Advocate or Lawyer for Special Ed (IEP)

I'm a bit confused here cuz I worked for the district in SF w/kids w/special needs & our language was a bit different. Fully inlcuded (the term SF uses) is when the child w/special needs is in a reg. ed. class all day w/support as needed. Mainstreamed is kids w/special needs who are in reg. ed classes (typically art, pe & other similar classes) but then pulled back to the SDC for academics. So your son's current IEP states to be in reg. ed. class at all times w/support as needed & now the district wants him to be in an SDC? What does the classroom teacher say? How does this school in particular feel about inclusion? Do they have an SDC & that's where they prefer all kids w/specila needs to be placed? Does the Fremont district disagree w/the philosophy of inclusion? If you do not agree w/this then do not sign it. Becoming dependent on aides was an issue when I was working so what we did instead of 1:1 was we all spent a certain amount of time (1-2 hrs) in the classroom & then went to work w/another kid in another class. I had a support teacher who was my supervisor, helped us aides revise the cirriculum as needed, set up the schedules & was the lead on IEP's. Do you have a support teacher or similar teacher at your son's shcool who can be of some help to you &/or agrees your son should stay in his current learning environment? This teacher should also be able to place your child w/a teacher who is open to inclusion & will be supportive for next year. Definitley get the support of an advocate or an attorney. The district should have a list of people to recommend or google organizations in your area that help kids w/special needs & offer advocacy &/or attorney services. There's one organization that comes to mind but not sure if they have a chapter in Fremont; Support For Parents of Kids With Special Needs. They offer all kinds of support for parents, families & siblings of kids w/special needs. Good luck!

I want to make sure I understand the whole situation.

How disabled is your child. Is he a behavior problem or a care giver issue, if he is not able to process and function in a normal classroom it may be time for him to go to the special classes where he'll get more one on one attention, although he'll be set apart from the other students they don't just sit in those classes and color or do mundane things to take up time until they graduate.

Most of the kids in my area are mainstreamed. Those that are not are just better off in the special class. They get to have that one on one teacher or aide and are able to have help toileting and eating, they get a person to help them with the lesson and that person has a plan that tells them how best this person learns, whether they learn by hands on doing or hearing, etc...they are that child's person.

On the other hand if he has simple learning disabilities then he needs to stay in his classroom and have at the very least a person responsible for working with him on his school work and explaining it to him so he get's it. To comply with his level of disability. If he is unable to learn the materials presented in class with some minimal assistance he may not be at a level to process and learn it.

If he is disabled and cannot process the material in a normal setting he needs more specialized teaching and assistance, if he has learning disabilities that do not interfere with learning in a general way, such as a disability in reading, then he should be allowed to stay in a regular classroom and be graded as if he was totally normal.

With my background in DD I have seen kids in both settings. They were so happy in the special classes. They were in classes with their friends and enjoyed the whole consistency and familiarity.

The high schoolers that were in a special class got to go do jobs outside of school. They had the contract to wash the carts at both the country club and the other golf course. They got paid just like anyone else so they were able to have a job and go to school. They also had some other contracts for jobs that did not require them to leave school grounds. I am not sure what they were, I just remember the golf cart contract. They don't just sit and drool, which is what I really thought they must do since they can't learn the higher levels of education that the other kids can. It is just too hard on them to expect them to succeed in that setting.

So my answer depends on his level of functioning, how he acts in classes all day, is he able to learn the material in the regular classroom and make a passing grade on his own, etc....

Google 504 plans. It is a legal deal that mandates the school to follow whatever plan you set up. You can move from an IEP to a 504.

You may wish to consult with this gal:
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