Expert: Tim Runner - 10/17/2009

Question
I have a ten year old daughter who has been diaginosed DOD pervasive developmental delay when she was two. She has been in programs like" babies can't wait" and then to special pre-schools that all did a great job with her. She has been in a inclusion class since kindergarden and been making very good progress. We just moved from Georgia to Texas and they have some some testing of their own and now telling me she is mentally restarted.. They say that there were sings in the paper work from Ga. but I have never been told this before. I was taking her to a specialist at the Marcus Institute in Atlanta .I just don't know what to think. I trust all who l;have worked with her and have for years but now that we are here and everything is changing I don't know which way to go. They are getting ready to do her ARD or IEP as i am used to it being called. I am worried about her education. I know no one here and don't know where to  go for answers. Can you give me and direction to go?

Answer
I dislike the name "Mentally Retarded" used for one of the qualifying conditions for special education. It simply means that the student scored below a defined cut off on two intelligence tests. It does not mean the student must be taken out of mainstreaming nor that they should not be challenged academically. You need to review the tests that were used to make this determination. I do this for all of the students I represent. Often I find the tests were not scored correctly or that the wrong tests were used. For example, did your new school district perform a non-verbal" intelligence test? I encourage you to have your daughter tested by an independent psychologist. Some insurance plans will pay for this. I also suggest that you have your daughter's school test results reviewed. The assessment that should be used in determining your daughter's placement in class should be an academic achievement test. This assessment should define the areas in which your daughter may need additional help academically. This help can be special resource teacher/class help.

You can attend your ARD with the understanding that you don't have to accept what is offered in the way of placement and services. You can sign for the items you accept and refuse the ones you don't accept. For these, they become a "stay put" for the placement and services she was receiving in Georgia. You can also share your test results with the school at the ARD and make sure they did at least two intelligence tests with at least one being a non-verbal test.

I wish you and your daughter the best,
Tim Runner, Advocate
Advocates 4 Kids
Email: timrunner@cox.net
Phone: (949) 582-3601
You can learn more at my web site:
www.special-education-answers.com
www.education-advocates.com (for DSL and phone)