IEP
In May we had our big triannual IEP (individualized education plan) for Anna. Her private speech therapist, which the district pays for, requested for an additional hour for Anna. She currently receives an hour already and gets an hour and a half at school as well. But the problem is that her speech therapist at school is not that good. Anyways, I found out the week before our meeting that one of big shots from the district was going to attend the meeting. She was the rudest person I have ever met. She basically was a bully. She scared pretty much everyone at the meeting or made them nervous. On top of that she didn't even greet us or anyone else which to me was unacceptable behavior. The meeting was pretty long and the only thing that I knew I was going to fight for was this extra speech which I knew would be pretty difficult to get. District does not see why they need to provide or pay for an outside vendor (like the private speech therapy) when they have their own therapists. I would have to somehow prove that the speech that she receives at school was not appropriate for Anna. Plus, there might have been a good possibility that they would take away the current private speech that the district pays for. The big shot ended up denying the services without any explanation and I argued with her letting her know why Anna's speech at school was not educationally appropriate which is hard to do since that speech therapist is right there in the meeting. After about 20 minutes, the big shot said she would reconsider and left without saying goodbye. RUDE! I knew we would have to call another meeting. So for about a week I don't hear anything, but talking to some other mothers I am not feeling good because their services were considered and then denied. I start to think about hiring an advocate. I also let the school psych, Anna's teacher and call the district up letting them know about how I thought that the behavior of this big shot was extremely unacceptable. I told them that I didn't expect her to be nice, but she didn't even have the decency to have any manners. I also told them that having people like this big shot is only sending the message to parents like me to go and get a lawyer. I told them I could have more than several teachers vouch for me that I am a very reasonable parent and have never had such an unfriendly IEP like this one plus she didn't explain her initial reason for denying the service. I told them that regardless of what happens, unless this woman changes her attitude that I would like another representative at my IEP. After waiting for several days, I end up emailing Anna's school psych asking her when we should call another IEP. The next day the big shot emails me telling me that there is no need to call a meeting and that the district will pay for 30 minutes with ESY (extended school year which is until the end of July!). I don't email her back and think about fighting for the other 30 minutes, but after going through Anna's schedule I actually do not have time to take her to another session speech since she also has ABA therapy. Yes, Anna's schedule is pretty packed. So it all worked out! Now everyone at my school is asking me how I got was able to get a total of 90 minutes of private speech that the district pays for...I told them they do not know all the people that pray for Anna :)