The world of school accommodations and services is confusing. What is an accommodation and what is a service? When do I need either? When do I need both?
The answer is, "it depends."
On what? On whether the need is one that we expect to be permanent and unchanging, or whether we have reason to work toward improvement. On whether the need interferes academically or not. On how the particular school is organized to deliver the needed accommodations or services. That's just a start.
The real questions I need students and their families to answer are
The answers to these questions will form our understanding of how life and school are more difficult for this student, and what kinds of responses we can seek from the school to help our student develop into the adult that they are meant to be.
The documents that you will need to compile for your reference are as follows:
I believe that schools want to work in the best interests of the children. I also believe that they are sometimes unclear on their obligation to accommodate a student who may need something different to succeed. I focus on communication to create a collaborative relationship with the school to meet their obligation to provide every student, including yours, a free and appropriate public education. The fruit of this work is a school environment where your child feels included so that they are free to learn and make friends and build their future.
Click here for a copy of "A Brief Guide to Your Child's Rights to School Accommodations."
The answer is, "it depends."
On what? On whether the need is one that we expect to be permanent and unchanging, or whether we have reason to work toward improvement. On whether the need interferes academically or not. On how the particular school is organized to deliver the needed accommodations or services. That's just a start.
The real questions I need students and their families to answer are
- What are the really amazing wonderful things about this student?
- What are the things that are harder for this student than for others?
The answers to these questions will form our understanding of how life and school are more difficult for this student, and what kinds of responses we can seek from the school to help our student develop into the adult that they are meant to be.
The documents that you will need to compile for your reference are as follows:
- Student report cards, standardized test scores, and other assessments
- Narrative by parents and student
- Any prior 504/ IEP or informal arrangements for accommodations from the school
- Any diagnostic and treatment summaries from medical professionals
I believe that schools want to work in the best interests of the children. I also believe that they are sometimes unclear on their obligation to accommodate a student who may need something different to succeed. I focus on communication to create a collaborative relationship with the school to meet their obligation to provide every student, including yours, a free and appropriate public education. The fruit of this work is a school environment where your child feels included so that they are free to learn and make friends and build their future.
Click here for a copy of "A Brief Guide to Your Child's Rights to School Accommodations."