BENSON'S IEP UPDATE!!

Well...finally we tried to create a workable IEP document for this little guy. The first meeting we were "allowed to" meet for 2 hours, the 2nd time we were "allowed to" meet for 2 hours...and now the other day we were "allowed to" meet for ONE HOUR! We are so grateful for being "allowed to" meet on 3 different occassions to create and write up a quality IEP for BENSON that so was NOT PROVIDED what mom was told he would be provided at the school mom ended up using the McKay funds for him to attend. This school is in a section of Broward County that is very far for the mom to drive to, she refused to have her son attend a KNOWN CLUSTER SCHOOL that was in her neighborhood in the Pompano area and was not given much choice on WHERE HER SON COULD ATTEND SCHOOL because of how his wonderful IEP "team" wrote up his IEP document at the DEVELOPMENTAL PRESCHOOL. Mom input, concerns and wishes for her son was not included in her sons IEP from the Developmental Preschool. That IEP was done just a few days before school was let out and with no one 'working over the summer' to help create a well written IEP for her Kindergarten school year. This is why BENSON was NOT in school the first 2 months of this school year....the district IEP people would NOT BUDGE on their stand that BENSON was to only be provided 100% EXCLUSION & SEGRAGATION from his non-disabled peers for his Kindergarten school year! How does this sort of thing happen to our children? Why did it happen to BENSON? What was the real reason why BENSON was to be 100% in an ESE CLASSROOM and not provided with supports and services that would have helped him be successful in a gen ed kindergarten classsroom?

On Oct. 7th, 2009 Mom requested to have her son provided a FBA-Functional Behavioral Assessment and AT-Assistive Technology Assessment....this was in written form and provided to this 'nice school'......the person in charge...claims she never knew or received that written request. Oops....oh well....again...they didn't know...and my goodness wasn't it obvious that BENSON needed  that SUPPORT & SERVICE? Wasn't there any concern about his behavior & communication?? BENSON WAS NOT EVEN ASSESSED for AT or for a FBA this entire school year! ....was this because mom didn't put in for that support or service? NO!! This was because this school didn't care to do what was right! It was a written request from mom and provided and should have been included in his school files. It was talked about on several occassions and still nothing was done to move forward to have those assessments completed. Why?

When BENSON was finally enrolled in what was to be a good school in a good neighborhood far from mom's address....mom was told by the person in charge of running IEP meetings at this nice school that, "oh yes we are an INCLUSION SCHOOL!"......he would be included with a gen ed kindergarten here and there and for this and for that.....MOM DID NOT BELIEVE THIS and MOM'S GUT FEELINGS WERE RIGHT! This 'good school' did NOT provide any quality inclusion for BENSON. The Gen Ed K teacher did NOT even make EYE CONTACT WITH BENSON at a couple of observations that were held during the year. His HALF HOUR OF INCLUSION TIME IN THE GEN ED KINDERGARTEN was BENSON VISITING! He was NOT included as you and I would be included...he was WATCHED for any little movement he "might make".....those students in that "inclusion kindergarten' classroom were not BENSON'S friends...a student even said to the mom one time, "Is BENSON ALLOWED TO BE IN HERE?" ....wow.....why would a young kindergarten student even say such a thing? Was BENSON "allowed to be there".......this innocent comment from one of his 'kindergarten inclusion classmates' paints the real picture of the whole MINDSET of this particular kindergarten teacher, the classroom, school administrators & the entire school population!

BENSON WAS NOT INCLUDED like mom was told by staff on the day she enrolled him back on October 8th, 2009. That was BENSON'S first day of school......because the IEP "team" forced BENSON and his mother to have on his Individual Educational Plan without PARENT INPUT on what her concerns and wishes were for her son. Mom knows her son better than anyone that will ever attend his IEP's.

BENSON was LEFT BEHIND this school year. Mom is trying to make sure her son is not left behind again for next year! She wants him to be 'held back' and to have an opportunity to attend KINDERGARTEN like he should have this year! He was only allowed to visit kindergarten for a HALF HOUR....that is NOT being INCLUDED! That is visiting a kindergarten classroom! *Did he even have his own desk in there?

I have permission from BENSON'S mom to write all I want about her son on this BLOG so it can help others. I plan on making sure BENSON'S STORY is told to many...so what has happened to BENSON does not happen to others.

