her and when they will be, if we will choose to utilize them, etc, so it's hard to make a lot of plans.

PeterPan · May 14, 2016

Your school is not following the law. If you made the request IN WRITING in April, that started the timeline. The only way they get to pull that stunt of waiting is if you let them. I would challenge them on that, because the law does NOT SAY they get the summer off. It's just inconvenient for them because this is the busy season. They just pushed you to the back of the line.

The conservative way to handle the dev. optom. thing is to find the one you see good reviews for and good word on the street for (not necessarily the one your doc referred you to) and just start with a regular visit, asking them to screening. Most places have a regular visit ($60-100) and then a multi-hour developmental vision eval. I agree there's no need to do the $$$ eval if the shorter eval with a screening doesn't indicate you need it, kwim? But a regular optom. doesn't typically know enough to say yes/no on that. So the regular eval, done with the dev. optom, is a way to figure that out. It also lets you make sure you like the doc, etc. It's the kind of thing where you want to ask a lot of questions upfront, because you don't want to get in there and realize you can't afford the way they do therapy, don't like their approach, etc. Practices really vary. You really, really want to call around and check out places for yourself. COVD is where you find the list.

PeterPan · May 14, 2016

Also, I don't know what/if any services the school district will offer her and when they will be, if we will choose to utilize them, etc, so it's hard to make a lot of plans.

Does your state require schools to provide services to homeschoolers? You can check by googling. All states are required to *identify* students with disabilities, because it's federal law. However providing services varies with the state and sometimes even with the district. You'll have situations where the state says they can go either way and the district decides based on their budget, etc. Also some states have disability scholarships for students with IEPs.

Just so you know, the legal timeline for an IEP is 120 days. Sure sometimes a rare school will get it done faster, but schools are usually SO busy that they take most of it. In other words, your school has already put you off once and you're not likely to get speedy service in the fall either. You'd have an IEP by Christmas if you're lucky. Then ask the real questions. Say she's dyslexic. Do they have someone who is OG certified? You think she has OT issues? How much OT is she likely to get? I can tell you that at our school the reading intervention specialists are NOT OG-certified nor certified or trained in ANYTHING appropriate to dyslexia. Next district over, yes. Our district, no. It's honestly astonishing. So my ds, with all three diagnosed SLDs qualifies for 60 minutes of specialized instruction per week in each area by someone who is not (by parent standards) qualified. So that would be 60 minutes of specialized instruction for math, typically done as 15 minutes of pullouts a day. Now that's minimum, but I'm just saying they may or may not kick in with anything of a level that's actually what you're thinking.

If you were to go private, you would typically trying to get 3-4 (or more) hours of tutoring a week with an OG tutor. At that amount, you will make significant progress. There are some places that have free tutors (Scottish Rite, etc.), but those can have a waiting list. So what you might want to do is find your private options and get on any waiting lists while you ask these questions. I would not accept the school's request to blow you off. The law says what it says and it does not say they get to skip for the summer. All it means is they will have to push themselves to get it done before the end of June when they break. They can if they try. Or they can hire it out. Use the law. Contact your state dept of ed in writing and ask why the school is telling you they can't do the evals within the timeline even though they acknowledge their is evidence to indicate the need for evals and even though you made the request in writing. Use the law. When you write your state dept of ed, they KNOW these districts and that district will get a HELLO WHY AREN'T YOU FOLLOWING THE LAW chat from the dept of ed. It's not being mean. It's making sure people follow the law. Unfortunately, if you want them to follow the law you actually have to enforce it. You can't just assume they will.

This is tough stuff! Sorry if that's rough. I've made LOTS of calls and emails to our dept of ed. We've been through a ton. If you want the service and want them to follow the law, you HAVE to do this.

Btw, that legal timeline is there FOR YOU. Think about this. You just said you have enough evidence to indicate a learning disability, and your school doesn't give a RIP if your dd loses an entire semester of intervention because they are inconvenienced to eval and follow the law. It's absurd. That's WHY there's a timeline!!!!!!!! The law puts the timeline there precisely FOR this situation!!!!

Just makes me angry. Your dd deserves to have correct info and to have it in a timely manner as the law provides. You need to talk with the coor again, put IN WRITING that you're concerned that this doesn't match the law and that you NEED the evals done in a timely manner, that you request that they comply with the law and complete them in a timely matter. You need to contact your state dept of ed. They can get this done. They can pay to get it done privately if they don't have time to get it done themselves within the timeline of the law. They just don't want the hassle.

PeterPan · May 14, 2016

What is your ideal situation for interventions, once the disabilities are identified? You want to use a private tutor? Use the school? You know they have OG? You will do it yourself if the school is not OG?

