Uncertain After Parent Concerns Caused Cancelation of Meeting

[ACline]

Hi, so I have a 7 year old in 1st grade. His annual iep meeting was supposed to be on Thursday. They sent me a form for parent concerns, but it wasn't enough room so I took the questions and wrote my own letter answering all of their questions plus adding my own input. The morning of the meeting I sent an email to his teacher and asked if she could add my letter to the proposed  iep and provide copies with my letter included to all team members to have at the meeting.  About an hour later I got an email back that said in light of my letter they were canceling the meeting and would reschedule maybe sometime this week, and that she was going to need to have special education supervisors present for the meeting. I don't even know what to make of this.  Do I need to be worried or something? Do I need to bring some kind of support or advocate or something? I didn't feel like I needed to, I felt informed enough that I was able to advocate sufficiently on my own but I don't know why she's saying she needs supervisors present now.  Any opinions are welcome. We are in PA by the way.  Here's my letter. I crossed out identifying info. 

[ACline]

Okay so you think they want to bring a supervisor because the teacher probably doesn't have the authority to agree to any major changes that I'm saying need to happen? I could understand that. I was thinking they was Ted to bring the supervisors to tell me the legalese of why they aren't required to do what I'm asking or something along those lines! Yes, he IS in a self contained classroom, has been since kindergarten last year. It's pretty awful. They send him to specials and lunch and recess with Gen Ed and an advanced reader skills group with a few kids from his grade Gen Ed.. But he has never been allowed to go to any content time in Gen Ed. All they do in his classroom is show cards repetitively "what is it" "seagull".  It's insulting.  I understand autism comes in all forms but the other 4 kids in his room don't speak hardly at all and the one who does has a few words and a communication app on an iPad. They let him go to computer class with Gen Ed but then they give him an iPad and he does math games on it while the other kids learn to type etc.  He knows how to use a damn computer. It kills me. His speech therapist said in the SAME draft iep that he no longer has any language or articulation needs and she wants to cut her hours to just a couple a month to check in.  Sounds like a kid who is a good candidate for vb mapp all day right? Lol thanks for the response I feel a bit better. 

[JSD24]

My guess is they want him in a self-contained classroom due to the autism.  With the behaviors and capabilities of his classmates, they don't cover the same material they cover in gen ed.  The thing is, your child is capable of doing this provided they accommodate his autism.  Ask them where in the eval does it show he needs a modified curriculum.

In other words, your child doesn't fit in their box so they need to create a new box for your child.  This is why they need the supervisor at the meeting.  I prefer Floortime to VB Map or ABA when a child is smart.  (If they spend time on behavior, it's not there to spend on academics.)

Always good to bring a 2nd set of eyes & ears to the meeting.

[JSD24]

Gifted is mandated in PA.  You might want to ask about a gifted evaluation to see if he qualifies.  He sounds like a child who needs gen ed and some enrichment but in a smaller group so there is less in the classroom to trigger autistic behaviors.  IMO, reading as a toddler is a red flag for gifted.  2E is the profile that schools do the worst job with.  Your post, with reading between the lines, says that he is not getting FAPE.  They are dealing with the autism but really haven't looked at academics or if he might need gifted enrichment.

[Sharon]

This is the best parental concern letter I’ve ever seen! They are bringing in the supervisor because you have pointed out that they are breaking the law-they are denying him FAPE. They are violating FAPE in so many ways. He’s not in the Least Restrictive Environment LRE. His IEP is not written to address needs. Did they actually evaluate him when he started school? Because that must have been incomprehensible and inappropriate. He’s not receiving the same education as his non disabled peers.
You very eloquently and unknowingly accused them of violating FAPE which is the biggest no-no. In short, you scared the $&@“ out of them. Bravo!