Ask Aimee

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Ever had a burning question about special education that you had to have answered?  Here’s your chance…  Ask Aimee…she loves to talk anyway so I am sure that she will have an opinion (as is the case with her most of the time).

Remember, her answers should not be construed as legal advice.

Responses

Hi Aimee!
Thank you for taking time to read this.
Background: My son’s school is currently paying to have my son’s private tutor come into the school everyday for 50 minutes to tutor him in the Wilson reading program. He is dyslexic and was 4 grade levels behind in his reading ability. He is currently in 9th grade. (The tutor is a level 2 certified Wilson Language Therapist).

My Question: How can I have the school continue to pay for this again in the fall? It is costly I know, but he is doing great and improving? What do you suggest? Thank you - Lee

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Dear Lee:

Remember that the IEP defines the school district’s obligations to your child. If your child requires a certified Wilson tutor, it must be written into his IEP, and then there is no issue regarding the obligation to pay for it. If they refuse to put it in, you should produce data showing the progress your child has made with the tutor he already has, and compare it with the progress he was making before that service was provided. Under IDEA 2004, the district is required to include in the services on your child’s IEP, scientifically based approaches “to the greatest extent practicable.” Wilson is such an approach. It should be included.

By: Lee on March 20, 2008
at 3:44 pm

Our daughter’s ETR is coming up and we want to make sure it completely reflects her strengths and weakness. Her current PLOP primarily focuses on current academic progress and what the new teacher saw during the first few months of school. We would like to make sure the evaluation includes other areas such as visual/auditory processing, organizational problems, executive functioning difficulties, focus difficulties, etc. As parents, what do you suggest we do to make sure other areas are address.

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Dear Amy:

You have alluded to two completely different things here. The ETR, or Evaluation Team Report, is the document which the district produces and which is supposed to evaluate your child in all areas of suspected disability. If it doesn’t, then it is not complete. If you don’t agree with it, ask the school to pay for an independent evaluation, or request that they do additional testing or assessment.

The PLOP (I never use this term; it sounds like someone going to the bathroom), are the present levels of performance. There must be a present level for every goal and objective in your child’s IEP. So, for example, if your child demonstrates off task behaviors, you need present levels to say what they are, when they occur, how often, and so forth. All of these issues should have been part of the ETR. While a new ETR may provide baselines for present levels, it cannot serve as such when it is a year (or more) old. But you still need present levels in every area of need. Without it, you have no way to measure your child’s progress.

By: Amy Ryan on March 20, 2008
at 6:21 pm

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