Super new here. No IEP yet, accommodations request

[K-Tina]

Hi everyone.  I did not do this evaluation journey the way I was supposed to. Ok, here's the dilemma. My daughter is a Sophomore in high school. Struggles to keep up. Great behavior, not a problem at all. (which has not worked in her favor)

In 5th grade I asked the school to do an evaluation. It showed no learning disability. I was also nicely told that "she's really smart and I need to give her more credit." 

Her difficulty was with reading fluency. Always just below grade level but despite interventions and at home reading she just couldn't catch up.

The end of 9th grade, after many hours of us working together on weekends catching her work up. Myself reading to her, her completing the work. I decided to jump over the school and go straight to the center that the school uses to do outside evaluations. This center did a day long evaluation, told me her main learning disability is dyslexia in reading and writing.

The full report took them 10 weeks to complete. So infuriating. I have yet to get a date of when they will even go over the report with me. Most of it, I can understand but some of it is foreign.

The report showed dyslexia, inattentive ADHD, and SLD in math calculation

The school guidance counselor has been in communication with the Special Education director. He told her that he needs a formal referral email from me and he wants a list of accommodations the I feel would be helpful for her.

Since this isn't the tradition way of getting accommodations IEP/504, how best do I write this letter? I think an IEP is best and that is what I want to request. I think that she needs accommodations and modifications until she knows how to use the accommodations. Then the modifications can be lifted. I also want them to teach her to read the correct way. (which I believe would need an IEP)

So I guess I'm asking advice on how best to word this email. Should it be two emails? One with a request for accommodations and a second with an accomodation list. Kind of like a parent concerns email?

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this and respond.

 

 

 

[Jenna]

Start here: https://adayinourshoes.com/sample-letter-requesting-iep-evaluation/. If you want your daughter evaluated for special education, send a letter/email requesting an evaluation for special education services. Whether you choose to share the information from the private evaluation with the school is up to you. Definitely check out all the info at the above link before writing the school, and let us know if you have any further questions.

[K-Tina]

11 hours ago, Jenna said:

Start here: https://adayinourshoes.com/sample-letter-requesting-iep-evaluation/. If you want your daughter evaluated for special education, send a letter/email requesting an evaluation for special education services. Whether you choose to share the information from the private evaluation with the school is up to you. Definitely check out all the info at the above link before writing the school, and let us know if you have any further questions.

 

11 hours ago, Jenna said:

Start here: https://adayinourshoes.com/sample-letter-requesting-iep-evaluation/. If you want your daughter evaluated for special education, send a letter/email requesting an evaluation for special education services. Whether you choose to share the information from the private evaluation with the school is up to you. Definitely check out all the info at the above link before writing the school, and let us know if you have any further questions.

Thank you for your response. I have read that blog post numerous times. This site is of immense help.

However, they already have her evaluation in their possession. I do not want the school doing an evaluation of her. The independent eval is as good as it gets. 

I sent her to the exact same center that the district uses themselves so they very well shouldn't be denying the validity. Plus, it doesn't sound like they are according to her guidance counselor who spoke directly with the special education director.

He said to send a referral letter and list what accommodations I feel would best help her succeed. Which wouldn't be the same letter as a typical starting request.

That's where I'm stuck. I have found one online that looks to be sufficient. I was just hoping that someone here had some better ideas.

[Carolyn Rowlett]

I understand that this doesn't feel like a typical path, but in my opinion, that's the way you need to treat it if you want to get an IEP - don't give the school any wiggle room to argue "they didn't get the correct request, etc."

I don't know all the facts and may be making some incorrect assumptions based on what facts you did provide, but here are my thoughts.

The fact that the director of spec ed is requesting the referral email would to me mean a referral for special education.  Yet on the other hand he asks for a list of accommodations, which would mean a 504 Plan which shouldn't be under his purview (instead would be a 504 coordinator).  So it's a little confusing.  But regardless of what he is asking for or why, you need to send an email requesting a referral for special education and it SHOULD be a "typical starting request."  Your daughter is not in special education, so anytime you reach out and ask for this it is considered a "starting request." If you don't do it this way, the school might figure out a way to say you never asked for a referral for special education.  In your email, reference your outside report (I would also resend it along with your email just to be safe and so it is included with your official request).

