Yes, I definitely see how a teacher can have valid input regarding the
degree of functional impairment inmposed by a child's disability, particularly LD...
but in my experience, most of the time when teachers make those kinds of statements, it's ignorance of the special ed
process that is really at work. The teacher may really be thinking that X provision of 504 plan is what should "not be continued."
That is, teachers may truly confuse a need for
re-evaluation of accommodations within a plan with re-evaluation of
eligibility itself.Now, eligibility is based on the degree of impairment, true... but that is also based on comparison with
unaffected peers, which in the case of an HG child, are not necessarily "age-mates."
You might also consider some documentation regarding the degree of impairment that YOU have seen outside of a school setting so as to provide some counterpoint to the argument that your child has developed global compensatory strategies that make a 504 plan unnecessary.
Eventually, of course, that is the goal; for the child to grow into management that involves
self-regulatory strategies to compensate... but at nine years old, that is probably a long way off.
A good way of handling such statements in the future is a gentle,
"Oh, I see. So you are saying that you believe that {child}'s
504 plan could use some adjustments in the accommodations? I've seen some real progress as well, this year; I'm glad to hear that you have seen that too. In the review meeting, I hope that you'll be willing to talk candidly to the team about your observations. I really look forward to hearing your ideas."
Just as a teacher cannot
diagnose ADHD, a teacher cannot THROW AWAY a diagnosis of dyslexia, either.
If the teacher repeats the statement in a review meeting, I'd ask point blank if she's asserting that {documentation of disability by qualified expert} is
incorrect, in his/her opinion.
If so, ask for clarification about the particulars of that assertion/opinion while being politely curious (rather than hostile).
The reason I bring that up is that the teacher's assertion that 'if X, then not Y' is simply not correct in a diagnostic sense with a LD. It is also true that one teacher's classroom environment may suit a particular child's needs much better than another... and that for a child with a disability, a "lucky" placement can easily be followed by an "unlucky" one the following year.
So the fact is, if current DT is generous with time on assessments... she may simply not see the NEED that your child still very definitely has. It would be unfortunate indeed to assume that next year's teacher will provide that same largesse.
