Need Advice from Other Moms with Special Needs Kids About Ieps.

There are a few groups in the metroplex that will be very helpful to you. Contact me at ____@____.com and I will share them with you. L.

Not only was I a mom of a child with special needs, that unfortunatly passed away 2 years ago, I have a son with dyslexia, so he's has ARDs and modifications as well. But I am also a school teacher. Don't be afraid to speak up for what you want for your son. Not only are they legally bound to follow the IEP's, they are more than willing to do so. Educate yourself. They will give you information at the ARD or even before the ARD. READ it. It will be a lot, but don't be afraid to ask questions. They will give you suggestions based on their education experience (and they really, honestly do have your child's best interest at heart), but ultimatly have to do what it right in your heart for your baby. HOpe this helps.
S. Martinez

K.,
why don't you contact SEPTSA? It's a PTA in the Lewisville ISD that is comprised of parents of children with disabilities. Their goal is to educate parents in your shoes about how the school system works and also how to work the system. Their are some very compassionate women (and men) who are able to guide you through the educational maze.

I'm a special ed teacher, & you've gotten some great advice. Follow your gut. Educate yourself before the ARD. Communicate with the teacher & all other support staff that deals with your child on a regular basis...not just at the yearly ARD. Research & DOCUMENT EVERYTHING.

The only advice I have on bringing an outside advocate with you is that it might send the wrong message if you bring them the first time. It's totally up to you, but it does put the teacher off. Believe me. You can consult with them before the ARD, but I wouldn't bring them right off the bat.

I have dealt with school districts and IEPs for a few years now. The best advice I can give is that YOU are your child's greatest advocate. Learn all you can before your first meeting, take notes, be prepared with what accomodations your child needs, and don't feel that you have to sign something if you don't agree with it. They will innundate you with forms, booklets, procedures. But don't let the folks at the IEP meeting intimidate you. The first one I attended had about 15 people (it was in NY state) and I was very intimidated. I allowed them to bully me into something that I knew wasn't the best thing for my child because I figured they were the "experts" and knew what they were doing. I never made that mistake again! Stand up for yourself and more importantly for your son. It is the school's duty to provide a "free and appropriate education" for each and every child in their district. They must make the accomodations that your child needs, even though some times it seems like they want to take the easiest way for them. I am VERY involved with my son's teachers, administrators, counselors at his school. Keeping the lines of communication open is very important. I will say that since moving to Texas 2 years ago, I have had much better luck dealing with the special education system. Some school districts are better than others I've heard.

Good luck, and feel free to contact me if you need support. I also know (personally) a child advocate that does freelance work on a sporadic basis.

I would recommend that you call The Arc of Greater Tarrant County. They have lots of resources on IEP's and dealing with the school districts. I did an internship there a few years ago when I was working on my masters in Social Work. Unfortunately, the school system is difficult to deal with and alot of times getting your child the services they need is an uphill battle. I would defintely recommend educating yourself on your childs legal rights. The Arc also has support groups that discuss different topics like this. They are in downtown fort worth. Good luck to you and kudos to you for being such a great advocate for your son!

Hello,

I have a son who is special needs. He was using ECI then went into the Keller school district when he was three. I'm not quite sure what an IEP is, but I can tell you my experience. His PPCD teacher was great! The therapist were very distant. I felt so out of touch and no longer knew what excerises to do with him. Which school is your son going to? Freedom elem has a great therapy room. Just make sure that they address all your concerns at the ARD meeting. We have since moved to eagle mountain saginaw isd. In comparing the two districts, teachers are better in the KISD and therapist are better at EMISD. They make themselves more available which is better in my book. Good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions.

K. -

It looks like you've gotten the benefit of lots of experience in the answers you've received! My daughter has been in PPCD this year in Coppell ISD and we have been very pleased. Based on my limited experience, I would recommend that you contact the district now and see when you can set up an informal meeting. We felt much more at ease once we met with our district the first couple of times and saw that it was their desire to develop a program that was right for our daughter, too. I'll be praying that your son has caring, professionals that will be able to challenge him and help him to develop.

Hey there! I am a special ed teacher in another district. Remember YOU have RIGHTS! Meaning that you can call an ARD (once he is attending school) before he is 3 and in school you may have heard them referred to IFSP meetings. Ask the ECI coordinator to arrange a visit for you to his future school/ classroom. This might help smooth the transition. Basically an IEP is an "individual educational plan." I create them for my special education students once I have done assessment on them to determine what is best for them. Pay close attention to the "I" in IMP... this means that it is created on an individual basis. The individual who will be implementing the IEP (the teacher, OT,PT, and/or speech) should make sure that they have tailored the goals to make them measurable and appropriate or your son. They will review them with you in the meeting, sometimes they can meet with you prior to the ARD or IFSP meeting to discuss them. Basically in the ARD there is a team of people there to decide what is best for the child. You need to voice EVERY concern you have and that way it will be documented. If they are not meeting the needs that you discussed in the meeting, you can call another meeting and if it still is not working, you can take them to court. Will your son be in a PPCD classroom? Will he be receiving support services from an individual trained to work with visually impaired students? Sounds like he may also need OT (occupational therapy) and PT (physical therapy) services and possibly speech services. All of these things are provided FREE to you during the duration of his school day---even if you are receiving them outside of school....... it will benefit him to receive as much assistance as possible. Will he be part time or full day? If they are unsure as to whether or not he qualifies for these services, ask for a consult or evaluation to determine if he qualifies. Each district is different, I would be happy to help with any additional info/questions if you need. I am currently a special ed teacher working with hearing impaired students. I have one daughter and am expecting another one in May.

Hi K.,

Hopefully, they will have your child's interests in mind and provide him with the services that he needs. However, not all school districts are willing to do that. It is important to be aware of your rights. Have them give you a copy of the IEP before your ARD meeting, so that you can read it and get details worked out ahead of time. If you do not agree to the IEP, DO NOT SIGN IT. This is very important. Like idiots, we signed our son's IEP before they even gave us a written copy of it. There are things in it that I would not have agreed to. There are people who are advocates who can help you and even go to meetings with you. Some of them volunteer and some you hire. To find one, try posting a request on a Texas diasbility Yahoo group. Or perhaps the Arc could help you find one. Also, there is a website called Wrightslaw that has lots of information about special education law.

I have a special needs child in LISD. He has several disabilites including vision loss, hearing loss and is also tube fed. I think the services we have received after he turned 3 were better than what he received through ECI but that probably depends on individual situations. Once you turn 3 the services you receive will depend on educational necessity. So you may not receive as much PT. They determine PT based on how an individual is able to navigate around the school and their classroom. I am not sure about Keller schools but we have been very happy with the services we have received through Lewisville. If you have any questions please feel free to email me back ____@____.com and I can try to answer them. Oh about IEP these are individualized education plans and they are necessary to insure your child isn't given what everyone else is given. They are based on your childs specific individual needs. You will have an ARD team comprised of all the teachers and therapists that work with your child and you will come up with goals for your child and how to attain them. Every so often you will meet to tweak these goals or add new ones. With a child with multiple needs you will have big ard committees and there will be frusterating moments but it is the beginning of learning to advocate for your child in the school system and eventually teaching them how to advocate for themselves. We have learned a lot but 3 years later still have a lot to learn. Please email if you have any other questions.