Service Delivery - group vs push in vs consultation

[Elizabeth D]

Hi1 I am working with a family in California. Under Special Education and Related Service for Primary Services for Specialized Academic Instruction it lists the Ed Specialist as the provider for 3 hours/week and for service delivery method it says "refer to service delivery description." Under Service delivery instruction it says "Prompting support from paraeducator during writing assignments, collaboration and consultation with general education teacher and ed specialist in order to create and provide graphic organizers and visual supports as needed." For Language and Speech it says 12 hours per year (I hate when they list frequency this way) and it also says "refer to service delivery description." Under Service Delivery it says "Services will be provided in combination of direct small group instruction and class room push in, as well as consultation and collaboration with teachers and staff to support suspected areas of need and generalization of skills."

My question is should small group instruction be listed separately from class-room push in? Shouldn't consultation be listed separately? I am a new advocate and my understanding is that it should not all be lumped together on one line. This is a child that was falling apart in kindergarten (refusing to participate, getting very angry, not responding well to his teacher's management style which did not bode well with his PDA/Autism profile). He is in first grade now and doing very well with support, medication, and frankly a different teacher.His IEP is tomorrow and they want to reduce his support hours which I don't disagree with, but they have not provided any real data on his progress report (more subjective statements) and the service delivery description includes so many different delivery models that I don't know how they are really accounting for the time. Any advice welcome!

[Carolyn Rowlett]

Hi Elizabeth.  First, my apologies if this is too late for your meeting.  (I see that you posted this 20 hours ago referencing an IEP meeting for "tomorrow," and I'm just now reading it.) 

Second, I'm a visual person, so I'm having a little difficulty tracking all this without seeing the actual IEP document, but will give it a go

Minutes for small group instruction and minutes for push-in should be listed separately.  Also, consultation should be listed separately from specialized instruction.  Finally, 12 hours a year is ridiculous.  At least get it down to monthly.

Reducing anything requires data.  If they do it anyway, make sure they put it in a PWN and include the reasons for the reduction.

You and the parents have a right to ask for clarity in the IEP document.  If the different delivery methods are confusing and make it hard to account for time (which may be the intent of the SD), ask for (I would even draft) suggested changes.