Summer School and Writing Labs - When the IEP Isn't Enough

[DualvansMommy]

First of all, you’re doing such a great job advocating for your daughter all those years. Kudos to you!

I can’t remember whether you’ve did a complete neuropsych assessment then? I know it is quite expensive and could potentially be a barrier. I think this kind of assessment might be needed especially when you’re considering different school to fit DD needs on her district dime. I know you live in one of the well regarded school districts and you may have a fight on your hand to get transferred out of district.

Has DD been doing her suggested tools from IEP in the past more consistently or more often not than doing them? I’m spitballing ideas but do you think DD may be self conscious having to request those extra help? Although way you describe sound ideal…having Gen Ed teacher along with special Ed teacher so there’s the less pulling out of classroom for “services”


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[lizzywednesday]

... I found a complete neuropsych helped but they are not cheap to have done -- schools will do some (not all) of this testing....

I'll have to find a neuropsych not affiliated with Children's Specialized - we had a really poor experience with an eval with them in 2013, so we aren't interested in using them again.

[lizzywednesday]

...

I can’t remember whether you’ve did a complete neuropsych assessment then? I know it is quite expensive and could potentially be a barrier. I think this kind of assessment might be needed especially when you’re considering different school to fit DD needs on her district dime. I know you live in one of the well regarded school districts and you may have a fight on your hand to get transferred out of district.

The last outside-of-school eval we had was related to her ADHD - the initial diagnosis in 2016, then more recently in the summer of 2022, we met with someone at CHOP's Behavioral Health center in Philly, but I wasn't clear about next steps so I kind of dropped the ball.

The district where we're located is OK; it's rated as a GH district in terms of socioeconomic status, which is the same as the public schools where I grew up. (I will say that my home area reads as wealthier than our district does, but maybe I'm getting thrown off by how built up things are around here compared to home. I'm used to folks having 1+ acres of property with a lot of room between houses, while I have way less land than that.)

What we were ultimately trying to do was integrate her cardiac care with her mental health care, especially as it relates to ADHD medications, many of which have concerning contraindications that I, as her mom & layperson with healthcare knowledge, find concerning without a green light from her cardiologist.

Has DD been doing her suggested tools from IEP in the past more consistently or more often not than doing them? I’m spitballing ideas but do you think DD may be self conscious having to request those extra help? Although way you describe sound ideal…having Gen Ed teacher along with special Ed teacher so there’s the less pulling out of classroom for “services”

She only gets pulled out for SLP services, and that has gone from every week to every-other week because she's at a point where she's resistant to any kind of "improvement" or critiques. Her deficits in her core subjects are not so extreme as to warrant separate Special Ed placement, so the integrated rooms are the way to go unless we pull her out.

The tools/support terms in her current IEP have changed a great deal since 5th grade and she is embarrassed to ask for them, especially with an ongoing personality clash between her & another classmate (the kids have been pulled into mediations several times since Winter Break) impacting DD's perception of reality, but the problem is ... when she doesn't ask for the accommodations, she doesn't get her work done ... and she has basically failed MP1, MP2, and, it's looking like, MP3.

[lizzywednesday]

Just as an update:

I spoke with her Case Manager yesterday to ask about what I mean by writing lab (no, the district doesn't have that ... and I really think they should) and whether she qualifies for ESY (nope; DD isn't impaired enough to recommend)

We have a plan to coordinate with her 6th & 7th grade ELA teachers to figure out what techniques serve her learning style best.

We also took another look at the ELA numeric scores and ... if she turns EVERYTHING in on time during MP4, she might pass.

However, I do want to share an email she wrote to her teachers in November about an assignment she flat-out refused to do:

Ms. {teacher's name}, I can't write this story sorry.. I like to write stories where I can Just be me in my own adventure where I am free to do whatever I want where I can explore and be myself.. Not me being a part of history {teacher's name}, But making my own history. Those are the stories I like to write, where you can make your own path Because it's life in your own way. From {DD}.🦄

DH and I laughed a little and then we cried because we'd each done something similar when we were in school ourselves

[jgenie]

Just as an update:

I spoke with her Case Manager yesterday to ask about what I mean by writing lab (no, the district doesn't have that ... and I really think they should) and whether she qualifies for ESY (nope; DD isn't impaired enough to recommend)

We have a plan to coordinate with her 6th & 7th grade ELA teachers to figure out what techniques serve her learning style best.

We also took another look at the ELA numeric scores and ... if she turns EVERYTHING in on time during MP4, she might pass.

However, I do want to share an email she wrote to her teachers in November about an assignment she flat-out refused to do:



DH and I laughed a little and then we cried because we'd each done something similar when we were in school ourselves

I know your DD pushes your parenting skills to the limits. She has a strong sense of self and that will carry her far!

[Peaches Keane]

The unicorn emoji is a nice touch!

[lizzywednesday]

The unicorn emoji is a nice touch!

She is all about sunshine-and-unicorns-and-rainbows ... meanwhile, my inner Wednesday Addams is screaming.