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I remember being in a meeting with my special ed director. She said that the school is obligated to meet the needs of students - it's really another way of saying they need to provide FAPE. Doesn't matter if what the student needs currently exists or not. They need to meet his neets. If it is appropriate for him to take Regents Chemistry as a co-taught class, they need to provide it. I'm not from NY so I'm not exactly sure what a Regents Chemistry does versus the non-Regents version of the class. I did find this with doing a search of case law in NY: https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=3365753441522273465&q=co+taught+regents&hl=en&as_sdt=4,33 If he's denied the class, he's being denied the Regents diploma. If the Regents diploma is FAPE, he need the co-taught Regents class.

You can use medical assistance to see a provider who can evaluate for medical autism - or if she's covered under employer insurance, it can be done with a copay or 2. A full neuropsych eval is nice to have but it's hard to get it covered and expensive if it's not covered. A psychologist with the right training can do the assessment. It might take a handful of phone calls and waiting for a few months to have it done but this is doable. We had BHRS (now IBHS) services for my daughter. They were the ones who evaluated her for autism when we were looking to renew the authorization for services. It was a rating scale that I filled out. And it's a good idea to have a backup plan. What happened with my friend was she signed up for the ID waiver and they had ID supports lined up. Then the school redid the IQ test and he was low but no longer ID. He's also got autism so he'll still be able to get a waiver but the transition program was no longer a good fit. With autism, my big concern tends to be social skills. This is one thing that can hold a person back from being able to hold a job. I'd definitely ask the school to evaluate this if they haven't already.

My son is currently a sophomore. He has an IEP with co-taught ELA, social studies and science. Math is not in there because he was a year ahead. (Now I wish I would have fought for that, he’s struggling a little with the higher level). Next year he wants to take chemistry. Our district is refusing to put him in co-taught chemistry. They are only allowing him to take a non regents level chem because they don’t offer regular level chem as co-taught. We are going to hire a lawyer to fight this. He doesn’t want to take a lower class because they refuse co-teaching. He has every right to take the regular level class. Is this something worth fighting?

Thank you so much for the information. I will definitely check out the video! My daughter is verbal and I was actually the one advocating for the ID classification based on her cognitive testing. My main reason for pushing for ID was because she didn't have the autism medical diagnosis and I was worried that she would leave school with no real options for accessing resources after graduation. I don't know if this makes sense or not but that was a worry of mine. Now that she has the ID classification, I just can't help but wonder if the autism medical diagnosis would still be a benefit for her moving into adulthood. But I know the cost to have her evaluated and that is really not financially an option for us right now. We have met with a representative from our county to get her name on the necessary lists. I just want to make sure I'm not leaving something on the table for her. Thanks again for the help!

I remember talking to a person who worked as a school psychologist - she now does IEEs. She remembers a student who was immune-compromised and would have graduated ~15 years ago. What he school did was livestream his classes so he didn't have to get exposed to all the germs at school. Not sure if your district would be willing to do this. Also, there are robots with cameras & speakers that a school can buy which would allow a student to attend classes. This website has info: https://provenrobotics.ai/telepresence-robots-in-education/ This one too: https://www.cnn.com/business/tech/av1-robot-sick-children-school-spc/index.html This is a longer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMcsPOvdMbw The embedded video is shorter. (I didn't watch them all the way through. I'm assuming they are 'appropriate'.) If your son is present via a robot, he's present & not absent. This could definitely be an IEP accommodation.

In PA, all disabled children are eligible for Medicaid (also called Medical Assistance). With either an ID or autism diagnosis, there are adults waivers that that they could be eligible for as well. (Good to get on the waitlist in your county now so they can plan for when your child graduates HS & needs the waiver funding.) I'm not sure the medical autism diagnosis is really needed. Providers should be told of the autism diagnosis because you approach a person differently when autism is present in addition to ID. If your child is non-speaking, I'd encourage you to watch the movie Spellers on YouTube. My friend's son was given an ID diagnosis. It was given because there wasn't a good way to assess him because he's got autism and apraxia. The apraxia made his speech & fine motor unreliable. He spells now and is taking college classes. Given what he says via spelling, I feel he should have had a GIEP. He's Vince. His story starts at 46:00: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1rcLyznK0

Thank you for the information. I hope you don't mind a follow up question. We do live in PA so I'd be interested in hearing the PA specific benefits and, she has an intellectual disability classification as well from school. Does that change whether having the medical autism diagnosis is as important in order to access services or does the ID classification provide much of the safe resources? Thank you again!!!

