How to get social skills services at school?

[Anonymous]

I've seen some people note that their child's school uses things like the Unstuck program or other similar resiliency type programs. How did you get that sort of service? My child has a 504 but was denied an IEp because he's academically advanced and is "capable" of doing the work (evidenced by the fact that once or twice a year he is able to successfully complete an assignment). His difficulties with dealing with frustration mean that he rarely attempts to do class work. For those who got this kind of service, how did you justify it?

[Anonymous]

I think you need to go back for the IEP. Being theoretically "capable" of doing the work is not a reason to deny an IEP if the child actually can't do the work without supports. That kind of reasoning about disabilities has been rejected. It is like arguing that a person in a wheelchair is not disabled because the wheelchair gives them mobility.

[Anonymous]

Actually, it's a little different. Social skills programs are denied because there is no connection to academics.

[Anonymous]

You need to focus on whether skills challenges make it impossible for a child to participate in small group projects or teams (eg PE) or creates behavioral issues.

Some schools are more willing to be proactive about this -- and some offer these programs or lunch bunch type groups to kids without IEPs.

If you have teacher feedback that social skills are a problem talk to the guidance counselor as a starting point in addition to the IEP process.

[Anonymous]

1 - I think you need an IEP. I would ask again and while doing so keep track of the incomplete work so you have data. How can you learn and keep up if you don't do the work?

2 - I think you should talk to your pediatrician. Somehow you have to find some ways to help and support your son. The school won't and can't do it all.

3 - Talk to the counselor, there may be some social skills groups that he can participate in.

[Anonymous]

Unstuck and On Target is really good. FCPS is trying to put it in all schools and is also trying to emphasize executive functioning training for all elem schools. There will be a new push in the fall for this. You need to call a meeting in the first few weeks of school to discuss your kid. You can call the Parent Resource Center to walk you through the procedures. You need to submit a referral for a local screening committee meeting and have a written update from the previous year's teacher or have her there at the meeting. Don't let them say they want nine weeks to go by before they do anything so he get used to his new teacher. And you need a behavior plan in that classroom so that he does the work and if he doesn't, there need to be consequences (supposing that he can do the work and has appropriate accommodations).

[Anonymous]

In MCPS they don't really offer this at any school I've heard of with the exception being if the child is in a special needs program (usually 15+ IEP service hours). The families I know who got this type of placement with social skills either came from PEP and PEP recommended it, had an attorney that found significant violations or had a child fail very badly.

I've been following this as we're in the same position as OP and if memory serves the people who have come on this board to talk about getting social skills hours for their child who is mainstreamed are in DCPS or FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried talking to the teacher? I mentioned it to our son's teacher who then talked to the counselor. All of a sudden, he was being pulled out once/week for social skills. He has an IEP for speech, but this is outside of that.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the culture of the school. I am the poster who mentioned our school using the Unstuck and On Target program after my child was "unaccepted" at Ivymount. The program turned out to be too basic and then our school went on to use Superflex which is a program they use more frequently than Unstuck.

DS got an IEP in prek4 when academics isn't an issue. DS is now a rising 4th grader and has always been above grade level academically. We did not have have any issues getting the IEP renewed in 2nd grade since the neuropsych eval and his teachers all agreed that DS needed one with an ASD/ADHD diagnosis. Most of DS's IEP goals deal with social communication issues not academics (which he doesn't need help with).

I think the key is getting an IEP which gets much harder past prek when the school may look at academics as the determining factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on the culture of the school. I am the poster who mentioned our school using the Unstuck and On Target program after my child was "unaccepted" at Ivymount. The program turned out to be too basic and then our school went on to use Superflex which is a program they use more frequently than Unstuck.

DS got an IEP in prek4 when academics isn't an issue. DS is now a rising 4th grader and has always been above grade level academically. We did not have have any issues getting the IEP renewed in 2nd grade since the neuropsych eval and his teachers all agreed that DS needed one with an ASD/ADHD diagnosis. Most of DS's IEP goals deal with social communication issues not academics (which he doesn't need help with).

I think the key is getting an IEP which gets much harder past prek when the school may look at academics as the determining factor.

DS attends a charter in DC which acts as its own LEA and the school has always been very supportive. Also, DS got evaluated and diagnosed at the urging of the school after he entered prek. We, the parents, had no idea anything was amiss.