Last updated on November 26, 2023
Podcast Episode 0067; Season 04, Episode 31; July 13, 2021
Laura Reber is a school psychologist and founder of Progress Parade. At Progress Parade, they know what makes you different makes you strong. They provide 1:1 online tutoring with hand-picked specialists for students who have been diagnosed with ADHD, learning disabilities, executive functioning challenges, autism, and more. Laura works with a team of school psychologists and specialized teachers to create personalized approaches for homework support, academic intervention, homeschooling, unschooling, and more.
Laura graduated valedictorian with a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Truman State University and continued to earn her Specialist in School Psychology (SSP) from Illinois State University. She has been working as a school psychologist for over a decade. With her teams of tutors, she has successfully supported over 1000 students in turning learning challenges into life-changing achievements.
To learn more about Progress Parade, visit: https://www.progressparade.com
Background Questions
Question: Many, if not most, in our audience have experienced the IEP and 504 Plan process. Like many parents, my wife and I have had our daughters migrate from 504 Plans to IEPs. A brief overview of the differences between the Rehab Act’s Section 504 guidelines and the Individualized Education Program requirements within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act might give our conversation context.
Answer: Section 504 states that institutions are required to provide reasonable accommodations that “level the playing field” and provide equal access essentially to ensure that there is no discrimination based on your disability. A 504 plan documents the accommodation you receive.
An IEP Plan typically provides a bit more support than a 504 plan. While a 504 plan provides
accommodations, an IEP provides modifications. There are typically services included in an IEP
(meeting with a special education teacher, social worker, speech language pathologist).
Example: an autistic student who has strong academics may just have trouble with handwriting
or have test-taking suffer in certain conditions (like with sensory reactions in a certain room). A
504 plan could document access to a laptop for all writing or being able to take the test in an
alternative environment. In this example, there is no modification to the curriculum. The
environment is just changed so that the student has equal access.
Many autistic children need more than that. Common examples of IEP services for autistic
students are social work, speech-language, and academic support with a special education
teacher.
Q: As with many parents, we discovered what is Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) within a Least Restrictive Environment depends on the school district, the specific school site, and the teacher. What one teacher considers appropriate and least-restrictive, we might consider very isolating for our child. How can parents work to politely, yet firmly, advocate for inclusive classroom experiences?
A: We want to have a collaborative relationship with the school and work together constructively whenever possible.
Share your concerns clearly- some teachers are used to parents wanting more services,
not least restrictive environments (with fewer services) so they might appreciate hearing
where you’re coming from.
Whenever you request something, ask how you can support that goal at home- teachers
like when parents are partners and take responsibility for making the desired changes to
happen as well; for example, if you want your student to transition to general education
computer class, ask what information you can review with your child at home via
conversations or social stories to help your student be ready to transition.
Put your requests in writing. This is important because educators are often overwhelmed
and distracted in hallway chats or in passing. Having it written out allows them to
process it in their own time.
Be the (nice) squeaky wheel.
If all of that fails, sometimes you need to take additional actions and sometimes there is
some disagreement and uncomfortable situations.
Q: Following the pandemic, schools are preparing for a surge in reassessments and IEP/504 Plan meetings. As a result, existing plans will remain in place until new assessments can be conducted and meetings scheduled. How can parents deal with the first weeks or months of school without updated accommodations?
A: – This could be so tough! Taking one step back, I think the schools aren’t really taking transitions back as slowly in some cases. Recognize the school isn’t thinking of our neurodiverse population when making their plans. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Practice. Make space for nerves. Get outside help. Social stories/conversations to prepare.
Recognize that having some time to settle in might not be a bad idea. The idea of grade
level may not mean the same thing after this transition, so we may be surprised by what
unfolds. We want to give your child a chance to settle in any way to see what they need
now, in comparison to their peers.
Recognize that you’re a part of the IEP team and since many of you have spent so much
time with your child this year, your observations mean more than ever! You can keep
data too. Be proactive. Start talking to teachers now to make requests. Some schools do summer evaluations. Talk to your school and find out what’s possible. Again recognizing that the school year may surprise you, so giving everyone
some time to settle in may be helpful.
Q: What have your experiences revealed about the neurodiverse community of students, including those with autism, ADHD, and other cognitive differences?
A: Realize we don’t know everything (diagnoses can make us assume things that just aren’t true). It’s so important to observe and listen to each individual child. Trial and error can help a lot. Patience and repetition for all kids is so important. Focus on strengths, too. I think it’s too bad that IEPs just have one little section about strengths. I wish there were goals to develop strengths.
Q: My wife and I are fortunate and have the ability to spend time and energy meeting the needs of our daughters. We also have excellent insurance and additional supports. However, many families lack access to supports. How do you suggest we meet the needs of those families?
A: I think first we need to do a better job of helping all families know their rights in special education; I think a lot of times families don’t know what the school SHOULD be doing, so we need to educate whenever possible. I’ve joined a lot of Facebook groups, have written blogs, and am doing things like this podcast to just try to get the information about there about how to request evaluations and to know when school districts really aren’t holding up their end of the bargain; I think even getting this information out there more would help so much; many places have low-cost legal aid to help advocate for children. The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) and National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) are great places to start. We need to do a better job with early intervention/child find- this would go a long way and some school districts do a much better job with this than others.
Like in so many areas, unfortunately, people of color or disproportionately represented in
special education, this past year has really brought a lot of needed attention to that
conversation and we need to continue that work.
Transcript to Come ASAP
I know… I keep promising updated transcripts. I’m setting aside the next month for updating older podcast episode transcripts.
The Autistic Me on Social Media</h3
- Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
- Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme