You are your child's best advocate!

Originally I had my son in the infants and toddlers program. It was great. They sent a special ed teacher, an occupational therapist, and a speech therapist to your home. After the age of three you no longer qualify for that program. Well actually they are extending it in February but my son didn't meet the birth date deadline. Then you have to go in a IEP (Individual Education Program) meeting. This is where a panel of administrative individuals, therapist, and a psychologist get together with the parent and help you plan an education plan for your child. I was told going into this meeting that they would give me several options for my son. Of course when my husband and I went into that meeting that was not the case. It was a panel of over educated individuals that thought they knew my son better than I did because they have a degree in special education. They treated me and my husband like uneducated idiots that could do nothing right for my son. Their demeanor and choice of words were very manipulative. They presented us with three options for my son. The first option was community based program in which the special educator comes to my home and then I go with my son to a location for the speech and occupation therapyst. The second was that my son goes to school three days a week. The third was that my son goes to school five days a week. For me I told them I wanted the option of the community based program. My son just turned three after the date required therefore he is considered, in actuality, as a two-year-old in the basic public education system. I stated that since I am a stay at home mom I am not ready to send him off to school until the fall of 2010. That to me the community based program would allow him to still be at home and receive the education he needs to help prepare him for school with his condition. He is mild to moderate autism so I do not want to send him to special education for the rest of his life. I believe he has the capability to eventually go to a normal school setting and still get services on the side. When I told them I wanted the community based program they said, "We will decide today what we think is best for your son and we do not believe that is best". I have two other sons at home so he gets interaction with other children. Plus we go to church twice a week and he gets that classroom structure there already. This was not good enough for him according to them. They said that they wanted him to go to school five days a week. I told them no and then they said that the best then would be for us to send him there three days a week. After that they printed out the paperwork and said that they wanted me to sign the IEP form right away that agrees with him going to school three days a week. I didn't sign any form. Also I didn't follow up with that program. I have been doing research to find an alternative to the public special education system. If they were manipulative to this what else would they be manipulative too. I had the right to get that community based program as a tax payer. They denied me that right. Now I have to try to find something for my son out of my own pocket. I do have an appointment set up for him to be evaluated with Kennedy Kreiger. I had been on the waiting list since March and they finally called me. Also I am going to try to see about getting speech and o.t. through my pediatric office. I did find out last week that they had that. The public school system would've been paid regardless of whether I picked the community based program or not. My son isn't potty trained so that is another reason I don't want to send him to school yet. Usually you are not allowed to go to preschool until you are potty trained and three-years-old by regular school standards. To me I would like the same standard for my son. This is his last year to be at home with his brothers because I am sending both he and his older brother to school next year. Plus I am teaching them a curriculum at home. If you ever have to enter a Child Find meeting please be ready. Don't let them press you into doing what they want for your child. You are your child's advocate and know him/her best. For me I want to set the bar of education a little higher for my child so that he will press forward. He may struggle for awhile but I will be there to help him through and get him the extra help he needs. Some of you may need to put him/her in special education, but please look at all your options before you make a decision on where that education will come from. I do not have a lot of money myself, so we have to cut corners and I am getting a part time job to help get him exactly what he needs. Do what is best for your family and your child.