Viola,
I certainly hope you have been recording who is telling you what.  Have you
gone up the chain of command (teacher, principal, sped director, supervisor,
etc.)?  Have you contacted the local parent groups?  Sometimes like in our
county they have parent ombudsman who can come to meetings with you.
Parents, do you know you can legally ask anyone from outside the school
district to come with you to IEP meetings?  It's best to have someone on
your side who can be objective and help keep you calm.  Tape meetings, keep
notes, demand copies on the spot.  Talk to the therapists individually and
keep track of their recommendations.  Get their notes.  Keep a log.


Hope these few suggestions help.


Elizabeth Hill Thiers, OTR/L
email address: [log in to unmask]
homepage: www.bv.net/~john/bethsot1.html

-----Original Message-----
From: St. John's University Cerebral Palsy List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Viola Faria
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 1999 6:18 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: I EP Stuff


In a message dated 9/12/99 5:09:02 PM Central Daylight Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<< on't you have a PPT every year? At 18 your daughter should also be part
of
 it--- you are part of the PPT team whose job it is to come up with an IEP
 for the year- you should really be asked to siugn off- but some school
 systems simply ask if you agree, and then record in the minutes that there
 were no dissenting opinions.   If not- go to school in the morning and put
 in a rewquest for a PPT!!!   Joy
 ---------- >>
We had 2 I.E.P. meetings since school started.  They DID NOT record in the
minutes that we objected to their proposals, nor did they put down what we
wanted.  Only thing they put down, was what they said we were getting.  We
(my daugher and myself) at no point agreed with everything on the I.E.P. nor
did we sign anything.  They just bulldozed ahead and did what they wanted.

At this point it's no use holding another I.E.P. meeting because of their
tactics.  I am starting the process of a "Due Process" hearing, thinking of
passing the due process meeting itself and going on to arbritration.

You can't deal fairly with these people, when the totally try to violate
your
rights.  Then they act like there is something wrong with you for objecting.
They say "you don't have to sign the I.E.P." in order for it to take effect.
Can you believe that.

Now they don't want to provide appropriate transportation for her.  The big
bus bounces too much for her, and she has a letter from a Dr. stating that
this is harmful to her back.  She had spinal surgery about 10 months ago.
They claim that a small bus bounces even more then a big one.  Then they
told
me to hire a cab and pay for it and they would reimburse me the expense.
Then when they saw I wasn't putting up with that, they suddenly said THEY
could provide a cab, but couldn't transport her wheelchair.  This option
could have worked, but the only problem is the type of cabs they use here.
She can't get in them by herself, and it's really hard to get in them at
all.
 She wears braces and so her ankles don't move and are stiff, when she's off
balance, she becomes spastic and can't bend very well, in fact it's like a
big stick person (who can't really bend or twist) trying to get into a small
round object.  Then they told me that was my only option.

I just can't beliefe the stuff they pull.

Thanks for listening

Vi