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DD10 is going into middle school next week after accelerating from 4th to 5th grade last Spring. Frankly, I am trying not be overly anxious about her EF skills when dealing with 8 different teachers. I saw some really great ideas on this forum that would be a help to her if they could be put in her 504 - particularly the idea that she could email all her work to the teachers. It would end the absolute panic and meltdowns we saw this past year when she, over and over again, forgot something on the way to and from school. It's our main problem - the black hole that exists in my car which sucks up all homework, band sheets, etc.
I emailed the 6th grade counselor, and she emailed back "6th grade teachers must learn how the disability manifests in the school setting to be sure that there is something that must be reasonably accommodated. Doctor recommendations are appreciated, and would be considered by the team, but not passed into effect unless truly warranted."
Well, how will they see how this "manifests" itself unless I let DD consistently lose things and have emotional meltdowns all the time? Her anxiety level will go through the roof. The woman will meet with me - how do I work with her?
Sorry for all the posts - school is days away, and I am exploding with questions!!!

If she identifies one or two teachers as "nice," try emailing them directly and asking about the possibility of emailing assignments to them. If you can go into her 504 meeting in a few weeks with data showing that she is succeeding in classes where the teacher is allowing that, and not succeeding in classes where the teacher is not allowing it, you will have gold-standard evidence that the accommodation is "truly warranted."

Do you have any documentation from last year? I kept a mountain of email.

Is the 504 for ADHD and/or anxiety? In our district, the scan/email homework thing is, evidently, fairly standard for ADHD. Another option (that our coordinator said is also standard) is for the student to turn in all homework at the beginning of the day, to the homeroom teacher, who then distributes it to the team.

Big issue for my DS isn't so much getting the assignments/permission slips, etc., *into* the backpack, but noticing and remembering to turn in. Of course, I have to supervise the entire ordeal--check assignment planner, electronic gradebook, etc., walk him through his entire day verbally and ask "is there anything else," etc.

We were able to get the scan/email accommodations because the teachers do not want to ask for homework, since the kids are supposed to be responsible for this. A reasonable expectation for non-impaired students...but with mine, you could tape an assignment to his forehead and he'd still forget.

For us, the most important accommodations are communication (about assignments and performance), alternative methods of turning in work, and extended time. DS doesn't need extended time to complete things, per se, but I need time to be sure no balls have been dropped.

Is the counselor in charge of 504 drafting and/or compliance? Is there a way to find out what "standard" accommodations for your DD's disability are in that school?

I'm going into 504 tomorrow and am hoping to make the case that I want DS' access rights covered (and not wait for disaster) but will be working with him on the skills needed at home, also.

Sorry this is not very organized--just sharing thoughts. Feeling your anxiety!

I read some previous posts to remember what your DD's school experiences have been so far. I couldn't tell for certain how much of an issue the disorganization issues have been (for the teachers) so far. Our experience was that elementary level teachers were naturally more accommodating and supportive in the EF area than MS--probably just easier, less moving around, fewer total students to monitor.

Word to the wise: I'd go into the meeting asking what has worked for other students with ADHD who have trouble organizing/remembering. And expect the staff will want to know what *you* are doing at home to help. DS' 504 mentions things that "parent will do."

I have very little natural organizational ability myself--this hasn't helped me help DS work out systems. I'd suggest some sort of checklist system for the backpack, to happen the night before. I suggest it, but haven't managed it myself...

I don't think it's unreasonable for the school to expect parents to be doing some of this at home. If DS' big issue was remembering to pack the backpack, it's understandable they'd want this addressed at home. The problem we faced is it could all be *in* the backpack, but it would never, ever, ever be removed and turned in.

You will also need to know what daily assignments and long term assignments are, well in advance. I couldn't tell if this was a problem area for your DD, but knowing these things will help you help her with the backpack.

Good luck!

edit: one more suggestion--something in the 504 that says DD can use her own organizational system. You'd think this is a no-brainer, but some teachers are very attached to their systems. My DS is simply incapable of managing multiple folders and binders (not to mention a locker). We keep it all in one Trapper Keeper. Others have had the exact opposite issue (can't manage one big binder, need color coded folders). That's why I'd suggest something about devising your own system, that works for your DD.

Right my low tone kid had the mandatory 3" white binder of doom in middle school. I finally told them it might work for 1100 other middle schoolers but it wasn't working for student number 1100 and 1. That thing made ME cry.

You can also say emailing assignments is a skill a child needs for college. Many college assignments have to be turned in electronically by midnight of the deadline.

Another compromise is for the child to email the assignment and at the same time put a hard copy in backpack and try to manage to get it the hard copy turned in. If it is turned in the teacher can grade the hard copy. If the teacher grades the class and says whoops Johnny or Jill's paper isn't here, let me check my email...there it is! So the email becomes a backup.

Extended time has many uses...sometimes it is used because the actual work is taking longer, sometime it is a clerical/organizational issue that needs more time, and sometimes my son needed an extra day to just freak out about the assignment. As he has matured there has been less needs more work time, less clerical/EF issues and way less freaking out.

Last year he contacted his English teacher via email and said "I am not turning in my assignment today and using my 504 extended time accommodation for this assignment because I am having a rough time with it." This was a major accomplishment for him and his teacher had no idea he had been struggling. They chatted about it, he finished it up, and turned it in.

Do you have any emails, report cards, etc. from teachers last year stating the disorganization issues? It's not like those issues would have magically disappeared over summer break.

I hate to say this, but I would see that email as a kind of a red flag. It has a tone of "teacher input is more important than YOUR input, or even the DOCTOR'S input." We have had teachers who simply refuse to deal with issues or see them, they don't want to deal with "accommodations", have meetings, etc., or they think that labeling a child as a child with special needs is harmful. Or they don't think ADHD is a real disorder. So what if some of the teachers say "Oh, she's fine, parent is overly-anxious or making excuses" when that is not the case? Start documenting and try to get everything in writing. If your DD brings home an assignment with points taken off for being late, save the assignment. Print or save emails from teachers. That is your best defense.

edited to add, I had the same issue last year in terms of "helping" DD, and then she didn't look as impaired as she really was. For writing assignments, for instance, I was sitting down with DD and helping her plan, organize, edit, etc. I did inform the teacher of this, but apparently it went right over her head, and she insisted that DD's writing is fine (Strange-because DD was doing basically NO writing in class). It's a dilemma. If there is a disability, it's not fair to the child to say "It's your problem--figure it out yourself" just so that the disability can "manifest itself" and warrant the need of written interventions/accommodations. If she has multiple different teachers, though, I think she will have enough problems at school keeping track of her stuff by herself, and getting what she needs to each class, that it should be pretty obvious to them that accommodations are needed even if you do help at home.

Question re: emails. What part do these play in 504 meetings? Do they give you an opportunity to share this "evidence?" Ours have never included that component.

I really don't think the point of 504 updates is to "start from scratch." My understanding is that it is a dynamic document and is adjusted to meet the student's current needs. Does anyone have a resource explaining that point? It sounds like the counselor in OP has a misconception of the process. Or am I missing something?

May I note irrelevantly that I misread the title of this thread as "504 twerking," and it was fun that way?

This is the funniest visual ever--I want a video.

I would prefer never to see our school psychologist twerk, thank you.

(I bet the vice-principal would be good, though.)