Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional District too inept to do eval

My son has to type his spelling words otherwise he never gets the tests done. Ever. Not even close. Teacher, despite his strong IEP, was resistant but of course I had to get involved and straighten her out.

blackcat, I think what you really need is the step that comes before putting accommodations in place - you need an accurate diagnosis of what's at the root of the issues you're seeing. You suspect there is more going on than ADHD, and you have good reason to. You'd like to have the school district give you what you need, but there's a bit of a fundamental difference between where you are coming from and the services that school districts are obligated to provide. The school is going to be looking at the *impact* on access to education (of whatever the challenge is); a private eval is going to look at impact across life functions. Please forgive me if I haven't stated that clearly... it's still early in the morning here and I'm not 100% awake yet

You can choose to spend your time fighting the good fight to get everything you need from the school district (and mon has given you great advice about how to go about that above), but (jmo), what you need for the long run (for your dd) is a clear diagnosis.

As expensive as it may be to get a private eval, I'd look forward and think - what is going to happen if she doesn't get a private eval now and is still struggling with many of these same questions 10 years (or less) down the road when she's in college or she's a young adult out on her own? It's most likely going to be even more difficult for her as a young independent just-starting-out adult to pay for an eval, plus I'd also think through how you might feel if she does find out at 20 that she's dysgraphic instead of finding out now - are you going to wish you'd had the diagnosis earlier? Is she?

So anyway, I'd step back and instead of focusing on what she needs for accommodations as the first line of concern, focus on what you and she need for clarity (an understanding of - is this all ADHD, or is it a combo of ADHD and some other issue). The clearest way I can see to get there is a private neuropsych eval, if there's any way you can get one. Once you have the eval, you'll have a diagnosis (or not, depending on the findings), and then you will have that report and clarity to use as data when advocating for the accommodations your dd needs at school.

I'd also add, that even if the neuropsych eval turns up only ADHD and nothing else you should still be able to request accommodations for what you've listed above with ADHD being the reason she needs the accommodations.


I personally feel that suggesting something like this is overstepping the bounds of the role of the teacher - she's not a dr. OTOH, it sounds like perhaps the teacher sees an issue and wants to help your dd. If this is the case, hopefully you will be able to count on her classroom observations in support of your advocating for accommodations. The thing is, her support will be more effective if *you* have a clear picture of what's causing the issue, rather than relying on a teacher to give input based on assuming what's at the root of the challenge. OK, I am sure I totally did not explain that very well! Hopefully it makes a little bit of sense

Hang in there,

polarbear

Nothing much to add to Polarbear's excellent advice above-- but a couple of quick thoughts.

1. THEY had better not be writing any 504. YOU need to be part of this picture, as well-- you know, since you are one of the world's foremost experts on... your child.


2. 504 is about access-- which is, clearly, being denied to your child relative to classmates. This is completely unacceptable.

3. Diagnosis isn't qualification under 504. This is significantly different than IEP/IDEA. Diagnosis also doesn't lead to a particular menu of accommodations for a particular condition. Ergo-- you may not NEED additional documentation. You see a problem, the teacher sees a problem. Do you both see some obvious solutions? It sounds as though you do-- and that may be all that is needed for those accommodations to be put into action. The ADHD is sufficiently impairing that it qualifies her, yes? Particularly now that ADAA says that mitigating measures (medication) aren't to be allowed when considering eligibility.

4. Consider which life activities are "impaired." If there are checkmarks missing-- FILL THEM IN. This stuff really matters later on.

5. Lillie-Felton. Performance isn't the measure of impairment.

In defense of the teacher, she didn't really ask to reduce her meds. What happened was that her patch basically fell off in the middle of the day, and I asked the teacher how it went. The teacher said that she did not seem unfocused, and she didn't see any issues even though the patch was probably only on a few hours. And DD had much more personality and enthusiasm. So I said that if she really seems fine without it, we could try without and see what happens, and the teacher seemed to really like that idea. I should have been more clear about that. We tried without the patch, and I just gave her her pill in the morning (normally she gets both). She was relatively Ok until late morning and then fell apart, apparently. I don't have a problem with medicating her. Yes, she is more cheerful when she is not medicated but we can't have her in La-La land acting like a happy drunk person.
I am going to meet with the teacher after school tomorrow. The teacher said we should try to figure out a plan for her (i.e. informal modifications). I don't know why she has continued scoring spelling and whatnot with unfinished words, but she will probably be open to listening to my concerns about it. We'll see.
I guess I don't even know where to take her for an eval. Her primary doctor is trying to figure out a referral for a psychiatrist with the Children's hospital, but I doubt a psychiatrist would be able to figure out something like dysgraphia (if that's what it is). The neuropsych I took DS to at the university does not see kids like DD. He saw DS because he had a brain injury.
I took her to an OT but the OT could not diagnose dysgraphia and didn't seem to think that was the problem anyway.

