Anyone not pursuing a 504 or IEP due to political climate

[Anonymous]

If this doesn't belong here, apologies and please move to the right topic. We were on the path to getting our child services but have decided to pause and wait and see.

I'm not really sure what I'm worried about. It's a mixture of the quality of the services due to budget cuts and the overall decline of education. And i don't want her identified for any nefarious MAH/GA purpose.

We are getting her private services, and her diagnosis is mild, and she's just started in school so there's time to get school accommodations when she's farther along her education.

I realize we're very lucky and privileged with timing and resources to have options. And maybe my fears are unfounded. But those are my feelings and my instincts.

[Anonymous]

I hear where you are coming from. We are in a similar situation. Kid could do without the 504 plan that we ultimately did pursue. The thought it could be risky in the future did occur to me. But right now without a more tangible reason to avoid it we did want to have a document to give her the best possible start in school. I think the more supports we can arrange as early as possible the better because this will shape how she feels about school longer term.

[Anonymous]

Denying your child accommodations and services that are necessary to their development, at a critical time in their growth, is willful neglect.

If your child does not need treatment or school services at this time, then you can choose not to pursue them now. But know that sometimes schools have IEP and 504 back-ups and need some time to set it all up; and that they might request an updated neuropsychological evaluation if it was done a long time ago. Waiting times for an evaluation and report can be several months long (6 months) at the best psychologists' practices. Then medication ramp-up takes several months if done with proper medical precautions at a psychiatrist's office. So all-in-all, for a child's wrap-around services and treatments to work, families and schools and experts need to work together for quite a while.

As for the political situation, it is aberrant. When this administrations leaves, no Republican or Democratic administration will pursue such fascist and authoritarian goals.

[Anonymous]

My DD has had an IEP for 10 years and honestly the services have sucked and we have spent time and money fighting a system that doesn’t want to help. I am not sure this political climate makes it worse (is that possible?).

Definitely get the IEP but pay for outside help. As a friend loves to say- the best help you get is the help you pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD has had an IEP for 10 years and honestly the services have sucked and we have spent time and money fighting a system that doesn’t want to help. I am not sure this political climate makes it worse (is that possible?).

Definitely get the IEP but pay for outside help. As a friend loves to say- the best help you get is the help you pay for.

You’re about to lose whatever help you have left

[Anonymous]

I guess I'd wonder what, specifically, you are worried about. My child was helped greatly by a 504 plan. It was night and day in terms of her performance and mood. I would deeply consider the trade-offs before making this decision.

[Anonymous]

My ASD child has a 504 that we obtained before the current MAHA talk of forming a registry of autistic people. I’m horrified by the possibility that DC’s information will be furnished to the current administration in extraction for school funding. The rhetoric from RFK Jr. especially sounds like eugenics to me. I get what OP is talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD has had an IEP for 10 years and honestly the services have sucked and we have spent time and money fighting a system that doesn’t want to help. I am not sure this political climate makes it worse (is that possible?).

Definitely get the IEP but pay for outside help. As a friend loves to say- the best help you get is the help you pay for.

You’re about to lose whatever help you have left

Why do you say that? Did Trump cut IEP funding?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ASD child has a 504 that we obtained before the current MAHA talk of forming a registry of autistic people. I’m horrified by the possibility that DC’s information will be furnished to the current administration in extraction for school funding. The rhetoric from RFK Jr. especially sounds like eugenics to me. I get what OP is talking about.

Respectfully you need to distinguish between fears and reality. I was disturbed by the resigstry idea but guess what … my kid’s data is already everywhere. How do you think they do the annual research on autism rates for example? Presumably OP’s kid has a diagnosis- their data is already out there.

The actual threat from the Trump Admin is that cuts to federal funding will lead to reductions in services available by schools - and the gutting of the ED complaints office. But to believe that kids with 504s and IEPs are going to get rounded up and that therefore you won’t get your child services is just … not supported by any facts I am aware of.

OP’s question is really just another variety of a question that we get here often about whether some perceived stigma of a diagnosis or label is negative enough to avoid the diagnosis. Sometimes that question indicates that the child actually doesn’t have anything that big going on and the parent is having cold feet when they think about it. Sometimes it’s a phase in denial. But those of us who have kids for whom NOT getting an IEP was ever an option can tell you that this kind of waffling likely bears little relationship to getting your kids actual needs met.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ASD child has a 504 that we obtained before the current MAHA talk of forming a registry of autistic people. I’m horrified by the possibility that DC’s information will be furnished to the current administration in extraction for school funding. The rhetoric from RFK Jr. especially sounds like eugenics to me. I get what OP is talking about.

Respectfully you need to distinguish between fears and reality. I was disturbed by the resigstry idea but guess what … my kid’s data is already everywhere. How do you think they do the annual research on autism rates for example? Presumably OP’s kid has a diagnosis- their data is already out there.

The actual threat from the Trump Admin is that cuts to federal funding will lead to reductions in services available by schools - and the gutting of the ED complaints office. But to believe that kids with 504s and IEPs are going to get rounded up and that therefore you won’t get your child services is just … not supported by any facts I am aware of.

OP’s question is really just another variety of a question that we get here often about whether some perceived stigma of a diagnosis or label is negative enough to avoid the diagnosis. Sometimes that question indicates that the child actually doesn’t have anything that big going on and the parent is having cold feet when they think about it. Sometimes it’s a phase in denial. But those of us who have kids for whom NOT getting an IEP was ever an option can tell you that this kind of waffling likely bears little relationship to getting your kids actual needs met.

