Expert: Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell - 12/9/2011

Question
Hi Dr. Mitchell,
My question is: How does a parent go about getting an Autistic child into special education classes in a public school system if they have been through the IEP process and the teachers are not sharing the information with the psychiatrist or the parent and are spoofing the grades from semester to semester to keep the schools score-card in a higher range? To be specific, they are grading him honor roll in one grading period, then failing all classes in the next grading period. This is just constantly rotating. It has been 2 years of this. The child in question is my 7 year old nephew. The family currently resides in Louisiana, Saint Bernard Parish. What should her next steps be? The family is at wits end, doing everything correctly and his education seems to be of no regard to the school system. Do you have any information on processes or federal programs that may be able to help with his educational needs or direct the parent on a more solid path seeking educational help for his disability? Thank you.

Answer
Good evening Holly,

I reside in Canada so the system I'm used to differs somewhat from that in Louisiana. But I do have some sources where you or your nephew's parents could look for some help. I'll list them below.

I must say that your question puzzles me. Most educators I meet in your country or mine, sincerely have the best interests of the child at heart.

The fact that you say this boy's report card shows honor roll at one point, then failing grades the next is confusing. Has something changed in his life? Do you notice his performance varying widely? Kids with autism spectrum disorders often go through peaks and valleys, although not as diverse as the marks you describe would reflect. Could the different in grades indicate teachers with vastly different styles or expectations?

The general procedure when questioning educational practices is to talk to the classroom teacher, then the school's special education teacher. If you don't feel satisfied, then speak with the administrator in the building. If taking this further is required contact the school board office. The person in charge of special education there is Cheramie Kerth, her email address is CKerth@sbpsb.org and her phone number is 504-301-2000.

If the parents continue to be unsatisfied in their efforts to reach agreement with the school, then educating themselves through some of the readings below might help before they take their pursuit for assistance further. There are advocates in Louisiana who are familiar with the local system and could explain what might be going on and guide them through any due process that may be required.

- A Good IDEA for Louisiana-A Guide for Parents and Students About Special Education Services
    http://www.laptic.org/resources/AGoodIDEAforLouisiana.pdf

- Parents Rights and Advocacy Resources by Louisiana Department of Education http://www.doe.state.la.us/divisions/specialp/parents_rights.html

- Resolution Meetings: A Guide for Parents http://www.directionservice.org/cadre/pdf/Resolution%20Meetings%20-%20A%20Guide%

- Louisiana Parent Training and Information Center http://www.laptic.org/resources/

- Wrightslaw Special Education & Advocacy http://www.wrightslaw.com/

- lastly, here's an article that might interest you, although I don't know if it has any bearing on your nephew's situation http://www.laptic.org/resources/USDE-OSEP_RTI_memo_01-21-11.pdf

Best wishes to your nephew and his fammily,

Dr. Sharon A. Mitchell
www.autismsite.ca