Getting help at school...
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan?
A child or adolescent qualifies for an IEP, or Individualized Education Program, when a significant learning, physical, health, or mental health challenge interferes with learning in the regular classroom to such an extent that specially designed instruction is required for success in the public school setting. Students receiving services under an IEP will have been thoroughly assessed at school, often by a team of professionals including a School Psychologist, various Special Education staff members, professionals in education-relevant fields such as Speech/Language Pathology or Occupational Therapy, and classroom teachers, and on the basis of the results of that assessment, will have been found by the IEP team (typically made up of the student's parents, teachers, the School Psychologist, and other appropriate professionals) to be in significant need of services. The IEP will define a set of educational goals, and will typically designate how much and what types of special instruction and/or other services the student will receive. Often IEPs will also include lists of accommodations, which apply in both the regular classroom and in special education classes. Students who are afforded IEPs are (by law) reassessed every 3 years, and that student's IEP team will also reconvene each school year, to check progress and update the plan, as needed.
By contrast, a 504 Plan is typically offered to students who have some type of challenge, but are not found by the IEP team to need specially designed instruction. Students on 504 Plans spend 100% of their time in regular classes, but are provided with "adjustments" in that setting, to support their success and/or wellbeing. Many accommodations are possible, but appropriate accommodations are always chosen with respect to that particular child or adolescent's identified areas of challenge. For example, a child with severe food allergies might have a 504 Plan that calls for special precautions in the school setting, to prevent contamination. A high school student with reading difficulty may have a 504 Plan calling for audio versions of assigned readings and textbooks. A student of any age with ADHD might have a 504 Plan asking teachers to place the student in the least distracting space within the classroom, or to provide repetition of spoken directions when needed. A student with an anxiety disorder might have a 504 Plan that provides for provides for extra breaks from classroom activities, to support emotional control.
Of note is that students who receive services under an IEP are not necessarily less capable than those who receive accommodations under Section 504, but their difficulties have been deemed more likely to affect their success, and thus require more individualized and focused intervention. Students who receive services under IEPs can and often do "graduate" to a 504 Plan. Of note is that MOST students who are found to no longer need IEP services SHOULD still have access to accommodations! It is often necessary for parents to request a shift to a 504 Plan, if not specifically offered by school personnel during the IEP meeting during which it is determined that the student no longer needs IEP services.
My son/daughter has always received accommodations in public school under an IEP or 504 Plan, and is going to college soon. Will his/her accommodation plan transfer, if he/she attends a community college or state university?
That would be highly unlikely, so please do not assume that to be so, regardless of what you may have been told!!! Colleges and universities are not bound by the same Special Education laws as public schools, and thus do not afford or recognize either IEPs or 504 Plans. However, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), colleges and universities ARE required to afford reasonable accommodations to deserving students, and many times, students who have received IEP services or accommodations under Section 504 can also qualify for accommodations under ADA. However, the assessments used to justify an IEP or 504 Plan during high school are often too outdated or too limited in scope to be used as documentation of a need for accommodations at the college/university level. Typically, an adult-level re-evaluation, completed when the student is at least 16 years of age, is required. To be sure the student's accommodations are in place for the first semester of college studies, any re-evaluation process should be scheduled and completed WELL BEFORE the student is to leave for college. One of the best times for such an evaluation is during the summer between the student's 11th and 12th grade years.
My son/daughter goes to private school, but is having learning problems. What do I do?
The answer to this question will vary from school to school. First, private schools are not bound by the same laws as public schools, with respect to requirements for specialized instruction or accommodations. In fact, private schools can choose not to admit students who have special learning needs - which is often in the student's best interest, if the school does not have the resources or specially qualified professionals needed to meet the student's educational needs. If school personnel are significantly reluctant to offer a student support with learning challenges, it may actually be wise to seek a different school that is a better "match" for that student's learning needs. This stated, more and more private schools ARE hiring Learning Specialists who support classroom teachers by providing one-on-one instruction to students who are struggling in the regular classroom. Private schools occasionally also have personnel who can provide assessments, but unlike the public schools, they are not required to do so. More often, private school professionals will recommend to parents that their child or adolescent be assessed privately, to facilitate support in the school environment. Many private schools will provide accommodations for students, once those have been recommended, based on assessment. However, again, they are not required to do so. It is recommended, however, that parents request some sort of documentation of any accommodations a student is afforded in a private school setting (comparable to a 504 Plan from a public school), in case the student continues to need accommodations at the college level, as many colleges are reluctant to afford accommodations to students who have not received such support during high school.
What is the difference between testing at school and private testing by a psychologist?
