Watching your child struggle with the high academic demands of today can be very difficult. Let’s admit it. Everyone wants their child to be the next valedictorian, and it can be heart-breaking to come to terms with the limitations of our children. Every year the demands placed on kids in America increase. Some children are able to reach those demands, stretching their minds to their limits, but what about the children who just fall further and further behind? Is there help out there for those students or will they struggle for their entire lives? If these are questions you are asking yourself about your child, you may want to consider having them tested for special education.
Qualifications for Special Education
In order to qualify for special education services your child must suffer from some sort of disability that prevents them from fully accessing the classroom academics. These disabilities can be learning, behavioral, medical or physical disabilities. A child can have a disability and NOT qualify for special education as well. The disability has to negatively impact a child’s access to the curriculum in order to qualify them for services. (If your child has a disability that does not impede them from learning, but requires they receive modifications, ask your school psychologist about a 504 plan.)
How do you know if special education is right for your child?
Some disabilities are more clear cut than others. Chances are, if your child has been diagnosed with a medical or physical condition, that prevents them from accessing the curriculum, then you and the public school are aware of their need for special services. These impairments include, but are not limited to, hearing loss, vision loss, impaired intelligence, Autism, Downs Syndrome, ADHD …. the list goes on and on. These disabilities are usually relatively easy to identify and services are usually provided early on.
If your child is suffering from a behavioral disorder you are likely witnessing erratic and dangerous behavior across many settings. These students tend to participate in “bullying” behavior with their peers and defiant behavior with adults. The smallest things may “set them off” and create a situation in which they destroy property or threaten others, perhaps even hurting other people. Often these students will inflict injuries on themselves as well.
Students can also qualify for special education under the heading of a specific learning disability. This refers to an impairment in one of the cognitive processing areas of the brain (the way their brain processes information) and its impact on a child’s ability to complete academics. A learning disability can occur in various areas, but the most common are reading, writing and math disabilities. Your child may have a learning disability if they have average scores in some areas of their academics but are consistently failing in other areas despite access to the regular education curriculum and many interventions and supports. This would be evidenced through report cards, curriculum based assessments, standardized testing and DRA scores. A disability occurs in various settings, so your child’s previous teachers would most likely have brought up their concerns with you throughout the years. Sometimes, students with undiagnosed learning disabilities start to act out in school or participate in “bullying” activities to draw attention away from their difficulties with school.
How do I get my child special education services?
If what I have written reminds you of your child, you may want to consider getting your child tested for special education services. If you believe your child has a physical or medical disability contact your doctor immediately. If your doctor diagnoses your child with a disability, contact your school and provide them with a copy of the report. Request that they hold a Planning and Placement Team meeting (PPT) to determine if your child qualifies for special education. If your child is showing signs of a possible behavioral or learning disability, you do not need to contact your doctor first. Ask your school team to schedule a PPT immediately. This first PPT is called a Referral PPT.
Once a PPT is requested, the school has 10 business days to hold a meeting with you, an administrator, your child’s classroom teacher, a special education teacher and a pupil personnel services employee (such as a school psychologist or speech pathologist). At this meeting the team will decide if your child is exhibiting signs of a disability that is impacting their education, and if a disability is suspected the team will suggest going to testing. This means that the team will administer standardized intelligence and academic tests to your child, along with testing to measure any other areas of concern. This will provide the team with information as to what your child is truly capable of. This process takes some time. The government provides schools with 45 school days from the day the original referral occurs (the day you requested your first PPT) to the day you meet to review the testing results.
When meeting again to review the testing results, make sure you fully understand what the teachers are telling you. These tests can be very difficult to understand. I suggest asking the teacher to review the testing with you prior to the PPT. After the team reviews the testing, your child’s classroom performance and curriculum based assessments will be reviewed. This is to determine if there is a learning problem prohibiting your child from performing at their ability level in the classroom. Once this is all completed, the team will decide if your child suffers from a disability.
This process can be terribly confusing for parents. There are a few important things to keep in mind.
You ARE a part of your child’s team and ALL decisions are made as a team. Make sure that your voice is being heard during these meetings.
Ask questions. Teachers follow this process every day as part of their job. Sometimes they take for granted that you know what they are talking about. If you don’t understand something, tell them. If you think of a question after the meeting, call them.
There are lots of reasons your child may not be performing at grade level expectations. This is just one of many possible reasons. Keep an open mind and enter this process with a problem solving mindset. Working as a team will result in the best possible outcome and most accurate diagnosis.