Unfortunately, following the process (which I HIGHLY suggest) means the school gets to do their own evaluation if they want to (since, if I'm following the fact pattern correctly, they haven't done an evaluation since 5th grade).  You may think they won't want to because it's from the same center they use, etc., but don't over think this this and FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE.  They may very well say they want to do their own evaluation so they can get an extra 60 days...??  (But I'm not real sure how the timeline would be affected if they accept your eval.)

In any event, although it may not feel like it, you're starting from ground zero and need to do everything from that standpoint.

As far as the spec ed director asking for your list of accommodations, that's a little strange this early in the process.  But you could send one (MAKE IT A SEPARATE EMAIL from your referral email) in response listing the ones set forth in your evaluation with the caveat that "these may not be all that are necessary and more may come up during the IEP process with the entire team."  That way he understands that you're not thinking 504 - you're thinking IEP.

[K-Tina]

6 hours ago, Carolyn Rowlett said:

I understand that this doesn't feel like a typical path, but in my opinion, that's the way you need to treat it if you want to get an IEP - don't give the school any wiggle room to argue "they didn't get the correct request, etc."

I don't know all the facts and may be making some incorrect assumptions based on what facts you did provide, but here are my thoughts.

The fact that the director of spec ed is requesting the referral email would to me mean a referral for special education.  Yet on the other hand he asks for a list of accommodations, which would mean a 504 Plan which shouldn't be under his purview (instead would be a 504 coordinator).  So it's a little confusing.  But regardless of what he is asking for or why, you need to send an email requesting a referral for special education and it SHOULD be a "typical starting request."  Your daughter is not in special education, so anytime you reach out and ask for this it is considered a "starting request." If you don't do it this way, the school might figure out a way to say you never asked for a referral for special education.  In your email, reference your outside report (I would also resend it along with your email just to be safe and so it is included with your official request).

Unfortunately, following the process (which I HIGHLY suggest) means the school gets to do their own evaluation if they want to (since, if I'm following the fact pattern correctly, they haven't done an evaluation since 5th grade).  You may think they won't want to because it's from the same center they use, etc., but don't over think this this and FOLLOW THE PROCEDURE.  They may very well say they want to do their own evaluation so they can get an extra 60 days...??  (But I'm not real sure how the timeline would be affected if they accept your eval.)

In any event, although it may not feel like it, you're starting from ground zero and need to do everything from that standpoint.

As far as the spec ed director asking for your list of accommodations, that's a little strange this early in the process.  But you could send one (MAKE IT A SEPARATE EMAIL from your referral email) in response listing the ones set forth in your evaluation with the caveat that "these may not be all that are necessary and more may come up during the IEP process with the entire team."  That way he understands that you're not thinking 504 - you're thinking IEP.

Thank you. This is so appreciated. And yes, you're correct, they have not done an evaluation since 5th grade.

 

[JSD24]

Dear School-

The enclosed/attached evaluation from XXX Center shows that my child, XX, has dyslexia, inattentive ADHD, and SLD in math calculation.  Please place the following accommodations into place for her via a 504 while we work to find a meeting date where we can get together to put an IEP into place.

Extra time on tests - 2X time

Extra time (extended due date) for assignments

All instructions read aloud

All required reading material longer than one page provided in audio format

Access to talk to text software for assignments longer than one paragraph

No points taken off for spelling errors

Calculator available for math assignments and tests as well as assignments that require math calculations like some science concepts that use math

Thank you for putting this into place immediately so that XX doesn't need to struggle with her disabilities while we work together to figure out what remedial instruction is needed to bring her to the level of her classmates.

Thank you,

K-Tina

And this isn't the end.  After the IEP is in place, she should get comp ed.  Five years ago, the school should have figured out she had dyslexia, et al.  This means your daughter should receive compensatory education for the 5 years she should have been getting services but didn't because the eval done in 5th grade missed her disabilities.

You might also want to talk to a doctor about medication for ADHD.  It can help a lot with focus.  I know my daughter was identified as gifted after we started treating her ADHD.  This wasn't the whole answer because it took another several years to figure out that she also is on the autism spectrum.  Unfortunately, the school was using grade school material to remediate a gifted high school student who was reading at a college level.  She rejected the material they used and made little progress.  She's good now - we got her outside services which really helped.