What are the steps to take before my child gets an IEP or 504 plan?

For this blog post, we’ll discuss how to ask for meetings when you think your child might need academic support for ADHD, dyslexia or another learning disability. You need to know that there is a process, driven by Federal law and state regulations, that spells out timelines and procedures for getting extra support at school. As a school psychologist in the public schools, I worked frequently with families navigating this process. To help you understand what is involved with seeking student support services, let’s break it all down.

I have a concern about my child’s Academic abilities

You are the parent. You know your kid best. Something is concerning you, and some common things pop up. You notice they are not acquiring academic skills as quickly as their friends (trouble reading, not memorizing math facts, etc.). Social skills need to catch up. Their attention wanders at home, and the teachers tell you they have trouble paying attention in class. Your child has received many office disciplinary referrals, and you feel the teachers/administrators call you almost daily about behavior challenges. You know something is getting in the way of their education, but you don’t yet know what it is. And the school may not know yet, either. You’ve heard about learning disabilities, dyslexia and ADHD, and from what you’ve read, your kid exhibits some of the behaviors and symptoms of these diagnoses. You wonder if the school is being proactive, getting educational supports in place, and keeping you informed. If they’re not, here is what you can do.

Step 1: talk to your child’s teacher

Set up a meeting with your child’s teacher, or if your schedule does not allow that, summarize it all in an email. At the meeting or in the email, it is important to ask for an MTSS intervention plan. What is MTSS? It stands for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. This gives a student an intervention to address what is concerning, whether it is additional academic support, behavioral support such as counseling, or implementing executive functioning strategies to help them focus. The MTSS plan might not be written at that first meeting, but your request kicks off the process. Also important, copy the administration on your correspondences with the teacher so it is also on their radar, and they can help hold the teacher accountable for addressing your concerns.

Step 2: Developing an MTSS plan

Schools often develop plans without parents being directly involved, and that is ok; they should at least share the plan with you. MTSS is part of general education and is available to all students. But you have every right to be involved in the plan’s development, so do not hesitate to ask to have input. Plans will first define the problem; what is it that is concerning? What does it look like in terms of observable behavior? Or what do academics look like? Compare that to what is expected. This helps develop a specific goal for the intervention plan. Where should the kid be? Now, how to get them there. The school team needs to select an intervention that matches the problem. For example, if a student has trouble decoding, then they need to receive supplemental instruction for decoding; an intervention addressing reading comprehension would not be appropriate. Interventions should be scientifically validated, meaning someone did a study and concluded that the intervention is effective; you don’t want schools doing something ineffective! Once the intervention has been selected, the school team needs to tell you how they will track progress.

Step 3: Stay Informed

Ask for what data collection method they will use to help them know that your child is seeing success with the intervention. Let’s go back to a decoding intervention. Perhaps the data collection is how many new sight words a student knows each week. Next, they will implement the plan and collect data. MTSS plans typically run for six to eight weeks, and the team will then analyze the data and see if the intervention worked. If it did, great! If not, they may select another intervention or look at the possibility of special education if the school suspects a disability. Something you can ask along the way is whether or not the intervention is being implemented with fidelity; that is, are school people doing it the way it was intended to be done. There needs to be a meeting after the intervention cycle to see if it was effective, and you can ask to attend.

What if nothing changes?

My kid has been receiving MTSS interventions, and they are not progressing; what next? Suppose a student has gone through an intervention (or two) and is still not making expected gains. It may be time for a full case study evaluation to see if they qualify for special education and related services. As the parent, you have the right to request an evaluation at any time, and the school has to respond to your request within 14 school days. If you request an evaluation for special education, put it in an email so there is a record of it. The school may say no, we do not suspect a disability, and they would have to give you a reason why; this could include they are seeing progress with interventions and that an evaluation is not appropriate at this time. If they agree to an evaluation, you will have a domain meeting with the special education team to discuss what is known about the student, what questions people have, and what data will be collected as part of the evaluation. 

