Should I allow IEP testing?

[mom23boyz]

As I have posted recently under the medicaiton section my son is going through a med change due to tolerance build up to meds. He is currently on Vyvanse 50 mg and doing perfect at school. We are noticing more defiance at home, but that's about the worst of it. Well after a perfect week last week, (we are only supposed to use it for two weeks and then back to Concerta) he had a bad day yesterday.

He was having trouble concentrating all morning and didnt do hardly any work. Then after lunch he wanted to stay in the classroom while the class went to the reading room and work on his work he didnt get done in the morning. The teacher explained to him that he would need to go to the reading room with them, or he could take his work to the office and finish it. We have an arrangement that if he is disruptive or needs a quieter place to work he can go to the office and work there. Well my ds didnt want to go to the office he wanted to stay at his desk and told his teacher NO. So she then called in the Asst Principal who is the Special Ed Coord, and he told her he didnt want to go, but reluctantly went.

He is sick of having to go to the office, and that is why he tells them no. He says he just wants to stay with his class, but I understand he cant be alone in the room or disruptive and sometimes needs a place to go. Well he liked the office for a while but now is frustrated and says it is too loud sometimes and the desk is all cracked and hard to write on.

Well the Asst Principal, whom I already told no to special education for my ds, wants to talk about testing him and using the resource room as a tool for him. The problem is my son makes straight A's, one of the best readers in his grade and is only having problems when his meds aren't working and it's usually silly disruptions. She is stating he would ONLY go to the special ed room if needed. She says if he doesnt need it for 2 weeks then has a bad day and needs to go somewhere to work and calm down, he could go there instead of the office and have a teacher to work with him. I am worried they are just wanting to get me to sign for it so they can put him in there full time, but she assures me this is not the case. She says if we get the meds straightened out and he doesnt need it we could stop the IEP. She says he would qualify OHI, but if he's not failing and is very intelligent, won't they try to use BD or CD because of his disruptions? His psych says he is ADHD and ODD, not BD or CD and not to let them label him as such. He also didnt think the special ed room was a good idea? Does anyone have any advice? Thanks a bunch!!

[jill]

Yes this way they can accommodate him better and have a meeting so you can add some input. Go for it.

[lillian]

It sounds like he's going to the office quite a bit, and this is a problem for the school. I am sure the administration does not want a child to frequently go to the office because the child has to be supervised, it's questionable how much work the child is actually getting done when there, someone needs to review the child's work and not just let him sit and work independently, and, frankly, it doesn't look good when parents and other children come into the office. You don't want to set your child up for teasing and taunting by other students, who have become aware of the fact that he spends a lot of his time in the office.

By sending him to the resource room, many of the above mentioned problems are avoided. What's interesting to me, in the day of Response to Intervention, is that the principal thinks he must have an IEP to be sent to resource. I would clarify this with her. Ask her, if he must have an IEP to go to resource, when all he is doing there is completing his work. I totally agree that resource is the room for him to go to, but I'm not sure why she's insisting that he have an IEP to go. It used to be that he would have had to have one, but not necessarily so, today.

I would ask about this, then make a decision. If she says he must, I would allow the testing. It will not absolutely place him in Special Education. All it will do is qualify or disqualify him. Since the principal is asking for it, I think you can count on its qualifying him. Once he is found to qualify based on the testing, you must meet with the IEP Committee to say whether or not you want him in Special Education. You have to agree to the placement. Testing alone won't do it. When you are in the meeting, I would ask very clearly whether or not he can go to resource without an IEP. You will have more Special Education people at that meeting, so they will hear the principal's answer. Make sure it's in the notes of the meeting. Listen to what everyone has to say and what they are offering, then make a decision.

[mom23boyz]

Lillian, Thank You very much for the great info! My husband and I are in agreeance with you. We do feel this would be a better environment for him to go and complete work. For the past 2 weeks he has only needed to go to the office one time, which is great. I just dont want him getting teased for going to Special Ed, I know how kids can be. Basically the school just wants it for a time out place, not because he needs any extra help with work or anything.

I spoke to a friend's mother tonight. She has her Masters in Sp Ed. She thinks this would be a good tool for my son, but said to make very clear that only OHI should be labeled if an IEP is needed. She said some school districts around here can do resource without IEP, like you said. So I will ask the Asst Princ when I speak with her again if this can be done without IEP and testing since it is just for time-out purposes. Also she said if an IEP is needed to make sure it says something like only 10% no more than 20% time a week in resource and that I receive documentation every time, as to when, why, how long, and what instruction was missed. She also stated if they abuse it and send him more than he needs to be sent, that I can revoke it at anytime. I just want whats best for my ds. I dont want him made fun of, it's hard enough already, but I want him to have a place to go and regroup if needed. Thanks again!!