Empowering Parents

Has your child been diagnosed with a neurodivergent condition? ADHD/AuDHD, Autism, Dyslexia, etc? If so, you may know about or have been through IEP or 504 meetings at the school. If you don't know what these are, some information will be posted below.

If you have been through these meetings, how did those go? How do you feel about the plan, and do you see those accommodations being made?  How is your child adjusting? 

These plans have to be monitored and changed over the years; it is important you stay involved. 

Many parents sit in the annual 504/IEP meeting and believe that the school is doing what they are supposed to be doing as it relates to your child. Unfortunately, this is not always what happens. You have to be involved, you have to know what to expect, and how to communicate with the school when things are not going the way you expected they would. If your child is failing, or in trouble- something is not working. If speaking with the school or the teacher(s) is not working, it may be time for an advocate to step in to help..

Sometimes it is in middle school when parents decide it may be time to have their child evaluated- after years of behavior problems, lost homework, talking in class, and mediocre grades even though your child seems to know their stuff. This is the time when accommodations (or lack thereof) can make a world of difference. You only get ONE meeting per year to talk about the plan, but that does not mean you can't make modifications more often. Developing a great relationship with your child's teacher(s) is very important. You have to be even more involved now than ever to be sure the things you are fighting for are appropriate. For grade 7-8, your child should attend the meeting. This is THEIR plan after all. And they need to see the partnership between the school and their parents.

Accommodations for your neurodivergent child are just as important in high school as they have ever been. Your relationship with the school may feel more distant, teachers at the high school level may not communicated with you as proactively as they did in middle school, but it is still important to keep in touch regarding accommodations. As the child matures, there may be changes that make sense, but abandoning the access to the IEP and 504 plans in high school can have serious consequences. The plans might change, and they learn some life skills for after high school, but just because they have gotten older doesn't mean they are no longer neurodivergent.

It is estimated that 1 in 4 kids is neurodivergent at a level that would require academic supports, yet only 1 in 25 has a formal diagnosis. 

Although getting services through the school requires a diagnosis of some kind, working with teachers to help make accommodations for your child can absolutely be done without this formality. It is quite expensive to get a diagnosis done, it can take months to get an appointment, and insurance does not cover the series of appointments required. Some parents know that their child has a special need, but they don't have a piece of paper to back it up.

In this case, you should get an advocate to help. OR, get advice on what you can do. If you do nothing else, schedule a parent teacher conference with all their teachers at once, about 4-6 weeks into the school year. By this time they have likely observed challenges and will be open to working with you on solutions.  Getting ahead of it is always better than trying to fix it later.

There are organizations that can help. Divergent Support Services offers a free consultation with parents who are struggling- which will include strategies for contacting the school, and recommendations on how to escalate your concerns. Reach out to info@divergentsupport.com to inquire.