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!

[JSD24]

To me, it seems that the school does not see a need for this.  What data do you have to backup your request?  If the last 2 field trips resulted in your child coming back & in need of a doctor or ER visit, then you have data that the child comes back harmed and needs additional supervision on field trips.  Also, it might make sense for the school to provide a 1:1 or 1:2 so your child is more closely supervised on field trips.  (Special needs students might need more than what a chaperone would typically provide.  This isn't fair to other students in the chaparone's group.)  Requesting your child be in a group where the chaperone has only a small group to supervise as well as additional training on how to recognise and prevent self-harm in your child might be another thing to request.  (You can request another 504 meeting if you feel the one in place needs to be tweaked.)

What did you provide to the school to support this request?  You can ask for the school to pay for any follow-up care should your child end up harmed due to a lack of supervision on field trips.  It might help them understand this is something that needs more than what they said they would do.  Not sure if requesting you attend field trips as your child's 1:1 aide to prevent self-harm (not as a chaperone) might be something they are more willing to do.