Book Excerpts:
Chapter 1
Tip 5 – If your child is struggling – When to look at special education or a 504 plan
In my years
of teaching, I have witnessed quite a few parents who resisted getting their child help through special education services.
Special education today is not the same special education that you grew up with. Students are not separated from the rest
of the students. They are in regular mainstream classes and are generally not
singled out.
Most special
education teachers have one time during the day when they will meet with their students in a classroom, but more for a resource
to help them organize their work and increase study skills. Otherwise, they may see them as a second teacher in their mainstream
classes. Their teacher will probably help any student who needs help, while spending more time helping students on their caseload.
Most teachers will try to be seen as another adult in the room, not as one kid’s special teacher.
Because of
the complication of Federal laws in special education, I will attempt to give a simple description of some various programs
designed to help children cope. As a former special education teacher who is still licensed to teach students with Emotional
Difficulties, it strikes me as funny that I feel like I should talk to a colleague to find out how all of the acronyms have
changed for this year. Instead, I will use the terms I know and that will help a parent decide if they need to seek some help
for their son/daughter.
All students
who qualify for special education will be put on something called an Individual Educational Plan. (I.E.P.) This is a legal
document that has many rules attached. If your child is put on an IEP, you will have meetings to determine progress and to
plan for their educational future. This is an area where you get a lot of control over your child’s education. You will
be on a team with your child’s regular education teachers, the special education teacher, an administrator, and any
other people who are part of your child’s educational life.
Learning Disabilities
What is it? How does a child qualify?
Contrary
to popular belief, a student must score as average in intelligence to qualify as learning disabled. They must score between
a 90 -110 on an IQ test to be able to get services. There must be a significant gap between intelligence and achievement in
the areas of mathematics, reading or written expression.
I do an activity
in my classroom to demonstrate how being learning disabled might feel. Student must hold a mirror on their desk and trace
a star while only looking in the mirror. They are graded on speed and accuracy.
Many students who have found school a breeze struggle mightily with this task. After the activity, I ask them how it felt
to try really hard to be good at this task, but still have a very difficult time. They always answer with the word frustrating.
I then ask
them to consider what life might be like if the skill of tracing the star was a part of every class and it was how you were
graded. That may be the same feeling someone who finds it very difficult to read, write, or do math. I hope this activity
gives my students some empathy.
What kind of help would my child get?
Most LD teachers
work on study skills, organization, and the student specific area of concern. They advocate for the child, suggest modifications
to mainstream teachers, and assist student with tests. Their job is to follow the IEP.
Emotionally/Behaviorally Disorders (EBD)
What is it?
EBD is for
students who are experiencing behavior issues in school. The behavioral issues are interfering with their education and the
other students in the school. The purpose of the program is to help the student with learning to behave and learning to get
along with their peers and teachers. For the first 4 years of my career, I taught EBD students in many settings. I taught in residential treatment centers, alternative schools, and in regular schools.
In my observance,
students who were EBD were either angry, scared, or bored. Some of these students had very tough home lives. Some had been
abused. Some were mentally ill. Some were spoiled brats. Some were so smart that not being challenged was causing them to
act out. Some struggled with learning disabilities, dyslexia, or Attention Deficit Disorder. And some were kids who came from
normal families who could not figure out what was wrong.
What kind of help will my child get?
Your child
is basically given the services they need to function in a regular classroom. The also have an IEP, which can focus on behavior
and academic areas. Their case manger will advocate for them and work with coping techniques so the child can find success.
They will help the mainstream teacher with adaptations, interventions, and accommodations.
Mild/Moderately Mentally Impaired
What is it?
This is the
acronym that seems to constantly change depending on political correctness. This special education area is for children who
have lower that average IQ’s. For some reason, they have a low IQ and need some extra help in school. These students
will usually have some core classes in the mainstream. One of the greatest things that MMMI students give to their classmates
is an understanding that we are all human. Since I started teaching, I have been blessed to have taught some of the most unique
people in the world.
As part of
my class, I do a psychology project where student have to do a report on something to do with the brain. One of my students,
Jenny, had Down syndrome. After turning in their written projects, students can do an oral presentation for extra credit.
Jenny did
her project on Down syndrome and was very excited to present her project. It was one of the most amazing moments I have ever
experienced. She took the opportunity to explain to her classmates her struggles and the great things about being who she
was. She explained that the reason she had a tough time talking was because her tongue was a little too big. She explained
her heart surgeries. She explained that it was harder for her to learn, but she tried really hard and she was making great
progress. The presentation was a great eye opener for my class.
