I can tell you that “giving” a student a 504 plan is a lot easier on a school than evaluating to see if a student actually qualifies for an IEP. The school doesn’t need to evaluate the student to see if they qualify.

We can’t assume we know what each one of our students encounters on a daily basis. For example, we know through statistics and observation that some students may not have access to food at home.

If you are concerned about their educational success, then push forward and do not settle for a “let’s wait and see” mentality. If you are not happy with the response you receive from the school, then seek out the services of an educational consultant or advocate, even if to ask questions and/or get another set of eyes on the situation.

In working with teachers and parents, the topic of ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) comes up often, revolving around the belief that a student has ADD due to a child’s inability to focus in school. Some parents become worried because in their experience these conversations immediately turn to medicating their child.

Back to school 2021 is quickly approaching, bringing conflicting emotions for each one of us. Putting aside the unknown about whether or not our children will be in-person, hybrid, remote or even focusing on masked or unmasked, what do you want to see out of this year?

How do we prepare?

We’ve been asked to accept a tremendous amount of change over the last eighteen months. At first, many of us rolled with it, but it has worn thin on many with a general sentiment of anger. I tend to believe a lot of us have been asked to accept change when we think about school for our children.

Anxiety that begins to interfere with everyday functioning can happen to our children as well. For example, children may consistently blurt out in class or constantly talk. More often than not, the adults misread this behavior. This could lead to the belief that the student is a behavior problem, is being disrespectful, lacks focus, or more seriously showing signs of A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) or A.D.H.D. (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

When a significant event occurs such as divorce, the death of a parent, or physical and/or mental abuse we tell ourselves that the “children are resilient and will pull through.” Children are resilient, but they still need tools that will help them cope with the trauma. Often what we believe are children being resilient is really a child packing away what happened and not addressing their feelings.

The focus for Kindergarten through about 3rd grade is on learning to read, before switching to reading to learn. Students who struggle to read and have reached 3rd grade begin to find ways to avoid reading.

Explain to me we are pushing so hard to get back to the schooling that so many complained about prior to the pandemic? Why are we afraid to admit something new may be working for some students?

IEP meetings can be raw and emotional, especially when what a parent observes at home conflicts with what teachers see at school. It’s especially difficult to hear about your child’s deficits. It’s ok to disagree with the direction of the committee, therefore it’s critical to understand your rights and that of your child.

Autism awareness, like many other things, should not be limited to one month per year. We must continue to support each other and find ways to be inclusive within our own communities. One of the areas not often discussed or observed is what it looks like for individuals with Autism to find meaningful employment.

I’m here to help and offer a variety of support options. Whether you need a sounding board to share your experiences or assistance in communicating with school, I work with you to develop an individualized plan for you and your child. The initial consultation is always free, so don’t be afraid to take that leap!

Let’s imagine how different the experience for our students would have been last March if schools would have already had a robust remote learning plan in place that accounted for a device, internet, and trained staff. Believe it or not, some schools were able to make this transition a reality as they had planned well before the pandemic began.

When a student continues to struggle with things like day-to-day readiness in the form of understanding their assignment notebook or assignments and homework within google classroom, have we assessed or reviewed why this keeps occurring?