Heathermomster · May 14, 2016

I'm curious to know, what materials did you use for remediation? It is difficult to took at the classes you described and say whether they may or might not be appropriate because student abilities are so varied. For example, DS was diagnosed in 2nd grade and received academic accommodations at a very young age. He looks completely different from a dyslexic/dysgraphic student identified and remediated at a much later date. He still reads books slow as molasses but with audio Immersion, my academic expectations for him are high.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Heathermomster

NatashaBrady · May 15, 2016

I'm not totally sure what my ideal situation is.

There's a few options. 1) use whatever services the district offers

2) private services

3) my state has a program where they essentially give you money to not use the public school district for services. It's a significant amount of money, but the money can ONLY be used for the child's academic needs. But you can buy curriculum, hire private tutors or learning centers, do any kind of therapies (there's a huge long list of things that qualify). You have to turn in a report each quarter for that. The CATCH with this one though is your child has to be in public school for 100 days first. So, we'd have to put her in public school (but online public school qualifies).

I really don't know at this point.

What is your ideal situation for interventions, once the disabilities are identified? You want to use a private tutor? Use the school? You know they have OG? You will do it yourself if the school is not OG?

NatashaBrady · May 15, 2016

It's up to the school district here. But most I know do offer services to homeschoolers, or see my post directly above about another option where they give you funding.

So, he told me that because there was not 60 days left in the school year (school ends in May here) that they would have to start in July because once they start they were on a 60 day time line. I was like oh, ok, because that seemed to make sense to me. I didn't know that was not correct information.

Does your state require schools to provide services to homeschoolers? You can check by googling. All states are required to *identify* students with disabilities, because it's federal law. However providing services varies with the state and sometimes even with the district. You'll have situations where the state says they can go either way and the district decides based on their budget, etc. Also some states have disability scholarships for students with IEPs.

Just so you know, the legal timeline for an IEP is 120 days. Sure sometimes a rare school will get it done faster, but schools are usually SO busy that they take most of it. In other words, your school has already put you off once and you're not likely to get speedy service in the fall either. You'd have an IEP by Christmas if you're lucky. Then ask the real questions. Say she's dyslexic. Do they have someone who is OG certified? You think she has OT issues? How much OT is she likely to get? I can tell you that at our school the reading intervention specialists are NOT OG-certified nor certified or trained in ANYTHING appropriate to dyslexia. Next district over, yes. Our district, no. It's honestly astonishing. So my ds, with all three diagnosed SLDs qualifies for 60 minutes of specialized instruction per week in each area by someone who is not (by parent standards) qualified. So that would be 60 minutes of specialized instruction for math, typically done as 15 minutes of pullouts a day. Now that's minimum, but I'm just saying they may or may not kick in with anything of a level that's actually what you're thinking.

If you were to go private, you would typically trying to get 3-4 (or more) hours of tutoring a week with an OG tutor. At that amount, you will make significant progress. There are some places that have free tutors (Scottish Rite, etc.), but those can have a waiting list. So what you might want to do is find your private options and get on any waiting lists while you ask these questions. I would not accept the school's request to blow you off. The law says what it says and it does not say they get to skip for the summer. All it means is they will have to push themselves to get it done before the end of June when they break. They can if they try. Or they can hire it out. Use the law. Contact your state dept of ed in writing and ask why the school is telling you they can't do the evals within the timeline even though they acknowledge their is evidence to indicate the need for evals and even though you made the request in writing. Use the law. When you write your state dept of ed, they KNOW these districts and that district will get a HELLO WHY AREN'T YOU FOLLOWING THE LAW chat from the dept of ed. It's not being mean. It's making sure people follow the law. Unfortunately, if you want them to follow the law you actually have to enforce it. You can't just assume they will.

This is tough stuff! Sorry if that's rough. I've made LOTS of calls and emails to our dept of ed. We've been through a ton. If you want the service and want them to follow the law, you HAVE to do this.

Btw, that legal timeline is there FOR YOU. Think about this. You just said you have enough evidence to indicate a learning disability, and your school doesn't give a RIP if your dd loses an entire semester of intervention because they are inconvenienced to eval and follow the law. It's absurd. That's WHY there's a timeline!!!!!!!! The law puts the timeline there precisely FOR this situation!!!!

Just makes me angry. Your dd deserves to have correct info and to have it in a timely manner as the law provides. You need to talk with the coor again, put IN WRITING that you're concerned that this doesn't match the law and that you NEED the evals done in a timely manner, that you request that they comply with the law and complete them in a timely matter. You need to contact your state dept of ed. They can get this done. They can pay to get it done privately if they don't have time to get it done themselves within the timeline of the law. They just don't want the hassle.

NatashaBrady · May 15, 2016

Is there a way to add pictures? I was going to add some pictures of her eval from 2nd grade

Storygirl · May 15, 2016

Here is is the timeline according to the federal law:

30 days after the written request for the school to determine whether evaluations are warranted (Sounds like your school has agreed to evaluate, but they should have indicated this in writing. They are REQUIRED to serve all notices to parents in writing and have forms to do so. If you do not have a response in writing, ask for it.)