What help is available?
MMMI teachers
help their students to function in school and life. They teach them the needed
skills to thrive. They often set up jobs outside of school to teach occupational and social skills.
OHI
What is it?
OHI is kind
of a catch-all for other health impaired. It could include ADD or ADHD, asthma, diabetes, as long as it adversely affects
the child’s education.
What help is available?
It depends
on the problem, but school districts are responsible for educating all children, regardless of disability. They are also responsible
for educational accommodations.
Other categories
of special education:
Visual Impairment
Speech or Language Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Orthopedic Impairment
Hearing Impairments
Autism
504 Plan
If your child
does not fit into a special education category, but is still struggling in school, you may want to look at something called
a 504 Plan:
A 504 plan is a legal document included in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
It is for planning a program for students who may have some sort of disability, but does not fall into special education guidelines.
A 504 plan is not an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that I have mentioned earlier for special education students.
If your child has a physical or emotional disability or has an impairment
(Attention Deficit Disorder, Diabetes) that restricts learning, he or she will probably qualify for a 504 plan. In order to
be placed on a 504 Plan, the student must be referred by a teacher, support staff, parent/guardian or someone from the medical
community. After referral, a committee of people involved in the child’s
learning (student, teachers, principal, nurse, counselor and anyone else you want to invite) must be held and a plan must
be developed.
During this meeting, the committee should discuss any accommodations that would
aid the student in their learning process. The accommodations should be tied to the disability. Some examples could be the
location of their seats in their classrooms, being able to leave the classroom with a partner to check blood and to eat in
class for a diabetic. As in an IEP, teachers could be told to modify tests by giving more time.
As a parent, you may be asked to assist at home in some way to help with the 504
plan. Setting a specific bedtime or setting aside a certain amount of study time could be a part of the plan.
The plan can be changed at the request of anyone on the team. To change the plan, another meeting must be called. A yearly review should be done
to access the effectiveness of all accommodations.
Chapter 2
Tip #4 - Parent-teacher conferences
At Parent/Teacher Conferences, first seek to understand, and then to be understood. Listen, and then ask as many questions
as you want about your child. Don’t ask about your child’s friends since that is confidential information, and
it puts the teacher in an uncomfortable position. If you have a problem with the teacher, ask to schedule an individual conference
with the teacher at another time.
Also, make sure you go to conferences even if you think your child is doing great. It means a lot to the child, teachers
like to say good things about students, and you might find out some surprising information.
Questions to ask at conferences:
If the teacher doesn’t cover the following areas in their scripted conference with you, feel free to ask questions.
That is exactly what conferences are all about.
• How does a student earn their grade in your class?
• Is work coming in on time?
• Do you have a daily homework assignment? Could you show
me a sample?
• How is the quality of the work? Do you have any samples?
• Do you hand back completed work?
• How does my child do on tests and quizzes?
• How often do you test?
• Do you think my child is studying for tests?
• Do you hand out a study guide at the beginning of the Chapter?
• Do you have a cumulative exam at the end of the year?
• Are there any projects due this quarter?
• How is my child’s behavior in class? Have you had
to reprimand them for anything?
*Do you see my child as having a positive or negative attitude?
• Is my child appropriate with you as far as asking questions,
asking for extra credit, etc.?
• How do you think my child is doing socially? Do they seem
to fit in? If not, do you have any advice?
*In general, do you see their friends as positive?
• Have you noticed any problem with sight, hearing, or attention?
• What can I do to help?
• If I need to get a hold of you, how do you prefer I do it?
(Direct call, voice mail, e-mail)
Student Led Conferences
Many middle schools use a student led format
for conferences. In this format, you meet with your child’s advisor and your child leads the conference. They summarize
each class and the advisor usually speaks about how they are doing in their particular class. Leading the conference really
forces your child to become a partner in their learning experience. It holds them accountable. They must accept responsibility
for their grades and actions.
Some students will attempt to pit their parents
against their teachers. This format prevents that from happening. The advisor is your first contact person at the school,
so you should work hard to establish a positive relationship with this person.
While this
format can be very beneficial for your child, you do not get to meet all of your child’s teachers. Encourage your school
to have some open conferencing times so you can at least meet each teacher and give them your card.
