[tri-med] Re: IEP

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Karen" <karens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> I agree with Nan. I would never let just anyone do a Neuropsych on Alex,
and
> certainly not a school. This is a report that they will carry with them
for
> the rest of their lives, and a test on which many people will use (and
abuse
> if your not careful)

Ok.
I really HATE keeping in mind that the school system can be the enemy....it
just SHOULDN'T be that way and I hate being in protect mode all the time.
It's exhausting and at time counter productive.


>  That base rule was that the IQ test result could
> (and would) be conveyed to me verbally but was NOT to be written in the
> report.

That horse left the barn years ago. Alex first evaluation (testing that is
called for by the 3 yr re-evaluation process) includes an IQ test. This was
all done by the school.

That particular thought process was missed by me early on.  :-(



>  The final figure is
> only a summary and means absolutely nothing without the subtests. So why
> then does everyone ask for the final mark? Because they dont have a clue
> about what they are doing and are making generalisations.

Isn't that comforting?  <sarcastic snort>

Lets face it, as parents WE have a much better understanding of our child
and how they respond/learn/work. Experience wins over a 2 hour test every
time.


 > To be perfectly honest the final score is totally invalid if there is a
wide
> variation between verbal and performance scores. Or even if there is a
score
> that falls way outside the average for that child. Yet they can still give
a
> final acore and often do.

What do we as parents 'do' in this situation?

> The school
> had all the subtests, the marks for the subtest etc yet they kept asking
for
> his final IQ score. When I asked why they said that it would tell them if
he
> was a good candidate for repeating. When I asked why the individual
results
> wouldnt do they couldnt answer. The truth is they were too lazy to even
read
> through the individual results, let alone plan. They probably didnt even
> fully understand the test or results. Instead they wanted to make a huge
> assumption based on his overall IQ. Which was exactly my fear if they (or
> anyone else) got their hands on the IQ score.

I know that we've had the "what does an IQ score mean" discussion on the
list before. It aggrivates me that more 'professionals' don't have a clue as
to it's more realistic use and meaning.

What is is truly meant to be and how it's bastardized by many (including the
schools) is maddening.

In the past 6 months I've had 3 teachers comment about other students
(unnamed of course) who have a "high IQ and are very smart". aaarrrggghhhh
For most it's a gospel result and not a picture of potential ability, not
the end all and be all of where they are.

> > I also feel the same way about genetic results and if I could I would go
> back and have the T-18 removed from all premanent records.

I still thank the day it was suggested to us that we NOT give the schools
that information. My heart of hearts says that it helped smooth the way for
Alex and get him more of what he needed and/or qualified for without giving
them ammunition to work against him with preconceived notions using what is
often an inaccurate thumb nail version of trisomy.
Also, at that time in history we weren't too far removed from the end of
segregation of general ed and special ed students.

It just shouldn't be this hard.

Michelle mom to Alex (17, partial trisomy 14 mosaic) and Molly (14)
MichiganUSA


                  Building ___ooOOoo__ Rainbows
                       www.trisomyonline.org
                  Families Helping Families On-line

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