When your child is growing up with a disability, it can be hard. You want to do what is right for them and to help them achieve everything they’re capable of.
When your child was young, you took much of their education into your own hands. At home, you could break up the school day and let your child take breaks when they were tired or overwhelmed. Now that they’re getting older, you want them to have good relationships with other children and to begin going to school.
Now is a good time to talk to the school about an individualized education program (IEP). The benefit of this kind of program is that it is catered to your child. It helps them attend classes and gives them the additional supports that they need to be successful.
A good IEP helps parents, school administrators, teachers and others to work together to create the right improvements to help children who may otherwise struggle in the traditional classroom. Unfortunately, there are numerous ways that a school could violate an IEP, and that’s something that you will need to look out for.
What happens if the school determines that your child isn’t eligible for special education?
Don’t give up if you’re told that special education isn’t an option. You can ask to have your child’s data collected for 90 days and to have areas where they’re struggling forwarded to you. In 100 days, you can ask the IEP team to reconsider your child’s eligibility with this new information available to them.
Your child deserves the right education and the right support to make the most out of their time at school. If you’re struggling to get them the IEP they need, you may want to look into further legal options.