ThreeLittleBear

I posted this on the ADA board, but thought it applies here too.

My daughter isn't going to be 3 for several months, but here in Colorado both private and public preschools fill up fast. (they aren't a requirement, so there are only a handful of public ones) But her services coordinater (the one who helps me find all the services that she can benift from, like in home OT sessions, sign instructor, etc) says I need to start the whole enrollment process next month if I want her to be able to start around her 3rd b'day.

There is no elementary school in our district with a program for deaf/hh kids. However in the next district over, there's a fabulous one. They have specialized classes for them, speech, PT, and OT people on staff. They have interpreters for kids with deaf/hh parents. And they also have "mainstream" classes that the kids can move into when they are ready. But one thing I like about their mainstream classes is that because of the deaf/hh program there is a higher percentage of deaf/hh kids in their mainstream classes. Also alot of hearing siblings go there too.

Now the problem. Because it's in a different district, my daughter would have to be seen by a panel from our school district to have her needs assessed. If they feel they can adequately meet all her needs in our district, then she won't be allowed to go to that other elementary school.

So - my question is: how do I find the part of ADA that applies to our situation? and how do I handle this situation? Has anyone else run into this, and how did you handle it?

I forgot to add, my daughter has profound hearing loss in both ears, but last month had a CI activated on the right side.

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--- Heather ---

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GraysonPeddie

Please do not cross-post in multiple forums.

Thanks.

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ThreeLittleBear

I apologize, over the years I've been a memeber on multiple boards, and have seen where members don't visit every board. I just wanted to make sure that if someone out there can help me, that they saw this post. But I will keep this in mind for the future.

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--- Heather ---

jag

You need to find a copy of IDEA. And also check into your states sped regulations.

Yes she will need an evaluation by the school district to see what services she requires. (you do not need an IQ test but do need PLOP...present levels of performance) It's best to get in contact with your home school now since the time requirements once you request the initial eval make it so they might have a month or two to get all the evals done. Once done you would have an IEP meeting. The purpose is to write goals and objectives . Make sure the objectives or goals are measuable. Also since you want her to go into a program provided by the neighboring district make suer to include goals that will only be able to be met in that type of program. Do NOT discuss placement untilyou have written the IEP. Goals first, placement second. My school district would have loved it if I had insisted on going elsewhere sooner so there is hope that you might get what you want. This can be done but the big thing is writing an IEP to show that they can't meet her needs.

Put in supports that would cost them more then it would to get her into the neighboring schools program. You'll probably have to keep stressing that she is deaf even if she does hear. How would they communicate with her if her CI failed (which could happen if it got zapped on the slide or something like that) If she signs she still has a mode of communication so it's important that that type of thing be discussed and hiring of a staff person fluent in sign be present if they don't want to let her go. I'm sure you can come up with soem good ideas of supports she'd need that they don't provide and it would be cheaper for them to send her to the neighboring dist.

Also be aware that the discussion of the results off the eval is a completely different meeting. So after going over the results you can ask that anyone who isn't necessary to write goals and objectives leave if you wish. (I know many who don't want IEP meetings with a phycologist present because that person doesn't know their child)

farmerjoe

I don't know what state you're in but where I'm from (origonally) there's a thing called "open enrollment" where, if you sign up before a deadline you can enroll your child in any school district you want. You'd just have to find a way to get your child to the other school, as i'm sure the busses for that district don't run out to where you live.

You might want to see if there's something like that in your area. (From what it sounds like, your daugter would be out-sourced to the other district, and your local district will pay for the tuition of your daughter. Also something I've seen)

Secondly the ADA dosn't really do much here. the ADA says that they must provide reasonable accomidations for those with disibilites as long as providing accomidataions does not cause undue hardship to the business/orginization.
So flashing fire alarms, wheelchair accessable classrooms. If the students watch a video I think closed captioning would be a reasonable accomodation.

but that's about it.. your child will have to fend for herself. Cross your fingers and hope they don't feel she can be accomodated at your local district, I suggest you start building your case as others have suggested.