Looking Ahead to a New School Year

Labor Day is almost here and school is about to begin again.  A clean slate and a whole new year of challenges, excitement, and anticipation lies ahead.  Most of us recall wanting to return to school that first month to reconnect with friends that we missed over the summer, to hear about the upcoming school events, and feel like we had a new start.  For the student with learning disabilities, ADHD, or any other school struggles, this first month is also filled with feelings of trepidation.  Will her new teachers understand her? Will her classmates accept her?  Will she be able to keep up with the work? 

Just after the final summer adventure, parents need to pull out that IEP or 504 Plan, and review it with their child.  Typically it is the parent who knows about these documents, put the person who needs to understand them the most, is often left in the dark.  Hopefully your child participated in the last IEP review and is comfortable with this process and the resulting document.  If not, start now. There are several parts of the IEP document that every student should be familiar with.

1. The diagnosis: the federal label, the type of disability and its impact on her.
2. The goals and objectives:  what she will be working towards this year.
3. The accommodations: the supports she will need in the classroom to be successful; accommodations may extend to homework and major projects.
4. The level of service: what classes will provide the accommodations; which support teachers she will meet with; where she will go for parts of the day to receive some of the services and/or accommodations; how often she will receive a particular service.

If any part of the IEP is unclear to you or your child, your child should set up a meeting in the first month of school to clarify the parts she does not understand.  This will instill self-advocacy and empower her to become actively engaged in her education.

Often the 504 Plan is developed at the beginning of a school year.  If possible make an appointment with her guidance counselor just before school starts. This will assure her a fresh start, receiving all the benefits of the plan from the start of the year.  She should be familiar with:

1. The diagnosis: the type of disability and its impact on her.
2. The accommodations: the supports she will need in the classroom to be successful; accommodations may extend to homework and major projects.

Giving your child the opportunity to become a self-determined individual will help her become her own self-advocate and ultimately develop into a responsible adult. It will also decrease fears and allow her to look forward to the new year with excitement.