I do not want my child in Special Ed. but I feel the school is leaving me with no choice?

Question

As a public school, what is thier responsibility to a student who is failing...I know other students are failing and are offered tutorial classes, yet when I asked they said no to my child...I know the TAKS Test will be here soon and I believe they are targeting students who have the greatist potential to pass and leaving the lower students out to dry...I feel they are refusing to help my child because I said not to the Special Ed ....IEP testing.....

Answer 1

So that you are aware, with the No Child Left Behind policy, being classified as special education with an IEP does NOT exempt a child from standardized testing. Qualifying for an IEP does NOT mean that a child will be placed in a "special ed" classroom. IEPs are individualized - if it is most appropriate as agreed upon by you and the IEP team (general education teachers, special education teachers, administrators, and special service providers) your child may still be in general education classes but with supports from the special education department. Each IEP also has an area to discuss accommodations that will help your child perform better in the classroom and on standardized testing (things like extended time, reading assistance, larger print - the list is endless).

If you have not consented to testing by a school psychologist, you may wish to reconsider. You are not required by law to accept services for your child unless you agree to them. Referrals for special education testing are not something dealt with lightly. They require documentation along the way and cost a school district quite a bit of money. They do not typically suggest evaluations unless they truly believe they are necessary.

You may find that if your child does test and qualify for special education services with an IEP, he or she may end up with accommodations and services that will drastically improve his or her school performance.

Answer 2

As a teacher I find it hard to believe that the school would place a student into special education classes just to improve their test scores.

Special education classes have many criteria that students must meet. Has your child had psychological testing? IQ testing? or does your student have any identifiable handicaps which would make it difficult for your child to perform well in a regular class room?

All of these questions are valid. If the answers are no, then, by all means, fight to keep him/her out of these classes. However, if your child has special needs that these classes can address, keeping him/her in regular classes where he/she is constantly failing will do nothing but make your child miserable and possibly result in him/her giving up completely.

Sometimes students are placed in special education classes where they are trained to use the skills they have and to learn modifications for the one's they don't have. Sometimes this is sufficient and the student is then mainstreamed back into regular classes.

If you do not trust the school district to test your child with an open mind, then I would like to suggest private testing. This would at least ease your mind.

There is nothing more sad than a student who is in a mainstreamed class that they just cannot handle for one reason or another but their parents frown on placing them into special education because they see it as being something less than "the best". Sometimes, placing your child in special education classes IS the best thing you can do for your child.

As a teacher and/or a parent we have to ask ourselves "why" our student is failing. If the student is trying, getting the support they need at home, and the teacher's are doing everything in their power to educate (which I can safely say MOST of them do), and your child is still failing, I highly recommend that you listen to the alternatives that the school is presenting you. Try it for a while. If you don't see improvements within the next year, you can always then ask that he/she be mainstreamed again.

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER

Answer 3

I think you may be right. I believe that in Maine they do try to exclude certain students from the testing because they don't want those kids to drag the scores down. You don't say whether your child has some sort of diagnosis - if they are suggesting special ed with no diagnosis, then I can tell you woithout even knowing what state you live in, that they are breaking the law.

Don't bother with the school board. they don't deal with this issue. This is between you, and the principal.

If there's a diagnosis, Google "disability advocate" and the name of your state, and tell them your child is not getting INCLUSION.

If there's no diagnosis, go to an attorney for the "free consultation" and learn the names and numbers of the laws that pertain, then demand a parent-teacher meeting and cite these laws, chapter and verse. Don't let them take you off-topic! Free and appropriate education is the right of every child in every state in this country.

My child was in special ed all his life and it's there for students who need it. But a student with no diagnosis, or who could be included in regular classes with support, has no business being in special ed.


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Answer 4

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!! I am telling you right now don't listen to the school. whatever you do don't put your child in special ed. Because trust me you and your child will regret it big time. They put me in special ed when i was 10. I was in a special ed class all day where we did nothing but play. The only thing that they taught us was how to tell time and count to 10. This went on for 3 years. The teacher would show me a picture of a dog and ask me what it was. Needless to say, i learned nothing while i was in special ed. Not only did i not learn anything but i was tortured and teased by the other students for being in special ed. I became really depressed and had major self esteem issues all because i was in special ed. When my mother put me back into regular classes in high school i was so lost because i didn't learn anything in the previous grades and I was so behind. I ended up dropping out of high school because of this. I am now 24 and have made nothing of myself and I blame it all on special ed and the school board. Please don't put your child through the same thing i went through.
I think you should change your childs school.

