Is this typical for an IEP eval--birth records?

[ElsieLC]

We had our transition meeting with the school district for my 2.5yo DD. The psychologist later emailed me to say that the audiologist (DD wears hearing aids) thinks it's indicated to look at DD's medical birth records.

I have never gotten around to reading these, myself, and I'm worried that there's stuff about me in there that I would find embarrassing, and therefore, would be incriminating for our family. (Like "mom complained about hospital food" or "mom and dad did not agree with the need for Hep B vax".)

I think they're trying to figure out why DD has moderate-to-severe hearing loss. But our own audiologist--a professor at the same teaching hospital where DD was born--has not made any definitive conclusions, so how could any (non-doctor) at the school district?

Is it typical to ask for a kid's birth records? They already have the audiologist's reports and the EI reports.

[KCMichigan]

I have never heard of it.

I worked as a Spec.Ed. Teacher and have a 4.5 yr old on an IEP. Granted, we were dealing with minor issues and I was primarily working with ADHD/LD students. But still it seems to be an unusual request.

We have taken in Dr records- they were typed transcripts requesting PT/OT and her medical diagnosis. 1page or so.

They take medical history report for most initial IEPs and often will request Dr notes/transcripts for medical diagnosis, but I have never seen/read/ requests birth records for any IEP I have attended.

Even Early Intervention did not request any records besides the statement of a medical diagnosis.

[Lollybrat]

I've never heard of them requesting the actual birth records. For EI and for the initial IEP I did have to fill out a detailed form that asked a lot of questions about the pregnancy and birth as well as DS's early development. And I have had the IEP team request copies of more recent medical records, such as DS's eye exams.

[Linda on the move]

for my DD's latest eval, I filled out detailed information about prenatal care, birth complications, etc., but they didn't request actual records.

[karne]

I would ask what they are specifically looking for. A medical record is full of lots of stuff that wouldn't be pertinent to a IEP discussion. What information do they not have that they wish to try and gain from a medical record? This should be something that they are able to identify clearly for you. Otherwise, perusing the birth records feels a little too wide open.

If there is something specific, and you're comfortable with the questions, you could 1. ask your own pedi or audologist to reveiew the record and provide the information requested, or 2. if there is information to be found in the discharge summary (usually a brief, page or so of the pertinent events of the delivery and pre/post issues), this may be a smaller document with less personal information that could be helpful. But, I still think that's a bit overreaching.

Personally, I'd try to put the IEP audiologist in touch with your personal audiologist and see if the questions could be better addressed that way.

[CarrieMF]

There is nothing in a birth record that would pertain to an IEP. I would want to find out what it is they're looking for & contact your regular audiologist to see if they feel it's really necessary.

Stuff about YOU won't be in the birth record as it's your DS's record. There will be stuff on YOUR record about yourself. Whether you refused a vax would be in your ds's record because it is about him.

[Cinder]

3 of my 4 kids are on either IEPs or IFSPs and no one has requested birth records...they did request stuff from Kincaid's neurologist, but that made sense since a big part of his delays are caused by the seizures he had, but that's been it.

[BookGoddess]

No, I wouldn't give it. No, we haven't had that request.

What are they looking for? Can that information be provided some other way that's not an invasion of your child's privacy? Keep in mind that these days private information is stolen, lost, misused. I would be really hesitant to turn over medical records when there is so much they don't need to read. You don't know how that information will be used in the future.

As preparation for IEP meetings, I've done a private eval of my child with a child development specialist. I don't give the school the entire report. The entire report has information about the family, medical history, etc. There is no reason the IEP team needs to see that. What I do is have the professional do a 2-3 page summary with recommendations and she/he removes the personal/family stuff.

[~cassie]

I have never had them request the birth records either. Only people that have are the people that are doing his genetic testing. Now they have asked me for info regarding the birth---normal pregnancy, normal delivery, no issues, etc.

[ElsieLC]

Thanks, everyone! After talking it over with DH, I wrote back saying, "I'm not comfortable sharing that information, can you let me know specifically what you're looking for?" And they wrote back right away that they can make their recommendations without the early medical information.

