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In the best of all possible worlds, the school districts
would be able to work with the parents and to follow-through with
any services and accommodations that would ensure the student receives
a free and appropriate education (the FAPE). But people are people
and budgets are budgets and certain administrators will think first
of his or her budget and the parent may be met with resistance or
unhelpful remarks that can leave an unsuspecting, unprepared parent
stuttering without the appropriate “fall-back line” or
reply.
Therefore, we thought the following fall-back lines
might be empowering for parents in the event that they are confronted
with some challenging remarks that impede the IEP process such as:
I’m sorry, but the school district can’t
afford that.
- Parents’ reply:
- “The IEP process calls
for this team to decide upon the child’s needs without regard
or consideration of affordability.”
No, if we do that for your child, we would have
to do it for every child.
- Parents’ reply:
- “We can see how you might
feel that this is ‘unfair,’ but fairness is that every
child gets what he or she needs and not every child needs the
same thing.”
We have to educate all children, not just yours.
- Parents’ reply:
- “You are correct and we
agree….but today’s meeting is about our child’s
right to a Free and Appropriate Education at the Public’s
expense.”
That’s not in our program.
- Parents’ reply:
- “We understand that, but
it is what our child requires. So, can we talk about how to get
this done, or where else we might find this type of program and
services?”
We don’t think your child needs that.
- Parents’ reply:
- “You are entitled to your
opinion, but can you show us the facts and/or data that support
your position, and can you provide an overview of your training,
expertise and background in teaching children with juvenile bipolar
disorder that allows you professionally to make this kind of assessment?
Your child is violating the needs of others.
- Parents’ reply:
- “Our child (as are all
children with special needs) is afforded the civil rights to a
Free and Appropriate Education at the Public’s Expense. If
there are aspects of our child’s disability that are problematic
to others, than it may be reasonable to assume that the placement
is not correct, the services are not appropriate or complete enough.
There may be a combination of factors here at the root cause of
the problem. Therefore, we request that a Functional Behavioral
Assessment be conducted to assist the team in clarifying what
may be happening here, for the benefit of all the students.”
Resources
>
- This article was written by Janice Papolos (co-author
of The Bipolar Child, Revised Edition), Mary Jane Hatton, and
Sandi Norelli, (co-directors of the JBRF Educational Team), Christine
E. Garcia, M.Ed., and Anne Marie Smith, M.Ed.
Copyright © 2002. All Rights Reserved.
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Read About The Educational Issues of
Students With Bipolar Disorder
Symptoms and Accomodations
Challenging Negative
Remarks that Threaten to Derail the IEP Process
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