Requesting eval and BOT 2 interpretation

[mommy2maya]

Ds is getting ot 1/wk at a clinic. No school services. This year I requested a school eval. The principal called me this morning and left a message saying that they needed more information before they could do the eval- including reports from our outside therapy, etc. He actually said on the need a documented impairment or iep to do the evaluation. Which is what his kindie and first grade teacher told me before- but I am under the impression that federal law says that if I, as his parent, am concerned about his progress, all I need to do is send in that written request- regardless of his documented impairment, etc.

I spoke briefly with his therapist this morning, who cautioned me that giving his record from therapy might be detrimental to getting him school eval'ed- citing the difference between medical model and educational model- totally made sense to me.

I really don't want to have a fight with the school= I just want him accommodated for his deficiencies.

[KCMichigan]

Originally Posted by mommy2maya

Ds is getting ot 1/wk at a clinic. No school services. This year I requested a school eval. The principal called me this morning and left a message saying that they needed more information before they could do the eval- including reports from our outside therapy, etc. He actually said on the need a documented impairment or iep to do the evaluation. This is incorrect. The schools job is to determine if there is an identifiable impairment that EFFECTS academic learning for your child Which is what his kindie and first grade teacher told me before- but I am under the impression that federal law says that if I, as his parent, am concerned about his progress, all I need to do is send in that written request- regardless of his documented impairment, etc YES--it is your right to request an eval. IT does not mean he will get services, but the schools have to evaluate and determine if he qualifies for services through the schools.

I spoke briefly with his therapist this morning, who cautioned me that giving his record from therapy might be detrimental to getting him school eval'ed- citing the difference between medical model and educational model- totally made sense to me. They do have a different model, and different people may give you different advice, but I found that our medical documentation made the schools much more likely to give us services and accommodations. I shared previous OT/PT goals with the schools so they could see DD progress and what she was working on. I also shared medical notes to have a documented statement of her disabilities

I really don't want to have a fight with the school= I just want him accommodated for his deficiencies.

I would give a written request for an eval. The school then has a set amount of days to eval him and determine if he qualifies.

Even if he does not qualify for an IEP, if you have a written documentation of medical disability that 'impacts one or more life functions' (eating, sleeping, toileting, social interactions, etc) than you can request accommodations through a 504. It does not have as many legal 'coverages' as an IEP, but it is a legal binding agreement. 504 s are often used if a students is in General Education , is doing well academically, BUT needs somethings at school adjusted (breaks, certain seats, things read outloud, etc).

look into www.wrightslaw.com for more info on the legalities of requesting an eval and what rights you have as a parent.

[mommy2maya]

I did already send in a written request for evaluation last week. This was their first response to my request. I didn't speak with him- I let it go to voicemail, didn't want to agree to anything before I knew what I was agreeing to

[mommy2maya]

oh almost forgot my second question. I have his most recent eval, from 6m ago, which is the fmp & fmi sections of bot 2. His scores were FMP-= 15 raw, 5 scale and FMI= 24 raw, 12 scale. Course it doesn't tell me what that means in layman's terms.

[KCMichigan]

Check the site below. It gives timeline that is legally allowed by PA. It also looks like it has some more info that pertains to PA.

http://www.childadvocate.net/education_timelines.htm

It looks like from the day you turned in a request they have 60 calender days to eval and get a report to you and then 30 days after that to get an IEP in place.

Document what you do and any phone calls, email, written statements you sent to them.

I dont know anything about the BOT 2. I would talk to your OT for an interpretation. Raw scores often dont mean a lot w/ out other information. You need to know the scores that show (or dont show) a discrepancy between his skills and where his skills should be (if he is age appropriate??)