Answer 5

Can you afford independent testing? If so, get your child tested on your own. You should also check with your pediatrician who may also offer some type of testing. Unfortunately, many public schools are geared to test taking because of the "no child left behind" policy. So, unfortunately, students who are not excelling are left behind in the classroom. Do not rely on just one opinion, there are many other avenues -- so, seek them out before letting your child go into to Special Ed.

Answer 6

First why is your child failing? Do they not understand the material/ cant keep up, learning disability or is it a behavioral/ social problem. What about trying a different school and otherwise keep pushing and demand testing for your child to find out what the problem might be. Your child's future is a stake here.

Answer 7

Start with what you know about Autism. You've worked with children in k-6 have you ever worked with a student with Autism in a small group if so try starting with that. As someone else said non-verbal does not mean she doesn't understand what you're talking about she just can't talk to you. I've worked with kids with physical disabilities who were non-verbal and even though they couldn't talk to me they still understood what I was saying and talking about. For the tantrum I'd say try and calm her down. She may have something which calms her - eg: a special toy, item, etc. You may also be able to reason with her. By yourself or through the special toy. Explain to her "I don't like it when you scream it hurts my ears and it scares me." or words to that effect. As far as the speech strategies is concerned she is probably already doing something in that area with a speech therapist or with her teachers under the instructions of a speech therapist. I usually say I'd follow the strategies already in place. One thing you have to realise is that communication isn't only via speech. So use her way of communicating eg pictures, writing (not very likely in kindergarten but possible for some words), signs etc and use that to work with her, use those strategies in conjunction with speech. For example in your strategy you said get her to repeat the word cookie. This may be possible if she is starting to talk but there are a signifigant amount of Autistic children who never talk. So if she is pointing to the cookie prompt her to give you the picture or use the sign for cookie and then if this is done successfully give her the cookie. and as you said praise her.

Answer 8

ok....next year even special ed students will be required to pass TAKS at grade level...so...if anything, that part sounds strange. most Texas schools are (in my opinion) obsessed with tutoring and extra help. believe me, it is in their best interest to help your child. no child left behind has gone as far as to expect physically and mentally handicaped children to perform on grade level, and if they do not, the schools will be punished. so, they WANT your child to do well.

i think the question is...why don't you want your child in special education? ...wait, you don't even want him tested??? sounds like your own ego talking, not your concern for your child. when a parent refuses to see the truth, they do their own child, and every other parents child a diservice. kids NEED to feel successful and we have to create those opportunties for them. a mainstream teacher CANNOT slow down to help your child ...and they shouldn't have to. they owe it to the 30 other children and their parents to keep the students challenged. your child will struggle, and his/her self esteem will go down, and pretty soon s/he actually believes s/he is stupid...and that's hardly the case. spec. ed can address the way your child learns the best, the classes are smaller, the teachers are trained to work with that population. you don't have to keep your child there forever, but you have to give him the opportunity to see some sucess in his schooling, and you can't allow your child to slow down an entire class that is moving to fast for him/her

as for the schools responsibility?? they ARE being responsible, they are trying to help your child, and you are turning your back on their assistance. they are obligated to intervene and help the child, they are NOT obligated to do the method of your choosing. they cannot MAKE your child succeed. that's why the are specialist, because they know what they're doing. remember, you have one child, so you see this one time. they have 700 to 3000 students at a time in a school...they see trends and patterns that you are not able to see.

Answer 9

something like that happend to a girl i knew. she got a lawyer and so should you. because of the no child left behind act the school has to do everything in it's power to help children. i don't think that you have to switch schools or home school.

as a person who did have to go to speical ed. i can honesty tell you that it doesn't work because it takes kids out of class to teach them remedial stuff so they get even futher behind. in the other classes. you should get a tutor or to sylian learing center.

no matter what you should get an iep.

Answer 10

You need to take it up with the school board on that, denying help from a teacher is just messed up. And coming from a student who used to live in texas for the past 16 years, and I know the TAKS test is hard if you don't study, etc, unlike the TAAS test.