𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬?

𝐁𝐲 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐌𝐀, 𝐋𝐏𝐂

Back-to-school time is here, and many parents and children who use academic accommodations may feel anxious or uncertain. That is normal, no matter what grade level your child is in. 𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝟓𝟎𝟒 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐄𝐏𝐬, I often explained their accommodations to them so they could better understand their needs and advocate for themselves as they got older. When talking with a child about accommodations, help them identify the barriers they experience and keep the explanation simple.𝐀𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐈 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫. As a parent, do not be afraid to collaborate with your child’s teacher. After all, you both want the same goal: for your child to grow and succeed. It is also important to know your rights. You can request a meeting if you feel your child’s plan needs to be amended or to ensure it still matches your child’s educational needs.

Two important parts of a new school year are reviewing whether your child’s accommodations still fit their needs and understanding the difference between a 504 Plan and an IEP. Some accommodations may stay the same from year to year, while others may need to be updated as your child grows, changes schools, or faces new academic expectations.

An IEP focuses on specialized instruction, measurable annual educational and developmental goals, and related services such as speech therapy. IEPs are governed by the Individuals with

the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education from birth through age 21. An IEP is individually tailored to a student’s educational needs and is designed to help the student learn in the least restrictive environment. The least restrictive environment means that students with disabilities learn alongside peers without disabilities whenever appropriate.

A 504 Plan focuses on accessibility, environmental changes, and structural supports such as flexible seating or a different testing environment. Unlike an IEP, a 504 Plan does not provide

specialized instruction. Instead, it provides accommodations that help create an environment where the student can be successful. 504 Plans are often used for students with physical disabilities or medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, or cystic fibrosis.

To learn more about 𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧, 𝐌𝐀, 𝐋𝐏𝐂, her approach, and the clients she serves, visit her profile.