My 8 year old son has an IQ of 126and ADHD. with no IEP because he has no "disabilities" What should I do?

Question

I feel he is going to get bored and withdraw from school all together. That did happen last year, but the school year is new. I tlked to the school about GATE and they pretty much blew that idea off. He was tested for asburgers as well but he only has some charecteristics they say

Answer 1

If ADHD has been diagnosed, your child qualifies for an IEP.  You might have to fight for that, although you should not HAVE to.  The other answers are good.

MissBehavior.  I'm a Behavior Analyst too, fromSo. Illinois U.  Not many of us around.

Answer 2

An IEP is only required if testing is done and a potential disability, such as ADHD, is found to inhibit the child's learning.  If your child has ADHD and is performing well in the classroom, then ADHD is not inhibiting his education and he wil not recieve an IEP under the other health impairment category.  The disability has to have a negative impact if a child is to receive an IEP.

Does your school have testing for a gifted program?  This would be the course to take. I do not know what GATE is, so if it is a gifted program and they have blown that off, then I apologize for the repeat of information.  If your school does not have a gifted program I would reccommend getting him involved in other activities to stimulate him or arranging with his teachers to give him some projects that he could do in addition to the regular courseload.

I understand you don't want your child to be bored, but you need to help him find ways not to be bored.  A teacher can only do so much with classes of 20+ students.

Answer 3

My child is now 7 (almost 8) and was recently diagnosed as "cognitively gifted."  However, there are some challenges, including the need for more speech therapy; the need for sensory integration to help with stimulation and overstimulation; and a social skills class has also been recommended.  Currently, an IEP is being put in place.

Initially, I had my son evaluated for ADHD and Asperger's.  I, too, was told that ADHD was a possibility but that my son did not have Asperger's.  However, I still strongly believe that many of his symptoms are on the Asperger's/autism spectrum.

I think you should push for an IEP and that ADHD can sometimes be disabling.  Only you know the extent to which it is disabling your child.  Also, bright/gifted children can have disabilities too which many people don't seem to believe.

If you cannot obtain the help you need via the public school system, you might want to consider homeschooling your child.  There is no reason for a bright/gifted child to sit in class and begin to "act out" due to boredom.  No one would think of placing a cognitively delayed child in regular classes and expect him/her to do well; the reverse should not be done either.

I hope you find the best solution for your son.

Answer 4

If they tested your child already then they know what is available for him. Some programs are intended for kids who have learning disabilites and it doesnt sound like your son has that. He would just be taking up a spot of a child who really needs it. It sounds like he should be in extracurricular activities to help him with that.

Answer 5

I think you are asking two different questions.

Having an IEP does not keep children from being bored. If a teacher is creative, then that shouldn't be a problem. And, like the rest of us, he is going to have to learn that being bored isn't really an excuse for not working. Being ADHD is also not an excuse. It sounds as though he may be being reinforced for not working.

That being said, there can be modifications and accommodations to his educational program using a 504 Plan. This is one way to get the kinds of accommodations to the learning material that he needs when he doesn't qualify for special education. The school counselor handles the 504 plans. Contact him or her for more info. Also, read up on 504 plans on the Internet so you know what you are asking for. In addition, read up on the various kinds of accommodations that are needed in the classroom by kids with ADHD.

Answer 6

The reason your child does not qualify for an IEP is that unfortunately, ADHD, and numerous other disorders like bi-polar,  no longer qualify, so an IEP would not be available unless your child is found to have some other qualifying disorder or there is a distinct difference between his educational ability and his achievement, which might qualify him as "other health impaired".  You may want to approach the school and ask them about this, if he is indeed failing.

Regardless of that he should qualify as a 504 and be considered for modifications and accomodations if his disability has shown that his performance in the classroom necessitates this.

As your child has an IQ of 126 you should be highly aware of the fact that having him included in anything other than a regular clasroom could be devastating to not only his educational achievement but also his social potential. The last thing you need is for your child to be labelled as a special ed kid, because this comes along with a stigma that is best avoided, and would be especially difficult for a child with a relatively high IQ.  