It really just depends if it's going to open the door for you to get more services for the child, and if you want the services. Here in PA, it's advantageous to do so, but every place and every family is different. I've written about this quite a bit, to explain the differences. https://adayinourshoes.com/autism-whats-the-difference-between-medical-and-educational-diagnoses/

Hi, I was wondering if there is a benefit / need to attain a medical autism diagnosis if your child has the school classification? Thank you!

Thank you for validating what I thought was logical. It’s almost the end of the school but I’m going to insist this added to IEP. Thankfully he makes up all work and teachers have been kind. His grades are pretty good considering how much he’s actually missed! He’s got a Bs and a couple As so he should not be penalized for chronic absenteeism. One of his conditions he’s had since birth and I’ve been very transparent. It is not a condition that I will take him to doctor so sometimes it’s just half days he’s missing. please send the link again as I didn’t see it in your reply. Thank you!

Short answer, yes, absolutely. There is nothing in Section 504 or IDEA that prohibits a school from doing this. https://adayinourshoes.com/can-a-504-plan-excuse-a-childs-absences/ Yes—1000% yes—an IEP can and should include accommodations for a chronic medical condition. What your team told you? That they “can only note it in Parent Concerns” and not include it as an accommodation? That’s straight-up and completely wrong under IDEA. Students with chronic health conditions—like your son's antibody deficiency—can qualify for special education services under the “Other Health Impairment (OHI)” category in IDEA. The key? The condition must impact the student’s strength, vitality, or alertness, and limit their ability to access their education—which, with 20% absences, is clearly happening. Accommodations and modifications in the IEP can address: Attendance and makeup work Flexible deadlines Modified instructional delivery Adjusted course expectations if needed Grading policies that reflect medical challenges, not just missed days Credit recovery options or waivers And Yes—Absences Can Be Excused in an IEP Schools do not get to just say, “We don’t excuse absences for chronic illness.” That’s illegal if it results in denying your child a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The IEP team can and should put in writing: “Absences due to chronic illness or flare-ups will be excused with parent or medical documentation.” “Student will be allowed to make up missed work without penalty.” “Instructional support will be provided during prolonged absences, including access to class notes, recorded lessons, or homebound services if necessary.” What They Told You = Saying “we’ll just note it in Parent Concerns” is not a valid accommodation plan. That’s just… documentation theater. It does nothing to support your child when he’s missing class, falling behind, and potentially being told he won’t pass junior year. What You Can Say at the Next Meeting “I am requesting that the IEP include specific accommodations related to [Child’s Name]’s chronic medical condition, including excused absences with documentation and academic support during and after absences. Simply documenting this in ‘Parent Concerns’ does not constitute a meaningful accommodation and does not ensure FAPE.” You can also cite guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, which has been very clear: chronic illness is a valid basis for IEP eligibility and accommodations. (Ask them if they’d like you to send a link.) Admittedly, the Guidance Letters and Dear Colleague letters feel like thin ice right now. However, we have not been instructed as a nation, that ANYTHING has changed as far as Section 504 or IDEA. YES, the IEP can and should include accommodations for chronic illness. And the school saying it can’t? Not just wrong, but possibly violating IDEA. Keep pushing. You’re right. They're not. If you want specifics on details of how to gather data, document, ask the team and respond, check out my online training. Link in signature.

My son has a chronic medical condition and this year was diagnosed with a specific antibody deficiency. Due to these conditions he has missed about 20% of school days this year. The doctor wrote a letter explaining the antibody deficiency and how we now know this has caused almost weekly infections resulting in absences. The letter ends by asking that his absences be excused and he be allowed to progress forward academically. (Not have to repeat a junior year.) the cst told me that they could only add a note in Parents Concerns about chronic medical condition and absences. However they would not make any accommodations such excusing absences for chronic conditions flare-ups whether or not there is a doctor’s note. Can the IEP include accommodations for chronic illness/conditions?

