Which one is better for my son He has bad anxiety that stops from learning?

Question

The doctor said that his vocabulary is poor along with all the anxiety getting in the way... So which one do you all feel would be better for my son an IEP or a 504

Answer 1

Is he getting bad grades at school?  Does he need extra help?  To get either an IEP or a 504 he will need to be officially diagnosed with a disability.  Has he already?  The disability would have to be affecting his performance at school/ his ability to receive education at school.

Schools usually have a process to figure out what will best help a child.  If your son is having difficulty succeeding in school, talk to them and ask what they recommend.  You may want to request a Speech/ language assessment if you think he has real difficulty in vocabulary.  If  he is not succeeding in his classes, other assessments may also help confirm what the problem is.

An IEP (Individualized Education Plan) is much more comprehensive than a 504.

A 504 plan would only guarantee specific accommodations/ modifications were made to help him access education successfully.

An IEP would include that plus more.  He would have individualized goals, a case manager would monitor them and keep you informed of his progress towards them.  He would get assistance from Special Education staff, either in the classroom, or pulled out in a small group.

I can't say which is most appropriate for your son, since I don't know him, nor much about his situation.  Talk to the people at your son's school.  If you want, you can make an official request for testing in writing, and they will have to respond to you within two weeks (I think it is), either saying they will test, or telling you why they do not think testing is necessary.

Answer 2

You need to request assessment for special educaiton services through your school district.  I would also recommend you take him to a child psychiatrist or neuropsychiatrist.  Don't let these titles scare you.  There may be an underlying diagnosis and he may be eligible for all kinds of support through the school district.  The anxiety could be coming from an undiagnosed learning or other disability such as an Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, etc.

Your son sounds like he needs an IEP to address the anxiety that is impeding his learning.

You can use sample letter #2 located at http://old.nichcy.org/pubs/parent/pa9txt... to help get you on your way.  You can learn more about the IEP process at http://www.valleysnafu.com.  Feel free to contact me directly through that website.

Answer 3

Why does he have anxiety? Lots of times kids are this way because they are frustrated because they don't understand their school work

IEP and 504 is different.

504 is for accomodations and modifications such as more time at lockers, sit at front of class, shortened homework assignments, etc.

IEP is special education. It is used to actually teach a child with specialized programs and methods to help the child with their learning problems. 504 does NOT do this.

I think IEP will be better.