Public Education

 

Public education can be challenging for a child with a brain disorder. It is very important for the school district to be aware of the child’s diagnosis(es) in order to better serve the child. If for no other need than to make officials aware of medications in case of an emergency, need to administer medication for a headache or be aware of possible side effects and adverse events that can occur with your child’s medication regimen.

 

There are usually needs for accommodations to assist a child or enable him or her to function within the classroom setting. This is obtained through implementation of an Individualized Educational Plan, IEP, or Section 504 which is obtained through a process of the education system. The initial steps for an IEP require a Multi-Factored Evaluation, MFE, which assesses the needs of the child on many levels. Sometimes the school recognizes the need for evaluation and will request permission from the parent or guardian. At other times an MFE must be requested by the parent, which should be done in a written, dated form with date stamped confirmation obtained from the district upon delivery. You can find sample letters for various communications with the school at LDonline.org This starts a timeline in which the district must initiate the process to assess your child’s needs.

Pam and Pete Wright of the wrightslaw.com site have an excellent book out that will help you navigate the special education maze: From Emotions to Advocacy by Pete and Pam Wright

 

A few types of accommodations that can assist a child may be:

 

  • Late start times for the child with difficulty awakening and getting ready

  • Oral tests, extended test time for those with reading challenges/frustration intolerances

  • An agreed upon safe place to be when agitated or over stimulated

  • Daily assignment log completed by child or an aide and/or an extra set of textbooks for home for the child with difficulty remembering

  • Communication log between parent and educator of moods, issues and other important daily facts

  • Breakdown of assignments into manageable chunks to reduce frustration and overload

  • Medications dosed at school

  • Specialized transportation

The types of possible accommodations that can be used are extensive and are customized to the unique and individual needs of the child so that he or she might obtain a free and appropriate education as provided by IDEA. It is also quite common for learning disabilities to be comorbid with bipolar disorder and other psychiatric diagnoses. Identification and servicing of these needs can make the difference in whether or not a child achieves educational success. To determine the needed course of action it is imperative to have a complete picture of the child's educational status with a full evaluation for learning challenges.