Spectrum, ADHD, and Early Education

My, as of Nov. 2018, 8-year-old step-son was diagnosed with Spectrum and ADHD.  He had issues in the past with aggressive behavior.  He is very shy in new situations.  The more comfortable he gets, the more he lets loose.  Before starting Kindergarten we met with the school Psychologist.  Because it was his first year, we wanted to start him with the other children.  It would give him a chance to have a normal school experience instead of starting as 'THAT" kid.  He did well and only had one incident involving scissors and personal space.  

The next year we had a meeting with the Special Education board to talk about what to watch out for, need of extra help, and to pass along the medical documents for his condition.  The head of the department suggested no change.  He would receive the same help that other children who weren't keeping up in class would get.  In this meeting, his father and I pushed that it was now if but when we would see his personality and educational ability change.  The year went on and his work started to decline.  After a harsh conference call with the Principal, Head of Special Education, and his father, he started receiving more specialized one-on-one time.  By the end of the year he was doing well and his grades improved.  During this year, I kept in close contact with his teacher to track his progress not only educationally but socially.  She know that the transition from a child's first grade year and their second grade would be a bit more difficult.  So, when she asked if I would be alright with her continuing to be his teacher in the next year, I was very grateful.

The now second grader was off to a new year with a little extra help.  We again tried to meet with the Psychologist, Teacher, and Principal.  Though we had the same teacher, we were still worried about starting at square one in the years to come.  Each state has a testing system in place for children who seem to have problems in the school environment.  It covers 10 different areas.  

Please investigate if you feel your child is in need of extra help.  Know what your rights are.  Here is a link that will help if you don't know where to start. Learning Disability Association of America

In our case, he has not shown any signs that he needs to be given these test at this time.  We still needed a way to continue his learning without having to re-educate teacher after teacher.  This is where the 504 plan came in to play.  This is a document that follows a child through college.  It is examined and refined each year of school.  Unless there are large changes, it saves us from having meeting each year with a board of educators that would rather be doing something else than listening to nagging parents.  May I add - NAG AWAY! This is your right & your child!  With the help of his teacher and some aids, the school now monitors his day to day activity.  He is given a list of goals through each part of his day.  They pertain to his Responsibility (getting work done, not having to be told what to do), his Attitude (his attitude towards learning and work, how well works alone and with others), and Respect (the way he treats himself, others, and those in an authoritative position.)  Entering the last quarter of his Second Grade year, he graduated from this program meeting all of the expectations on a regular basis.  This doesn't mean he is done being monitored, it just means that he has a sense of accomplishment.  

Next year, without having to talk to his teacher, he/she will be aware of his strengths, difficulties, and be prepared.  The 504 Plan may change several times throughout his schooling.  There may come a day that we will have to do testing.  No matter what the future holds, we are setting a structure and preparing for what comes next.

For those of you who feel like you are being trampled by the educational board, remember, they are there to help your child in every way they can.  Do not let them tell you what they are going to do.  We lost a year that could have saved us time and support for our child.  We were lucky enough to have the same teacher two years that knew what was going on.  Can you imagine if a brand new teacher came in and treated him as a problem child who didn't want to do work?  Educate yourself on your rights and give your child each and every opportunity they deserve!