|
IEP vs 504
I hear a lot of different things about 504's vs IEP plans. Should't the key difference be that the IEP is used when services are required that cannot be through the 504? My understanding is that the 504 is for mostly accommodations, rather than actual services or modifications. For example, allowing additional time for assignments and/or tests would be an accommodation, it's not something that a special educator needs to do, it's not specialized instruction, or something additional training is required for, such as speech or occupational therapy. The IEP is more suited when some kind of special service is needed, such as with a learning disability, or the 504 accommodations simply don't work. I would want a more complete explanation of why the IEP was taken away. Did he meet his goals? How was it determined that it was no longer needed? A 504 plan may meet his needs, and you can request a 504 meeting just about ANY TIME YOU WANT TO. Really, that's all, you just request one in writing. Write to the principal if your not sure who to direct that to. Bring in written documentation from his doctor, copies of all the evaluations, examples of his work, written documentation of what you've done at home to help with the situation, and just lay it on the table, that he's still slipping. You've obviously kept records, from the details you've given. People always want to know what legal mumbo-jumbo they need to know to request services. I've found there aren't any "magical incantations." If any phrase out of the legal stuff actually helps, it's usually been "free and appropriate education". If you feel your kid isn't really getting one of those, then you have to explain why and how. When teachers complain or say something negative, I always take that as a reason to get to work. First, I work on whatever the problem is every way we can at home, I make sure to make a point of whatever it is to my daughter, and if it just isn't feasible to change from home, I start confronting the school. When teachers say or write comments, at interim report time, etc., I use that. If it's something clearly related, such as "needs to stay focused on instruction" I bring that up at the meeting, and make it clear I can't control that from home. I need the school on board to do anything about that. Some may try, but it looks really bad, inevitably,. to argue with a parent when they are putting it in those terms. The biggest obstacle is making it clear that you and your kid are taking responsibility, your not making excuses, but that you need the school to take responsibility too, for providing a free and APPROPRIATE education. That means not ignoring a "disability that effects learning". From what I've read, over half of kids with AD/HD or ADD have terrible handwriting, about half have a learning disability, too. Commonly dyslexia, from what I've read. I have a friend who has a son who is AD/HD and dyslexic. He's great at math. Personally, I think it's a mistake to try to keep it at the level of just you and the teacher. I know the common advice is always go to the teacher first, and I'm not saying that you shouldn't, just that, a good use of that time might just be to try to get the teacher behind calling for a 504 meeting, or an in-school evaluation. I guarantee your son's school either has or has access to a school psychologist. They are going to take a diagnosis much more seriously when they are involved in it, and school psychologists are one of the people that are really qualified to diagnose. That's also the person that is most likely to pick up on whether or not your son needs further evaluations, possibly regarding his reading and handwriting. If the school psychologist is worth their salt, so to speak, that person will observe your kid in the classroom, or have somebody that knows what to look for doing so, and then make a list of recommendations. That's where you can get real help. I would be asking this teacher all kinds of questions, like how does your son get services to help him catch up with reading? How is the bad handwriting effecting his grades, and how is likely to in the future? How long should homework take, per night, vs how long it really takes? Who do the parents notify to have their child evaluated for a 504 or IEP? Make it clear to the teacher what you've done so far, that your not being uncooperative. Your not asking for free ride for your son, you just need to be sure the school is going to be supportive. Don't let the teacher turn it all into a "character flaw" after a qualified psychologist has already said otherwise, and realize that the teacher is not going to write up a 504 plan, that's a support team job. I would meet with the teacher, ask lots of questions, write lots of notes, then if things don't improve for your son, or you think it's still needed, your still seeing problems, write a letter to school stating you and the teacher are working together, doing the best you can, and it still isn't helping your son, so you want a team meeting with student support services. They are not likely to turn down a 504 if there's real documentation, and if the 504 doesn't help, or if he requires services that call for an IEP, then he may end of having one all over again. Either way, at least you'll be getting people who are qualified to know actually looking at the situation again. I'm not trying to be unnecessarily harsh on teachers, but I've found very very few of them that actually know what to DO when a student is having difficulty, other than tell the parents. One of my daughter's 504 accommodations, which I asked for in writing, is that she is not required to write cursive, she can always print, or type when it's practical to. She was changed to an IEP plan at the end of last year, but she doesn't loose any of the 504 plan, it's all just incorporated into the IEP. Handwriting makes a big difference as they go up in grades. If a student can't get their ideas down on paper, in some kind of readable way, they are not going to be graded for what they really know. Bad handwriting is so common among ADD & AD/HD kids it used to be on the teacher's checklist of possible signs of the condition. Grades are not the only deciding factor regarding IEP's. There are students in gifted and talented programs that have 504 plans or IEP's. You have to not let the "labels" scare you. If you can get some communication going between the teacher and the school psychologist---that can make a world of difference, and can help make clear what issues your son is having that are effected by this. Hope some of this helps, I know how difficult dealing with the school really is. You have to be thankful that it's education, not behavioral problems, that are your key concern, but when that's the case (as it is also with my daughter) it's REALLY hard to get the school to acknowledge it.
Quote
|
8 Sep 2010 @ 11:21 PM
9 Sep 2010 @ 12:59 PM