Lurker looking for Special Ed teacher help

[cymru]

I know there are a few Special Ed teachers on this board.

My best friend is looking for a place to move with a school that is equipped to deal with her three children. They are 7,6 and 4.

She adopted them 4 years ago and they all have issues from in utero drug exposure and severe neglect as babies. ( RAD, ADHD, sensory issues) They have a lot of specialists that work with them, but nothing for the school.

They are all very bright and quick learners. The school district where they are is unable to deal with them. The only special needs classrooms they have are for non-verbal or severely autistic children. Her kids are therefore mainstreamed, but the district says there is no money for them to even have a shared para.

These kids are struggling. Behavior problems abound - the first grader spends most of his days in the principals office because his teacher can't handle him.

What she is looking for are any schools where they have classes for emotionally disabled kids. She is really willing to move anywhere for them, but would prefer the East or Midwest as that is where she has family.

If anyone has any suggestions could you let me know. PM if you feel more comfortable.

Thanks for any help!

[irrelephant]

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[whitemerlot]

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[sake]

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[Captain Serious]

Apr 29, 2013 12:59:14 GMT -5 cymru said:

They are all very bright and quick learners. The school district where they are is unable to deal with them. The only special needs classrooms they have are for non-verbal or severely autistic children. Her kids are therefore mainstreamed, but the district says there is no money for them to even have a shared para.

I am not a special ed teacher, but my son has a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Legally, the school district cannot ignore the needs of these children.  They are required to find a suitable placement for them, and if they cannot do it within the district, the school district is required to pay for the children to attend a school where their needs can be met in the least restrictive environment that helps them.

I fought the schools for two years to finally work out a suitable placement for my son, so it's not always easy, but it is federal law.

First, she needs to read up on what the children's right are under the federal law (and those of her state, which should match).  Then she needs to keep demanding the school find a more suitable placement.  Many districts are moving away from resource rooms and pull-out instruction, because they believe that it is better for the children to be included in the mainstream class-room and have the help of an aide/extra teacher.  This was not a suitable situation for my son, and I fought it tooth-and-nail.

Also, be sure to ask the qualifications of any "aide" or teacher who works with these children.  They need teachers at the least (and not paraprofessionals), and preferably special education teachers.  They need to be in an environment where their class work is tailored to their abilities, and where lots of repetition and the use of manipulatives and a multi-sensory environment can be used on a daily basis.  They need to have special accommodations for everyday lessons as well as for testing.  And they need a teacher who understands their difficulties and can work well with them.

The "least restrictive environment" part is key.  What it means is that every child should be helped in a way that gives them as much opportunity to interact with the mainstream children as possible, while keeping everyone safe and maximizing learning.  So, sending these kids off to a school for emotionally disturbed kids would be a last resort.  Instead, the children should ideally be pulled out into a resource setting for whatever educational classes necessary, and be mainstreamed for "specials" (things like gym, art, music, etc.), lunch, and any classes they can handle.

A school should never answer, "we don't do that here," "that's just not how we do that," or "we can't provide those services."  If they do, insist they find the appropriate setting for this child's individual needs (important to point out that they can't use a "one size fits all" method, they have to meed the child's specific needs, that's why it's called an Individual Education Plan (IEP)), in the least restrictive setting possible.

I knew the school was trying to get away without meeting its obligations, so I looked into hiring both a lawyer and a parent advocate.  Unfortunately, both told me that they didn't think they could do anything more than I could likely achieve for myself, if I just kept pushing, and letting the school know I was well aware of our rights and to what my children were entitled.  Instead, I enlisted the services of my friend, who is a speech pathologist and has worked as a parent advocate.  I had him prep me for the meeting, so I knew exactly what we wanted, was prepared to push back with the correct legal footing, and was able to talk intelligently about what we needed, different options, and what we would accept.  Then, I had him teleconference in (I didn't tell them he was my friend) as our parent advocate.  During that meeting, all of a sudden, the child study team agreed with everything we said, and fell all over themselves trying to make a suitable plan for my son.  We've been very happy with our IEP since, and will never go to another meeting without an "advocate" in our corner.

[miss1180]

Captain Serious is right. I'm a speech therapist in public schools, so i deal a lot with the special ed system. The school legally can't just say "we don't do that here", and leave your friend to find another school. If they can't provide the services the kid needs, they need to help her find a school or program that CAN. EVen if that means the distric paying for a private school for the kids.
AS far as places... i live in NJ, and I think the state has a really good reputation for special ed services. I know of severa; counties here (Burlington, Bergen, Glouchester) that have county run special ed schools. I know that at least Burlington and Bergen Special Services Schools have programs for ED (emotionally disturbed) students. If your friend lives in a town in one of those counties, the town would pay for her kids to go to one of those schools and get the services they need.

[Captain Serious]

Apr 29, 2013 14:24:25 GMT -5 miss1180 said:

Captain Serious is right. I'm a speech therapist in public schools, so i deal a lot with the special ed system. The school legally can't just say "we don't do that here", and leave your friend to find another school. If they can't provide the services the kid needs, they need to help her find a school or program that CAN. EVen if that means the distric paying for a private school for the kids.
AS far as places... i live in NJ, and I think the state has a really good reputation for special ed services. I know of severa; counties here (Burlington, Bergen, Glouchester) that have county run special ed schools. I know that at least Burlington and Bergen Special Services Schools have programs for ED (emotionally disturbed) students. If your friend lives in a town in one of those counties, the town would pay for her kids to go to one of those schools and get the services they need.

Eh, I live in NJ, too, and had to fight really hard to get a suitable placement for my son.  My district is apparently known for shitty behavior like this.  So, I don't think you can make the decision based on a state-wide analysis.

www.wrightslaw.com/ is a great resource on special education and student rights.  I believe that's where there was the giant database of all the cases brought against school districts about special education services (if it's not there, I'll try to find it for you).  Search the database for any school district she's considering moving to, and it will give her an idea of how compliant/proactive the district is.

But she shouldn't have to move if she doesn't want to.  The school has to find a way to meet and satisfy the children's needs.

[cymru]

Thank you everyone for your help.

She is very interested in moving. She is currently in a place in Michigan that has really declined in the last few years. Very high unemployment rate continually dropping housing rates. The schools in the area have no money. she has been banging her head against a wall there for 2 years.

I am in Sussex Co in NJ. She would love to move here, but as a single mom she can't really afford the housing prices and taxes out here.