Qualifying Bipolar Children for Special Education
This information below can also apply to children with AD/HD and High Functioning Autism/Aspergers.
Passing grades and doing well academically does NOT disqualify a child for IDEA (Spec. Ed.) services. This is specifically stated in the IDEA regulations. Negative educational impact can be in the area of social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, as well as in academics. Special Education (IDEA) is not a place, it is a service.
Most children with Bipolar are very high functioning academically with high IQ's, and still need special education services for Pragmatic Language Disorders, Social Skills, Sensory Integration Disorder, Behavior, Anger Management, Organization and/or any combination of the above, depending on their co-morbid disorders and problems.
The parent needs to have their medical doctor (either Psychiatrist or Pediatrician) write the school a letter listing the all the negative educational impact the disability is causing. (ie, disrespectful to authority figures, disrupts the class, yells and is loud, cusses, fighting and arguing with peers, has no friends, immature, difficulty with organization, not turning in homework, takes 3 hours at night to do homework, loses things, doesn't fill in his agenda, has sound sensitivity, gets hyper in gym, lunchroom, or in auditoriums due to noise, doesn't like to be touched, has difficulty with transitions, has frequent somatic complaints and anxiety, leaves the classroom frequently to go to nurses office, has high anxiety, frequent suspensions, etc.............)
The parent should make the doctor a list of everything the school is complaining about and why he gets in trouble at school and have the doctor incorporate this information in his letter. List everything negative noted on report cards and in meetings/letters/e-mails. This is how you show educational impact of the disorder in the five areas I listed above AND why the child needs an IEP, not a 504 Plan. One of the important services in an IEP for a Bipolar child would be an appropriate FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) and a proper "positive" BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan). Counseling is another.
Additionally, I haven't met a Bipolar Child yet who doesn't need goals in Pragmatic Language and Social Skills.................... A Bipolar child may be smart enough to pass standardized tests for Pragmatic Language, but does not have the ability to demonstrate and appropriately execute and transfer what they should know. If a child is being suspended either In-School or Out-of-School for bad and disruptive behaviors, this in of itself IS educational impact, because he is missing time away from the regular classroom instruction and it is considered a change of placement...................
Part of this process should also be to appropriately identify all the problems and co-morbid conditions that may apply to your child. You should have evaluations or ask the school to test for: Pragmatic Language Disorder - Speech/Language Evaluation with both formal and informal testing, observations and information, Executive Function Disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder - OT Evaluation, AD/HD and Anxiety, etc. These are all common co-occurring conditions.
Carol Sadler
Special Education Consultant/Advocate
GA Advocacy Office PLSP I Graduate
770-442-8357
1105 Rock Pointe Look
Woodstock, GA 30188
CarolSadler@bellsouth.net
www.IEPadvocate4You.com
http://iepadvocate4you.blogspot.com/
CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEGED
Information contained in this communication is confidential and privileged. It is not meant to represent legal or medical advice, but rather advice given based on my knowledge as a trained Parent Advocate by the GA Advocacy Office, Council of Parent Advocates & Attorneys, CHADD, LDA, and the GA DOE Parent Mentor program as an invited guest. Please do not forward without my permission.
Passing grades and doing well academically does NOT disqualify a child for IDEA (Spec. Ed.) services. This is specifically stated in the IDEA regulations. Negative educational impact can be in the area of social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, as well as in academics. Special Education (IDEA) is not a place, it is a service.
Most children with Bipolar are very high functioning academically with high IQ's, and still need special education services for Pragmatic Language Disorders, Social Skills, Sensory Integration Disorder, Behavior, Anger Management, Organization and/or any combination of the above, depending on their co-morbid disorders and problems.
The parent needs to have their medical doctor (either Psychiatrist or Pediatrician) write the school a letter listing the all the negative educational impact the disability is causing. (ie, disrespectful to authority figures, disrupts the class, yells and is loud, cusses, fighting and arguing with peers, has no friends, immature, difficulty with organization, not turning in homework, takes 3 hours at night to do homework, loses things, doesn't fill in his agenda, has sound sensitivity, gets hyper in gym, lunchroom, or in auditoriums due to noise, doesn't like to be touched, has difficulty with transitions, has frequent somatic complaints and anxiety, leaves the classroom frequently to go to nurses office, has high anxiety, frequent suspensions, etc.............)
The parent should make the doctor a list of everything the school is complaining about and why he gets in trouble at school and have the doctor incorporate this information in his letter. List everything negative noted on report cards and in meetings/letters/e-mails. This is how you show educational impact of the disorder in the five areas I listed above AND why the child needs an IEP, not a 504 Plan. One of the important services in an IEP for a Bipolar child would be an appropriate FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) and a proper "positive" BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan). Counseling is another.
Additionally, I haven't met a Bipolar Child yet who doesn't need goals in Pragmatic Language and Social Skills.................... A Bipolar child may be smart enough to pass standardized tests for Pragmatic Language, but does not have the ability to demonstrate and appropriately execute and transfer what they should know. If a child is being suspended either In-School or Out-of-School for bad and disruptive behaviors, this in of itself IS educational impact, because he is missing time away from the regular classroom instruction and it is considered a change of placement...................
Part of this process should also be to appropriately identify all the problems and co-morbid conditions that may apply to your child. You should have evaluations or ask the school to test for: Pragmatic Language Disorder - Speech/Language Evaluation with both formal and informal testing, observations and information, Executive Function Disorder, Sensory Integration Disorder - OT Evaluation, AD/HD and Anxiety, etc. These are all common co-occurring conditions.
Carol Sadler
Special Education Consultant/Advocate
GA Advocacy Office PLSP I Graduate
770-442-8357
1105 Rock Pointe Look
Woodstock, GA 30188
CarolSadler@bellsouth.net
www.IEPadvocate4You.com
http://iepadvocate4you.blogspot.com/
CONFIDENTIAL AND PRIVILEGED
Information contained in this communication is confidential and privileged. It is not meant to represent legal or medical advice, but rather advice given based on my knowledge as a trained Parent Advocate by the GA Advocacy Office, Council of Parent Advocates & Attorneys, CHADD, LDA, and the GA DOE Parent Mentor program as an invited guest. Please do not forward without my permission.
posted by Carol Sadler @ 2:44 PM
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