Child Development
Child development provides parents with information on physical, mental and emotional growth and development in children. Child development information can help parents know when they are expecting too much from a child as well as become aware of lags in development that may benefit from professional help.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
By Sylvia Rimm Q. One of our 6-year-old twin boys is currently on an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) through our local school district. He was diagnosed as having a generalized anxiety disorder with some behaviors and characteristics of Aspergers Disorder. He has many sensory processing challenges that are managed well through occupational therapy and daily planning.
He has been on an IEP for two years and is doing well. He continues to attend OT, social skills classes and a regular preschool. We've been very pleased with the partnership between the home, preschool and school district. However, we're encountering challenges as we move from preschool to kindergarten.
The school psychologist wants to consider moving from an IEP to a 504 Plan. His reasoning is that our son is bright and would only qualify for an IEP under some type of mental health disability. The school psychologist said he has ethical problems labeling a child this young with a mental health disability. He also commented that he's never had a child get so far on the IQ and achievement tests, and wasn't sure that special services were needed. We've known all along that his cognitive skills were good.
Our concern is whether to keep the IEP in place to ensure services for his kindergarten and first-grade transitions. A label verifies his need for support. It's up to us, as his parents, and the school staff to manage it so that he isn't pigeonholed, and so that the label doesn't turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. We believe it doesn't matter how bright our son is if he can't successfully adapt to the school routine and expectations, and positively navigate the social element of school. We recognize that our son is a unique mix -- he's bright, but he also has the sensory and anxiety challenges that can also cause him struggles and impede his ability to learn.
Do you have any suggestions or recommendations on the best way to manage this with the school psychologist? Are we being overly concerned with the social/emotional angle?
A. It's time for a second opinion, but I can't provide that without knowing your son. I suggest you return to the original doctor who first diagnosed your son so he can gauge the progress and either back you in your request or reassure you that an IEP is no longer necessary. A 504 plan also provides services, but they may not be as extensive.
I can understand your concern related to the transition to kindergarten and first grade, because those transitions provide the foundation for his school success. I also agree that no matter how bright a child is, social and emotional issues can prevent his learning, his adjustment to school and his healthy development. If he's progressed well with social skills classes and OT, the therapists providing these services may advise you in those areas.
When your son moves into the classroom, where his academic skills are noticed and valued, his social skills may also improve, but only time will tell if that helps your son in his adjustment to kindergarten and first grade. Young children often attach status to high achievement.
Consider that the school psychologist has a very real concern for your son and that unnecessary services can sometimes be harmful. It's often better not to put an emotional disability label on children when there are only minor issues.
For a free newsletter about gifted children, or about developing social skills, send a large self-addressed, stamped envelope to P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI, 53094, or go to www.sylviarimm.com for more information.
Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or srimm@sylviarimm.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Copyright 2006 Creators Syndicate Inc.
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