moving from IEP to 504

[Anonymous]

The school has been talking increasingly as if by next year we'll have a 504 instead of an IEP. It's true that my child is moving quickly through goals and doing really well.
But the learning disabilities don't go away, and I'm worried about the transition to middle school provoking a regression of sorts. What has this looked like for you in terms of maintaining access to supports if you need to ramp back up?

[Anonymous]

What grade? What kinds of goals?

[Anonymous]

What supports do you have now? What specialized instruction do you think he might need in middle school?

[Anonymous]

OP here dx are dyspraxia and dyslexia; goals have been in main academics but the real issue was executive functioning and self-regulation. A boon in maturity has led to better cooperation, personal responsibility, etc.
One of the reason we kept the academic goals was that it allowed for small group pull-outs, and that time gave him a bit of a sensory break.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here dx are dyspraxia and dyslexia; goals have been in main academics but the real issue was executive functioning and self-regulation. A boon in maturity has led to better cooperation, personal responsibility, etc.
One of the reason we kept the academic goals was that it allowed for small group pull-outs, and that time gave him a bit of a sensory break.

Secondary teacher:

So if you are worried about emotional/sensory regulation, you can build that into the 504. Things like "flash pass to counselor" would allow them to pop into the counselor's office to chill at any point, or "ability to step outside for 5 minutes when feeling overwhelmed" would let them head to the bathroom or to get water. Neither of those are specialized instruction, just accommodations. I've had students have things like "leave class 2 minutes early" to avoid the chaos of the hallways or "alternative location for lunch" if the cafeteria is too much. All of those are 504 level accommodations.

If you want an IEP, it will need some sort of specialized instruction. Do you want him in small group classes in middle school? Does he need an elective spent on building executive functioning skills?

[Anonymous]

Thank you!