What happens next is the evaluation process, a topic I’ll talk about in-depth in my next blog post.

As a parent, it can be difficult to watch your child struggle academically. There is no need to do this alone. As a school psychologist, I have helped many families through this process. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions.

504 Plans, IEPs, Accommodations, and You

A School Psychologist’s Take on 504s

My name is Rick, and I’m a Florida licensed school psychologist. I joined the Drs. Chin to help families navigate the special education and 504 processes at their schools. I have found that many parents can struggle with understanding and staying connected with the 504 process. I’ve come to find many parents and caregivers feel left out and unsure of how to best advocate for their child. With my experience as part of the special education team and as 504 case manager, I have tips to share when you are noticing learning challenges and functional difficulties in your child. First, I’d like to discuss what is a 504 plan. In the next post, I’ll discuss what is an IEP.

What is a 504 plan?

Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act provides for accommodations to be spelled out that ensure equal access to school. It is for a student who has a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity (i.e., their full participation in school). A diagnosis is not necessary; the law says it is for a student with an impairment (a diagnosis), a history of an impairment (they used to have a diagnosis and there are lingering challenges), or regarded as having an impairment (there may be qualities they have that are similar to a diagnosis). The curriculum is not being modified, but the classroom teacher is providing accommodations. This can look like giving an extra set of books, seating the student strategically in class to help with attention challenges, modifying homework, testing the student in a quiet environment so they can focus, speech-to-text technology, and giving the student a list of tasks to complete for the lesson/day to name a few.

Why do kids need 504 plans?

The types of health impairments for which I’ve written 504 plans include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, anxiety, autism, selective mutism, hearing loss, and sensory differences. Accommodations are specific to the student’s health issue, and these are decided after the school team evaluates to see what may be appropriate for the plan. When I’ve done 504 evaluations, I typically observe the student, review academic data, look at attendance, and sometimes have the teacher and parent fill out behavioral rating scales to see to what degree there are concerns and how to intervene. For example, if the parent or teacher is concerned that the student is impulsive and has trouble paying attention, I would give them rating scales that look at ADHD-type symptoms; if the results show that there are significant concerns with symptoms, then the student would qualify for a 504 plan without a medical diagnosis. Then, I work with the teachers to draft a plan of accommodations, which is shared with the family before meeting to discuss and formalize it.

What happens once a plan is written?

Once a 504 plan is developed, they are reviewed at least annually to see if the plan needs to be changed. A student may not need an accommodation anymore, they may need other accommodations, or they may not need the plan anymore. While annual meetings are required, a parent or teacher has the right to call a 504 meeting at any time, if they are noticing something new and want the team to get back together to discuss it. Having the 504 plan ensures that a case manager, someone else besides the teacher, is keeping an eye on the student. Legal protections are also in place for a student with a disability. For example, there is a process for discipline, and if a student is suspended 10 days in a school year then a meeting must be held to determine if what they are being disciplined for is a manifestation of the disability; if it is, then the student cannot be suspended for it. The 504 plan follows a student from year to year (unless the team agrees to discontinue it), even if the student changes school districts. This helps give a new teacher a preview of who your child is, how they may have different learning needs, and again, that they will have an extra set of eyes keeping track of them at school. If you change schools, make sure you ask the old school to send the 504 to the new school along with any other records, and also give the new school the plan when you register. Doing both ensures that it does not get lost in the shuffle.

What do I do next for my child?

Are you wondering if your child should have a 504 plan? I’m here to help. We can talk it through, and I can explain the process. I’ll also post in the future about how to request a 504 from your school; this is something you are entitled to have, as a taxpayer, if your child has a physical or mental impairment that limits their participation in school. I look forward to speaking with you, and supporting your child’s education journey.

If you have any questions, or need any support with anything IEP, 504 or accommodations related, please contact me at richard@chinpsyd.com