Ryan's mom,

Even though your child doesn't qualify for an IEP he should be able to get a 504 plan which allows for certain accomodations, such as taking the extra few minutes to go over the instructions with him. I would enlist the help of your doctor if the school is not willing to help and try to find a parent advocate or parent liason (your school district should tell you if they have any and how to reach them) to assist you. Many times you have certain legal rights but the school will not always do what is best for your child if it involves more work for them so you have to become informed as to what your rights are. They can take advantage of parents' lack of knowledge as to their rights. I'm sure there are several others on this forum who are a lot more knowledgable regarding specific legal rights etc. There is also a book that may be helpful called "Making the System Work for Your Child with ADHD" by Peter Jensen. You may be able to find it at your library (and you can request any book from your library if they don't have it--it's called an interlibrary loan and they will check out other libraries in your state, including university libraries).

Elaine

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The rule for a 504 plan is that the disability (ADHD) must significantly impact a major life function(learning). If you can show proof thru grades and tests that Ryan's disability is interferring SIGNIFICANTLY with his learning than he meets the qualifications for a 504 plan. Unfortunately some parents have abused this plan for the purpose of making sure that their child gets all A's, or has extended time for SAT's.... so students who really need the accommodations often have to "jump thru hoops" to prove they need them.

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It is true that you will probably have to prove that his ADHD is severly affecting his learning. I have a daughter that was diagnosed in second grade and I have tried many times to set up a 504 for her, but because she gets good grades, they will not allow it. She is also a Gifted and Talented child which does not help her case. Our school district will not help us (with a 504) unless she starts to "Fail" some of her classes. Every year we have to meet with her teachers and discuss problem areas such as seating arrangements and that she may need extra time on assignments. She, too , will miss assignments or not finish assignments unless there is someone to make sure she heard the directions. We also request that we have an extra set of school books at home to help when she forgets hers at school. It is a diffucult battle, but has been worth it every step of the way. I would suggest meeting with the principal or VP of your school with your teacher. Maybe even get the counselor involved. Start now. If your son continues to have problems, you have already started the process. Look for the help in the school district and see if you can find other parents that have been through the process.

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Hello Ryansmom,

I am a special needs and resource teacher in a middle school with a vast experience in K-12 curriculums and learning strategies. First of all, students in any grade should receive instruction though auditory and visually supportive channels. This means giving instructions to the classroom and asking at least 3-4 other students to repeat them; thus the non-listeners and students who need repetition would have an opportunity to hear them again. My answer is based on the preparation, we Canadian teachers; receive as part of our training. Asking other students to repeat instructions is plain, good teaching technique. Marianna Quote:

Ryansmom said: My son Ryan has ADHD and is in the 2nd grade. He is doing well in class in terms of his behavior, but is having difficulty with school work. Ryan generally comes home 3 days a week with incomplete assigments and/or papers that have so many incorrect answers he needs to redo. I have found with Ryan that in addition to the oral instructions given in class for an assignment, if you go over and give him an individual summary of the directions as well as providing 5 extra minutes to complete the assignment ,he is able to do so with out difficulty. I continually remind his teacher (she is really good and does try to work with him), but find 2 or three days after discussing this she forgets and again he comes home with problem assignments. He was tested for services but just passed the testing enough to not require an IEP and other services. Last year, he was in reading and math tutorial 4 days a week and this did wonders for him. This year, they say his reading has improved and he does not meet requirements for this program. Yet, he cannot make simple sentences, has trouble with recall, and does not do well on his weekly reading test. In math, they also say he is improving and there are kids worse off that require the program. What can I do? He needs the 1 minute extra instruction time as well as the 5 extra minutes of time to complete. He needs reinforcement with math and reading. Does anyone have any suggestions? Of note, class size is small at 20 students and the teacher has a teacher's assistant so too many students is not a reason.

Thank you

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I went through something very similar with my daughter in her 1st, 2nd, & 3rd grade years. She is now in 5th grade. I found that the older she became the curriculum became more complex and the more she struggled. I had to prove that she needed the IEP to the school, they did not want to give her one. It was a long arduous process, but it paid off. Some things that helped me were: I had her independently evaluated by a very good tester; I hired an advocate (not an attorney) for a very reasonable price that knew the school system, testing, and the law...which was the best money we ever spent; I enlisted one of her teachers to help me point out her needs and disabilities. I read books to help me understand what all these tests mean, and how she learns. One of the best books I would recommend is From Emotions to Advocacy, it gets the process going. After all this, my daughter did qualify for an IEP. However, I am not sure she would have in 2nd or 3rd grade. The curriculum had not advanced enough to show the necessary discrepency. I learned that you cannot depend on the school to lead the way in your child's learning. You know your child better than they do... if you know that something is not right with their learning process then it probably isn't. Trust yourself and try to figure it out. One last thing I learned is..... that even though she receives help now, that is just that....help. I still have to tutor her. Due to all the good testing she received, I can understand better the nature of her struggles. Hang in there, and know that you are not alone in this.

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My son's school is also not helping with the 504 plan. Even with an extensive letter from his therapist, they refuse to give him help. They state he has too high of test scores. So, his extra help falls on his teacher staying after school with him. I do not think this is fair.

He does not turn in homework and I asked for a better system to help determine what he has to do, yet they are not responding properly.

He has ADD, among other things and yet all they do is punish him for it. This school is better, yet still has a ways to go on how to handle it. I've already had 2 meetings and nothing is being moved forward to accommodate his organizational skills, gym problems and lack of turning in homework. Any thoughts? We're in Wisconsin.