I assume the school people have large caseloads and they're just as happy not to look at more reports (that would not add helpful info).

[heatherdeg]

Mine has been evaluated by Early Intervention, the school district plus two other major facilities in the last 5 years. The last eval (in the fall--he was almost 6yo) was by a private facility and they actually asked for birth-related complications, etc.

I think the "specialists" are getting a little more wise to the concept of birth injury or complications having a potential impact on learning disabilities. I don't think they'd DISqualify your child based on the information if the other testing showed a need (legally, they couldn't); but I do think that if they saw something there that is even remotely likely to have been a problem--or something currently being researched because it is suspect--it only bolsters their argument to err on the side of caution and be more generous with services.

That being said, I absolutely wouldn't release the actual medical records. I WOULD fill out a form giving them the information about complications, etc. but not the actual records.

[SpottedFoxx]

Originally Posted by heatherdeg

Mine has been evaluated by Early Intervention, the school district plus two other major facilities in the last 5 years. The last eval (in the fall--he was almost 6yo) was by a private facility and they actually asked for birth-related complications, etc.

I think the "specialists" are getting a little more wise to the concept of birth injury or complications having a potential impact on learning disabilities. I don't think they'd DISqualify your child based on the information if the other testing showed a need (legally, they couldn't); but I do think that if they saw something there that is even remotely likely to have been a problem--or something currently being researched because it is suspect--it only bolsters their argument to err on the side of caution and be more generous with services.

That being said, I absolutely wouldn't release the actual medical records. I WOULD fill out a form giving them the information about complications, etc. but not the actual records.

I agree. My team would like to see DS's birth records but they are in Guatemala and near impossible to get. We've already established that his idiopathic seizures caused some sort of a brain injury. We just don't know when.

Good for you for standing up for yourself and setting boundaries.

[APToddlerMama]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

Stuff about YOU won't be in the birth record as it's your DS's record. There will be stuff on YOUR record about yourself. Whether you refused a vax would be in your ds's record because it is about him.

Stuff about me was definitely in my son's birth records... I would HATE for his school to see them. They were seriously ridiculous "Mom and Dad very anxious about ability to care for baby." "Mom needs lots of reassurance about baby's well being." "Mom needs lots of reassurance on breastfeeding." uhhhmmm...hello? Baby turned blue three times in the hospital and was in the NICU, so yes, I think it would be normal for mom to be a little anxious about baby's well being and ability to care for baby. What if baby turns blue when baby gets home? Baby also couldn't latch, so it would seem fitting for mom to need some reassurance about breastfeeding especially since doctor keeps talking about doing ng tube...ugh. From reading his records, you'd think I was the most paranoid mom around and that it would be completely abnormal to have any concern about all the issues he had.

I would welcome anyone to read my son's birth records if I thought that they might actually find something that would be useful in helping him. In your case though, it sounds really unlikely that they are going to find something considering they aren't doctors. You could always request the birth records yourself and then white/black out anything you didn't want them to have and give it to them.

[MindfulBirth]

I've never been asked to supply actual birth records, although I have been asked often about the pregnancy and birth of my daughter. I think it is a fair question.

Take a look at the birth records and make copies of them - blacking out whatever you don't want the school to see. I have done that with outside evaluations. For example, when I gave our school my dd's independant NeuroPsych eval, I blocked out two paragraphs that talked about my own history of epilepsy and seizures that my younger daughter has had.

[CarrieMF]

I think the "specialists" are getting a little more wise to the concept of birth injury or complications having a potential impact on learning disabilities

yes birth injury/complications can have an impact on the child's education needs, but they don't need the actual records to provide the child's education. Whether a birth injury/complication has an impact should be part of the medical form filled out by the parents & that's as far as it needs to go. Having the actual birth records won't change what the educators do.

[heatherdeg]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

yes birth injury/complications can have an impact on the child's education needs, but they don't need the actual records to provide the child's education. Whether a birth injury/complication has an impact should be part of the medical form filled out by the parents & that's as far as it needs to go. Having the actual birth records won't change what the educators do.

Agreed... they don't need actual records. But I think I made that clear in the post you quoted from.