Pre-school disabled with an IEP

[ls38]

What is the name of your state?
New Jersey

My child has been identified by the school district as pre-school disabled. The school district took him early at 3 1/2. He will be five this December and upon calling the special services department to inquire when he would have his formal "classification" meeting I was told not to bark too loud because he might lose his OT for the rest of this year. According to the school, off the cuff, they find him to be okay so they are thinking of putting off the classification meeting until May! but by then he will be 5 1/2. Doesn't the law require schools to perform 5-year old classification on or before their 5th birthday? Can they be fined? who do I contact? HELP!!!!

lisa....

 

[notsmartmark]

There is not a 5 year-old reevaluation requirement. There is a 3 year-old reeval. requirement for students identified prior to 3. There used to be a 6 year-old reeval to move student from the Developmental Disability (DD) category. Most districts allow student to be eligible under the DD category until age 9.

Reevaluation must occur when it was identified on the last evaluation, no more than 3 years from the last eval, unless requested by parents, staff or others.

If you want your child reevaluated, tell the district you want to initiate reevaluation.

Why do you want it to occur early? Do you want more or less services? The district sounds like it is concerned that your child might not continue to qualify for OT services.

 

[mommyto 2]

Okay - I hope I have this straight, your child is currently in a preschool disabled (PSD) class at his public school. He was identified at 3 1/2 as having some sort of developmental diasbility. He was evealuated at this time???
Now what happens that he is 5? Usually, and what the law requires is a placement meeting or an IEP meeting for the upcoming school year when he is going to kindergarten. Prior to this time, the district usually decides with the parents if further or new assessments are needed to determine continued eligibility for special needs services. Depending on the type of disability, evaluations required are determined. This typically is done prior to an IEP meeting done at the end of the year. Age is not the issue, placement for the upcoming school year is. IEP meetings for the following school year usually begin in May and finish up in June.
You, as the parent can request certain evaluations be conducted, ie. speech assessment, for a language delayed child, OT for a child with fine motor skills delays, psychological for cognitive impairments and/or autistic spectrum disorders. Now you can always get your own evaluations but they must be educationally relevant. If your child only has OT needs, the district may recommend declassification and put a 504 plan into place which would provide OT services as part of his educational needs. Reevauations in children of this age are important as the development in the little guys changes rapidly, and great growth can happen. This reevaluation is important for an appropriate placement as a child enters kindergarten. In kindergarten a PSD classification is no longer used, but another type may be required (i.e. CI, communication impaired: MD, multiple disabled, SLD, significant learning disablity, AU, autistic...)
Basically, I would speak to the head of your Child Study Team, express your concerns and have him/her outline their plan of action for reevals. and IEP's. You do not need to panic as of yet.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

Please don't push your child out of their receipt of services. Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, have to fight all their life to get and maintain access to services because they may have normal to high IQ but insufficient social and practical skills. A child's diagnosis may change over the years and they may catch up with their peers in some areas, however they still require structure and support because of their learning styles. These are neurological disorders that may be lifelong but varing in nature over time.

 

[mommyto 2]

met - excellent, I am glad you stated this!!!! ASD often appear in younger children as giftedness, social interactions are often overlooked. If your child is possibly on the spectrum, be sure to have someone very adept at these disorders assess your child. It can make the world of difference in the years to come. I speak from very personal experience.

 

[rmet4nzkx]

met - excellent, I am glad you stated this!!!! ASD often appear in younger children as giftedness, social interactions are often overlooked. If your child is possibly on the spectrum, be sure to have someone very adept at these disorders assess your child. It can make the world of difference in the years to come. I speak from very personal experience.

I work with ASD adults in part. It is tragic because many were never diagnosed as children and never had any form of treatment. ASDs are very much underdiagnosed/misdiagnosed and unfortunately only in the DSM IV ten years ago. At first they thought children grew out of it because they eventually caught up with their peers, but the fast pace and continually changing life we lead makes change difficult for ASD adults and they often decline in mid-life without structure and support. It is a fight not only to qualify them for services in a day and time when funds are short but the client/family often is oppotional insofar as admitting a disability or need for services.

 

[mommyto 2]

Once again "met" is right on target. I am not sure by the OP statments if ASD is a possibility but frequently children with an ASD have motor skill problems that require interventions by OT's and PT's. This often is one of the first indicators that parents pick up on. If your child has a possible ASD appropriate interventions throughout his educational career is absolutely necessary. Early detection is the key to ensure the best possible outcome in adult life. This is not to say there is a cure - there is not, but giving a child all the skills and tools to have a productive adulthood requires interventions, the earlier the better. Do not let a school tell you that due to strong academic skills he does not require interventions or special services, that is illegal. I deal with many children who have ASD's who have IQ's that far exceed most people but they have significant delays in other areas (i.e., social skills, problem solving, coping skills, emotional issues, motor delays, etc...). My son also has an ASD that affects every aspect of his life, but he, at 9, is academically well above grade level in history, math and science. I make sure that supports thoughout his school day are provided. I for one don't care about his grades, I want to know if he remembered to wipe his mouth, did he play with another child, did he respond appropriately to questions, did he melt down when he had to write out an answer....
To the OP - a school by law is required to provide an appropriate education to all children. There are timelines that must be fullfilled by law.