COBB COUNTY schools and special ed (Roswell: insurance, house, private schools)

[etopper]

Has any one else had a problem getting your child into Special ed in Cobb county? Its like giving up your first born, expecially at Walton high school

[lastminutemom]

Not just Walton, not just Cobb, not just Georgia, but nationally. Because of NCLB we are really seeing a resistance to labeling kids (giving them an IEP).

If you google Georgia Response to Intervention -- that will give you a pretty good understanding of the hoops they are making everyone go through.

[lindaibm]

Originally Posted by etopper

Has any one else had a problem getting your child into Special ed in Cobb county? Its like giving up your first born, expecially at Walton high school

You should ask for a "Direct Referral to Special Ed. for Testing"....Contact the Psychologist assigned to your child's school and speak to her about the process for this.

[kaday]

Originally Posted by lindaibm

You should ask for a "Direct Referral to Special Ed. for Testing"....Contact the Psychologist assigned to your child's school and speak to her about the process for this.

We had to do the same for my child who was diagnosed by three outside professionals at three different times with dyslexia and the school system (cobb county) so far has refused to provide any educational assistance as she is doing okay in her classes. Not failing yet. It is very frustrating. We made the direct referal a few weeks ago. Honestly I do not expect much and foresee my husband and I footing all the expenses (insurance does not cover learning disabilities) to make sure she is successful.

Ultimately you can argue this is our responsibility but a neighbor has two children in the school system who are in special ed and services are practically thrown at them. Sadly for this family their children will never be productive members of society and really in my opinion do not belong in the public school system. Yet thousands of dollars are spent every year so they can have a public school experience. I truly feel for the parents. Yet it makes me very angry. Kids like mine who are capable and just have minor difficulties are ignored. I find this to be pathetic.

Sorry for the dismal story but really it is the truth. Try and get your child help outside the school system. It will be costly but worth it in the long run. Don't count on the schools. Time is very important and it is not worth waiting for help that may never come.

[CMMom]

kaday is right. You have to make a nuisance of yourself to the point that they can no longer ignore you. Read up on Parent's Rights and Responsibilities and contact the Learning Disabilities Society of Georgia for some tips. School psychologists are so overworked that they try to screen everyone out that they can. Don't roll over and take it!

[kaday]

Originally Posted by CMMom

kaday is right. You have to make a nuisance of yourself to the point that they can no longer ignore you. Read up on Parent's Rights and Responsibilities and contact the Learning Disabilities Society of Georgia for some tips. School psychologists are so overworked that they try to screen everyone out that they can. Don't roll over and take it!

Thanks but one point I want to make is that at my child's school, the special ed teachers do not even have a full caseload. We've been denied help through the regular channels and had to take our own action. I just don't understand why they can't help the borderline kids when they don't have full caseloads. We are seeking help outside the schools because by the time she qualifies (or fails in school) her self esteem will be damaged or ruined. As a parent you don't want this for your child. So please (original poster) find some help for your child outside the classroom (but still pursue the public school help). I can recommend Syllables reading center if it is a reading type learning difference. Many insurance companies will cover occupational therapy and some will cover speech issues. You can use flexible spending dollars for tutoring or tuition at a school for learning differences.

If you can get a working IEP for your child(through the public schools) if you need to pulll them out of school for a private school that will better serve his/her needs in the future with an active IEP you can get up to $7000 from the county towards your tuition. That is the only reason we are pursuing help from the school system. I don't think what they offer in house will be of much use anyway.

Best of luck to you.

[CMMom]

Originally Posted by kaday

Thanks but one point I want to make is that at my child's school, the special ed teachers do not even have a full caseload. We've been denied help through the regular channels and had to take our own action. I just don't understand why they can't help the borderline kids when they don't have full caseloads. We are seeking help outside the schools because by the time she qualifies (or fails in school) her self esteem will be damaged or ruined. As a parent you don't want this for your child. So please (original poster) find some help for your child outside the classroom (but still pursue the public school help). I can recommend Syllables reading center if it is a reading type learning difference. Many insurance companies will cover occupational therapy and some will cover speech issues. You can use flexible spending dollars for tutoring or tuition at a school for learning differences.

If you can get a working IEP for your child(through the public schools) if you need to pulll them out of school for a private school that will better serve his/her needs in the future with an active IEP you can get up to $7000 from the county towards your tuition. That is the only reason we are pursuing help from the school system. I don't think what they offer in house will be of much use anyway.

Best of luck to you.

Just one final note. If you do get outside testing done, call the County and/or the specific school to make sure that they will accept results from a private psychologist. You don't want to shell out all the money needed for a private evaluation if the school system will not accept the results and insist on having the tests repeated.

[kaday]

Originally Posted by CMMom

Just one final note. If you do get outside testing done, call the County and/or the specific school to make sure that they will accept results from a private psychologist. You don't want to shell out all the money needed for a private evaluation if the school system will not accept the results and insist on having the tests repeated.

I don't think anyone would have a problem with then not accepting the results but I guess it is probably worth a phone call. In our experience the schools were more than happy to have someone else do all the work.
Just be prepared for rejection as the criteria for "help" is extremely limited as the original poster implied. For example, An eight year old mispelling words beacuse of poor articulation (r, l, s th, ch) would not qualify. Any speech pathologist would tell you in a second that this was way beyond developmental but the public schools would tell you it was acceptable for an eight year old to still have these types of articulation errors.

If you can afford the private testing do it.

[etopper]

Originally Posted by CMMom

kaday is right. You have to make a nuisance of yourself to the point that they can no longer ignore you. Read up on Parent's Rights and Responsibilities and contact the Learning Disabilities Society of Georgia for some tips. School psychologists are so overworked that they try to screen everyone out that they can. Don't roll over and take it!

Unfortunately my daughter is back at Walton her junior year without an IEP. She went to a Fulton County School where she ended up passing with B's and C's but not until she ended up at A pysch institution for anxiety and depression. I blame Cobb County because they do not believe her ADHD is effecting her ability to learn. A psychologist In Fulton recommened that I try to get an IEP using a pychological behavior disorder instead of ADHD. AT Walton, the child must FAIL before they will give them an IEP for ADHD.

[kaday]

Originally Posted by etopper

Unfortunately my daughter is back at Walton her junior year without an IEP. She went to a Fulton County School where she ended up passing with B's and C's but not until she ended up at A pysch institution for anxiety and depression. I blame Cobb County because they do not believe her ADHD is effecting her ability to learn. A psychologist In Fulton recommened that I try to get an IEP using a pychological behavior disorder instead of ADHD. AT Walton, the child must FAIL before they will give them an IEP for ADHD.

I am in the same boat. Apparently when my child with her speech disorder spells all of words in correctly (she spells them how they sound coming out of her mouth) and her teachers have trouble understanding her and her dyslexia is not causing her to fail ....aren't grounds for any extra assistance. Our medical insurance turned us down because the ability to communicate properly is not a medical necessity. I am keeping up the fight though. I am really sorry for your troubles. We just had our meeting two weeks ago and lost this battle. I know exactly how you feel.

If ou don't have any luck with Fulton you may want to try St Francis in Roswell. A friend sends her ADHD child there and she is doing very well. She is a new person since leaving the public school system....happy thriving. Compared to other private schools it is a bargain. I think private school is going to be our future.

I wish you and your child the best of luck.