Special Education and Children with Attachment Trauma:

IEP or 504?

Julie Beem, Executive Director,

Attachment & Trauma Network

And

Melissa Sadin, Co-Lead Trauma

Sensitive Schools Think Tank,

Attachment & Trauma Network

Attachment

& Trauma

Network, Inc.

Road Map for Today

Child struggling at School

Identifying Areas of Concern

504 / ADA

IDEA –IEP –

Special Education

www.Attachmenttraumanetwork.org

My Child is Struggling in School

• Identify the problem. Be specific.

• Collect Data –

Notes at meetings

All Communication with the school.

Tests, quizzes, homework, discipline reports

As per…emails

• Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) or

Response to Intervention (RTI).

Attachment

& Trauma

Network, Inc.

Tips for Meetings at the School

• Write down date and who attended.

• What do we know?

• How do we know it?

• What can we do about it?

• Who will be responsible?

• How will we know it is effective?

• When we will meet to review intervention?

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

504 / Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA)

What Is It?

• General Education Initiative – Funding from

local school budget.

• Disability Impedes one of the listed life

functions (walking, eating, working, learning,

reading, thinking)

• Typically in place for one school year.

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504 / Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA)

What Can it do for My Child??

• Removes barriers to life functions.

• Provides minor modifications to WHERE, WHEN, or HOW instruction is delivered.

Classroom seating, homework modifications, use of a computer, prompting

Behavior plans

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

504 / Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA)

How do I get One?

• Request can come from school or parent.

• Make request to the principal or designee. (In

writing for your records)

• A Diagnosis is helpful and in some cases

required – MD, Psychiatrist, Psychologist

• Have evidence of area of need.

• Meet with the 504 team – teacher,

administrator, counselor, others appropriate to

your child’s struggles. (Remember our tips for

meetings at school)

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

Guidelines for accessing 504 services

Parent is notified of

teacher concerns or

vice versa.

Implement classroom

strategies

Complete I&RS Process

Parents obtain outside

diagnosis of disability or

medical condition.

Teacher or parent

requests consideration

for 504 services in

writing

Child is not meeting academic and/or behavioral

benchmarks

504 Team meet s wit h

parent s t o det ermine

eligibil it y and develop

plan.

Plan is

implement ed and

valid f or t he

remainder of

t he school year .

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504 / Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA)

Pros and Cons

Benefits Cautions

Can be put in place

immediately.

Few procedural safeguards.

Minimally invasive. Can be difficult to maintain

fidelity to the plan.

No Testing Required. No Testing Required.

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA)

What Is It?

• Special Education – born out of Brown vs. BOE

legislation. PL 940-142 – Education for all

Handicapped Students

• Funding provided through federal and state

grants.

• Eligibility determined by formative data and

results of three (or more) part testing –

Psychological, learning, social – speech, OT,

neuropsychological

• Reviewed every year.

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

What can it do for my Child?

• Provides a change in program – class or

school. Range of services.

• Related Services – speech, OT

• More modified behavior plans.

• Modifications to the curriculum and instructional

strategies.

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

How do I get One?

• Request for eligibility meeting can come from

school or parent.

• Parent request must be in writing - letter, not

email.

• In most states the request can be sent directly

to the director of Special Services.

• Written request must be followed by an

eligibility meeting in 20 days.

• Bring all of your data to the eligibility meeting.

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

Guidelines for accessing IDEA services

Child is not meeting academic and/or behavioral

benchmarks

Parent is notified of

teacher concerns or

vice versa.

Implement classroom

strategies

Complete I&RS Process

CST meets with teachers and

parents to determine need

for evaluation.

Teacher or parent

requests Child Study

Team Evaluation in

writing

CST performs

Learning,

psychological, and

social evaluations.

Speech and OT may

also be

administered.

Child is found NOT eligible for

services

Generally in 60, but no later

than 90 days, the team meets

with teachers and parents to

review the test results.

Eligibility is determined.

Referred back to I&RS

Referred for Basic Skills

Referred for 504

I EP is developed.

Child’s academic

placement may

change.

Accommodat ions and

relat ed services are

provided.

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

Individual Education Plan (IEP)

Pros and Cons

Benefits Cautions

Parents Rights Can take 60-90 days.

Procedural Safeguards Testing is required.

Easier to maintain fidelity to

the plan.

Temporary Label

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

IDEA Classification Categories

1. autism;

2. deaf-blindness;

3. deafness;

4. emotional disturbance;

5. hearing impairment;

6. intellectual disability;

7. multiple disabilities;

8. orthopedic impairment;

9. other health impairment;

10. specific learning disability;

11. speech or language impairment;

12. traumatic brain injury; or

13. visual impairment (including blindness).

Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.

Resources

• Attachment & Trauma Network –

www.attachmentandtraumanetwork.org

• www.wrightslaw.com

• Center for Parent Information Resources

• www.understood.org

• www2.ed.gov

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Questions

? ?Attachment & Trauma Network, Inc.