I have worked with numerous ADHD children that function relatively well in a regular ed classroom where special accomodations are not made for them.  It happens this way when their particular teachers are made aware of the child's condition and are willing to provide a little extra time, not modifications, in order to help this child focus on the tasks that are set.  A teacher that spends a little more time working on reducing distractions and allowing an ADHD child more frequent breaks generally will have a greater impact on an ADHD child's success than any kind of special education.

I tell you this mostly because with your child's IQ, it might be detrimental to his potential for him to be given any kind of modifications that are more than minor changes to his classroom environment.  I would suggest that you ask for a conference with his teacher, and find out what she/he is willing to do for your child rather than pursuing any special education route.

What you need to decide is whether your child really and truly needs accomodations in order to learn on his grade level. If it is, as was suggested, a case where he is getting bored and distracted (a typical ADHD symptom) then maybe his teacher could provide him with whatever he needs in order to help him with the problem.

I am a great advocate of pushing children to their academic and social limits, whether they be special or general education. If one makes things easy for a child and gives them modifications that are not absolutely necessary, over time they become accustomed to them and reach less than their true potential.

So, first of all your child needs a 504 plan, if an IEP is not done, and your child's school has to provide this, but you should be warned that you are unlikely to be considered as a part of this process, and the school does not have to invite you to a 504 Plan meeting. Accomodations may be provided for your child, but this is unlikely if they have already blown off the idea of GATE.

504's are literally there to ensure that your child is not discriminated against, and that he is given the chance at an equal level of education as are other children. So, keep this in mind. If you truly think your child needs accomodations in order to learn on the same level as regular education children without ADHD, then ask to have him re-evaluated for an IEP on the basis that he has failing grades (which is not a necessary component - but it might help) and the fact that his ADHD might well qualify him under the "Other Health Impaired category".

Answer 7

An IEP is not meant to keep a child entertained.  It is to help students who cannot be successful in the regular classroom setting.  A referral process must be conducted to see who qualifies.  If you are afraid you child will shut down because of boredom, you need to talk to the teacher now.  See if the school has any Gifted and Talented classes.

Answer 8

You should call your child's teachers, or go to the school, and ask what you need to do to have an IEP put in place. IEP stands for "Individual Education Plan" or "Individual Education Program", depending on the school district.  Some extremely gifted school children have IEPs in place.

Just because children have IEPs doesn't mean they'll be put in "special ed" or labeled as different. In many cases, the IEP simply lists modifications and accommodations the teacher can implement in the classroom, usually without calling attention to the student himself. You say your son has ADHD. Is this not considered by your school to be a disability? Does the ADHD not affect his education? You didn't state whether he's on meds or not. If so, when and if you arrange for an IEP meeting, the school nurse should be aware that there should also be a Health Plan, and possibly a Behavior Plan along with the IEP.

If the school "blows you off" again, don't give up. Ask what the proper procedures are for setting up an IEP conference. If you have no luck at the school again, visit your local school board office. Good luck.

Answer 9

If you child has no disabilities, then he should not have an IEP.  What he may have is a 504 Plan, which does not fall under the jurisdiction of special education but can entitle him to certain accommodations.  As far as GATE goes, it DOES belong in special education.  Why did the school blow this off?  What is the criteria for getting into the GATE program?  Did he score at an exceptional level in any areas?   Perhaps he did not qualify for the program.  As far as qualifying for an IEP, a general ed teacher may recommend a student for RTI (right to intervention) if they notice a child is not progressing along with his peers.  This is an intervention that can take up to 24 weeks and if no improvement is seen, it can kick him into special education services without the qualifying 2 year discrepancy otherwise indicated/needed through testing.

  If you find these things out I may have a better answer for you.  And stay on top of the teacher to make sure she/he is looking out for these things so that you can have documentation of his progress for future ammo!   Good luck....