Well, our IEP meeting today was ridiculous.

Carly did not get the proper summer program. They admitted that next year had to be different. But, yikes, what crap today.

I was dressed in lawyer clothes because I had to be in court afterwards. But, I should have had overalls and mud boots to shovel the crap that they were dishing out.

The summer sped teacher was trying to tell me they did academics with Carly. I told her what they were doing were speech related, but that she had goals on her IEP which were English Language Arts and Mathematics related which they did none of. They did not do the calendar with her or time telling or anything else she does during the school year. I actually had to repeat the law to her, that the services in the summer had to be substantially similar to what she received during the school year. Dead silence in the room. No admission, but no real denial.

The sped liason (who chairs the meeting) kept saying, "I understand what you wanted for Carly," and I would repeat, twice, " It's not what I want, it is what the law says Carly is entitled to."

Then, I asked for about the 4th time about the Step by Step switch. It broke, was sent home to me broken (last year) and never returned to me. They wanted me to sign a release saying I would be responsible for the equipment if it broke. I refused to sign such a release, because Carly is rough on things, that is just her nature. We will take appropriate care, but we cannot guarantee anything. Plus, just as proof, it broke at school!

So, today, I was told (mind you, after about a year of asking for this switch) that I didn't sign the release and they wouldn't give it to me. I reminded the sped director who was in the room, that she and I agreed that having me sign the release with the guarantee was not reasonable and we would get the switch. The OT starts apologizing to me. She says she didn't know etc. I told her it was bs anyway.

Maybe it was the business suit - but I was loaded for bare (sp?)

They seem to be willing to use the services of the behaviorist. She was observing today. I have to e-mail her to see how that went.

I admire how you fight for Carley's needs...you are a great advocate. Can't believe they tried to jerk you around like that...just to think we are just starting down this road...

((hugs))

UGH!

what a mess...

I hope things start to get better. I can't begin to tell you how much stress is gone now that Riley is at a school with a team who is willing to meet her needs, I worry about what we will do when she is Carly's age... things aren't so nice in the middle and high school here.

This article was in last week's Time magazine, as per usual, special ed. funding all comes down to who gets what dollars, but the article does make me wonder about the distribution of our tax dollars at the federal level


http://www.time.com/time/magazine/ar...535854,00.html

The statistic in Massachusetts used to be that 17% of the children were in special education and they took 24% of the budget. That didn't seem so off. Our kids will cost more money. But, the feds have never provided their share under IDEA (still underfunded) and in MA they haven't provided their share of the funding promised either.

Just getting by isn't free and appropriate either.