Where Do You Take Your Kid To Be Evaluated? | #T5Tue

Last #T5Tue, I talked about the difference between a psychoeducational and a Neuropsychological evaluation.

But where do you go? Here are a few suggestions of where you can start -  

• The Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC) in the Rose F. Kennedy Center | Albert Einstein College of Medicine. (The Bronx)
• New York Presbyterian 
• The McCarton Center  
• The Child Study Center | www.aboutourkids.org | NYU Langune Medical Center
• Resources for Children with Special Needs - they may be able to suggest someone.
•  A Parent' Guide to Special Education in New York City - this book provides many suggestions of places to have your child evaluated.
• Consult with a special education specialist or advocate. 
• check my NYC Resources
• Ask your pediatrician,  your child's current school or other special needs parents. Word of mouth almost always works for me. They may be able to point you in a direction or give a referral.

What you NEED to keep in mind when searching for an evaluation site: 

• Do they accept insurance? Or the medicaid waiver.
• If they don't - will they work with you so that you can submit bill to your insurance.
• Will they be able to provide specific suggestions?
• Will the doctor be willing to testify (if you have to go to an impartial hearing)?
• Ask how they will structure the written evaluation (and roughly how many pages).

Catch up with the #T5Tue Series: 
Last week's post: Finding the Appropriate School Placement 
and follow the #T5Tue series: More Tips for Turning 5 

***

Upcoming Reminders: 

10/24:  Special Needs School Fair at the JCC in Manhattan. 

Register for the event - HERE.

FREE Talk with Special Needs Consultant Sarah Birnbaum
Date: Wednesday, November 6, 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Watch Me Grow
361 East 19 Street
RSVP: info@watchmegrownyc.com

Will You Need a Psychoeducational or Neuropsychological Evaluation | #T5Tue

Do you know the difference between 

a Psychoeducational and a Neuropsychological Evaluation? 

If you have a special needs child who is about to start kindergarten in the Fall you may be thinking about the Turning 5 process. If you're not, then you should. Seriously, it's not too early. 

I believe that a parent should visit as many schools as possible. You want your child to have as many options available. And if you're even thinking about private school placement, then I strongly suggest you have your child privately evaluated. 

There are 2 types of evaluations: Psychoeducational and Neuropsychological.*

A Psychoeducational evaluation: is a "combination of psychological tests and educational assessments. The report, based on your child's test results, describes his/her strengths and weaknesses, gives appropriate recommendations for placement, and identifies strategies for assisting your child in an appropriate educational setting."   

A Neuropsychological evaluation: "includes both psychological and educational assessments as well as additional tests related to a child's executive functioning. Tests of executive functioning assess a child's skills in specific memory functioning, planning and organization, sustained attention, self-monitoring, fine motor skills, and/or behaviors." 

When we were going through the Turning 5 process, I took The Boy for a neuropsychological evaluation. Our evaluation cost us $6,000. Oh yeah, you read that right. We were lucky that I was able to get most of it covered by insurance (but I had to pay the neuropsychologist in full.)

Do not worry - you do not have to pay thousands of dollars for a private evaluation. They range from $500 - 10,000.  There are places that offer sliding scale fees. Some accept insurance - usually medicaid or a medicaid waiver. And sometimes - I'm not sure exactly how - but sometimes you can get your school district to pay for a private evaluation.

Honestly, I wasn't happy with the neuropsychologist. The report was okay but I thought the neuropsychologist was condescending, completely out of touch with our reality and a classist. And when the attorney I consulted with suggested an amendment to the evaluation, the neuropsychologist refused and questioned the quality of the attorney. So I wouldn't recommend that person. 

[side note: the following year when I was trying to apply for the medicaid waiver, I couldn't even use the neuropysch eval - I needed a psychoed. So just another thing to keep in mind.]

Whether you decide to have a Psychoeducational or Neuropsychological is more of a personal choice - you can apply to schools with either one. My suggestions are this: 

• Shop around! Don't make the same mistake I did and go with the first one who returned your call.
• Ask questions. Make sure whoever conducts your evaluation will make specific recommendations for your child. Make sure they will be willing and available to go to hearing - if it comes down to it. Make sure they are willing to cooperate with your attorney.
• Talk to other parents and ask where their child was evaluated. Nothing beats a satisfied parent referral.      

Next Tuesday I will share suggestions on where to go for evaluations.

