Luke's Journey to an IEP, Part 3: Is it time to fight?

As you read in Luke's Journey to an IEP, Part 1: The Evaluation, I worked for two years to attain special education services for Luke for his Dysgraphia/Written Expression Learning Disability and I finally succeeded this past December. In Luke's Journey to an IEP, Part 2: Developing the IEP, you learned about the different ways they might evaluate a child for services and what that first IEP meeting to develop the plan may look like. I didn't have the best of luck in that meeting, getting only one goal, little in the way of extra accommodations, and no assistive technology, despite much pleading and educating.

We've now had our third meeting, and it wasn't pretty. In fact I cried. Not just a few trickling tears, but I cried so hard I began to blubber and then fled the room. It was the last thing I wanted to happen, especially in front of this group. But I had been told certain things would happen, good things that I wanted very much, and then there was a lot of backpedaling to try to prevent it. I argued my point politely. Then a bit more honestly. Then a bit more frustrated. Then I began to see red. Then came the waterworks, for when I'm angry with a good dose of helpless I cry. I hate that about myself. Tears are not helpful when trying to convince someone of your point of view. Not. Helpful. At. All. But I'm ahead of myself.


The special education system in the United States is broken. It's a system of exclusion. When they tell you your child is being "evaluated" for special education needs, they are really saying, "we're going to test your child and see if we can exclude them from special ed." The IEP goals are written for exclusion too. They only survive a year or two when they'll again "evaluate" in the hopes test scores are up and they can be excluded from special ed services. Once a goal is met, they don't need services anymore and will be terminated from special ed program. I am finding the most disturbing is the special ed teacher is getting great results with Luke in her group of three students but none of it is translating to the classroom. Just know, going into the IEP process, their goal is to NOT give your child services.


At the second IEP meeting, we looked at some of the results of the assistive technology Luke had trialed. I was told he didn't need the technology by the resource teacher, she said he did much better in her classroom without it. We looked at the work he is producing in her room during writing (just 30 minutes each day) and she beamed about how much his writing work had improved. I looked at it. It was fantastic! If Luke had brought it home I would have asked him if he brought home another student's paper by mistake (shame on me, I know). 


But I had not seen any work come home looking like this. I quickly asked the classroom teacher if she's seen this level of work from Luke. Without hesitation, the answer was "no." She pulled out his work from that same day and we all compared it to the work the resource teacher is seeing. It was the perfect visual for me to open a discussion on why he produces much better work in resource. The answer is quite simple: in resource there's one teacher and three students and lots of praise and rewards. In the "regular classroom," there are 22 students and one teacher and a scramble just to keep the wheels on the track. The teacher is great, it's not her at all, it's the difference in the classroom environment. He can't do what is expected in a room with 22 students and no extra help. That is now crystal clear for everyone (or at least it should be).


In that meeting I was told they'd research more assistive technology I had recommended (pdfconverter) and see if it's possible to implement it for Luke. That was 5-6 weeks ago and we've had two meetings since then, one with the principal specifically about that, and still no answer. We ended that meeting on that note and on the fact that I was awaiting a report from more private neuropsychoeducational testing Luke had done. The school always waits for the private testing because it's less work for them. 


So at that second meeting we really didn't accomplish anything. I was polite and held my tongue often. I left the meeting with hope but definite disappointment that nothing was changing as a result. Then I received an email about Luke's hyperactivity on a field trip the next day and I just snapped. I sent a long-winded email message to the IEP team asking how long we were going to let him flail around miserable and unsuccessful before we help him; does it require a court order to do the right thing and really help a child in school? I openly and clearly asked for an aide. 


The Assistant EC Director, who's been on our IEP team because she heads the assistive technology committee, called me a few days later to discuss it. She said she doesn't think an aide is a good idea because it's usually just a warm body to keep asking the child to stay on task and it's often counter-productive and more frustrating to a child with special needs. I couldn't agree more, but Luke needs more help in the "regular classroom" environment. She did offer a co-teaching scenario part-time for Luke. Co-teaching is when a trained educator, like a special ed teacher, joins the regular classroom teacher some to help out. They may really be there for one particular student, but they help in whatever capacity they can with all students and are there to make sure that particular student is on track and learning. Sounded great to me. I was relieved and excited after my conversation with her. She said we'd firm up the plans for co-teaching two weeks later at our next IEP meeting.