The law requires all public schools in the US to offer evaluation services for children and adolescents suspected of having learning disabilities or other barriers to educational success. Typically, after a referral is initiated by the child's teacher or parent, an IEP (Individualized Education Program) team (consisting of teachers, parents, a school psychologist and/or counselor, special education teachers, etc.) is convened, and a determination is made as to whether the referral indicates a need for full evaluation. If an evaluation is approved by the IEP team, the teacher and parents complete behavioral inventories, and the child or adolescent is then observed in the classroom and tested, often during the school day, or possibly at the local Education Service District office. Testing will typically measure academic achievement in areas of concern, while the inventories completed by parents and teachers describe behavior and screen for emotional difficulties. In some cases, cognitive tests, such as an IQ test or cognitive test battery will be administered as well, almost always by the school psychologist. After the testing is complete, the IEP team will reconvene, to determine whether the child/adolescent qualifies for special education services and/or classroom accommodations under a 504 Plan (i.e., an accommodation plan under Section 504 of a law that preceded the current special education laws, that provides accommodations, but NOT individualized instruction). Of note is that school testing is not intended to diagnose, but to determine eligibility for services and facilitate learning in the classroom. It is quite possible for a child or adolescent to have a diagnosable condition, such as ADHD or a learning disability, and still not qualify for services at school.
By contrast, testing by a psychologist is typically initiated by the child's or adolescent's parents, often at the suggestion of school personnel, a health care provider, a tutor, or a therapist/counselor. A psychologist will review records (school, and if relevant, medical), talk at length with the child's parents and other appropriate persons, seek additional information from teachers and parents via standardized symptom inventories, and with adolescents, interview the student as well. The testing is more comprehensive: It will almost always include a thorough assessment of emotional behavioral functioning, cognitive testing, and academic screening, and may also include adaptive assessment, neuropsychological skills assessment (attention, executive functioning, memory, etc.), language skills assessment, and/or in-depth academic skills assessment. This type of evaluation may have many purposes, but is commonly intended to both diagnose any mental health, behavioral, cognitive, or learning difficulties that may be present, and to facilitate appropriate interventions (i.e., through services and/or accommodations at school, medical care, mental health treatment, etc.). Evaluation by a psychologist is typically thorough and multifaceted, leaving "no stone unturned," and it typically encompassing all the academic, cognitive, and behavioral elements of a school-based assessment, and often includes a variety of other components besides.
What is the difference between an IEP and a 504 Plan?
A child or adolescent qualifies for an IEP, or Individualized Education Program, when a significant learning, physical, health, or mental health challenge interferes with learning in the regular classroom to such an extent that specially designed instruction is required for success in the public school setting. Students receiving services under an IEP will have been thoroughly assessed at school, often by a team of professionals including a School Psychologist, various Special Education staff members, professionals in education-relevant fields such as Speech/Language Pathology or Occupational Therapy, and classroom teachers, and on the basis of the results of that assessment, will have been found by the IEP team (typically made up of the student's parents, teachers, the School Psychologist, and other appropriate professionals) to be in significant need of services. The IEP will define a set of educational goals, and will typically designate how much and what types of special instruction and/or other services the student will receive. Often IEPs will also include lists of accommodations, which apply in both the regular classroom and in special education classes. Students who are afforded IEPs are (by law) reassessed every 3 years, and that student's IEP team will also reconvene each school year, to check progress and update the plan, as needed.
By contrast, a 504 Plan is typically offered to students who have some type of challenge, but are not found by the IEP team to need specially designed instruction. Students on 504 Plans spend 100% of their time in regular classes, but are provided with "adjustments" in that setting, to support their success and/or wellbeing. Many accommodations are possible, but appropriate accommodations are always chosen with respect to that particular child or adolescent's identified areas of challenge. For example, a child with severe food allergies might have a 504 Plan that calls for special precautions in the school setting, to prevent contamination. A high school student with reading difficulty may have a 504 Plan calling for audio versions of assigned readings and textbooks. A student of any age with ADHD might have a 504 Plan asking teachers to place the student in the least distracting space within the classroom, or to provide repetition of spoken directions when needed. A student with an anxiety disorder might have a 504 Plan that provides for provides for extra breaks from classroom activities, to support emotional control.
Of note is that students who receive services under an IEP are not necessarily less capable than those who receive accommodations under Section 504, but their difficulties have been deemed more likely to affect their success, and thus require more individualized and focused intervention. Students who receive services under IEPs can and often do "graduate" to a 504 Plan. Of note is that MOST students who are found to no longer need IEP services SHOULD still have access to accommodations! It is often necessary for parents to request a shift to a 504 Plan, if not specifically offered by school personnel during the IEP meeting during which it is determined that the student no longer needs IEP services.
