Well, obviously, they have disagreed.

IMO?  The onus is probably upon your physician to demonstrate/explain why their solution is not adequate in his/her expert medical opinion.

(This is what we'd have to do to get College Board to put IN WRITING that DD must have accommodations as to location for her exams, too-- because they denied "individual testing" as an accommodation, just as we suspected they would.  Similar situation in that what we NEED is possible to meet without the specific accommodation, sure, but the liklihood of error/mistakes is higher.  )

Question...we did not persue this any further.  We sent a letter to the school requesting they clarify their reasons for denying the physician recommended accommodation and that these reasons be put in Michael's file.  The letter they sent back stated, "As we said in the last letter, we disagree that M needs a van to be safe.  We feel that a bus with a wiped down rail and front seat are enough to keep him safe".  Our physician sent a letter saying she DID NOT feel this was enough.

Is that adequate on their part?  They can just say "We disagree" with no real reason, other than, essentially, this has always worked...

MandCmomma,
Again, I'm so sorry that you're dealing with this.  I completely understand your situation.  CM's post resonates with me.  I wish you all the best.  I'll be thinking of your little guy as school starts.

BTW, I'd forgotten about your day care situation.  That's awful.

 

I know that frustration very well.  You know that legally you're in the right, that MORALLY it's also right, and that your child's rights are being trampled...  but...

sometimes even when you win, you still lose.  :sighhhhh:

  It's incredibly galling, and guilt-inducing.  Please don't beat yourself up.  You have a solution that preserves some measure of goodwill, and you'll live to fight another day.  Sadly, there will be other days to fight.  Let go of the ones that get away, okay?? 

Yes..Most in our area do the daycare route as well.  Since our boys were booted out of daycare, that option is a no-go for us 

As I said, I really don't have the energy or wherewithal to fight this any further.  Not for what it's going to get us- a marginally safer situation and the bad will of some members of the district.  Surprisingly, DH, who has to work under these people, wants to persue it further.  He just feels it's wrong we're being denied this (I think b/c he sees some of the accommodations that ARE given that are much more costly and appear less necessary).  Our neighbor has offered the help of a lawyer he is friends with...DH wants to go for it.  Now that we've secured private transportation for M, I just feel ambivalent about it.

Guess I'm just feeling sorry for myself.  I think the amount of fighting/advocating I've already had to do for M BEFORE HE EVEN STARTS SCHOOL is just absurd.  What's wrong with people?  I guess they've never held their dying child in the back of a speeding ambulance 

Sorry that has happened.  DD was thankfully assigned AM kindergarten (at our school children attending day care usually are) and attended a center-based day care.  The day care picked children up in a van or short bus.  We only had to transport her in the morning, which was our choice.

DD never rode the bus in elementary school and I'm glad she didn't for many reasons.  She will be riding the bus this year as she starts middle school.  After speaking with someone in transportation, I'm glad that I made the decision for her not to ride the bus when she was in younger.  When I spoke with the department in July, I was told that they did not know what the bus routes would be yet (to check the web site in August; checked today, which is 2 weeks before school starts and still nothing is posted), they won't know who the bus drivers are until about 2 weeks before school starts, and that the bus drivers will not have information about which students on their busses have LTFA or asthma until 2 weeks into the school year.  I was told the school nurse at the child's school will print out a list and provide it to the bus driver.  It was suggested to me that I go to the bus stop on the first day of school and introduce myself and DD to the bus driver; that is so not cool for a 6th grader and I'm sure will open her up to some teasing.  I was also told that while there is a no food policy on the bus and they do their best to enforce it, they cannot guarantee that there will be no food on the bus.  I'm glad that I didn't put DD into those conditions when she was younger.  She's always been good about speaking up about her allergies even when she was young but she's certainly more capable now at 11.

Good luck with your school year.  I know it's stressful and not an ideal situation, but it will go by quickly.

Had the meeting. They appeared to be very apologetic for Sped dir lack of ....ummm....well some things are just best left unsaid. Anyway, they took lots of notes and asked lots of questions. They met with M's principal to discuss it. And then denied it. We've decided not to fight it further. For one, we can't afford. We also have other major stressors happening. We're going to pay some one to take him in and DH will race over to pick him up after work. Only Kindy and I feel defeated

Have been away and just seeing this now.

Did you have meeting?  Where do things stand now?

Sorry to see so little response in this thread -- summer is "off" time for so many of us so far as dealing with schools . . .

Well, we sought legal advice.  Allergist wrote a  NEW letter stating that the school district's plan of wiping down seats and rails was inadequate to keep M safe and put him in unreasonable danger.  Forwarded this letter via email and snail mail to Sped and got no reply, though I know he at least opened the email.  DH emailed district super, filling him in on everything up to and including contacting a lawyer.  Super's response thanked us for emailing him and we have a meeting with super and his asst on Thurs.
Please help me come up with non emotional arguments.  Those of you that live in other states- what is the norm (Vice principal @ DH's bldg alluded to the fact that our state is behind the times with std FA accomodations). I plan on bringing every piece of paper we have thus far, but waht else???

Macabre,

your Sped Dir needs to "school up" a whole HUGE NUMBER of Speds in this state.

Just sayin'.

Sorry for the digression.

Carry on.

Yikes.  On the one hand, M is so small.  We were able to wait until 5th for the bus, but it was a hardship to us work-wise (and DH's work has a lot of flexibility), so I totally get how your transporting him will NOT be sustainable.  One of the reasons it won't be is that as things come up, you'll be using that lunch time throughout the rest of your day dealing with other school issues--even if you have a good 504.  Ask me how I know.  Grrrr.

DS did have an aide until last year I think.  Or was it this year?  Recently.  He is finishing 8th grade right now.  And I'll say that the aide benefited another special needs child (with diabetes) a lot--even though she was DS' aide.  The school district was glad we had her. 

I'm sorry your Sped is like that.  Ours was wonderful.  But glad you know where things stand and at least have some contact with the assistant (who will hopefully move up the ranks before too may years).

Indivdual accommodations are SUPPOSED to be just that:  INDIVIDUAL.

Comparing/contrasting your child's documented need with those of the other children (and what is/is not on thier 504s or IHPs) is direct violation of your child's rights under Section 504.

You know that, right?

Your Sped Dir is way out of line.

Quote from: twinturbo on May 29, 2012, 06:07:23 PM
Well, that is a legitimate hardball tactic. Present two choices the other party doesn't like but make their lesser of two evils the best outcome for you. You could even offer him the phone numbers of other school districts that provide bus aides since he likes that logical fallacy so much.

I agree with this.  Which of these two options recommended by your family physician will he agree to?  Maybe your physician could write another note clarifying he needs one of these two transport options due to thumb sucking, bus transfer, age, multiple allergens etc.  I would think the aide would be the more expensive option also.

Well, that is a legitimate hardball tactic. Present two choices the other party doesn't like but make their lesser of two evils the best outcome for you. You could even offer him the phone numbers of other school districts that provide bus aides since he likes that logical fallacy so much.

Quote from: twinturbo on May 29, 2012, 04:58:04 PM
Was there a reason provided other than it's not part of any other individual's 504 accommodations? Cost, scheduling, lack of passenger space? I liked Janelle's suggestion of an aide on the bus for 1:1 single-purposed supervision.

Nope- just nobody else has this accommodation; therefore, not necessary...
I like the idea of the aide as well, but that just sounds more expensive.... I'll bring that up at our next meeting. That may possibly be a way around sped dir, though he prob has to approve that as well since its still under the transportation umbrella.