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IEP (individualized education plans) - Why do parents in middle school initiate this process?

Do they think it will make a child who is a couple of grade levels behind suddenly catch up? Do they think this document means their child will get daily one-on-one services? I am not saying special ed. needs don't exist. What I am questioning are those parents who thought their child was gifted for several years and now because the kid is failing in middle school suddenly think a learning disability must be involved. Additionally, they think getting an IEP is like a magic pill that will make the problem go away. Since I can't flat out ask them these "nonpolitically correct" questions at the meetings, I thought I would just throw it out here.

Update:

You can't ask those ?s because adm., sp.ed., counselors, etc. are there. They are not in the room with the kid every day. They say nice things that parents want to hear and fill out forms.

5 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Hello,

    One of my children is disabled so these IEP are a god send!!

    My oldest has learning problems as well and on the program since first grade.

    I do not know about healthy kids? I do not know about the magic pill you say is involved in the thinking pattern of some parents. BUT I do know these plans if not there I would have children failing, and you and I know that public schools very rarely fail a kid even if the child can not read nor write, they just pass them on through.

    You must know the schools get extra money for kids on these IEP planes right? It does sound as if you may work in the school? So yes schools will put kids whom you may think do not need this service on the program. If schools do not meet the federal guidelines they loose there funding.

    Been playing this game for a long time......

    ADD;

    What you do is go on the computer. Look up your school. Schools have a report card every year. This is a way to find out some info. Other info you need to dig for. You talk to people in the district and do not name drop. Only time to name drop is when something was done to your child that is just plan wrong!! You get people fired this way!

    If we do not stick up for our children no one else will. As you said these people shine us parents on. Be a thorn in there hide if you feel you have to for your child!! Lord knows I am and they hate to see me coming! These are our kids....

  • 1 decade ago

    My husband and I adopted a child who defintely has a learning delay. I homeschooled him from kindergarten through third grade along with my other children. Although we made a lot of progress, he is still behind in some areas. Three years ago we put our children into public school, and he was tested for placement. It was determined that he would be placed in regular classes, and although he did struggle a bit, he made it through the first two years quite well. This year, when entering sixth grade he was once again placed in regular classes but has received a failing grade for the first two quarters in math and science. All of his other classes he has received average grades in. When I went to conferences, his math teacher and science teacher both told me that they did not think that he was capable of doing the work in their classes. I was told to contact the guidance counselor and ask for an IEP. I contacted the guidance counselor back in November, the day after his conference, and told her what the teachers had said and asked for the IEP. Twice I contacted the school asking what was being done about the situation, twice I was told they would get working on it. It is now January, and the end of this quarter is quickly approaching (next week) and once again he has recieved a failing grade in those classes. We once again called the school yesterday and were told that we would receive a call that afternoon, and once again we did not. My husband talked to the assistant principal today and once again was given the brush off. There are no other math classes offered other than the one that our son is in. Our children are falling between the cracks and there is nothing that we can do about it. Parents are grasping at straws and school districts are dodging our phone calls and inquiry's usually because there is a lack of funding. What are we supossed to do? If school districts stopped trying to put every child into a uniform mold, and would actually mold classes and curriculum to meet the childs needs our children would benefit more from our public education system!

  • 1 decade ago

    Sometimes parents are asked in elemntary to let it go, or sometimes the child doesnt qualifed in elementary by 2 points as my son so you push to get them help before it effects their grades....

    My son qualifed for services this year but lack 2 points last year. He isnt getting his needs met, and I am in the process of contacting the super about it too.

    Or in cases like my oldest son that was told he no longer needed services and they couldnt help him, but when taken to a different place ot do testing my son failed all testing and the school had to do another iep in the middle school because I fought the last one because of the new test scores form the different place of testing ( no school, a nerophysological testing)

    Do you think as parents we want to see our kids fail if they could pass and succeed if only someone other than us was helping them.........................

  • 1 decade ago

    The only people that I know that have an IEP are students that can't focus on their school work and have trouble with their grades. I don't think that any parent can initiate an IEP.

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  • 1 decade ago

    I will attending my first one of those...My nephew is mentally handicapped tho...That's what i thought that was for...You learn something new on here everyday...I cant see why you cant ask them that question, heck they may get it asked all the time...

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