Then 60 days to complete the evaluation. These are calendar days, not business days. Schools are not allowed to take the summer off. Summer days count.

Then, if they determine an IEP is warranted, they have 30 days to write and finalize the IEP.

I agree with OhElizabeth. Your school district told you a timeline that is convenient to them, but is not legal. You should be able to find information on the timelines on your state's department of education website. I agree that you can contact your state dept of education to verify what your school is or is not allowed to do. Like Elizabeth, I have done so myself, both by calling and by emailing.

It's true that they have to complete the evaluations within 60 days of you signing the parental consent form. Where they are trying to pull one over on you is saying that they don't want you to sign that form until July. They are just hoping you will be polite (and uninformed about the law) and not call them on it.

I would also doublecheck that 100 day enrollment rule with your state board of education as well. The schools are not permitted to require homeschoolers to enroll before starting the IEP process, so that seems dubious to me. Perhaps it is a weird rule in your state, but make sure you read those rules for yourself. Do not rely on anyone else (Especially the school!! You know now that they will tell you whatever is convenient for them!!!) to tell you how it works. Find out the law for yourself.

Edited May 15, 2016 by Storygirl

justasque · May 15, 2016

It's up to the school district here. But most I know do offer services to homeschoolers, or see my post directly above about another option where they give you funding.

So, he told me that because there was not 60 days left in the school year (school ends in May here) that they would have to start in July because once they start they were on a 60 day time line. I was like oh, ok, because that seemed to make sense to me. I didn't know that was not correct information.

Just wanted to suggest that you find out if your state has a support group for parents of students who need special ed services, and contact them to get information on the laws in your state. It will be a LOT easier to negotiate things with the district if you are fully aware of how the process is SUPPOSED to work. You might also contact your state Department of Ed and find out if they have some kind of packet they can send you on the rights of kids with learning disabilities. (These things might fall under the "special ed" laws in your state.) Just as with homeschooling, knowing the applicable law can save you time and trouble and help you to get your child the education that's right for their needs.

PeterPan · May 15, 2016

I'm not totally sure what my ideal situation is.

There's a few options. 1) use whatever services the district offers

2) private services

3) my state has a program where they essentially give you money to not use the public school district for services. It's a significant amount of money, but the money can ONLY be used for the child's academic needs. But you can buy curriculum, hire private tutors or learning centers, do any kind of therapies (there's a huge long list of things that qualify). You have to turn in a report each quarter for that. The CATCH with this one though is your child has to be in public school for 100 days first. So, we'd have to put her in public school (but online public school qualifies).

I really don't know at this point.

Our state has a disability scholarship program like this. I suggest you read your state law and make sure they're explaining the 100 day thing correctly to. Like what if you enrolled her NOW to start the timeline. Like literally just walk her in Monday and say hello, she's enrolled. Start that timeline AND push the IEP process. And maybe compel them to do extended school year and offer services over the summer to count toward those 100 days. I'm just thinking about little nooks you could look in to get those 100 days.

Getting that scholarship would be AMAZING and is worth fighting for! Around here it would cost about $10K a year to hire a private tutor who is OG certified to get OG 4-5 days a week for an hour. I'm not saying you have to do that, but just that you can blow through that scholarship money VERY quickly.

Also, check about things like sports. When they say "give up your use of school services" what they probably MEAN is give up your FAPE. You need to understand what your FAPE is and what you're giving up before you do that. I've done it for my ds, and he gets a disability scholarship. I'm just saying it's not just services. You may also be giving up access to digital academies, ps sports, etc. Make sure you know what's involved. In our state the scholarship is used to service the IEP, so anything in the IEP gets covered. You can use it for tuition, except for the lowest tier of the scholarship, and then anything in the IEP. In our state the providers write the reports. I'm shocked that they want the parents to write reports. That seems odd and prone to fraud. Our state has a whole computer system for the providers to submit reports. It's seamless for me and creates a good paper trail of his goals and progress. The therapist and intervention goals all have to go back to the IEP. It's very tidy.

I'm saying as a homeschooler it's a pain in the butt to learn the system, but what you get in return is worth it. Since your state has that, I would DEFINITELY pursue it. One of the things you're not anticipating that is good about it is getting more eyes on her case, more input. Because my ds has an IEP, I have a whole TEAM of people I can sit down with and talk through things with. Now he has a complex case, but still it's just SO helpful to me. I know issues are coming and what the questions are, but I don't always know the answers. So by the time we work that through our private providers AND the IEP team, I've got a pretty good sense of where we are, what the grade expectations are, where we're diverging, why we're diverging, and just whether we're on track. It has been really helpful for me without actually changing my ability to teach him exactly where he is, if that makes sense. I continue to teach him with the materials I pick, the tutors and providers I pick, but I just have more help.

