Backstory: My son is turning 4 at the end of this month. We knew there was a problem at age 2 1/2 when he had only 15 words. We knew there was something more at 3 when he wouldn't eat food unless I put it in the freezer so it was cold, and would have meltdowns where he was inconsolable for extended periods of time and had to be held to keep him from hurting himself. We are now trying to get him approved for the Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities (PPCD) after a diagnosis of high functioning autism in August of this year.
With that said, we had an ARD evaluation after I contacted the school. Long story short the district is telling me that though he shows "defects" in social skills, and less so in the nonverbal area, his verbal skills are now too high to qualify as they say that to qualify for special education he has to meet their criteria in all three areas. I strongly disagree as they refused to accept my answers on the interview portion and kept attempting to qualify statements in such a way as to ensure they wouldn't meet the numbers needed to qualify, and his speech is only where it is after a year and a half of work on my part. They are also questioning his diagnosis and insisting that in their (2 hours) time with him, he "exhibited minimal symptoms" and when I told them that was a short period of time to be making a judgment on, went to asking me if I "wanted" him to be autistic and then when I bristled at that, back pedaling to the "well... see, there's a medical model and an educational model and he doesn't meet the educational model" They referred to pre-K as an option but we don't qualify as he is not ESL and we apparently "make too much money" (which is laughable but there you go) to qualify in the state of Texas. The suggestion of the school district is that I let him go into a general kindergarten classroom and trust their "safeguards ad procedures" to identify and address whatever problems he has, and ignore the articulation problems that are still evident in his speech until their program will address them at age 7. Since I have been fighting with the school over my 7 year old's fine motor difficulties, asthma and ADHD for the last year and a half I do not precisely trust their procedures and safeguards. I also do not feel comfortable waiting til he is 7 to address his articulation problems.
Now that I am done explaining, I have already refused to accept their ARD evaluation and asserted my right to request an IEE.
Does anyone have any experience or advice with similar situations, or the ARD or IEE process, anywhere really but especially in Texas?