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My son has alot of the same problems. If You ask for your child to be tested the school has to . My son has a 504 plan and he gets extra time on all test and written assignments. Whatever the committee puts in the 504 plan the school has to do. Do not give up. fight for your son, the school does not want to volunteer anything.

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Everyone's story rings true to me. My son is ADHD. He consistently comes home with missed or failing assignments. He has been tested a number of times by the school and an independent psychologist. He passes standardized state tests. The psychologist wrote a lengthy recommendation asking for addition time for tests. I wanted to get a 504 for additional time for tests as he recommended and an accountability system for his assignments (the teacher signs his assignment notebook and I do too). Since my sons grades are not below a C with parental help they told me he didin't qualify for a 504 or an IEP. During my meeting with the psychologist and resource teacher, they also told me that at the beginning of every year his abilities should be reevaluated. I was so upset. At the beginning of every year we do the same thing where his grades are terrible and suddenly the new teacher gets upset when she sees his terrible grades. I asked the resource teacher and psychologist why he had to get terrible grades to start the year every year. Why not have the accountability system in place at the beginning of the year so that he doesn't have to "catch up" every year to improve terrible grades? I insisted that a 504 be completed at least for the accountability system. I was prepared to camp out until they did. They filled it out but weren't happy about it. I am hoping that ensuring he is accountability for his homework assignments at the beginning of the year will start him out on better footing when he starts 7th grade.

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My son, currently a freshman in High School, has been having difficulty getting his algebra homework finished in less than three hours. His grade bordered on failing last semester, not because of test grades, but because of incomplete homework. Well, don't you know that although he does not have an IEP, my son's counselor suggest he receive homework accomodations to lighten his load. I was prepared to go in to the guidance counselor or anyone else who was needed in order to have this arranged. When I phoned his algebra teacher she was extremely understanding and agreed to lighten his assignment, giving him one practice example for each topic of review rather than several.

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I have struggled for many years with the school system - we have the "No Child Left Behind Act" which is a crock - No one knows how to deal with the ADHD child adequately to prevent this from happening. I am constantly hearing "Well, he has to play his part - he has to want to behave and get good grades and If he want's it badly enough he will". The child I am speaking about is now 16 years old - he is very gifted in many areas - has no problem getting FCAT scores that are more than adequate but barely makes grades that are passing. We started out with a 504 and then after having to repeat a grade, finally an IEP. It does help somewhat - you will be called to a meeting to discuss your child's needs. However, I have found that unless you stay on top of the situation, nothing really changes. I do have to make a real pest of myself and hound - The school really would like him to make use of the John Mkay Foundation grant available to him here. This would allow him to go to a private school that could accommodate his needs better. To me it is a "pass the buck" offer. These private schools (not the really ranking and expensive ones) that offer ADHD curriculums are not necessarily the answer. For the best part they offer no high school clubs, not even a cafeteria or any after school activities. The children feel like they are society rejects and many fall prey to "drugs". It is not the answer, I feel, to put the ADHD child with all of the same as they do not have any role models. However, on the other hand, they do struggle with social skills. This, in my mind, is because they can be socially unacceptable to their peers because their behavior is not the norm. If there was only a way for these kids to overcome lack of self esteem and not feel "different" I do feel that accomplishing goals in school would be much easier. Raising five children with ADHD has given me the opportunity to be "out there" always seeking solutions - Concerta is our meds of choice and is working fairly well to help normalize their lives somewhat but I have not discovered the answer to make the public school system work for us after elementary. These children need to feel successful and our schools need to recognize their special needs on an individual basis. It is difficult I know, when the classes are very large but there are very large numbers of ADHD children in school today. We need to address these challenges on a much higher level than local school boards.

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My son is 28 now and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 or 5 and then labeled gifted with a learning disability when he was 6. I found that the school worked very hard to help him but there was only so much they could do. My son successfully served in the Navy, is in college now, and currently touring Eastern Europe and Turkey until he starts a semester in Istanbul. I know how difficult it is when you feel your child could be doing better but I just want you to know that getting all As is not as important as we sometimes make it out to be. Let your child be who he is and he will be just fine. I fought, got therapy for, and tried to manage my son to good behavior and grades but I realize now that he was a smart child and stayed a smart child. Remember nothing will take away the intelligence and talents your child has. The important thing is that you raise him to be a good person and he will be able to deal with his ADHD as an adult. Children with ADHD have gifts that schools often cannot realize or handle. Work with the school and continue to advocate for your child as best you can but please try to remember that no one will be looking at your son's grades when he is an adult. Please take this note with the best intentions from a mom who's been there.

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My son struggled through school all his life. But because he wasn't a big disruption, he wasn't diagnosed with ADD until the 5th grade. His grades were average, so the school felt he didn't need a 504 at the time. Going through middle school was even more difficult for him, especially with organization and focus. He was still maintaining average grades, although those grades were not his potential. It was contantly a struggle with homework and he's always losing work. He's in 8th grade this year and the thought of high school was frightening. He would get absolutely no help there. I realized that a 504 was imperative or he was certain to fall behind and become so frustrated that he would want to quit. I set up a meeting with his guidance counselor and said that I wanted a 504 with him. I needed to provide proof of ADD diagnosis. A meeting was arranged with his teachers and it turns out that they agreed that a 504 would be the best thing for him. They all saw the difficulties he has - especially with organization and following multi-step directions. What the 504 does is puts all the teachers on the same page with the accomodations that he needs. The special education teacher also spends time assisting him with organizing. This plan will follow him into high school and I can be assured that he will receive help there. I am so glad that I finally spoke up and insisted that he receive the help that he really needs. It's never too late.

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