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Current update:

My son has actually done really well since receiving the GIEP and updated 504 plan. Initially, the GIEP only covered math because none of his reading teachers said he needed enrichment on reading. We were okay with this for now, since writing is such a large part of reading and we didn’t want to overwhelm him. But the new 504 has been a big game changer, and he’s improved significantly in reading and writing so much that his reading teacher recommended him for gifted small group reading.

Since he received the GIEP and 504 in the middle of 5th grade, the school didn’t want to do subject acceleration (since I would mean going to a different school building and starting in the middle of the year). We’re not quite where we want to be with his schooling just yet, but even the small changes have made a huge difference in his confidence at school.

Thanks for reading and I’m so glad for all of the recommendations and advice people have. We’ll continue to advocate for his needs, but we’re happy that he’s happier at school.

Excellent news! I'm most pleased that his confidence has improved, and that he is happier. Clearly, you are doing a great job advocating for him and helping him feel supported.

Last update:

My son has done wonderfully this year. He’s had almost no behavior incidents, and his confidence and social skills have increased greatly. We haven’t had any work refusal in a long time, and he’s been getting his homework done before he even comes home.

His math map scores improved dramatically this year, from 240 to 276. Because of this, the school is putting together an assessment that he can take to see if he can be subject accelerated next year in math. We’ve already put together a team meeting before middle school starts next to make any necessary changes to his 504.

I’m so grateful for all the help I received. It’s been amazing to see him enjoying school for once. Thank you.

So happy for you and your son! I hope you are both enjoying the freedom of summer, and keep up the good work.

Since it’s been a few years, I thought I’d come back with an update:

My son just finished middle school. He was subject accelerated in math and science in 6th grade and has several high school credits on his transcript already. He was on the honor roll every year in middle school and finished 8th grade with above a 4.0 gpa. Even though writing is still a relative weakness for him, he has improved tremendously with intervention and accommodations. He’s had no behavior problems since he was in elementary, and he even started participating in clubs, sports and team activities. His current passions are DnD, swimming, violin/viola, video games, chess and riding his bike. He and his friends meet once a week to play DnD and other board games, and he’s planning on joining the high school chess club next year.

I just wanted to give an update to show how much everyone’s advice here helped. He has made tremendous progress since 3rd grade and I don’t know how to thank everyone who helped us when we were struggling with the school district.

This is wonderful news! I am so pleased to hear that he has had happy years in middle school, and has things to look forward to in high school. It sounds like he has really blossomed in multiple ways, and also found his people socially.