*Definitions of Evaluations are from A Parents' Guide to Special Education in New York City and the Metropolitan Area

Catch up with the #T5Tue Series: 
Last week's post: Finding the Appropriate School Placement 
and follow the #T5Tue series: More Tips for Turning 5 

Upcoming Reminders: 

10/16: Turning 5 FREE Talk

6:00-8:00pm


Location: The SMILE Center


171 Madison Avenue, 5th floor


RSVP: info@smileny.org

10/24:  Special Needs School Fair at the JCC in Manhattan. 
Register for the event - HERE.

A Parent's Guide to Special Education in New York City

If you live you in New York City and have a child with special needs A Parents Guide to Special Education in New York City and the Metropolitan Area by Laurie Dubos and Jana Fromer will be your bible. Especially if you are going through the Turning 5 process. I purchased this book more than three years ago and it's one I still go back to again and again. And it's one that I always recommend to parents.

So what's so great about this book? Well...it's broken up into 4 parts. Pay attention, these parts are important.

Part I provides an overview of special education in New York City. Talks about the children entering kindergarten and how they may be identified. It goes through the evaluation and referral process and the types of evaluations that are needed when applying to private schools. It also explains the difference between a Psychoeducational and a Neuropsychological. It breaks down the IEP and explains parents rights. 

Part II talks all about private school placement and the application process.

Part III is all about the schools. It provides all the key factors of the school - whether it's graded or ungraded, if it's 10 or 12 months, what kind of classifications they accept, what related services they offer and other critical information. If you don't know how to find a school - this is a great place to begin.

Part IV provides local resources: evaluation centers, therapists, medical professionals, websites and more.

A Parent's Guide to Special Education in New York City is a must have for parents and even for special education administrators and teachers.   

For more on the Turning 5 Process check out my new weekly series Turning 5 Tuesdays #T5Tue click HERE.

Finding The Appropriate School When Your Kid Has Autism #T5Tue

It's TURNING 5 Tuesday - did you miss the first post? Catch up HERE. 

My search for the "appropriate" school placement began in the fall of 2010 - the same time I started this blog. The Boy was going to start kindergarten in September 2011 and I wanted to weigh all the options. I wanted time. 

If you have  child with special needs who will enter kindergarten in the fall of 2014 - NOW is the time to start the process. 

That's right - a whole year. Because it's a long process. So where do you start? I would suggest starting with schools. In New York City - there's a lot of school. Well, not a lot, but enough to keep you busy.

Because you'll need to tour. Gather paperwork (and possibly evidence). Apply. Wait. Cross your fingers, light a candle, say a prayer. And if your kid gets in...be prepared to prove to the Department of Education that it's the most appropriate.

Let me back up...because I can hear all the questions you're yelling at the computer. 

What schools should I tour?  

ALL of them. Seriously. If not all, then as many as you can. Public, private and even the ones you can't afford. Do your research. Ask questions. Browse school websites.

Where do I find special needs schools?

Believe it or not, there are a few ways to find schools that provide special needs services. I started with A Parent's Guide to Special Education in New York City - it really helped. I read through the book, took notes and did further research. 

Then, I attended a special needs school fair at the JCC in Manhattan. This year, it's being held on Thursday, October 24, 2013. You can register for the event - HERE. At the fair, I was able to schedule an appointment to tour, speak to school representatives and get applications. And it was a good way to weed out the schools I knew wouldn't work for The Boy. 

But the best way to find out about schools is to talk to other parents who've been there, done that. If you've never been to a support group - now would be the time to go. For Bronx parents - check out the Bronx Parents Autism Network. There's a meeting on October 8th. Don't be shy about asking parents where their children go to school. 

What about the local public school?

Visit your zone school, even if you know it's not appropriate for your child - just go to say that you did. Visit the DOE website. Make an appointment to tour local District 75 schools. And check out other special education programs like the ASD Nest Program or ASD Horizon program. Visit the NYC Resources page for more information - HERE.

What paperwork do I need? What do I include in the application? 

Most school applications require a recent evaluation (more on that next week) as well as past evaluations. Some applications will ask current teachers to fill out some sections. Applications can be 3 - 15 pages long (yes, I'm serious) and most have a fee (save your money) and a deadline of when to apply. Many schools will like the application before the Christmas break. 

