Well eval meeting didn't go good!!!

[Jodi]

I feel like screaming! The meeting was awful. Bottom line was that they feel she does not qualify because of her peabody results. They feel that there is not enough educational relevance. We signed that we disagree now I have to get my thoughts in order and figure out what to do next. I do not want her to go to school without a written plan. That is just too dangerous.
I explained about all the secondary issues that can arise. I explained why and how I felt services were educationally relevant. I told them that I felt the Peabody doesn't measure bilateral skills. I am so angry. I am going to try to calm down and then do some reading so I can figure out where to go next.

It is painful how much we have to fight for our children. She is the most precious thing though. She is definately worth it.
Jodi

[francine]

Jodi what about the concept of getting a children's advocate to help you? Rich or tina (Nicole's mom) or someone else would probably know more about this...I hope they will post.

I remember someone talking about this a while back..I should have saved the post but didn't. I'm sorry.

Can you call your case manager and ask for a children's advocate? What help can you get to appeal their decision?

I wish you the best of luck as you fight for your daughter!

-francine

[Jodi]

Rich I thank you so much for being so helpful. They based their decision soley on the report from there OT. They called it an evaluation report. Funny it contains the peabody results and the OTs opinion. I stated over and over again that the decision can not be made soley on that test and OT's opinion. When I signed that I do not agree with the desicion. In my statement I told said that the evaluation was incomplete and that the Peabody test does not fairly judge bilateral skills. I told them that my next step would be mediation. Bailey has trouble with everything (except kicking a ball straight) that Rich listed above. I kept saying over and over that I wanted to see the preschool curriculum. I listed over twenty things that I felt related to the preschool curriculum that she can't do and that she needs assistance with. She should definately qualify.
Get this, during the meeting the OT slipped and told us that we would probably have better luck getting Bailey qualified in a larger school district because the OT and PT resources would be more readily available. We said what!!!!! That sounds like discrimination to me. The law is set up to give free and equal education to everyone. The Sped teacher quickly said "yes you are right mam, That is not the case your daughter would not qualify anywhere in the state" I was so angry. She was the one that wrote this report. If that was her feeling, than that is probably how the report was based.
Anyway! Now the latest:
Well the Sped director/ Superintendant called last night. She was at the meeting and now decided that she agrees that the report was incomplete. So now tomorrow she wants me to come in and sign new papers to request more information from our other therapist and Dr.s. So now I am confused once again. I guess this means that the decision was not final. So are they doing this because they need to cover their butt. They must have to turn this report in to somebody and justify it since we signed that we don't agree. Has anyone heard of this happening to anyone else? I mean the changing their mind after signing?
Well thanks for all the advice and support. I am going to keep educating myself. The best I can. It looks like it will be a long battle.
Thanks Jodi