Continuation of my comments from above: My review of Negotiating the IEP Maze (Individualize Educational Placement, a school staff meeting for the SED/Severely Emotionally Disturbed student):
My review: 3 of 5 stars / 10 people found this helpful.
This book gives a neutral overview of the IEP process and supplies you with a minimum of information necessary to participate in meetings. But it may not supply sufficient information to equip a student’s advocates with the leverage to get mandated services. The IEP process can be quite adversarial, depending on the jurisdiction, with very substantial funds at stake in providing services. Teachers & other school district personnel may be under instructions NOT to give out information that will unlock services to parents; it can take knowing how to request services using the proper jargon, citing statutory provisions such as “AB3632” and “26.5” for mental health services in California, for instance. School District personnel may evince fear when hearing these requests posed with the proper jargon, in the IEP. Consult with student advocates, such as those searchable in California under the term “Developmental Disabilities Area Board”. Professional advocates may accompany you to IEP meetings.
(We beat the School District and County Mental Health double-team, we got our daughter 2.5 years of residential placement worth $200k. When a volunteer advocate mentioned California 26.5 in an IEP, one of the school professionals blanched, lost her normal facial color, “the blood drained from her face”.)
They have just removed me from working with a violent 7 year old that has a diagnosis of being Emotionally Disturbed.
This student should be placed in the least restrictive environment, which is NOT a general education classroom.
The district is trying to save money and not pay for a placement like what you got for your daughter. Instead, the admins and Resource teacher have isolated the student, removed me as the Aide, and deemed him "not aggressive or violent" so they look good.
They lie and it solves nothing.