The Meetings with Professionals

In Texas they are called ARD meetings. Other states have similar systems for targeting, teaching, and guiding the child in special education. Granted that not all autistic children require special education services, however, many do and whether there are learning disabilities or not associated with autism, it is likely that a child with autism will result in lengthy parental meetings with school officials. Let's take a few minutes to discuss the ARD meeting process.

Admission, Review, and Dismissal, shortened to ARD, are the terms used in special education. The idea being that a school targets the child's needs and admits him to the services required. The school then reviews the needs and determines the level of special needs required. And in some cases, the dismissal process means that the child has accomplished the stated goals and is dismissed from requiring special education services. An ARD meeting works to see what are the goals, is the school providing the necessary services for those goals, and is the child progressing in the pursuit of the goals.

An ARD meeting can involve many people around a table including lots of reports, lots of forms, and lots of discussion. Administrators, special education specialists, and school counselors always get a little nervous due to the state's mandate to attend to all children and their needs. If a parent demands a certain service and the child qualifies for that service, then the school must provide a way to meet that need regardless of the cost. While money is never discussed in an ARD meeting, there is always a cost to every educational service. A reality of which administrators are keenly aware.

Because autism is a broad spectrum disability, it is often accompanied by other challenges that are addressed in ARD meetings. While there should be an autism counselor or psychologist available, most likely there will also be several other people involved in the meeting. Each disability or area of weakness as defined by the norms of the system is then dealt with independently and requires a specialist. These may or may not include help in speech therapy, physical therapy, reading, behavior, occupational therapy, a principal, counselor, music teacher, physical education teacher, classroom teacher or teachers, an assessment team, anyone involved in hearing or visual impairments, and even sometimes the child! The meeting designs an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and assesses how that plan is being met.

While it all seems daunting and can often make a parent swim in fear and confusion, it is solely designed to meet the child's needs. The rights of the child and the parent reign supreme and are constantly considered in all discussion. Everything is documented and parents have a right and often requirement to keep all copies of anything recorded on the child. The result of this procedure is often mountains of papers on the child. Because of this, parents will need to set aside a filing cabinet or several drawers of information on the child. While it seems massively unnecessary to keep everything, there is a by-product of benefit in referencing all documents.

The collective assessment of the child, including any and all doctor visits, becomes necessary for documentation in the case of guardianship hearings or state aid. If a parent has any remote idea the child may need medical benefits or residential help at any time in his life, the documentation of the disabilities is essential.

Regardless of the complexity of the meetings and the exhausting effort by teachers, professionals, paraprofessionals, and parents, in the end it is about the child. Tenacity and relentless pursuit of help for the child is always worth it in the end.