Hello,

My son is 7.5 years old and in 2nd grade. He has been diagnosed with SPD. He has been going to OT for 8 months and have seen great strides. He is very bright, but we have not tested him yet. He is doing well in school this year for the most part, but he has trouble with certain aspects. His teacher is very nice, but I can tell she does not see what I see because he struggles with focus. If I read a math word problem to him, for example, he will blurt out the answer without writing anything down. If he has to read it, he struggles to even focus on it. He can read well and does not have dyslexia. I introduced multiplication one evening verbally and he could answer correctly 2 dozen problems. Last night, we introduced percentage and he could answer correctly repeatedly on the drive home. He has never had either. He grasps concepts very fast. But in class he struggles with doing the work. He gets distracted or his numbers are not legible and not lined up correctly. I met with his teacher and she sees him as just having trouble completing the work. She does not see the side we see at home. He does not qualify for IEP and am wondering about another option. I want to make sure he is shining through his challenges.

Welcome!

Apologies for the delay in anyone responding. It sometimes takes a bit for new posters to wind through moderation.

Given that he has a diagnosis of SPD, receives OT, has teacher-documented struggles with work completion and focus, and has not been evaluated (at school or elsewhere?), how has it been established that he does not qualify for an IEP? Not that special education is the only solution, or even necessarily the most appropriate one, but I am curious about where this conclusion came from.

Who diagnosed him with SPD? Just an OT evaluation? Is the school saying he is not qualified for an IEP just because he is not behind grade level?

I would pursue a psych-educational or neuropsych evaluation at this point (school based or private). You will have a better idea why he struggles so much at school.

You've received great responses above.

I'll just add that schools may not always have or share the best or most accurate information.
You may need to develop strong background knowledge on IEPs and advocacy.

The Wrightslaw website is the go-to source for information concerning special education.
Here is a link to the Wrightslaw IEP FAQ index page:
https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/iep.index.htm

Parents with BTDT experience are a reliable source of information on effective advocacy.
Here is a crowd-sourced list of links and resources, created by parents on this forum:
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....y_Advocacy_as_a_Non_Newt.html#Post183916

Thanks everyone!! Sorry it took awhile for me to get back here. Yes, the school evaluated him and he is doing too well to qualify for IEP. I did speak with the counselor and she did think he would qualify for a 504 plan. We are going to look for ways to support him. He has been working very hard and I see improvement along the way.

OT did conclude the SPD diagnosis, but it correlated with his pediatricians thoughts. He was diagnosed as low tone as a small child. We have implemented so many things along the way and the progress has been substantial. His teacher thinks he has a very high IQ and grasps and discusses concepts beyond his years. I hope the 504 plan will give him the support he needs!

Thanks again everyone. You thoughts and resources are very appreciated.

Thank you for the idea about visual processing! I will look into it.