|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click on each of the bulleted items to link to fuller explanation below
IEP (Individualized Education Plan)
An individualized plan that is written for your child to provide the appropriate educational services and modifications to his/her program that are necessary in the least restrictive environment
CSE Committee on Special Education
A school committee consisting of the following members:
A special education teacher
A regular education teacher
A school psychologist or someone who can interpret the evaluation results,
A parent representative,
A school system representative (Usually the committee chair)
The child's parents (The parents are voting members of the committee.)
Student ( where appropriate)
Other representatives with knowledge or special expertise about the child. The parents can bring an advocate, a medical doctor, an outside psychologist, a legal representative, etc.
The committee meets to establish classification, placement, appropriate services, and most importantly to write the IEP.
The U. S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services publishes a comprehensive "Guide to the Individualized Education Program" found at http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html
The Child Study Team is a team within your child's school that meets regularly to discuss children who have been referred to them by classroom teachers, parents, or other school personnel because these children are experiencing difficulties in the school environment. This team will often attempt to resolve these problems within the confines of the school. However, quite often, it is this team that refers the child for further testing and future classification by the CSE. Remember that a parent can bypass this team by writing a letter directly to the principal and/or the special education coordinator for the school district. (See sample letter at the bottom of this page).
Section 504 of the American with Disabilities Act requires recipients to provide to students with disabilities appropriate educational services designed to meet the individual needs of such students to the same extent as the needs of students without disabilities are met. An appropriate education for a student with a disability under the Section 504 regulations could consist of education in regular classrooms, education in regular classes with supplementary services, and/or special education and related services. A 504 Accommodation does not require an IEP, but simply provides for classroom modifications and/or related services such as OT, Speech, etc. Some students with TS whose symptoms are relatively mild, can function well in school with a 504 Accommodation Plan. Most will require classification and an IEP.
The IEP must state how the child is currently doing in school. This information usually comes from the evaluation results such as classroom tests and assignments, individual tests given to decide eligibility for services or during reevaluation, and observations made by parents, teachers, related service providers, and other school staff. The statement about "current performance" includes how the child's disability affects his or her involvement and progress in the general curriculum.
FBA Functional Behavioral Assessment
The Pacer (Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights) publishes a thorough explanation of the Functional Behavioral Assessment on its website at http://www.pacer.org/parent/function.htm
LD (Learning Disabled), ED(Emotionally Disabled, OHI(Other Health Impaired), MH(Multiple Disabilities), SI(Speech/Language/Hearing/Visually/Orthopedically Impaired), TBI(Traumatic Brain Injury), MR(Mental Retardation)
The most appropriate classification for children with TS is Other Health Impaired.
Some states have it listed as such in their State Education Guide. In these particular states, you should have no difficulty having your child classified as such. However, all TS literature specifies that Tourette Syndrome is a biological, medical condition, If you experience a problem with this classification, be sure to provide the CSE with the appropriate TSA brochures to support your case. ADD/ADHD are both now listed federally in IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) under the category of OHI. So, if your child is also diagnosed with ADD/ADHD, this should alleviate the problem. Always remember to contact your local TSA Chapter or the agencies** listed below in your area that will provide you with an advocate if the situation warrants.
**
Parent Training & Information Center (PTI) - This is an advocacy center which can provide parents with a trained local advocate to attend CSE meetings with them and assist with obtaining appropriate services and an appropriate IEP for a child. You can locate the nearest office of PTI at their web site at http://taalliance.org/PTIs.htm
Learning Disabilities Association of America - Most states have local and regional offices of the LDA whose mission it is to assist families of children with learning disabilities and neurological disorders. Look for your state at http://www.ldanatl.org/ or telephone them at 412-341-1515 (fax is 412-344-0224, and email is info@ldaamerica.org).
If you are not an advocate for your child, who will be???
Sample School Letter
Sample letter for parent to address to either the school principal or the coordinator of the Special Education Department.
Dear ______________,
My child, ________________, has recently been diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome by Dr. ___________. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological spectrum disorder which is almost always accompanied by other neurological disorders. He/She has thus also been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I have observed the impact that all of these disorders are having on his/her academic performance and social emotional well being. I have also learned from TS literature that a very large number of children with TS also exhibit learning disabilities especially in the area of non-verbal learning. These disabilities very often include central auditory processing difficulties and fine motor/visual motor impairment.
I am therefore requesting that my child be observed and tested by the school psychologist as the first step in seeking from the Committee on Special Education a classification of Other Health Impaired. Given the high percentage of children with TS who do have these accompanying disorders, I am also requesting both an occupational therapy and speech evaluation. I understand that once this written request has been received, these evaluations must be started within thirty school days.
I am including a letter of diagnosis from the treating physician which also discusses the urgent need for the completion of all of the above requested evaluations and educational pamphlets from the Tourette Syndrome Association to be shared with my child’s teachers and the school psychologist. In the interim, I will be more than happy to meet with school personnel working with my child to discuss what behaviors he/she may be exhibiting in the classroom as a result of this diagnosis and what educators can do to assist.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon and to working together with school personnel to provide an optimum learning environment for my child.
Sincerely,
©2007 Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc. 42-40 Bell Boulevard / Bayside NY 11361 / 718-224-2999