Are School Staff Allowed to Talk to the IEE Assessor Without the Parent? Short answer: Technically, yes. But only within reason. If you signed a general consent for the IEE, that often includes permission for the assessor to observe your child and communicate with school staff to complete the evaluation. That’s standard. However... What’s NOT okay? Using those communications to have off-the-record conversations about services, placement, eligibility, or future decisions before you—the parent—are brought in The district stalling or making decisions behind closed doors based on those communications Contacting the IEE assessor after the report is completed to try to spin or reshape interpretation before the IEP team discusses it So while a quick follow-up like, “Hey, what did you observe again?” might be within bounds if it’s part of the evaluator’s clarification, it starts getting shady if it’s being used to delay your FBA IEE or influence decisions before the meeting. What You’re Describing? Pattern of Delay and Noncompliance You requested an IEE. They dragged it out for over a year. They denied your initial choices (common stall tactic). Now, they’re reaching out to the assessor privately after the IEE is done. And they’re using those conversations to decide if they’ll even allow another IEE (FBA). That’s not collaboration. That’s obstruction. Here’s What You Can Say (In Writing): “I was recently informed that the district contacted the IEE assessor to discuss his observation outside of a scheduled IEP meeting. I did not give specific permission for post-report discussions outside the IEP process. I would like any further communication with the IEE evaluator to include me, as I am a required member of the IEP team. Additionally, I would like a written response regarding my request for an IEE in the area of FBA. Please consider this a formal follow-up request.” And you’re allowed to add some spice: “Given the timeline of delays and the district's previous refusal to accept qualified assessors I proposed, I am increasingly concerned about the lack of transparency and good faith.” Don’t Forget: Under IDEA, when you request an IEE, the school must respond without unnecessary delay—by either agreeing to the IEE or filing for due process to prove theirs was sufficient. Sitting in silence while they “talk to the assessor” is not a legal response.

You’re right to pause and question this, especially since you've already requested special education testing—and that’s the bigger issue here. First Things First: Your Evaluation Request You mentioned you've asked for her to be evaluated for special education. If you made that request in writing, the school is legally obligated to move forward—regardless of any accommodations they’re trying to tack on in the meantime. Accommodations (like oral testing) don’t take the place of a full evaluation. So let’s start with this: Confirm that your evaluation request was submitted in writing. If not—do it now. Email it to the principal and/or special education coordinator, and keep a copy. The “Oral Testing for ADHD” Suggestion Let’s be real: the fact that they say “most of their ADHD students are orally tested” is a red flag. That’s cookie-cutter accommodation thinking, not individualized support. And it contradicts what they also said: she has no reading issues. So… why oral testing? Here’s how to think about it: Pros of Oral Testing Can reduce pressure if a student has test anxiety or struggles with reading comprehension Might help if a student processes information better when heard rather than read Cons of Oral Testing in Your Case It doesn’t address the root cause: If your daughter is struggling due to attention, executive functioning, or processing challenges, oral testing just masks the issue It won’t fix disruptive behavior, academic delays, or social/emotional needs It might be used to delay or avoid giving her an IEP or more comprehensive support If your daughter is showing poor academic progress and behavior challenges, that is much bigger than just needing a test read aloud. This is exactly the situation where IDEA kicks in—and they need to evaluate to determine eligibility for an IEP. So here’s your move: Politely decline the oral testing for now, or agree only as a temporary measure while you wait for the evaluation. Say something like: “We appreciate the accommodation offer, but this doesn’t address the core concerns we have. We are requesting a full evaluation under IDEA to determine if she qualifies for specially designed instruction.”

