And the Ball Drops Once Again

Leave it up to District 742 to do something as inadequately as humanly possible. Leave it up to the school district to fail miserably not only where time constraints are concerned but also where documentation and appropriate services and evaluations are concerned. Leave it up to district 742.

I’m tired of them dropping the ball. I’m tired of giving them their chance to do things appropriately and within the guidelines of federal law. I’m tired of them making what should be a “CHILD process” into a “DISTRICT process”. I am so stinking tired of their crap. I’ve been dancing their dance since October. And just when things started to ease, they let me down once again.

FBA.

Ever heard of it?

FBA is Functional Behavioral Assessment. These are conducted when a child’s behaviors are interfering with their ability to learn. They root out the triggers of these behaviors and the functions they serve. FBAs then seek to intervene and solve the problem at its root rather than react when the problematic behaviors occur.

Now Sandis is a child with behaviors. Good Behaviors. Silly Behaviors. Endearing Behaviors. Puzzling Behaviors. Completely Inappropriate Behaviors.

So we choose to conduct an FBA evaluation to help examine these behaviors, identify triggers of these behaviors, identify the function of these behaviors, and formulate a plan to help address these behaviors in a positive way BEFORE they happen. District 742 conducted an FBA evaluation and they dropped the ball.

The IEP team met to discuss the FBA evaluation, but failed to provide a written evaluation for the team members to review. We were only provided with a verbal statement indicating that the FBA had found that Sandis’s behaviors were primarily sensory issues. Their solution? Implement gum.

Gum.

I agreed at the outset, and began to request a copy of the completed FBA evaluation. Two weeks later I receive said evaluation. And I am appalled at how inadequate it is to have GUM as the sole pre-emptive approach deemed necessary by the FBA. I am appalled that we met as a team to review an evaluation that NO-ONE had. I am appalled by the actual evaluation itself as it OVERLOOKED behaviors such as crawling under tables and inability to transition. I am stumped by how it reads that Sandis acts out when he is unable to express his needs and emotions verbally, and the sole recommendation is gum.

I am disgusted.

And I am ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY ANGRY.

And you know what I am going to do now?

I am going to request that the school district PAY FOR an independent educational FBA evaluation on the grounds that their evaluation is inadequate.

And I am going to get it.