I have a dilemma and I require honest feedback! 

 

At the end of August, I verbally requested that Sam receive another evaluation because he was finally diagnosed with a concrete disorder (PDD-NOS) and this was not reflected in his last evaluation.  I handed the diagnostic report we received from the psychiatrist to our speech therapist.  I asked her, "Do I need to put this request in writing?" and she assured me I did not, that she'd take care of it.  Of course, I should know better, but I went along with it.  Our relationship has improved greatly this school year.  I checked a couple of weeks later and the ST assured me she handed over my request plus the evaluation to the new school psychologist.  So, in my opinion, the ST did her part of the bargain; the school psychologist did not.

 

TWO MONTHS later, I e-mailed the director and asked about the status of my evaluation request.  She said we must have a conference in order for me to sign the proper papers.  On Nov. 7, 2007, I signed permission for Sam to be re-evaluated using diagnostic tests for children on the spectrum.  This was official, the way I should have done it in the first place, the mark of the beginning of a new chapter in my almost-warm relationship with GSSC.

 

Here's the dilemma:  The end of the 60 instructional days is in the middle of this week.  Within this amount of time, the testing should have been completed and a conference should have been held.  What I want to do is say, "I will not file a complaint with the state if you give us the IEP Sam deserves".  This is because the director, who was trying very hard to intimidate me at our conference, brought up putting Sam under the 504 umbrella, when I clearly want an IEP.  I'm worried he's not going to have any support.  The fact that he has low/average intelligence is placing him in a very unstable spot...but with his anxiety level, attention span, inability to articulate his needs consistently, he needs some support, even if it is consultation.

 

I also feel that if he isn't given ANY IEP next year and he starts to struggle, I cannot and will not wait almost seven months for them to get around to testing him.  I go back and forth from homeschooling him...and I would definitely do it if we didn't struggle so much financially already.  I am just astounded at this co-op.  I really am.  I'm so worried that no one is going to care about Sam next year and just let him fall by the wayside.  I feel like a classroom teacher needs an IEP to require her to accomodate Sam's needs...otherwise, he's going to be lost. 

 

I really need advice on the correct way to handle this.  I've never filed a complaint, never had one filed against me as a teacher, and I don't know if filing one is going too far (or even if testing must be grossly behind schedule).  I also don't know if it is ethical or conducive to our unfortunate long-term relationship if I DO file a complaint.  It also kind of sounds like blackmail when I want to require them to give Sam consultation vs. not allowing any services.  Even though I have very thorough testing from this summer, I don't know if they are even going to do more than consider it and then drop it completely.

 

Please, any advice is appreciated!

Brooke