All of PP's words are true, but the bolded especially needs to sink in.
Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ASD child has a 504 that we obtained before the current MAHA talk of forming a registry of autistic people. I’m horrified by the possibility that DC’s information will be furnished to the current administration in extraction for school funding. The rhetoric from RFK Jr. especially sounds like eugenics to me. I get what OP is talking about.

Respectfully you need to distinguish between fears and reality. I was disturbed by the resigstry idea but guess what … my kid’s data is already everywhere. How do you think they do the annual research on autism rates for example? Presumably OP’s kid has a diagnosis- their data is already out there.

The actual threat from the Trump Admin is that cuts to federal funding will lead to reductions in services available by schools - and the gutting of the ED complaints office. But to believe that kids with 504s and IEPs are going to get rounded up and that therefore you won’t get your child services is just … not supported by any facts I am aware of.

OP’s question is really just another variety of a question that we get here often about whether some perceived stigma of a diagnosis or label is negative enough to avoid the diagnosis. Sometimes that question indicates that the child actually doesn’t have anything that big going on and the parent is having cold feet when they think about it. Sometimes it’s a phase in denial. But those of us who have kids for whom NOT getting an IEP was ever an option can tell you that this kind of waffling likely bears little relationship to getting your kids actual needs met.

There are kids that can get by without an IEP/504 but still would benefit from it. They are people and are not an insult to you. The lower the support needs, the less benefit there is from an IEP so yes the calculus might be different. In some cases, elementary schools put all the IEP and EML kids in one class to make it easier to provide services to them. I have emails from school staff confirming this. If your kid is barely getting any supports, it's not worth the disruption of being in that class which has multiple staff pushing in throughout the day. Especially if your kid have anxiety/autism/adhd which makes those disruptions even more distracting.

Hopefully, OP's school does not do this (which I think is a huge disservice to IEP and EML kids, and which I think most schools do not do). Ultimately I agree with you that OP should pursue services because I think even a small amount of services can be valuable and I think it is important for school staff to be aware of the kid's specific needs. Kindergarten is very different from preschool and the demands are different. A lot of times as these kids get older they need more support because of the increased academic and social demands.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think your fears are unfounded. I wouldn’t stop the IEP or 504 process for any of those reasons. I live in a red state and this is not remotely a concern.

However, as other posters have noted, services aren’t really worth it in most places. Private services are an absolute must no matter what.

But, my kids have received the most services here than anywhere else we’ve lived, including N. Arlington.

[Anonymous]

I understand the concern.

But we chose (1) not to let politics interfere with what our child needed and (2) bot to let fear drive our choices. RFK’s rhetoric is abhorrent but I would feel so guilty if I deprived my kids, during a critical developmental window, based on news headlines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand the concern.

But we chose (1) not to let politics interfere with what our child needed and (2) bot to let fear drive our choices. RFK’s rhetoric is abhorrent but I would feel so guilty if I deprived my kids, during a critical developmental window, based on news headlines.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ASD child has a 504 that we obtained before the current MAHA talk of forming a registry of autistic people. I’m horrified by the possibility that DC’s information will be furnished to the current administration in extraction for school funding. The rhetoric from RFK Jr. especially sounds like eugenics to me. I get what OP is talking about.

Respectfully you need to distinguish between fears and reality. I was disturbed by the resigstry idea but guess what … my kid’s data is already everywhere. How do you think they do the annual research on autism rates for example? Presumably OP’s kid has a diagnosis- their data is already out there.

The actual threat from the Trump Admin is that cuts to federal funding will lead to reductions in services available by schools - and the gutting of the ED complaints office. But to believe that kids with 504s and IEPs are going to get rounded up and that therefore you won’t get your child services is just … not supported by any facts I am aware of.

OP’s question is really just another variety of a question that we get here often about whether some perceived stigma of a diagnosis or label is negative enough to avoid the diagnosis. Sometimes that question indicates that the child actually doesn’t have anything that big going on and the parent is having cold feet when they think about it. Sometimes it’s a phase in denial. But those of us who have kids for whom NOT getting an IEP was ever an option can tell you that this kind of waffling likely bears little relationship to getting your kids actual needs met.

There are kids that can get by without an IEP/504 but still would benefit from it. They are people and are not an insult to you. The lower the support needs, the less benefit there is from an IEP so yes the calculus might be different. In some cases, elementary schools put all the IEP and EML kids in one class to make it easier to provide services to them. I have emails from school staff confirming this. If your kid is barely getting any supports, it's not worth the disruption of being in that class which has multiple staff pushing in throughout the day. Especially if your kid have anxiety/autism/adhd which makes those disruptions even more distracting.

Hopefully, OP's school does not do this (which I think is a huge disservice to IEP and EML kids, and which I think most schools do not do). Ultimately I agree with you that OP should pursue services because I think even a small amount of services can be valuable and I think it is important for school staff to be aware of the kid's specific needs. Kindergarten is very different from preschool and the demands are different. A lot of times as these kids get older they need more support because of the increased academic and social demands.

If they can “get by without it” then they don’t meet the legal criteria. And I guess if you don’t want your kid to be one of “those” kids then that is also a consideration. I guess you are one of those parents whose kid is SN enough to need unlimited time on the SAT but certainly not actually disabled.