On 11/01/09, wasub wrote:
> 1. Have you ever had to request a 1:1 aide for a student?

Yes

> 2. Were you given the 1:1 aide?

No

> 3. How difficult is it to get a 1:1 aide assigned to a
> student?

Very, unless you have an angry, well connected father
involved (My friend's student is the son of a high ranking
lawyer in the governor's office. He got an aide without even
having to ask!)

> 4. If you were able to request and get a 1:1 aide, what
> process did you have to go through to get the 1:1 aide?

We fill out a set of forms documenting what the specific
needs are, what we have done to attempt to meet those needs
with current staff, why those attempts have not worked, and
what we foresee the child specific aide doing. We submit
that to a compliance person who forwards it to a higher
ranking compliance person who assigns a team of people to
evaluate the request. Each member of that team must
individually observe the student. Then, they staff the case
and make a recommendation. They type up a report and
forward it through a series of about 5 different people
before it gets back to the teacher. The one time I've had to
do this, the individual teams members told me that they were
reccommending an aide. The director of special ed disbanded
the team, created a new team and made me start over. They
even told me that they had already been told that under NO
circumstances were they to agree to an aide.

> 5. If you were denied a 1:1 aide, why what reasons were
> given for denying the request?

None given.

> I am not looking for legal responses to these questions
> because I know that legally the IEP team should make these
> decisions. Thanks! wasub

In that case, the child had a fatal accident the next year
when the new school failed to follow a medical protocol for
the student. Yes, the parent did sue. No, it hasn't been
settled yet.

I had a very interesting conversation with my PT today. One
principal in my district has gotten 3 child specific aides in
the past two weeks. No procedure required, she just
submitted the written documentation and within 3 days the
aides were on the job. She created a written statement that
reads something like this: I understand that Ms. XXX,
principal of XXX School is requesting a child specific aide
for STUDENT NAME for the following reasons : LIST REASONS
FOCUSING ON HEALTH AND SAFETY. I am rejecting that request
at this time. I agree to assume full responsiblilty for an
injury (minor, severe, debilitating or fatal) sustained by
the student as a result of this decision. (Reword as needed
if the student exhibits behaviors that are a danger to self
or others.)

She then told the director of special ed that he could sign
it, remove the student, or get the aide. He hired the aide.
I love that principal! You might want to have a chat with
your principal if he/she would be willing to do something
similar.

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