I will be updating and adding to the BENSON STORY...so those that have a personal interest will be updated on how things are working out for him and his mom in trying to create a well written IEP document. I want to be able to provide something for everyone to read and get updates so everyone has something to sleep on & ponder about with the BENSON situation, as I am so very sure there are many many Children and families out there that can relate to BENSON'S IEP process and situation.

Parents:
Tell me if you can relate to the BENSON STORY

Teachers:
Tell me if you can relate to the BENSON STORY

District:
Tell me if you care if BENSON was INCLUDED in Kindergarten or not.

State DOE:
Tell me if you are aware of more situations where certain disabilities are being forced into CLUSTER CLASSROOMS against parents wishes & desires.

BENSON'S IEP was left in a DRAFT FORMAT till the new 2010-2011 school year begins in August!! This was  after just 5 hours over  3 different times to meet and work on his IEP. (2 for 2 hours and 1 for 1 hour over a 2 month time period.) CAN DRAFT IEP's EVEN BE OPEN OVER THE SUMMER BREAK?? How does that really work out?

BENSON deserves to attend KINDERGARTEN like any other small boy!

POST UPDATE: Anonoymous comments are not allowed to this blog. If you want to leave a comment you do have to reveal your identity...thats all.

...end of the school year already??

I can't believe it!! The end of this year school year is almost here! How did it get to be the first day back from Spring Break already? Did you have your ESY IEP or interim IEP to make sure everything is going well for your child before this school comes to a close? Do you need to follow up on some things? Do you need to do some classroom observations or view your child's school files before this school year is over with? Haven't ever done anything like that before? Maybe it's time to do something new or for the first time this school year before the school year ends. Yes it can feel uncomfortable to do things we don't do everyday, but if it's to help you understand your Child's school day, classes or the entire educational environment and all the options available to your Child to help him or her to be successful, then it's worth it!

As a parent raising a Child that requires a constant more vigilent monitoring of their educational set up, it's important as a parent to keep an eye on several things that have to do with making sure you have made the right decisions pertaining to special education supports and services for your Child. Are you clear in knowing how things are really going at school? Do you need to look at records or do an observation during a particular time of the school day? Anything you may have a concern about...now is the time to start setting up those types of appointments...before the school year comes to a close.

The IEP to decide if your son or daughter will be attending or taking ESY (Extended School Year) should have been done before April 1st. Do you completely understand exactly what ESY is and what it's all about? It doesn't always have to be a 'brick n mortar' school, it can be as simple as a home packet or a computer program. It's all part of the INDIVIDUALIZED Education document.

Plan ahead and use the time that is left of this school year wisely. Set up your appointments to observe, or view records or have that interim IEP you have been putting off. Your Child needs you...to speak up on their behalf. Learn all you can about your Child's school, about their programs and teachers and how things are going and how things can be better for next school year. Start thinking about next year NOW! If things didn't turn out as you thought they would this school year, now is the time to start thinking about how things need to be for next year.

Homework: Read your PROCEEDURAL SAFEGUARDS - know what this important document says!

Suppose a Child Needs.............

Suppose a child needs a specific supplementary aid or service that’s typically provided in separate environments, not in the regular education classroom? Does this mean that the needed supplementary aid or service doesn’t have to be provided? Or that the child’s placement may then be somewhere other than the regular educational environment?

No, to both questions. As mentioned above, the public agency is responsible for providing the supplementary aids and services that the IEP team determines the child needs and lists in the child’s IEP in order to enable the child to be educated in regular education settings with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate. The fact that supplementary aids and services often play a decisive role in whether or not the child can be satisfactorily educated in the regular educational environment makes it all the more important that the public agency meet its responsibility to provide them. If the IEP team has determined that the child can be satisfactorily educated in the regular classroom with the support of a given supplementary aid or service, those aids or services must be specified in the child’s IEP and must be provided to the child.
(71 Fed Reg. 46588)

http://www.nichcy.org/EducateChildren/IEP/Pages/supplementary.aspx?PrintMode=true (copy & paste into a new search window or click on the "Suppose a Child Needs.........." above, it will take you directly the link where this information came from.

Be sure to SIGN UP for NICHCY Newsletters to stay informed and on top of IDEA and other disability related information! Great organization!