IEP revision timing and ?s (high schooler)

[Lemen]

Hi!  I am new here and still learning to navigate.  I'm hoping you can help me with a couple of questions or concerns. 
1) If we called an IEP meeting to add an accomodation and modify a goal, how many days does the school have to schedule and hold that case conference? 

2) Our TOR has been absent a *lot*.  My son has anxiety and this is exasperbating things.  I'm not sure that his IEP is in violation, but, what do I do here? Anything?

3) For a high school with severe anxiety that pops up at times, what can I do or add in his iep to help?  he is going to the counselor but they are rarely available due to scheduling meetings.  She said I can ask for 1:1 support so I will bring that up.  Is there anything else? 

[JSD24]

1)  Most states don't have a timeline for arranging a meeting.  At best, they have a timeline to reply to a request for a meeting which is around 10 days.  There always are required members of an IEP team; you might not be able to get a quick meeting if they are not available.

2)  Absenteeism is the reason they don't put names in the IEP.  They will say 1:1 adult support - not Mrs Jones will provide 1:1 support.  If your child is getting the services in the IEP, the school is in compliance even if the person is unfamiliar to the student and the time ends up being non-productive because it's spent establishing a trust relationship rather than having instruction happen.  With a student needing help with anxiety, my thought is to have backups.  If he usually goes to the TOR but has a good relationship with the GC & school nurse, have them be the backup when the TOR is out.

3)  Talk to your child.  Ask them what makes sense.  Are there a stack of pads in the gym that he can punch if physical exercise helps them with anxiety?  When a student isn't anxious, they should be learning what helps them so they can do that when they get anxious.  There are calming apps and breathing patterns that can help.  Maybe a quiet space where he can go & do this is the accommodation you put into the IEP.  (Probably better in the long run to be able to self-calm than rely on talking to another person.)

[Lisa Lightner]

I would look up school avoidance or school refusal and see what the current best practices are.