It's up to the school district here. But most I know do offer services to homeschoolers, or see my post directly above about another option where they give you funding.

So, he told me that because there was not 60 days left in the school year (school ends in May here) that they would have to start in July because once they start they were on a 60 day time line. I was like oh, ok, because that seemed to make sense to me. I didn't know that was not correct information.

Imagine that, a school official making up baloney so he doesn't have to comply with the law. :)

Read the law and decide for yourself. I'm just saying it's federal law and it doesn't say that.

You'll have to think strategically about this. Do you have a support org in your state to talk to or someone who is an expert on the state disability scholarship program? Can you call and talk with the people who run the program? I would. I would read the law for yourself and make sure the terms are being explained correctly. Trust no one. Unless you have it IN WRITING from the TOP PERSON at your dept of ed, trust no one. And when I write our dept of ed, they always refer my questions to their legal person who can give me authoritative answers. I can then take those answers to the school and say the state dept of ed said...

So there is strategy. If you actually enroll the dc, then would they pull back and say sorry we want to observe her for 6 weeks first? That can happen. Right now you hold the cards because they already agreed to do your evals. I would get something in writing! Have you been emailing them to follow up meetings? The NOLO book explains how to do this. You email the coor after the meeting, thanking them for the meeting and summarizing how it went down and thanking them. IF they do not reply, this STANDS as the record and you have it in print. If they disagree, they can write back.

Have you looked up the legal timeline for an IEP in your state? It should be on your state dept of ed website. There will probably be a flowchart. Look it up.

-written request

-30 days to meeting to determine whether there is evidence to eval.

-if yes, sign consent. if no, end process.

-if sign consent, then 60 days to eval.

-evaluation team reports by end of the 60 days

-another 30 days to write IEP

So where are you in that? You made a written request, yes? So they had 30 days to have that meeting to look at evidence. They had this meeting? So then what you COULD force their hand on is saying fine, sign my consent to eval, and you can get the evals done in July within the 60 day timeframe. That is something you could legally ask for. It's not inconveniencing them, because they're legally allowed to take the full 60 days. You're just saying don't start the 60 days in July, kwim?

So that's something you could clarify with them. And I would clarify it in writing by politely saying you were reviewing the timeline at your dept of ed and noticed that you should have been offered a consent to eval and that you would like to go ahead and do that, blah blah. Get their refusal to comply with the law IN WRITING, kwim?

The other thing they're probably not telling you is that the staff will STILL BE THERE another 2 weeks (at least) after school closes. So they just don't WANT to do your evals. It's not that they can't. ;)

But, you know, play as nicely as you want. The law is there to protect you and there are polite ways to get things done. Basically you'll get shoved around any time they think you don't know the law and aren't going to stand up to it.

Your library probably has the NOLO book if you want to read more.

Edited May 15, 2016 by OhElizabeth

kbutton · May 15, 2016

I read it that the student has to have been a public school student for 100 days to access the scholarship money, not to get an IEP.

I would not assume that parents submitting quarterly reports is ripe for fraud--people say that about homeschooling all the time, and it's not usually warranted. There are many ways to skin a cat. Perhaps the provider even generates the reports, or maybe the report includes submitting receipts that itemize treatment.

Each state can supervise education as they see fit, and I think we should be careful to not take potshots at the administration of programs we're not super familiar with--our state program has its pros and cons as well.

This is a great book for IEP stuff: https://www.amazon.com/When-School-Says-How-Get-ebook/dp/B00E81DHTS?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&redirect=true&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect

It covers the playing nice with people without letting them get away with stuff side of things. It's not as detailed about the law, but it does talk about how to not accidentally let the school run away with the process. You want to be sure they aren't letting you forego rights you have or letting them define your child's needs by what they are willing to do vs. what the needs actually are.

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

Oh no, I meant for the scholarship funding, not the IEP process :)

I would also doublecheck that 100 day enrollment rule with your state board of education as well. The schools are not permitted to require homeschoolers to enroll before starting the IEP process, so that seems dubious to me. Perhaps it is a weird rule in your state, but make sure you read those rules for yourself. Do not rely on anyone else (Especially the school!! You know now that they will tell you whatever is convenient for them!!!) to tell you how it works. Find out the law for yourself.

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

I think I'm being mis-understood. Sorry if I am not explaining well. I was referring to someone asking if my state (Arizona) has to provide services (not testing). I found that here: http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/sn_states.asp#AZ and here: https://www.azag.gov/sites/default/files/I00-012.pdf

I will respond more in a different post. I don't know how to use this forum very well lol!

