In most states, when a child turns 18, he/she is considered an adult. As a legal adult, a child may assume some or all of the educational rights previously held by the parent. Except for a student who has been determine to be incompetent under state law, a student with a disability who is 18…
A 504 plan is the plan that public schools (K-12) create to give students with disabilities accommodations and extra support. (click here to learn more about what section 504 is) 504 plans include accommodations like extra time on tests, changes to the testing area, changes to how lessons are presented so it’s easier for the…
Parents often tell us that their student is getting support through “RTI” but they do not always know what that means. With the reauthorization of the Individuals With Disability Act of 2004, Congress believed that when identifying students with learning disabilities, schools should use procedures that are more relevant to the instruction that students receive…
What is the difference and how do you know what is best? These are terms that are thrown around in parent/teacher conferences every day but do parents really understand what the difference is? An accommodation changes how your student learns while a modification changes what your student learns. Accommodations help students learn the same information…
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association. It is the standard guidelines that are used when assessing for any mental health issues. This manual is updated from time to time and the way disorders are diagnosed can change. Changes can also be made to the name…
What are some of the best accommodations for students with Dyslexia? First, it is important to understand that an accommodation is just a way to level the playing field for a student with a Dyslexia. Accommodations do not CHANGE the curriculum at all, they just change the way it is delivered. Below are some examples…
Academic difficulties can become especially pronounced during the adolescent years. This is when schoolwork begins to become more challenging and demanding, preparing students for more complex high school coursework and eventually, college- and university-level classes. Sometimes, young people have minimal academic struggles throughout their elementary school years, but then face difficulties in adolescence when academic…
ADHD is a disorder that is well known for being diagnosed (and even over-diagnosed) among children and teenagers. Parents, teachers, and pediatricians are more informed than ever on the signs and symptoms, which means that no longer are the days when children daydream in class and struggle academically with no one knowing why. Adults, however,…
The latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders no longer includes the diagnosis of ADD. Instead, it includes all disorders of attention as ADHD and then qualifies them as one of the following: Primarily Inattentive Primarily Hyperactive Combined Type (both inattentive and hyperactive) Individual who are primarily hyperactive are typically easy…
Auditory Processing Disorder involves difficulty processing sound as the information travels from the inner ear up to certain parts of the brain. APD is not a hearing deficit….meaning that children with APD typically have normal hearing. Children with Auditory Processing Disorder can have a weakness in one, some, or all of these areas: Auditory Sequencing…
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