Outgrow LD?

Having a disability isn’t what qualifies a person for an IEP. Having a disability that keeps you from getting an education from what’s offered is what qualifies you for an IEP. So it is quite possible for a student to no longer qualify for special education, yet still have the same disability s/he had from the get-go.

It is, of course, also fairly common for schools to want to withdraw services because it’s easier not to provide them. and it is a judgment call when you try to define “need.” They’ll tell you that of course the kid will benefit from more help, but so would any kid.

What are this kid’s skill levels? Grades are lovely — but if you can’t read, college is going to be tough. Sounds like there are still spelling issues — how are they to be addressed? The kid is going to have a spelling goal — but is anybody going to teach the kid spelling, or are they just going to acknowledge the problem and write the goal and hope it magically happens?

Another tricky issue is that while the disability may not be getting in the way of education right now with those ninth grade demands, what about eleventh grade or college? The standard college-prep curriculum *should* prepare a student for college — take a look at how that is expected to happen. Will the kid’s disability be a problem there? That may be something to look at more in later years, though. How are his independent learning skills? Organization? Time management?

The answer is that yes, it is possible to “outgrow” needs for some services, even if you don’t outgrow your disability. It is also possible to overlook real needs because a kiddo is getting good grades. It’s tough to balance the desire to give the kid all the help possible — and the desire to move the kiddo towards independence.

Before you withdraw him, it would probably be to your advantage to have him privately tested by a psychologist who specializes in LD, so that you will have all sub test results which can pick up on any area of weakness that has been overlooked. In many public schools they do not give the subtest , as they are expensive and go into more depth then public schools are willing to do. LD kids are usually very bright and learn to compensate in many areas. However, the demand of high school and college can bring out the weaknesses. Best Wishes, Sharon G.

I would be very careful about what the school is trying to do. I would also have him tested outside the school area to make sure what his weaknesses are. Children learn ways to adapt with their learning disabilities and this is what we are striving for, for our children but they don’t outgrow it or it doesn’t go away. When he reaches college and he hasn’t had an IEP for 3 years he will not be eligible for the extra help colleges can offer. Have more testing done!

There would be an IEP still — just with one goal. So there will still be a documented disability. HOwever, think ahead to things like the SAT’s — if you’re thinking he might need accommodations, BE SURE to get those accommodations EXPLICITLY spelled out in the IEP. Unless the IEP says that he needs extra time for regular tests, or anything else like a distraction free setting or getting the questions read to him, there is no chance you’ll get those accommodations on the SATs. (THere are still a ZILLION hoops to jump through, so find somebody now who has done it if you want to try to get those accommodations.)

It is possible that, over time, people can learn to compensate for their learning difference. My dyslexic husband in adulthood is not a rapid reader but reads competently and has finally mastered spelling. I guess it could be said that he “outgrew” it but in reality I think he finally learned his way through his issues.

Take a look at your son’s school work. How does it look to you? What is he reading and at what level does he read? What are his grades? How will he fare in regular classes? Those are some of the questions you could be asking as you consider the possibility of moving him out of his special ed. classes.

Good luck.

Virgina, a child can out grow capd, auditory processing is not complete untill a child is about 11 (give or take a year), it is possible for a child to out grow the disability.

No one ever out grows a learning disability, they may learn to compensate for it, so it no longer has an impact on current education, but the disability still exists.

If your childs learning disabilities are not currently impacting his/her ability to learn then it would be appropriate to move from an IEP to a 504 plan, for now.

Anyone who has any disability, or who has ever been identified as haveing adisability has a right to a 504 plan, mainly the 504 would give accomidations that your child may need, extended time, books at home,(these needed accomidations should be on your childs current iep- it would be everything listed except for the sp-ed service time) etc.

If at a later date the disability again begins to have an impact on his/her eduation then your child would have to be tested according to your state laws to see if the impact (discrepency between ability and achievement) was large enough to qualify for services again. If the answer were yes then the child would be placed back on an IEP, if the answer were no then you might need to make changes to the 504.

I have heard that sp-ed services can also be put onto a 504 plan, but i see little reason to do this, simply because if the child needs specialized education their seems no reason to put it on a 504 rather then an IEP, since the iep must encompass all 504 (ADA legal requirements) as well as IDEA mandates.