Does this recommendation sound like a child should/could get occupational therapy or adaptive P.E.?

Question

My child has a problem where her right hemisphere and left hemisphere of her brain don't communicate well with each other. Somehow the translation gets lost in the corpus callosum. She has an integration dysfunction. The audiologist put this recommenation in her recommendations for my daughter and I was wondering if it soulnded like she should/could qualify for occupational therepy or adaptive P.E.?

" Students with auditory deficit benefit from remediation techniques designed to improve communication between the two hemispheres of the brain such as singing, dancing, juggling, playing musical instruments while reading music, verbally describing a picture while drawing it, and linguistic labeling of tactile stimuli."

"Temporal pattern training, rhythm perception and prosody training may be helpful."

She is not going to qualify for speech anymore and will lose her IEP for speech. She has ADHD and Central Auditory Processing Disorder. Can she qualify under a 504 plan?

Answer 1

i don't understand why she doesn't stay with an IEP. even if her speech is better it shouldn't knock her right off. would a 504 plan be better for her? i'm sorry if i didn't follow your question.

Answer 2

Before your child is dismissed from Speech, call an IEP meeting and request formal psychological, OT, process and academic testing. This will reveal any other learning disabilities as well as those that accompany CAPD. It will also show whether or not there is a discrepancy between ability and achievement, which is needed for qualification for special education services. Don't just request this, demand it!

However, if you have a doctor's diagnosis of the ADHD, she can qualify for services under Other Health Impaired, without worrying about the discrepancy rules. However, she will still need testing to get into special ed. The sooner, the better.

While OT might help to some degree, I also suggest that your child receive accommodations that include access to visuals of all information presented verbally and on the overhead. Your child will take in most information through the visual channels, so she needs that support. If she has trouble organizing her thoughts, then graphic organizers will help with this.

Another thing that might help is an wireless FM system that is worn by the teacher and delivers information directly into her ears, which helps with auditory discrimination as well as dimming noise distractions in the environment. To get this system, you must ask for an assertive technology trial on the IEP. Be sure to do this.

The other thing that I urge you to do is visit the Wright's Law page and read up on your rights as a parent of a child with special needs. There is also extensive information on Other Health Impaired and 504 plans. It is very important that you know your rights before going into any meeting. That way you can feel confident and assured when asking for specific assistance.

Answer 3

As far as I know, unless her dysfunction affects her performance in school, then the school system is not required to provide her with any services.  I think as a parent you can request an OT screen, where the OT can come and see if your child would benefit from OT services.  I am an OT, but I don't have any experience in the school systems, so what I am telling you is what I remember from school.  If she doesn't qualify for OT at school, that doesn't mean she does not need OT, she may still benefit from OT from a private therapist.  I know several people who receive private OT because their child did not qualify for services at school or the services they did receive was not enough.

Answer 4

A 504 is for adaptations.  If she is on an IEP for her ADHD (meaning there is an educational need that is caused by ADHD) then it is possible that a 'related service' like OT or Adapted PE might be needed.  A related service can ONLY be provided if there is a catagory in another disibility area - although most of what is described could be done outside of school in community education or enrichment activities.

Answer 5

Schools genrally look at if it is medically necessary ir educationally necessary-if it is only seen as a medical need-school will not provide the service.

You have to make a case for it to be educationally necessary

Answer 6

A child can only get adaptive PE thru special ed (IEP plan) and not thru 504.

If she currently has an IEP Plan, she CAN get help for this thru the IEP plan.

IEP plans are suppose to help with ALL disabilities a child has, and not just for one, such as speech.

In order for a child to have IEP taken away, the school first has to do a full educational evaluation to prove it is no longer needed.

If they don't do this they can't take away the IEP plan.

The first thing to do is to write and request and IEP meeting and in the meeting request the help for the adaptive PE.