What do I do if I think my child needs more help in school?

This is a great question, and one not easily answered under most circumstances. Parents sometimes notice their child struggling first, or sometimes the school reports struggles that seem surprising to parents. Because both see the child in different settings with different demands, it makes a lot of sense that they will have different perspectives. But regardless, it is best to try to pinpoint what the potential difficulty is and then work to help them through it. The first best step, along with collaborating with their school, is to talk to their pediatrician. This can be done at their annual appointment or any time throughout the year. They will be monitoring their milestones each year, and will have suggestions for you as your child grows. In regards to struggles with school - be they academic, social, structural - many doctors will refer to a neurosychologist or a developmental pediatrician. These specialists can run specialized tests to look for potential diagnoses that may help identify the why.

Is my child guaranteed special education support if they have a specific diagnosis?

This one is a loaded question. More times than not, this depends on a combination of their diagnosis and what it is preventing them from being able to do in the school setting. While important, a diagnosis alone is not enough for a child to be eligible for special education services. And even if they need the support, the diagnosis is part of the beginning stages of getting the extra support in the school setting.

How do I ensure my child is evaluated appropriately at school?

Once you have that diagnosis, you still need to request a special education evaluation - and be sure to do it in writing. This can be in an email, but just speaking to the teacher at drop off won’t get the ball rolling. (Typically, the school has 10 business days to respond). And speaking of emails, be sure to get as much as you can in writing - even if that means taking phone calls and following each one up with a summary in an email, or even not responding to phone calls but requesting all communication go through written form.

What does the IEP process look like?

While some of this may vary school to school or state to state, there are federal laws that dictate what steps must be taken, so the main points should all be the same. (If you’re curious as to what these steps are in greater depth, definitely check out your state’s board of education website to find state specific information). Typically once a request for evaluation is made, something called a Domain Meeting is scheduled. This is the first IEP team meeting, where all the potential members of your child’s IEP team should be present. This should include parents, classroom teacher, special education administrator, school psychologist, school social worker. It CAN include the Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Special Education teacher, School Nurse.

At this meeting, the team discusses what Domains should be reviewed. These are the areas that the team thinks should be evaluated. It should include an educational review, a psychological battery, and behavioral review. It can also include more, depending on your child’s needs. Once the domains are agreed upon, the school has a 60 day window to complete all the testing and write up.

Then what?

Well, following the 60 day window, the team will re-meet to review the results of the evluations and discuss eligibility. This is what will determine whether or not the child needs special education services to be able to access grade level curriculum and activities. Parents should receive the evaluation reports and eligibility reports at this time. If eligible, an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed!

But my child is getting decent grades, won’t that mean they do not qualify for additional services?

There are more qualification categories than just mastering the curriculum. An IEP is a support to ensure every student has the same access to the curriculum so that they can adequately reach their personal potential. For some students, that means helping to remove barriers such as difficulty attending in large groups, trouble hearing directions and processing them correctly, or difficulty with organization. For others, it may also mean they need more specialized instruction in certain academic areas. Regardless, all students who are evaluated will go through the same eligibility processes to determine the best solution to support their education.