The schools are currently in the process of testing my son for additional services.He has ADHD and he currently has a very minimal 504 plan. I would like to add to the plan if he does not qualify for special education. He is bright but he is off task quite abit and does not complete much of school work without major interaction from me. We did just start Strattera today. He would not take the other medicines due to the many side effects. He took them for 3 years with mixed results.
Does anyone have any suggestions of things they have included in their 504 plans that teachers (8th grade) would be willing to do. The school makes it sound like they could accomodate him if he was classified as ED. I have heard a number of bad stories from other parents about the ED program and how their kids picked up some negative baggage from the other kids in the program. I do not want to go that route. The kids are separated for all of the core classes.
Any suggestions?
Re: 504 accomodations
Some specifics that you can ask for are half pages of worksheets instead of the whole page. Any notes to be copied be given to him due to the continual distraction of looking up at the board then down at his paper. Any book reports should be books on tape he can listen to then do his report. Spelling/vocab tests administered one-on-one with oral responses. As long as you can hit on each of the subject matters taught, you’ll achieve it. Also, make sure they use the terminology “accomodations” and NOT “Modifications.” As for ED, when I worked with ED kids their teacher told me the teaching philosophy is maintain and contain. Until the kids are ready to move on, no new info is introduced. It is difficult to do because it goes against human nature.
What about other health impaired instead of ED? I wouldn’t want my kid in an ED class. I used to work in one and every day was like a working in a room with a bunch of powder kegs just waiting to go off which created a lot of tension throughout the room and the kids would respond to that tension in different ways…Some kids who are severely ADHD have an aide that accompanies them sometimes the whole day and others 1/2 day to keep them on task. I have seen teachers willing to allow a child to take a test in a distraction free environment, allow extra time if necessary. Another thing that I have seen work is a card that the child has to carry throughout the day that each teacher signs to state their behavior good or bad and teaches them to be accountable because they have to take the card home with them. If they have good behavior they can earn some kind of reward when they follow through.. But hopefully Strattera will help take the edge off for him. My son told me he doesn’t get test anxiety like he did on the stimulants and his behavior has been nice and even…