Responding to a message by Lisa, to Charles on ...
LM>LM>From my own experience I can tell you that the person had this a
LM>LM>little messed up. What is actually the case is that if a teacher
LM>LM>feels that a child might need treatment for a disability (be it ADD
LM>LM>or LD or whatever) then the school is responsible for the TESTING for
LM>LM>diagnosis, not the treatment itself.                      ^^^^^^^
LM>                                                          ^^^^^^^
LM>CB> This might well be a state law local to Alabama.  I'm not aware of
LM>CB>our schools paying for the medical diagnosis of our students.
LM>                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
LM>                        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
LM>I didn't say that the school was responsible for paying for the
LM>"medical diagnosis". Only a doctor can make a medical diagnosis. A
LM>doctor must base this diagnosis on something though, and the TESTS
LM>that a school sytem's psychomotrist administers is what the doctor
LM>uses to make the diagnosis.
We do not use psychomotrists in our district, though our school 
psychologists are able to do some testing.
Apparently I read your post a little too quickly and assumed you 
were talking about testing at some level beyond what is done in the 
schools.  I think the phrase "testing for diagnosis", in particular, 
left me confused.
I discussed this with our school psychologist and she indicated that 
the school's responsibility is guided in large part by the 
district's committee on the handicapped.  It was her opinion that, 
if a parent requested testing, the matter would be brought to the 
committee by an administrator or guidance counselor.  If the 
committee felt that testing was warranted, then testing would be 
arranged through the building psychologist or an outside lab 
(depending on whether or not we had the tools/experience to do the 
testing in-house).
It was our psychologist's understanding that the committee had the 
right to deny district responsibility for testing if the facts did 
not warrant the expense.
LM>The whole fiasco referenced above had a large part in our decision to
LM>school our children at home. In this setting he does not require
LM>medication.
There can be no more complete an education than one done well at 
home.  Were it only that we all had the time to do one-on-one 
instruction.  The parent must be the child's advocate and with 
schools designed for cost-effectiveness rather than protection of 
the individual, parents must be involved with their children's 
education if they want the best for them.
Unfortunately, just as there are good public school teachers and 
there are bad, there are also parents who do a good job of home 
schooling and some who don't do so well.
Chuck Beams
Fidonet - 1:2608/70
cbeams@future.dreamscape.com
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* UniQWK #5290* A child is a curly, dimpled lunatic (RW Emerson).
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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