Imagine that, a school official making up baloney so he doesn't have to comply with the law. :)

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

Responding in bold:

Our state has a disability scholarship program like this. I suggest you read your state law and make sure they're explaining the 100 day thing correctly to. Like what if you enrolled her NOW to start the timeline. Like literally just walk her in Monday and say hello, she's enrolled. Start that timeline AND push the IEP process. And maybe compel them to do extended school year and offer services over the summer to count toward those 100 days. I'm just thinking about little nooks you could look in to get those 100 days.

Unfortunately she has to be enrolled the first 100 days of the school year. The next application begins in January, and they have to be enrolled for the first 100 days of the school year for THAT school year. So, I'd have to enroll her for this next school year 2016-2017. http://www.azed.gov/esa/

Getting that scholarship would be AMAZING and is worth fighting for! Around here it would cost about $10K a year to hire a private tutor who is OG certified to get OG 4-5 days a week for an hour. I'm not saying you have to do that, but just that you can blow through that scholarship money VERY quickly.

Also, check about things like sports. When they say "give up your use of school services" what they probably MEAN is give up your FAPE. You need to understand what your FAPE is and what you're giving up before you do that. I've done it for my ds, and he gets a disability scholarship. I'm just saying it's not just services. You may also be giving up access to digital academies, ps sports, etc. Make sure you know what's involved. In our state the scholarship is used to service the IEP, so anything in the IEP gets covered. You can use it for tuition, except for the lowest tier of the scholarship, and then anything in the IEP. In our state the providers write the reports. I'm shocked that they want the parents to write reports. That seems odd and prone to fraud. Our state has a whole computer system for the providers to submit reports. It's seamless for me and creates a good paper trail of his goals and progress. The therapist and intervention goals all have to go back to the IEP. It's very tidy.

Yes, you have to "give up" all ties to the public school system. She doesn't currently do anything at all with the public school system so that's no big deal for us.

The parent submits the expense report with a form and receipts. There are MANY things that are covered, but many that aren't. For example, you can't buy consumable art supplies. This details what is and isn't allowed: http://www.azed.gov/esa/files/2013/08/esa-parent-handbook.pdf

I'm saying as a homeschooler it's a pain in the butt to learn the system, but what you get in return is worth it. Since your state has that, I would DEFINITELY pursue it. One of the things you're not anticipating that is good about it is getting more eyes on her case, more input. Because my ds has an IEP, I have a whole TEAM of people I can sit down with and talk through things with. Now he has a complex case, but still it's just SO helpful to me. I know issues are coming and what the questions are, but I don't always know the answers. So by the time we work that through our private providers AND the IEP team, I've got a pretty good sense of where we are, what the grade expectations are, where we're diverging, why we're diverging, and just whether we're on track. It has been really helpful for me without actually changing my ability to teach him exactly where he is, if that makes sense. I continue to teach him with the materials I pick, the tutors and providers I pick, but I just have more help.

Imagine that, a school official making up baloney so he doesn't have to comply with the law. :)

Read the law and decide for yourself. I'm just saying it's federal law and it doesn't say that.

You'll have to think strategically about this. Do you have a support org in your state to talk to or someone who is an expert on the state disability scholarship program? Can you call and talk with the people who run the program? I would. I would read the law for yourself and make sure the terms are being explained correctly. Trust no one. Unless you have it IN WRITING from the TOP PERSON at your dept of ed, trust no one. And when I write our dept of ed, they always refer my questions to their legal person who can give me authoritative answers. I can then take those answers to the school and say the state dept of ed said...

So there is strategy. If you actually enroll the dc, then would they pull back and say sorry we want to observe her for 6 weeks first? That can happen. Right now you hold the cards because they already agreed to do your evals. I would get something in writing! Have you been emailing them to follow up meetings? The NOLO book explains how to do this. You email the coor after the meeting, thanking them for the meeting and summarizing how it went down and thanking them. IF they do not reply, this STANDS as the record and you have it in print. If they disagree, they can write back.

Have you looked up the legal timeline for an IEP in your state? It should be on your state dept of ed website. There will probably be a flowchart. Look it up.

-written request

-30 days to meeting to determine whether there is evidence to eval.

-if yes, sign consent. if no, end process.

-if sign consent, then 60 days to eval.

-evaluation team reports by end of the 60 days

-another 30 days to write IEP

So where are you in that? You made a written request, yes? So they had 30 days to have that meeting to look at evidence. They had this meeting? So then what you COULD force their hand on is saying fine, sign my consent to eval, and you can get the evals done in July within the 60 day timeframe. That is something you could legally ask for. It's not inconveniencing them, because they're legally allowed to take the full 60 days. You're just saying don't start the 60 days in July, kwim?