So last week the IEP team reconvened again. We now have the classroom teacher, the resource teacher, the occupational therapist, the Assistant EC Director, the school principal, and the gifted program teacher. 


The gifted teacher expressed to everyone that Luke is super intelligent (he's in the top 1%) and that this piece can't be overlooked for him. She did a good job of explaining what it must be like for him to be twice exceptional. She was very glad to be there advocating for Luke and I really appreciated her input. 


We again reviewed how well Luke is doing in the resource classroom and how it still hasn't translated to the "regular" classroom. Again, the resource teacher told me, "just give it time, it will spill over into everything else in time." My first question: "how much time?" Of course no one knows and that's my point. 

The EC Assistant Director shared with the team that she and I had discussed co-teaching and that she's willing to provide that for Luke. Then she asked the school personnel if they are okay with it since it will affect their day-to-day. And the resource teacher once again reverted to the "it will all spill over in time" philosophy. Then I pushed on how long that will take. No one knows but it's likely to happen. Personally, I don't want to wait three more years for likely to possible present itself. So I got agitated. I went back and forth with her a few more times and I began to feel helpless and I knew she wasn't going to budge and I lost it. 


Eyes welling I said, "he has struggle here for more than two years now -- how long are we going to watch him struggle and hope things click for him at some point before we actually do something to really help him?" He's been struggling since the day in walked in the door of their school almost three years ago. These particular people weren't always involved, but the system as a whole has put off his problems until this January (denied special ed in first grade). "We" (and I don't include myself in that, I have bent over backwards and tried everything to get services from day one) as a cumulative whole have been failing him in school for almost three school years so how much longer does he need to endure that? THAT was my point!


Then my lip began quivering. 


Then his classroom teacher said, "I see you getting upset and I know this is hard as a mother." Then she went on to say something to the affect of he was born this way and it's just his lot in life to struggle and have a more difficult life.


Then the blubbering ensued and I excused myself and fled to regain my composure. I never quite did. 


I rejoined the group and held my breath. I closed my notebook and kind of checked out. I let them decided what they were going to do so we could end the meeting. I couldn't battle anymore with them that day -- I was emotionally weary. 


They recapped the new plan:

• Luke would go to the gifted teacher before school starts the two days she's there in lieu of having to do "morning work" which he never can complete. He will work on getting organized with her and do some fun things to challenge his intellect as time permits.
• Luke would go to the media center to play on the computer or to the resource teacher most other mornings.
• Luke will receive fun computer time as a reward.
• Luke will go to another third grade classroom during math where they are already implementing co-teaching. He isn't remedial in math but does struggle to do the work, especially when he is required to explain his answers, so the group thought this would help him.
• They are still looking into PdfConverter as assistive technology.

Then the EC Assistant Director asked me if I wanted the special ed staff person she mentioned would be available to do the co-teaching to come into the classroom and observe and see if co-teaching would work out. I nodded yes. I tried to answer that that was exactly what I wanted in the first place, but the words wouldn't come. 

It's been a week and, to my knowledge, that hasn't happened. According to Luke he stayed in the classroom for morning work yesterday (there was a sub who didn't know different the day before). That's the problem: how do you know when things are being implemented at school? I can't rely on Luke for accurate information. 

We will meet again the week before schools out, after end of grade testing, and see how much has been implemented and where to go from here. Looks like we'll just have to try again next year to help him finally realize and show just how smart he is. 

Another year wasted.




Penny Williams is the creator and editor of {a mom's view of ADHD}. She is also a freelance writer, real estate broker, wife, and mother of two living in Asheville, N.C. She has published several pieces in ADDitude Magazine, the #1 national publication dedicated to ADHD, and has also been quoted in Parenting.com's Family Health Guide on ADHD and The High Desert Pulse article, When Ritalin Works.  When not writing, she can usually be found behind a camera.