I think you got some really good advise. I would definitely start with getting my own neurophsych evaluation. I was able to get my insurance to actually pay for it. I was surprised because I heard many times they deny the claim. You may want to find out if it is covered. I did have to go to a preferred provider, but there were plenty of qualified ones.

I also would not want the teacher telling me when to increase or decrease the dose. It sounds like there is a lot more going on than just ADHD. If I were you, I would want to know exactly what is going on myself before I approach the school.

The impact also sounds like an IEP would be more appropriate to me. It carries more weight and is taken more seriously in the school system. You have more protections as a parent if there is a teacher who doesn't follow it. I worked as a teacher before, when surprisingly I knew so much less about IEP and 504, even though I had kids with them. Many teachers do not get training in this area, so are ill equipped to provide guidance on what to do.

The teacher should definitely start with accomodations and modifications even before everything is complete. If the teacher refuses, then just modify it yourself. I have been known to write a note indicating we would not be completeing an assignment or we will be doing it this way. I would also put my foot down and tell them that my child will no longer be staying in for recesss to finish anything. It is counterproductive. Let them know you are in the process of getting a complete evaluation, but you need these measures in now until more permanent solutions can be found.

You truly are your child's best advocate. Next year your child will have a different teacher, and that teacher will have moved on with a new class. Do what you think it right.

It's probably illegal to provide accommodations "informally" without inclusion in a 504 plan. Because providing them at all is an admission that they are necessary, see.

So I think that the teacher's intentions are good-- but I might get together with the teacher and (friendly-like, since you have a good working relationship) say; Look, I think that we both have some really good ideas and observations-- what do you say we take this back to the 504 team and tweak a few things in the 504 plan? You know, make it easier for a new classroom teacher (next year) to figure out ways to make this work.

Ultimately, she's already a QID. Get it into the 504 plan-- you don't NEED to provide a diagnosis in addition to the qualifying one.

We know this-- because DD has things in HER 504 plan that have no relationship at all to her disability-- but they are educational modifications/accommodations that she seems to need, either way.

Of COURSE pursue private evaluation for yourself and your child. But it isn't clear to me that the school even NEEDS to be in that loop at the moment.

The school is willing to write a 504 and will probably put in there what I want (within reason). After the fiasco with DS and me pulling him out and upper level admin getting involved, they will write a 504 without making a fuss. They know a 504 is not difficult and at the most it inconveniences the teacher a bit. But the problem is that I don't know what I want or what she really needs. I think it would be hard to justify something like typed spelling words, unless there is some indication that she has dysgraphia or a writing disability. So the 504 will be written as if she is simply unfocused with slow speed, when it may be a writing disability. I suppose we can go back and change it later but I don't know if it's worth the time/hassle. Oops, we have more info now, let's re-do it.

It will have to be looked at every year anyway, so if it was me, I would write in what is pertinent now and possibly in the next year. Reduced assignments and extra time is a common modification of all sorts of diagnoses. She can prove she knows the spelling words and practice them so many different ways. She can spell them orally to the teacher. She can practice them whichever way works for her. Or, if spelling is a huge issue, she can have less words. A 504 is not legally neccessary for a teacher to do what is right for a kid. When I was a teacher, it was totally in my control, to modify/change, reassess, work with a child any way I thought was right. I didn't need a 504 or IEP to do that.

I told the school I want to at least wait until I can take her into a specialist. In another week or so we will have a better idea of what district/school she will be in in the fall. So I'll talk to the teacher, see what she thinks, and then go from there. If it seems like it will be a hassle to get an outside diagnosis in a reasonable amount of time, then I'll have them proceed so we at least have something for the fall with a new teacher.

You have gotten really good advice already. I just want to reiterate that the school is not equiped or supposed to produce a medical diagnosis. That's up to your private medical professional. However, the school, in conjunction with you, is supposed to come up with accomodations that will address the functional deficiencies in the classroom. For example, if your DD needs a scribe, or a computer, or extra time or reduced work, then that is what they must provide but they are not required to determine/label her as dysgraphic although they may do some basic tests to affirm her functioning levels.