First I called Child Find. Then they emailed me back. Then they called me and asked me to come into the district office to fill out some paperwork, so I did. Then the psychologist called me and said they would start in July since that is when their new school year starts and all that (school itself starts in August, but I just assumed he meant that's when their official school year starts). He asked me to email him the copy of the results from her testing in second grade. That was it so far.

So that's something you could clarify with them. And I would clarify it in writing by politely saying you were reviewing the timeline at your dept of ed and noticed that you should have been offered a consent to eval and that you would like to go ahead and do that, blah blah. Get their refusal to comply with the law IN WRITING, kwim?

I don't think I signed a consent to eval. The paperwork I filled out was very basic. Apparently that's a key (missing) factor here.

The other thing they're probably not telling you is that the staff will STILL BE THERE another 2 weeks (at least) after school closes. So they just don't WANT to do your evals. It's not that they can't. ;)

But, you know, play as nicely as you want. The law is there to protect you and there are polite ways to get things done. Basically you'll get shoved around any time they think you don't know the law and aren't going to stand up to it.

Your library probably has the NOLO book if you want to read more.

ok, found the timetable listed! Yay! So, I am obviously missing (and had no idea) this consent for evaluation. So he basically put me off and didn't present that to me so that the timetable won't start until July. So, how do I get them to give that to me NOW? Or is it even worth fighting over? Can they do an evaluation in 2 weeks? I don't know. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/15/00766.htm&Title=15&DocType=ARS

I was really hoping she would be tested and have an IEP before the start of the school year. Because, if for whatever reason she doesn't qualify for an IEP then there is no point of me enrolling her in public school for the first 100 days of the school year. I truly believe she will though. Even though her last testing said she had extremely low processing, among other things, she did not qualify for an IEP at that time because her academic performance was fine. But that was second grade. I got one thing attached. Going to try to attach more in a new post. Thank you for the help. I know I seem (am) totally clueless, but I am trying to figure it all out and do the best thing for my daughter. I actually am a certified teacher by trade, but have no experience in special education.

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

Ok, well, it tells me all my other files are too big to upload, and I don't know how to make them smaller. The above attachment shows the visual processing score. On the other page that it won't let me upload it says that is considered extremely low (2%). There is a lot of other information and other tests she had done but I can't upload any of them.

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

Ok, well, it tells me all my other files are too big to upload, and I don't know how to make them smaller. The above attachment shows the processing score. On the other page that it won't let me upload it says that is considered extremely low (2%). There is a lot of other information and other tests she had done but I can't upload any of them.

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

Thank you! I have one gal from my co-op who has been helping me navigate this a bit. She has been through it and the ESA process. I will try to find a support group (maybe she knows).

Just wanted to suggest that you find out if your state has a support group for parents of students who need special ed services, and contact them to get information on the laws in your state. It will be a LOT easier to negotiate things with the district if you are fully aware of how the process is SUPPOSED to work. You might also contact your state Department of Ed and find out if they have some kind of packet they can send you on the rights of kids with learning disabilities. (These things might fall under the "special ed" laws in your state.) Just as with homeschooling, knowing the applicable law can save you time and trouble and help you to get your child the education that's right for their needs.

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

Thank you! I got it downloaded onto my iPad.

I read it that the student has to have been a public school student for 100 days to access the scholarship money, not to get an IEP.

I would not assume that parents submitting quarterly reports is ripe for fraud--people say that about homeschooling all the time, and it's not usually warranted. There are many ways to skin a cat. Perhaps the provider even generates the reports, or maybe the report includes submitting receipts that itemize treatment.

Each state can supervise education as they see fit, and I think we should be careful to not take potshots at the administration of programs we're not super familiar with--our state program has its pros and cons as well.

This is a great book for IEP stuff: https://www.amazon.com/When-School-Says-How-Get-ebook/dp/B00E81DHTS?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&redirect=true&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect

It covers the playing nice with people without letting them get away with stuff side of things. It's not as detailed about the law, but it does talk about how to not accidentally let the school run away with the process. You want to be sure they aren't letting you forego rights you have or letting them define your child's needs by what they are willing to do vs. what the needs actually are.

PeterPan · May 16, 2016

I think I'm being mis-understood. Sorry if I am not explaining well. I was referring to someone asking if my state (Arizona) has to provide services (not testing). I found that here: http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/sn_states.asp#AZ and here: https://www.azag.gov/sites/default/files/I00-012.pdf

I will respond more in a different post. I don't know how to use this forum very well lol!

I was saying the baloney was that part about how they could take the summer off. There is no summer break claus in IDEA. They just have the legal timeline. If you made the written request, they have to do it UNLESS you give in to their request not to.

And yes, that's how it rolls in many states with services. They're required to identify but not to provide services. It's a funding thing, as that document explains. Good find!

PeterPan · May 16, 2016

Just quickly, I'm going through some of the info on your ADE website. That sounds like a great program! It mentions the STO. Have you looked at that to see if she qualifies for that also?

