Bottom line is that she is not eligible for an IEP & that I will need to pursue a medical diagnosis (dysgraphia, dyslexia?) in order for her to have a 504 plan. The school is going to do a full language & an IQ evaluation.
Ginger, until they've done a FULL evaluation in ALL areas of suspected disability, they are not legally allowed to say she doesn't qualify for an IEP! If you think she needs any services at all from the school (any kind of remediation at all), then you should try hard to get the IEP. A 504 will provide accommodations (like reduced spelling list) but not any services to remediate the difficulties.
Right away, before they do their eval, you should send them a letter asking them to evaluate for "disorder of written expression" (dysgraphia does not always exist for schools) as well as language issues and anything else you think is affecting her schoolwork or participation.
You may want to do some reading at wrightslaw.com or get their book From Emotions to Advocacy-- this details your child's rights.
DeeDee
