These ups and downs: discovering the school will fail your special needs child.

Today was my first IEP meeting to discuss the findings of the special education evaluation performed on Luke over the last couple months (most of it was yesterday I found out in the meeting, hmmm...). I went in with such high hopes knowing that the educational staff has my child's best interests as priority number one, that is their job. The laws surrounding special education and disabilities in the classroom were designed to help children achieve and be the best that they can be. These great people acting under these great laws coupled with the report from Luke's Behavioral MD and Occupational Therapist would certainly come together to help him achieve his definition of greatness. 


I was confident.



I was delusional! I don't want to be cynical but it's times like these that I can't help but feel angry, disappointed, and completely helpless. How can anyone see how much he struggles with handwriting, pencil grip, use of scissors, etc. and deny him occupational therapy to better these skills? 


I actually had to sign a document today saying that Luke's disability (ADHD) does not hinder his academic achievement. That is a lie. He gets average or better scores on his report card for reading and math but gets low scores in writing. How is that not affecting his academic achievement? If he didn't have a problem with writing, he would receive average or better scores in writing. 


His writing problems and need for occupational therapy were the only reasons I requested that he was tested for special education services. I knew that 504 Plan accommodations would keep his ADHD "symptoms" from affecting his grades and achievement, if implemented properly.


So, after all of this, you are probably wondering why Luke was denied special education services.
 

He's smart.


That's right, you heard me, he is SMART.

He was denied special education services because he is extraordinarily smart. On the WISC-IV Intelligence Test, Luke's Full Scale IQ falls in the above average range. He scored very well on the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement as well. In fact, he scored above average in everything except Writing Fluency and Reading Vocabulary.

All of this is, however, no surprise to me. I know he is very intelligent. His kindergarten teacher knew he is very intelligent. His first grade teacher knows he is very intelligent. Our entire family knows he is very intelligent. After experiencing his behavior and lack of achievement, everyone is shocked to discover how intelligent he is. That disconnect is what lead me to look for a learning disability. That disconnect is apparently what will keep him from the extra help he needs as well.


So we will begin the process again now for 504 Plan participation. It is a different set of educators/administrators for the most part who will make that decision. The problem is, a 504 Plan is just a crutch. The 504 Plan accommodations will help him to not be penalized for the "symptoms" of the ADHD, and that is fantastic, but they will not provide services to help him improve his deficiencies, not so fantastic. See, there are ADHD issues that hold him back, like inability to finish assignments and poor scoring on timed tests due to that inattention, and then there are actual deficiencies, like the handwriting. The 504 Plan can allow him to use a word processor for assignments instead of writing them to get by but it will not provide any services to help him improve the handwriting skills and not need the word processor, the crutch. 


Here I am devastated that my child was denied special education. It feels just awful and very backwards. It feels ungrateful. It feels miserable. I know I cannot be the first parent sad about the special education department not accepting their child though. I am sure there are hundreds or thousands of children who walk the line between mainstream education and needing special services, like Luke. I am sure there are many children out there who's intelligence overshadows their special needs. It is so ironic.

I was told today that my child has gifted intelligence and does not need special education and I am sad. What gives? 


(Pictured is one of Luke's spelling tests from about a month ago. The Concerta was helping with his handwriting a good bit -- it slowed him down. This looks really great to me, knowing where he started, but this is not first grade performance.)


Penny Williams is the creator and editor of {a mom's view of ADHD}. She is also a freelance writer, real estate broker, wife, and mother of two living in Asheville, N.C. She has published several pieces in ADDitude Magazine, the #1 national publication dedicated to ADHD, and has also been quoted in Parenting.com's Family Health Guide on ADHD and The High Desert Pulse article, When Ritalin Works.  When not writing, she can usually be found behind a camera.