recommendation for a speech therapist in Nassau County through CPSE (Port Jefferson: home, schools)

[Minniemom]

Good luck with your search. I had the same problem. After calling everone on the list and finding no one who would do home visits (I'm not sure many actually do) I finally found an agency in Westbury that I had to take my son to twice a week. He was with them for 4 months and went through 5 different therapists because of reasons ranging from job changes to pregnancies.
I am not sure if they do cpse or just ei, but check with the North Shore Center for Speech, Language and Swallowing 516) 627-3036. Our therapist was D. Lapidus. She was great.
Good Luck

[lilspeech]

I can't believe your son went through so many therapists.

Thanks. I had a great speech therapist through EI and the agency she worked for was great. The therapist came to the house and went to the school. She wrote such detailed notes in the communication book. Too bad she isn't in the CPSE program.

Good luck!

[sgtgeorge]

My son is getting speech 3 x weekly at Marcus Avenue Leeds Program in Manhasset.

[mommytochris]

Is it not the responsibility of the school district to find a therapist? I have never heard of the parent having to find the therapist. We live in Suffolk but the laws are the same. it is the districts responsibility to find a therapist to come to the house not yours. Not that it is great you want to know who is coming to treat your child but this is not your responsibility to FIND the therapist it is the districts.

[sgtgeorge]

Mommytochris,

At the CPSE level, I'm not sure whether or not the therapists still come to the home. My son received speech 2x weekly at home through EI. Once we had our CPSE meeting and his IEP was established we were given a list of schools that would take care of his needs. The school district is supposed to send the child's "packet" to all schools that you are interested in. Once the schools receive the packet they should contact you with details as to when they have an open house and/or set up a date for you to go see the schools. Once a school has an appropriate class available to meet the child's needs, they should notify you and then you take it from there. My son just started at Marcus Avenue this week. New classes are being formed.

[sgtgeorge]

lilspeech,

Call Long Island Infant Developmental Program (516) 546-2333. Try and speak to Tara.

[mommytochris]

Originally Posted by sgtgeorge

Mommytochris,

At the CPSE level, I'm not sure whether or not the therapists still come to the home. My son received speech 2x weekly at home through EI. Once we had our CPSE meeting and his IEP was established we were given a list of schools that would take care of his needs. The school district is supposed to send the child's "packet" to all schools that you are interested in. Once the schools receive the packet they should contact you with details as to when they have an open house and/or set up a date for you to go see the schools. Once a school has an appropriate class available to meet the child's needs, they should notify you and then you take it from there. My son just started at Marcus Avenue this week. New classes are being formed.

Well I sit as a parent member at our school district and have been on a lot of CPSE meetings and yes you have the option to have the therapist come to the home. Only when there are absolutely none available they suggest center based. But it is never the parents responsibility to find the therapist. It is still by law to be an IEP and if home based better accomodates the child disability appropraitely then that is what the district has to provide. Now I have to say I never have been through Nassau County's CPSE process but Suffolk County oversees the process closely with a county rep present at the meetings. If a parent wants to find their own therapits they are allowed to bring up the therapists name and info and then the district will go that route if they are approved therapists. But again it is not up to the parent to be out looking for a therapist. It is the districts responsibility along with the county.

This is also across the board as far as therapies/aba go OT PT ST and ABA etc can all be provided at home until the child is school aged. The district cannot tell you that the child must go to a center/office. Least restrictive environment always superceded and that would be home first.

[mommytochris]

Originally Posted by sgtgeorge

Mommytochris,

At the CPSE level, I'm not sure whether or not the therapists still come to the home. My son received speech 2x weekly at home through EI. Once we had our CPSE meeting and his IEP was established we were given a list of schools that would take care of his needs. The school district is supposed to send the child's "packet" to all schools that you are interested in. Once the schools receive the packet they should contact you with details as to when they have an open house and/or set up a date for you to go see the schools. Once a school has an appropriate class available to meet the child's needs, they should notify you and then you take it from there. My son just started at Marcus Avenue this week. New classes are being formed.

Also classes are offered for children who have a bigger needs educationally than just therapies. For example I had a choice to have home services for my son but being he needed everything it was better he went to a school for half the day. If I thought it was best I could still had OT PT ST VT and SEIT come to the house but that would have been a scheduling nightmare. So we agreed on a school. For a child that "just" needs speech there is no way that the child needs to leave the home.

[sgtgeorge]

O.k. , I wasn't sure. My son was offered a program along with his speech therapy. My suggestion to you, make a call to the Suffolk County Department of Health and pitch a *****. That is what my husband and I had to do to get this early intervention process off the ground. We first called Tom Suozzi's (Nassau County Executive) office and stirred up some beehive over there. Good luck to you.

[iluvmycuties]

Could someone offer some advice? I'm still on topic, just need helpful advice from such devoted parents!

My 3 year old just qualified for 20 hours of services (speech/OT/PT). Being that I am a special ed teacher, I do not want services in my home because I KNOW I will get way too involved in services.

Port Jefferson school district is now telling us that our child is not entitled to go to a school for services even though she is entitled to the hours. We're being told that in-home services is all we can get. Can anyone comment?