There sure can be a good many PROFESSIONALS sitting around the tables of IEP meetings, but parents are the EXPERTS not the professionals when discussing issues and concerns about their Child. Where do the professional therapist get their knowledge? They attend several years of college, they read alot and study for a good many exams to pass a State exam. By choosing to become a
therapist to work with certain types of people, like Speech, Physical or Occupational Therapist, they devote their lives to provide a service to help others...a noble profession to choose for sure! Therapist could help babies, or young school age children or adults that have maybe had a stroke and need help relearning basic life skills to be independent again. No matter what the age of the 'clientele' these professional therapist choose to work with exclusively, they want to help that person gain delayed or lost skills and see them make progress no matter what.
Today I was part of an IEP team meeting discussing how to help this little girl learn how to write basic shapes, letters, numbers and to even be able to draw simple stick people etc....she is 6 years old and is unable to write independently on her own unless she is tracing prewritten words and letters or by an adult assisting her with hand over hand to trace. As a professional therapist do you think at 6 years old this little girl should be able to at least write her first name? I know there are many factors and of course it depends on the specific disability and absolutely the expectations that we as professionals and experts place on individuals, especially certain groups of individuals with particular kinds of disabilities.
When I am advocating to get the support this little girl needed, I was provided the little girls writing journal that all little Kindergartners do all year long...to learn to write letters, draw pictures and to create little sentences or short stories. Do you know that this little girl has only done her best to create what to any mom and dad would say are her masterpieces....even though they may look like 'baby drawings' to most that see it. I was able to flip thru a year years worth of hard work this little girl created in her journal. It is and was very obvious to everyone that saw her journal at that IEP table, that she needs extensive help to learn how to write, draw and create words. But do you know that the PROFESSIONAL only recommended the absolute minimal amount of time to help her gain or learn writing skills! It was her professional opinion that she didn't need a minute more. I find this type of professional advice to not be what they know in their heart to be why they originally spent all their time in college to learn such a noble career. How can therapist make their professional opinions
pertaining to how much weekly help a client will need to gain and
learn new skills if they don't spend enough time with them to really help them? I am appauled at how unprofessional some of our professionals have become when they make professional recommendations for the amount of therapy service times for our children that are in severe need of help to gain and learn skills.
I think because they work for the school district they are only allowed to make certain recommendations and no more...less yes...but no more than a certain DISTRICT LEVEL ADMINISTRATOR INSTRUCTED amount per student in our Broward County School system. Is this right? Absolutely not! Will it change? Can it change? How can we help make a change to the way Broward Schools provides certain therapies for students? By letting others know what
has happened to you when trying to get the help your Child needs to be successful with writing, talking, walking, fine and gross motor skills. By making sure you have resonable goals written into your IEP document to substanciate the need for the support.
Write or call your State Department of Education and tell them your story! Make sure you have data to show what your Child is or isn't doing if you are trying to get a particular support or service. Here is the main phone number to our Floida Department of Education, ESE department - (850) 245-0477 and here is the main FDOE phone number also - (850) 245-0505 FEEL FREE TO CALL YOUR STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IF YOU FEEL YOUR CHILD'S RIGHTS ARE BEING DENIED! This is just one way to have your voice heard and to help make more positive changes in our school districts for our Children! Let your voice be heard!
Being your Child's Advocate is a life long journey that we as parents
and families are the EXPERTS, not the professionals when discussing issues and concerns about your Child. Parents.....YOU ARE THE EXPERTS on what your Child needs and it is up to you to help the PROFESSIONALS have HIGHER STANDARDS and to expect LOTS of progress in a years worth, not just a little isolated goal here and there but to have BIG GOALS AND TO HAVE BIG DREAMS FOR WHAT YOUR CHIlD CAN AND WILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH! An annual IEP is written to be for a years time...make it worth it!
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