7 Vital Back to School Stategies For Parents Of Children With Autism [Podcast Episode #174]
School can be stressful for children with autism, and for their parents too. Get empowered by having the right strategies to assist with better energy, clearer thinking and ability to focus, as well as calmer behaviors and better social engagement. It’s also important to know your rights. Here we cover the most vital strategies for your child’s greatest success. 1. Parent Help With School Advocacy-504 vs IEP We know that the needs of each child are very different. For this reason, you as a parent are your child’s best advocate. If you’ve been getting calls from the school about your child’s behavior or told that your child is having difficulty in class with anything including a particular subject, or your child needs emotional support because they experience anxiety or other issues, then it’s a good time to ask for help for them. Know that in most states a staff member of the school, including teachers, cannot legally say they suspect there is an issue with your child. A staff member of the school cannot even say they think your child has a learning disability or needs help. A parent begins by writing a letter to the school making a written request. This cannot just be verbal. It needs to be in writing so there is a paper trail and proof you’ve asked. In this letter, you as the parent, say that your child may be having issues in school and that you suspect they may have a learning disability. Do not specify autism. Just ask for an assessment to be done by the school. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act the school must provide a free evaluation, and then assistance based on those results. Once the results of the evaluation are in, then the decisions are made around how to reach the best success for that individual child. 504 vs. IEP IEP and 504 plans help to educate staff on campus about the special individual needs of a child to ensure the greatest success. 504 and IEP plans are funded by the school and completely free. They are also required to be given under law due to the disabilities act... Click Here or Click the link below for more details! https://naturallyrecoveringautism.com/174