Field Trips

[Krystal Taylor]

Hi all!
I know for an IEP you can have it written that a parent must attend all field trips... Is this a reasonable accommodation for a 504 due to extreme anxiety and self-harm behavior around that anxiety?

The parent asked for this and was denied. The school said:

Thank you for your patience as I gathered more information from our district 504 coordinator.

"Unfortunately, allowing you to attend all field trips with Student is not an accommodation that can be a part of her 504 plan. What we can offer Student is to have her be in a group with a preferred peer, allow her to bring her journal/sketchbook (in like a little bookbag) as a calming strategy, have her chaperone be Teacher or a preferred adult, and provide her with a visual schedule of the field trip activities. We have to consider the fact that all parents are allowed an opportunity to attend field trips with their child(ren) which is why we try to choose different parents as chaperones on each field trip. Also, if a parent's presence was listed as an accommodation on a field trip and they were for whatever reason unable to attend, we would be out of compliance with her 504 plan. 

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns. I am always happy to help"

 

I feel like this is inaccurate...

Any help would be appreciated!
Krystal

[Lisa Lightner]

So reasonable....is subjective, of course. You knew that. 

I think this request is reasonable. Obvs this school does not.

Their argument, however, is invalid. "All students" doesn't apply here, because we're not talking about all students. We're talking about one with a life altering disability.

That's the strategy and argument I would use. "All students" don't need a trusted adult there so that they can function normally. This one does.

 

 

[Krystal Taylor]

Thank you! That is what I thought, but I was thrown when they came back with a definitive no. Second guessing and questioning...

Thank you for sharing your brain!