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Cracking the IEP. How to qualify- Part II - My Pery Blog Featured IMG

Cracking the IEP. How to qualify: Part II

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An IEP makes all the difference in helping ADHD children grow and thrive at school. Here’s what to expect from the process and how to navigate your way as a parent to IEP success!

An IEP, or Individual Education Plan, can make all the difference in helping your ADHD child succeed. The state-subsidized grant gives your child the resources and accommodations they need to flourish in the classroom. Qualifying, however, can be a long and drawn-out process. At best it will take about 60 days, but at worst, it can take several months.

Here’s how to champion your child’s needs and keep the IEP process moving smoothly.

Get Organized!

First off, now is the time to get organized!

Make sure you have a readily available printer, some sturdy files, and some labels. Any time you submit, collect, or receive documentation related to your child’s IEP, scan or copy and file it. The school may drag its feet or argue if and when IEP documents were, in fact, submitted.

That’s where your fantastic parent organizational skills come in. Just reach for your master file, pull out your copy, and present it with a flourish. It should keep the process moving along.

The IEP Referral

Next, let’s kick it off! To begin the IEP process, you must make a formal “IEP request.” It’s significant because the day your school receives your request marks when the school’s clock starts ticking. They have 5 days to process your referral request, granting it a yes or no, and a full 90 days to see the whole process through*.

Here’s how to request an IEP in two easy steps.

1. The referral letter. Submit a written IEP request to the school. You can write it yourself or request an IEP referral from your child’s teacher, family doctor, or health provider. It should cite the specific difficulties and reasons for your evaluation request, as well as any efforts you’ve made to help your child.

Here are some helpful IEP referral letter templates.

2. The formal submission. Now formally submit the IEP request to your child’s school. Make sure to get official proof of submission by either emailing the letter, dropping it off in person and asking the school to stamp and sign your copy or submitting via certified mail (keep your receipt!). And file it of
course 🙂

Congratulations, the IEP clock has begun ticking in your favor!

The IEP Evaluation

IEP request granted? Great, now it’s time for the school to evaluate your child. Each child’s evaluation process will look different depending on their difficulties. You, the parent, can’t choose which tests the school will conduct. However, you need to grant your testing consent for them to proceed.

Here’s how the IEP evaluation process looks:

1. Written parental consent. The school will outline relevant health and performance information they want to gather and the psycho-educational testing they want to perform. You’ll need to sign. File a copy, and note the date!

2. Performance review. The school must gather performance data to better
understand your child’s classroom and home life. You’ll be asked to help
collect formal reviews from teachers, educators, and therapists (if relevant).

The school will also review your child’s academic record and standardized
test scores. They’ll probably want a copy of your child’s medical records. And
you’ll need to fill out a questionnaire with your observations. It’s a lot of
paperwork, but the faster you move it along, the smoother the process.

3. Evaluation testing. The school psychologist or relevant personnel will then conduct psycho-educational testing. Common IEP evaluation tests include

You can help ‘prep’ your child by gently explaining what to expect on the
test day so they’ll be less nervous.

IEP Review & Team

Once all the paperwork and test results are in, the school psychologist or qualified personnel will interpret the data and determine your child’s IEP eligibility. The school will then establish your child’s customized IEP team to discuss an action plan.

The team typically includes you (the parents), your child’s full-time teacher, a special-ed rep, the school psychologist, and the child. Additionally, you can invite anyone you think will best advocate for your child’s needs, such as a school advocate, a former special-ed teacher, or even a friend.

The school now has 30 days to call all IEP team members to the first meeting. You, as the parent, have the right to see the IEP evaluation results at least three business days before that first IEP meeting. Here is a sample request letter you can send by email.

IEP Eligibility meeting.

Woo-hoo! You’ve made it to the IEP meeting. Congratulate yourself on hitting this hard-earned milestone. It’s important because this is where the school will present you with a clear plan mapping out your child’s difficulties, their recommended services and accommodations, and goals and milestones for the current academic year (see IEP. It’s an ADHD game-changer to understand better what’s included).

As the parent and your child’s best advocate, you will want to make sure you feel the plan accurately provides the services needed to help your child along. To that effect, show the school that you take the process seriously. We recommend both parents or an additional child advocate attend. An attendance sheet will be passed around to ensure all IEP team members are present. Ask for a copy (and file it, of course;).

The meeting can run as long as three hours. Consider bringing cookies or snacks for the team. It shows goodwill and can help keep tensions down during potential disagreements. The IEP services and accommodations established now will be legally available to your child for three years. Make sure you feel they provide an accurate reflection of where your child’s at, as well as the tools needed to help them flourish.

While this may seem like a lot to handle, we promise that acting as your child’s advocate can be very empowering. You can open the doors that will give your child access to the tools they need. You have the power to help them succeed. So if you think your child has ADHD, take a deep breath, review the IEP steps, and get cracking!

We’re here to help and cheer you on.

