The FAPE Dilemma

Free and Appropriate Public Education right???

So when Boy Wonder was about to turn 3, we engaged a Child Advocate to help us through our first IEP meeting.

At that time, the school district was not willing to pay for any home hours. The Special Education Director's personal belief is that a kid should be a kid.  We had 10 hours of ABA and Speech Therapy in home at the time in addition to the minimal services we were getting through Early Intervention. The Child Advocate advised us to stop all private therapy so that when Boy Wonder's progress wasn't satisfactory we could then attempt to get the district to pay for it. Big Daddy and I decided that this would not be in Boy Wonder's best interest.  We continued paying for home hours ourselves and added on additional hours.

 Boy Wonder currently has 11 hours of ABA and 6 hours of Speech Therapy at home. The district pays for 2 hours of ABA.  He would be not have made the progress he has made without all of the private therapy. We are about to retain an attorney. We are going to request an independent evaluation of Boy Wonder's current program and ask that the district pay for the in home therapy.

He's come soooo far. I know his progress is nothing short of miraculous but I think he can do better.  I am not sure if where he is now will get him where he needs to be.

Time to stand up for my kid. Put your seatbelt on.