Have you confirmed in writing that she will be eligible after the 100 days? The eligibility page says must have been enrolled the year before and that the 100 days is for people moving in from out of state or special circumstances. Have you confirmed in writing that homeschoolers can use that?

It's kind of weird, because it almost sounds like there's a two year lag. Like they expect kids to be enrolled one year, get an IEP, continue being enrolled the next year, apply during the Jan-April window of that 2nd year, THEN begin funding presumably in July after the 2nd year? That's how it would roll for a typical student?

So remind me (because I'm getting a couple people muddled). She has had evals before so that you know how these are going to pan out and that she'll qualify? If you enroll her for the 100 days, are you then allowed to UN-enroll her in Jan? Or they expect you to keep her in the whole school year? And you're cool with that?

That enrollment policy bites. I guess it depends on what services your school could provide. Sometimes they have people who have the best training for the things they're doing (OG for dyslexia, etc.) and they do a really good job! I HAVE HEARD good stories. And then go a district over and hang it up, not trained in the things the kids need. So that would be a really hard thing to decide.

So you're saying because they expect so much enrollment, you're trying to sort through whether it's worth it? Are you able to call the SN coor who is running your case and just talk with them about it? Is it the psych or a coor? The psych wouldn't necessarily know what each person is trained in, but the coor would.

PeterPan · May 16, 2016

Ok, because you did not make a WRITTEN REQUEST, you have the question of when the timeline began! So you call Child Find or the psych back and you say, hey, I was just checking, when did my legal timeline begin for the IEP process? Is he saying the timeline doesn't begin until July? They're politely asking you to delay and you're saying yes.

That paperwork they asked you to fill out may have been "soft enrollment" forms that allow them to create a unique student identifier to get her file started. Did they give you copies of what you filled out? If it has anything to do with beginning the MET for an IEP, they probably would have copied it for you. I get copies of EVERYTHING I sign related to the IEP process. You don't get copies of paperwork for the soft enrollment, etc. But for your evals and IEP, anything you sign will probably be copied for you.

So that's one thing, to find out what you signed. So then, if they're like oh we're just starting your timeline in July, then you can hand them a written and request and say well I REALLY MEANT NOW and the LAW SAYS I can make my request in writing. See right now, the process is being driven by THEIR request. It's all in the law. The school has the responsibility to identify, so once they see evidence THEY are required to drive the process. But before the meeting only YOU had the evidence. But by law you don't have to WAIT for THEM to decide they see the evidence. At ANY TIME a parent can make that written request.

So until YOU make the written request, the timeline starts when THEY officially put in that request. And they've just said oh can we do that request and start that in July, yes? Or have they started the timeline? This is stuff you can ask. They'll know what you mean, because they know legally they have to attend to those timelines. There's an actual referral process in the schools that begins the timeline. So you ask them when that timeline is beginning, and then you politely say hey I was reading I can give you a written request to begin that timeline now. You can ask them when they're beginning that timeline, and then you know.

PeterPan · May 16, 2016

Yay, I'm reading through your reply and you're figuring it out! Yes, they basically used their ability (by law) for THEM to drive the beginning of the process to bump the timeline. That timeline begins when someone makes the request in writing. You didn't do that, so the psych is saying he'll do it in July when he jolly well feels like it. The law allows YOU to make that written request,

So I suggest you get the timeline for AZ, make your written request TODAY, make copies before you hand it to them, and enforce it. Don't talk, not fluff. Just make the written request. If you didn't do that, do it today and get that timeline going. How they handle it is THEIR problem.

So check the timeline, but you make the written request, and they have 30 days to get that consent to eval form signed. Then they have 60 days to eval. They can still take their break and get that done.

If you *enroll* her before you do the evals, odds are they'll say let us observe a term. If you do that, she won't have an IEP till spring. That's the "enrolled the year before" thing the ADE website talks about. I would NOT MENTION the idea of enrolling. Don't put that on the table, mercy.

PeterPan · May 16, 2016

Did they calculate a GAI? Usually when there are discrepancies in the sections of the WISC they can calculate a GAI. That full score may not accurately reflect her abilities since it is being pulled down by a really, really low processing speed. You might want to try some IM (interactive metronome), OT, and cognitive therapies to see if you can get that up. We've had several people on the boards go from single digits percentile processing speed to mid-30s with IM. Can make a huge functional difference. Has she had an OT eval or been screened by a dev. optom?

She may end up in that region where she's low enough to struggle but not low enough to get assistance. Did she get more labels?

Edited May 16, 2016 by OhElizabeth

PeterPan · May 16, 2016

Ok, the reason the labels matter, and I'm just jump starting you here on a new topic, is because the school is required, by federal law, to use the IDEA disability categories. There's a list so google for them. It's like 11, and they're really generic categories. There's even OHI-minor (other health impairment-minor) that they'll use as a catch-all for ADHD, CAPD that kind of thing. If she got a label like anxiety, they can use that under ED (emotional disability).