I can feel your head spinning so I'll stop here. Remember the Turning 5 process is a lengthy process and I want to help. There will be more information regarding schools and the application process. So check back every Tuesday. 

And don't forget - there's a FREE Turning 5 Talk on 9/25 and 10/16 - click HERE for more details.    

Is Your Special Needs Child Turning Five? #T5Tue

When I started this blog three years ago, I was going through the Turning 5 process. And - not to scare you - it was probably the most stressful two years of my life. The first year, searching for an appropriate placement and the kindergarten year realizing it was a mistake and trying to get The Boy out.

I wanted to write about our experience but Turning 5 isn't something that can be covered in a blog post or two. So I thought I'd start a new series on the blog - Turning 5 Tuesday [#T5Tue]. I'll share tips, resources, information seminars and our personal experience. If you have a specific question, leave it in the comments section and I'll try to answer it. 

If you have  child with special needs who will enter kindergarten in the fall of 2014 - NOW is the time to start the process.

And where should you start? Well if you're in New York City - you should start with talking to a Special Education advisor and Special Needs Advocate. You probably have a lot of questions.     

What kind of elementary program will be right for my child? What are our rights and options?

Educate yourself! Come hear a free presentation with Sarah Birnbaum (Parent Advocate and Special Education Advisor, New York Special Needs Support) on how to:

• Learn about educational options, public and private
• Obtain the best evaluations and guidance
• Find an appropriate kindergarten program
• Understand your legal rights
• Get through the Turning 5 process and create an IEP

Date: Wednesday, September 25 

6:00-8:00pm


Location: Bankstreet College of Education


610 West 112th Street, main floor auditorium


RSVP: nuberto@bankstreet.edu

Date: Wednesday, October 16 

6:00-8:00pm


Location: The SMILE Center


171 Madison Avenue, 5th floor


RSVP: info@smileny.org

Tips for Turning 5: Where to Begin

School may have just started but if your child has an IEP, Turning 5 and entering kindergarten next Fall - you may want need to start doing your homework now.

No.  It's not too soon to start touring schools and applying.  Trust me.  Anyway, last year was pretty tough for me and I thought I'd share some of the things that were helpful to me.
  
1.  Give yourself plenty of time. The transition from CPSE to CSE is truly a year long process.  One with many deadlines - know them all - and appointments.  You will need to tour schools, fill out applications, have your child interviewed at schools, possibly make an appointment(s) for a private evaluation, meet with the CPSE and the list goes on and on.     

2.  Schedule enough time to get a private evaluation. By the time you go into your Turning 5 meeting, you'll want to be armed with a private evaluation with recommendations.  Start calling around in September - as there may be wait lists.    

3.  Attend the JCC Special Needs school fair on Tuesday, October 25th.  "The JCC in Manhattan and YAI/NYL/LIFESTART partner to present the annual Special Needs School Fair. Representatives from preschools, elementary, middle, and high schools serving the New York City special needs community will be onsite to provide information and answers to your questions. School materials will be available."  For registration information click here and go the the JCC Manhattan website.

I attended this last year.  Get there early.  Go with a pen, notepad, a bottle of water and some Advil.  It's overwhelming. But almost every single school within the 5 boroughs, Westerchester and Long Island are there.  If you're a working mom or just limited with time to schedule appointments, the school fair is a great way meet representatives, pick up applications and set up appointments to tour. 

4. Make a list/spreadsheet of all the schools you want to tour and/or apply to.  But tour a school before you apply.  Sometimes you'll know just by walking into a building whether or not it's the proper placement for your child.  Many schools will tell you - the earlier (by December is ideal) they recieve the applications the better.  Many schools have application fees, which can become a financial hardship when applying to several schools.  Ask if the fee can be waived or reduced.      

5.  Be honest with yourself.  I cannot stress this enough.  As parents, it's natural to want to believe your child is the rock star of the class.  However, when touring schools - look at the children, listen to the them, watch with a keen eye.  Then ask yourself the tough questions.  Does my child fit in here?  Would my child have a hard time?  Can my child do the work? Will my child need a para to get through the day?


Your feelings will be hurt.  You will feel frustrated.  You will be disappointed.  Your child will be rejected.  You will wonder - why wasn't my child good enough for the _______ School?  Your child will be accepted.  


In the end - it really will work out.  And if it doesn't, that's okay too.  Don't be too hard on yourself.  It just means, you'll have a second chance to get it right.