YES—what you’re describing absolutely could warrant an IEP. You're not just being protective or overly cautious—you're seeing real, documented barriers to access, despite the school handing out “good grades” like they prove everything is fine. (Spoiler: they don’t.) “Effective Progress” ≠ “Good Grades” Schools love to lean on grades to show a student is “doing fine.” But under IDEA, “effective progress” means progress appropriate for the student, considering their unique needs—not just whether they’re pulling an A on a worksheet with 80% of it reduced or dictated to someone else. You said it yourself: "How can a 6th grader who doesn’t write their own essay or have the work reduced 80% be making effective progress?" Exactly. He’s accessing the curriculum through intense modification and scaffolding—which is fine! But that’s the definition of needing specially designed instruction (aka, an IEP). Dictation ≠ Writing Instruction Adding dictation as a 504 accommodation isn’t a fix—it’s a band-aid. Yes, it helps with access, but it doesn’t address the underlying skill deficit in written expression. Kids with dysgraphia and executive functioning issues like ADHD often need explicit, specialized instruction in: Organizing ideas Developing paragraphs Mechanics and syntax Planning, drafting, and revising That's instructional support, not just an access tool. And that’s where pull-out or push-in ELA support through an IEP comes in. When a student is writing “I am stupid” on tests, shutting down during writing tasks, and visibly distressed during classwork, that’s not just a mental health issue, it’s a symptom of a mismatch between what he’s being asked to do and what his current supports can actually address. Yes, he has access to the adjustment counselor through his 504, but that doesn’t resolve the instructional mismatch and the writing-based performance anxiety. These need to be addressed together, not siloed off. What to Bring to the Meeting Data + Documentation Bring copies of the assignments that were reduced, the math test with the “I’m stupid” note, and any communications showing how much support he’s needing just to get through assignments. Highlight Skill Deficits, Not Grades Say: “We’re not seeing independent skills. We’re seeing workarounds. That’s not the same as progress.” Use IDEA Language “My child requires specially designed instruction in written expression to make meaningful progress in the general education curriculum. Accommodations alone are no longer sufficient.” Ask for SDI Goals Even if they push for just a 504 revision, ask: “What’s the school’s plan for directly teaching writing? How will that be tracked and measured? Bottom line: this is exactly the kind of situation IDEA was written for. A child who’s smart, but struggling because they’re being patched through instead of taught in the way they need. You're absolutely right to push for an IEP, and you’ve already laid the groundwork beautifully with your eval requests.

My son is in 6th grade and has several qualifying diagnoses (Autism, Health (ADHD), Specific Learning Disability (Dysgraphia), and Anxiety). He has been succeeding with a very extensive 504 plan, but things have recently taken a turn for the worst. He is currently unable to write essays at school both for a graded essay and for MCAS (state standardized testing). Further, he became distressed working on an ELA assignment where he had to come up with 8-10 quotes showing character development. The teacher changed it to 1-2 for him due to the amount of distress he was displaying. Additionally, he also wrote that he is stupid on a math test because he didn't understand what was being asked in the bonus question on the exam. His teacher reprinted the question and re-worded it. He got the question correct and got a perfect score on the test. We just put in a request for an academic evaluation in writing and OT evaluations because of the dysgraphia diagnosis and the recent struggles with writing. They are also doing two observations as part of this evaluation: one by the OT and one by the special education teacher. He had a psychoed evaluation done last year as well as an outside neuropsych, but he was doing better mentally. Teachers keep saying we need to add accommodations to his 504, but it seems like he'd really benefit from writing support. Right now, they want to add the ability to dictate his writing as an accommodation. His grades are good and they say he's making effective progress, but how can a 6th grader who doesn't write their own essay or have the work reduced 80% be making effective progress? Again, they are willing to update the 504 with new accommodations. We have a meeting in a couple of weeks, but I feel like he really needs pull out ELA support (or at least push-in support) in addition to the meetings with the adjustment counselor which are in his current 504 plan. Wouldn't you say that this warrants an IEP? How do I convince school that he's not making effective progress when they are giving him grades indicating that he is at grade level?

I forgot to add that parents are not members of the 504 team so the school gets to put what they want on a 504. With an IEP, parents get a vote. With a 504, they don't.

I'd send an email: Dear School- Accommodations on a 504 should be supported by information on a student's need. When we meet next week, can you please bring the data showing XXX's need to switch from written tests to oral tests so the 504 team can discuss this recent change. I'm suggesting an email so the school is prepared to answer your question and not say 'I'll get back to you on that' at the meeting.

