Ignorance Abounds

I will be gone for two weeks. Not sure how often I will be able to access online. In a way, I will miss it. In a way, I will be glad to get away from hearing stories of ignorance. It amazes me when those who should know the law, don't. It amazes me when they abuse their power through their ignorance.

Let's talk about evaluations and re-evaluations. At the risk of doing what I think the District does, I am going to choose parts of IDEA to paint a picture. For the one's that use their power, they should know the whole of IDEA so that they understand how it all works together.



§300.304 Evaluation procedures.
(b) Conduct of evaluation
(2) Not use any single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a
disability and for determining an appropriate educational program for the child; and
(c) Other evaluation procedures
(4) The child is assessed in all areas related to the suspected disability, including, if appropriate, health, vision, hearing,
social and emotional status, general intelligence, academic performance, communicative status, and motor abilities;
(6) In evaluating each child with a disability under §§300.304 through 300.306, the evaluation is sufficiently comprehensive to identify all of the child’s special education and related services needs, whether or not commonly linked
to the disability category in which the child has been classified.


This is the part where some professionals use their arrogance with their ignorance:

§300.303 Reevaluations.
(a) General. A public agency must ensure that a reevaluation of each child with a disability is conducted in accordance with
§§300.304 through 300.311--
(2) If the child’s parent or teacher requests a reevaluation.

For discussion sake, lets say we have a student who has already been declared eligible for ESE and has a "disability category" (label). Has never had an occupational therapy evaluation. The parent has reasonable cause, along with the neurologist, that the kid needs an OT evaluation. The Doctor sent a note for the school saying as much.

So, having read all of this, what appears to be a reasonable outcome if the child's parent requests a reevaluation in this area of suspected disability that is not commonly linked to the disability category? Repeatedly asks. And, according to what I was told, was given a real hard time and told she (parent) was getting wrong advice.


If you were in this type of situation, how would you handle it?

I think this one may be resolved because someone finally read something. It is almost impossible for "normal parents" to overcome ignorance and arrogance. I am sick of hearing about isolated incidents. What is the outcome with all of the moms who don't have someone to help them get the professionals to read the rules?