So what you're looking at there is what diagnosis does she have that would lead them to say she qualifies under a disability category with IDEA? To get an IEP, that's what you need. You have to have a disabling condition under one of those categories. So that might be your next thing to read about, after you get that written request done. :)

The NOLO book on the IEP process will have all this.... Your library may have it as an ebook. Ours did. Instant info. :)

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

There's a couple ways to qualify but the only way she would is if A) she gets an IEP or 504 and B) goes to public school for 100 days

The other ways don't apply to her.

Also, if you have a child in this program their siblings can get in it too but they'd also have to go to public school for 100 days OR be a new kindergarten student.

She wouldn't qualify for that STO scholarship unless she gets an IEP too, but that's for private school. There is lots of other scholarships for private school students in Arizona (she went to private school two years here on scholarship, but not that scholarship.

So if she gets an IEP and is enrolled for the first 100 days of the 2016/2017 year then we can apply in January for the ESA program for the 2017-2018 year. Once you are approved for the ESA you must unenroll them from public school within 30 days or something like that (I believe it's in the parent handbook online-I read it before).

Just quickly, I'm going through some of the info on your ADE website. That sounds like a great program! It mentions the STO. Have you looked at that to see if she qualifies for that also?

Have you confirmed in writing that she will be eligible after the 100 days? The eligibility page says must have been enrolled the year before and that the 100 days is for people moving in from out of state or special circumstances. Have you confirmed in writing that homeschoolers can use that?

It's kind of weird, because it almost sounds like there's a two year lag. Like they expect kids to be enrolled one year, get an IEP, continue being enrolled the next year, apply during the Jan-April window of that 2nd year, THEN begin funding presumably in July after the 2nd year? That's how it would roll for a typical student?

So remind me (because I'm getting a couple people muddled). She has had evals before so that you know how these are going to pan out and that she'll qualify? If you enroll her for the 100 days, are you then allowed to UN-enroll her in Jan? Or they expect you to keep her in the whole school year? And you're cool with that?

That enrollment policy bites. I guess it depends on what services your school could provide. Sometimes they have people who have the best training for the things they're doing (OG for dyslexia, etc.) and they do a really good job! I HAVE HEARD good stories. And then go a district over and hang it up, not trained in the things the kids need. So that would be a really hard thing to decide.

So you're saying because they expect so much enrollment, you're trying to sort through whether it's worth it? Are you able to call the SN coor who is running your case and just talk with them about it? Is it the psych or a coor? The psych wouldn't necessarily know what each person is trained in, but the coor would.

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

I don't see a GAI mentioned anywhere. I will type up some of what it says later. She was not diagnosed with anything last time. There's a chance she won't qualify again, but I think she has more of a chance now for qualifying because it says her academic performance was average so she doesn't qualify but I would not say her academic performance is still average (but you never know what the tests will say or not so there's still a chance she won't qualify or be diagnosed with anything)

Did they calculate a GAI? Usually when there are discrepancies in the sections of the WISC they can calculate a GAI. That full score may not accurately reflect her abilities since it is being pulled down by a really, really low processing speed. You might want to try some IM (interactive metronome), OT, and cognitive therapies to see if you can get that up. We've had several people on the boards go from single digits percentile processing speed to mid-30s with IM. Can make a huge functional difference. Has she had an OT eval or been screened by a dev. optom?

She may end up in that region where she's low enough to struggle but not low enough to get assistance. Did she get more labels?

NatashaBrady · May 16, 2016

Also, the physiologist told me that they are going to do more in depth testing compared to standard learning disability testing. I don't know what that even means. I will write more later. Gotta run right now.

Storygirl · May 16, 2016

I read the link about the scholarship in your state, and yes, it is weird. So you have to enroll for 100 days and get an IEP, but then withdraw from school.

Weird. It's nice that they provide a scholarship, but strange the way they have it set up.

And sorry if I caused confusion up thread when I was referring to the 100 days being related to an IEP. I realized we were talking about the scholarship, but I was having thoughts in my head that I must not have communicated clearly. Basically, I was saying that it was weird that they would require you to enroll.

NatashaBrady · May 17, 2016

Totally weird, I agree.

I read the link about the scholarship in your state, and yes, it is weird. So you have to enroll for 100 days and get an IEP, but then withdraw from school.

Weird. It's nice that they provide a scholarship, but strange the way they have it set up.

And sorry if I caused confusion up thread when I was referring to the 100 days being related to an IEP. I realized we were talking about the scholarship, but I was having thoughts in my head that I must not have communicated clearly. Basically, I was saying that it was weird that they would require you to enroll.

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