From what I've been told in the trainings I've taken, you are only allowed one FBA per year. This might not apply to you/your state. This is 1000% my guess: Could RSD get the person who did the completed IEE to do an FBA IEE based on the observations they did when they observed for the IEE you will meet about next month? Based on what you posted, I'm thinking this was what the conversation between the evaluator & RSD was about. I think that when an evaluator does a lot of IEEs in a SD, they do develop a relationship of sorts. This is OK. Professionals in the same industry can & do develop working relationships. The evaluator can still be able to be unbiased when they have a working relationship with a district. Yes, they are allowed to talk to each other without parent permission or the parent being present. Evaluators don't just show up & observe. They are going to arrange a time that works for the school and will hopefully be a good time so the behavior they want to see will occur. There are general ed FBAs that a school can do w/o parent permission. With this, a BIP/PBSP can be written for a student who doesn't have an IEP. A 1:1 aide is an accommodation so it is something that can go on a 504. Lastly, I'll ask if the person who did the OT IEE has school OT credentials? Schools listen to school people more than they listen to medical people. A student might medically need OT weekly and not have a need for OT at school. Given the school OT didn't seem to have an interest in what was on the OT IEE report, one reason could be that the person who wrote the report does not have school credentials.

I do have some feed back from the school though it is not as plain as it can be. The proposed 504 accommodation change from written testing to oral testing is for regular class room work. The school went on to explain how the oral testing works. But the response did not answer our question of why the change. We will not send another email for clarity. There is a meeting scheduled this month and we will address it then. We have signed a consent for a Full Individual Evaluation and they said that it will be a psychological evaluation to determine if she has an Emotional Disability. If it is positive for Emotional Disability, then they can proceed with a FBA , then develop a BIP to be apart of 504 or IEP.

Are the school and an IEE assessor allowed to have conversations regarding observations before the meeting to determine additional services/ assessments, without including the parent? We are in the process of an IEE with the Riverside school district for my son. It's not going well- the district has drug the process on for over a year and I finally agreed to use the psychoeducational assessor on their list (who my advocate recommended) after they shot down multiple other psychologists I requested. The assessment is complete and submitted but we don't have our meeting to discuss it until May. I have also requested an IEE for the FBA but the school hasn't replied, and then said they need to contact the IEE psychologist for more info before deciding if they can approve the FBA. I emailed the IEE psychologist who said the school did reach out to him, "They were just asking about my observations when I observed him." We already had a meeting to discuss the IEE for OT and the meeting was awful- the school OT refused to even put OT consultation into the current 504, basically the team gaslight everything- the OT IEE recommended weekly services and a vision assessment. Is that conversation allowed to happen without the parent being included? I never provided permission for it specifically BUT did sign other consents for the IEE itself. The district has not overall been acting in good faith throughout this process, hence my apprehension. My son currently doesn't have an IEP- the IEE we haven't had the meeting for does recommend an IEP for OHI and SLD- the goal is also for him to have a 1:1 aide given his behavioral support needs (he currently has a part time aide under his 504. This school district is bizarre). He has been suspended once last year and once this year (1st grade), and has multiple "incidents" in his permanent record.

Emotional/Behavioral should include an executive functioning component. But you can ask this question to be sure. As far as the "oral testing" for special education, the school has to go by the testing protocols. If they allow for oral testing, then you shouldn't need to sign anything. I wouldn't sign anything that allows them to change the test protocols.

In my post above, I listed the tests, from the document that I have, that school plan to use in testing. Do any of the above tests overlap or provide similar data as executive functioning tests? I have a long way to go in learning this process and will take the bumps and curves as they come. And BTW, I'm very thankful for all who have replied to this post. I'm sure there is much more on this site that I need to dig into.

Yes I was referring to special education testing. My though process is that if she is reading well in the class room (which includes class room testing) why switch to oral testing for special ed. testing? I think it should be demonstrated first that special ed. tests are hard for her to understand or perhaps a new format and it's taking too, too long to complete. Prior to me replying to this forum, I did send an email to the school for clarification.

This strikes me as a bizarre step. I see no good reason to go to oral testing if she's able to test typically.