My son/daughter has always received accommodations in public school under an IEP or 504 Plan, and is going to college soon. Will his/her accommodation plan transfer, if he/she attends a community college or state university?
That would be highly unlikely, so please do not assume that to be so, regardless of what you may have been told!!! Colleges and universities are not bound by the same Special Education laws as public schools, and thus do not afford or recognize either IEPs or 504 Plans. However, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), colleges and universities ARE required to afford reasonable accommodations to deserving students, and many times, students who have received IEP services or accommodations under Section 504 can also qualify for accommodations under ADA. However, the assessments used to justify an IEP or 504 Plan during high school are often too outdated or too limited in scope to be used as documentation of a need for accommodations at the college/university level. Typically, an adult-level re-evaluation, completed when the student is at least 16 years of age, is required. To be sure the student's accommodations are in place for the first semester of college studies, any re-evaluation process should be scheduled and completed WELL BEFORE the student is to leave for college. One of the best times for such an evaluation is during the summer between the student's 11th and 12th grade years.
My son/daughter goes to private school, but is having learning problems. What do I do?
The answer to this question will vary from school to school. First, private schools are not bound by the same laws as public schools, with respect to requirements for specialized instruction or accommodations. In fact, private schools can choose not to admit students who have special learning needs - which is often in the student's best interest, if the school does not have the resources or specially qualified professionals needed to meet the student's educational needs. If school personnel are significantly reluctant to offer a student support with learning challenges, it may actually be wise to seek a different school that is a better "match" for that student's learning needs. This stated, more and more private schools ARE hiring Learning Specialists who support classroom teachers by providing one-on-one instruction to students who are struggling in the regular classroom. Private schools occasionally also have personnel who can provide assessments, but unlike the public schools, they are not required to do so. More often, private school professionals will recommend to parents that their child or adolescent be assessed privately, to facilitate support in the school environment. Many private schools will provide accommodations for students, once those have been recommended, based on assessment. However, again, they are not required to do so. It is recommended, however, that parents request some sort of documentation of any accommodations a student is afforded in a private school setting (comparable to a 504 Plan from a public school), in case the student continues to need accommodations at the college level, as many colleges are reluctant to afford accommodations to students who have not received such support during high school.
What is the difference between testing at school and private testing by a psychologist?
The law requires all public schools in the US to offer evaluation services for children and adolescents suspected of having learning disabilities or other barriers to educational success. Typically, after a referral is initiated by the child's teacher or parent, an IEP (Individualized Education Program) team (consisting of teachers, parents, a school psychologist and/or counselor, special education teachers, etc.) is convened, and a determination is made as to whether the referral indicates a need for full evaluation. If an evaluation is approved by the IEP team, the teacher and parents complete behavioral inventories, and the child or adolescent is then observed in the classroom and tested, often during the school day, or possibly at the local Education Service District office. Testing will typically measure academic achievement in areas of concern, while the inventories completed by parents and teachers describe behavior and screen for emotional difficulties. In some cases, cognitive tests, such as an IQ test or cognitive test battery will be administered as well, almost always by the school psychologist. After the testing is complete, the IEP team will reconvene, to determine whether the child/adolescent qualifies for special education services and/or classroom accommodations under a 504 Plan (i.e., an accommodation plan under Section 504 of a law that preceded the current special education laws, that provides accommodations, but NOT individualized instruction). Of note is that school testing is not intended to diagnose, but to determine eligibility for services and facilitate learning in the classroom. It is quite possible for a child or adolescent to have a diagnosable condition, such as ADHD or a learning disability, and still not qualify for services at school.
By contrast, testing by a psychologist is typically initiated by the child's or adolescent's parents, often at the suggestion of school personnel, a health care provider, a tutor, or a therapist/counselor. A psychologist will review records (school, and if relevant, medical), talk at length with the child's parents and other appropriate persons, seek additional information from teachers and parents via standardized symptom inventories, and with adolescents, interview the student as well. The testing is more comprehensive: It will almost always include a thorough assessment of emotional behavioral functioning, cognitive testing, and academic screening, and may also include adaptive assessment, neuropsychological skills assessment (attention, executive functioning, memory, etc.), language skills assessment, and/or in-depth academic skills assessment. This type of evaluation may have many purposes, but is commonly intended to both diagnose any mental health, behavioral, cognitive, or learning difficulties that may be present, and to facilitate appropriate interventions (i.e., through services and/or accommodations at school, medical care, mental health treatment, etc.). Evaluation by a psychologist is typically thorough and multifaceted, leaving "no stone unturned," and it typically encompassing all the academic, cognitive, and behavioral elements of a school-based assessment, and often includes a variety of other components besides.