Summary

  1. An IEP, or Individualized Education Program, will provide your ADHD child with the (free) school resources they need to succeed in the classroom.
  2. The IEP process is lengthy and involves a lot of paperwork. It helps to stay organized and informed, as well as move the various parties along.
  3. To determine IEP eligibility, expect a formal psychological evaluation, performance review, and more. It’s tedious, but we promise it’s worth it.

 

*Timing may vary according to state

IEP. It's an ADHD game-changer- Part I - My Pery Blog Featured IMG

IEP. It’s an ADHD game-changer: Part I

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Is school a struggle for your child? An IEP can help.

What is an IEP? Why do you want it? And what makes it such an ADHD game-changer?

What’s for homework?” you prompt, only to be met by a blank stare. “Again you got yelled at for poking the kid in front of you? Why is it so hard to keep your hands to yourself?” you ask. You’re called in for a school meeting. Your child is falling behind and the teacher thinks they need a tutor or they won’t pass this year.

Any of these sound familiar?

If they are, we know the difficulty. It’s real, and we’ve been there. Struggling with ADHD in a classroom environment can be highly challenging. But the good news is, as of 1999, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the US officially recognizes ADHD as a disability. Which means your child may qualify for state-subsidized help, i.e. an IEP.

What is an IEP?

An IEP, or Individualized Education Program (IEP), is like a custom gift basket of tools to help your child succeed at school. It lays out the specific social and academic difficulties your child struggles with and provides a map of support, instruction, and educational services your child qualifies for. It is also 100% paid for by the state. Read: It’s free!

Every IEP is different, as the document is highly specified to meet the individual child’s needs. Still, there are some essential elements you’ll want to look out for.

IEP Elements: What’s inside

  1. Present Level of Performance – Commonly abbreviated as PLP, PLOP, or PLAAFP, present level of performance should display an accurate evaluation of your child. How they’re currently performing at school, their social capabilities, etc. It is the agreed-upon baseline from which the school should be helping them grow.
  2. Goals – The IEP should include individualized short-term (monthly) and long-term (annual) milestones and goals for the current academic year. These goals should be achievable for your child with added help and measurable as to whether they were successful.
  3. Milestones – By laying out individual milestones in your child’s IEP, you and the school can help ensure your child properly progresses with the additional resources. Milestones are included in areas such as reading, math, social integration, etc.
  4. Least Restrictive Environment – Whenever possible, the goal is to keep your child’s ‘placement’ in the mainstream classroom, modifying their environment as needed. This can mean modified assignments, in-class help, or weekly tutorial sessions. Lack of funding should never be a reason for the school to pull your child out of class.
  5. Special Education Services – Perhaps the most integral part of your child’s IEP is the state-provided services they qualify for. These may be academic, behavioral, or emotional and should be specified in time, frequency, and amount.

So what might these look like?

Special Education Services: Your IEP goodies

The school has many resources to help your child grow and thrive. Here are some of the most common IEP accommodations provided for children with ADHD.

1. Classroom accommodations

  • Untimed testing
  • Frequent classroom breaks
  • Extra set of textbooks
  • Calculator usage

If your child has difficulty keeping track of their stuff, having two sets of textbooks – one at school and one at home- means one less thing to worry about. If multiplication tables have become your child’s downfall, eliminating that hurdle with a calculator may be just the academic boost they need to help them focus on learning new mathematical skills.

2. Teaching accommodations

  • Extra reading classes
  • Oral examinations (instead of written ones)
  • A modified curriculum
  • Lenient grading
  • Shorter worksheets
  • Reduced long-answer questions

If your child has trouble sitting still, a shorter worksheet may make all the difference in their ability to complete the assignment. Illegible handwriting? Not uncommon for children with ADHD. A multiple-choice test allows them to show off their knowledge without the added difficulty of penmanship. Difficulty reading? A few additional weekly reading sessions can bolster your child’s reading skills and keep them on track with the rest of their class.

And did we mention that with an IEP, it’s free?!

3. Clinical services

  • Occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Speech therapy
  • Counseling

Occupational therapy can help boost your child’s independence by teaching them skills to improve organization skills and stay ‘on-task.’ Physical therapy is proven to strengthen fine motor skills and, for example, improve handwriting. Emotional therapy can help your child regulate emotional outbursts and improve self-esteem issues that often arise in children with ADHD.

IEP Eligibility

Have we convinced you yet why IEPs are so valuable? We hope so! We promise it really does make a huge practical difference in your child’s ability to succeed at school. Now that we’ve covered the ‘why,’ what’s left to discuss is the ‘how.’

Like many government offered services, there is a bit of bureaucracy attached to the IEP eligibility process. That’s why we broke it down for you here, in part II Cracking the IEP Process.

Summary:

  1. Children with ADHD qualify to receive in-school services and accommodations paid for by the state.
  2. The customized plan to help your child, outlining their current challenges and the services they’ll receive, is referred to as an IEP, or Individualized Education Program.
  3. An IEP can help your child overcome ADHD-related difficulties, enabling them to flourish in the classroom.