Does Your School Give Your Kids Extended Time To Complete Work At The End Of The Year?

[kclynn]

Just wondering. Our advisor has said multible times that they would extend his school year to complete work but now the special ed coordinator is saying that isn't possible. We have a 504 and there isn't much on it except extended time to complete work and modified assignments which they have been doing. Math is the issue. We need more time to complete everything and they are saying repeat the whole year? I am so mad. All that work down the drain and repeat a whole years worth of work. Stinks. Just wondering what other schools do. We are in MO.

[Christy_D]

We just ran into the same problem. The school said he could continue into the summer, but did not mention that it would be without the assistance of a teacher. So, we are moving forward to get an IEP rather than a 504 plan. I have been told they are more flexible with IEP's and it is easier to get the summer teacher approved. Our homebound has explained to the school that Cody is 45 hours short of what should have been provided him since we frequently had to cancel her. So, really the school isn't having to pay extra. I think those hours are due to him.

I am actually meeting with 2 people from the special school district tomorrow morning to start the process rolling. The school initiated this, so they are being proactive in getting us services so that the higher up's can authorize the additional time.

Christy

[juliegee]

We've always had an informal 504 since Mack's been at a private school, but he does have extended time for quizzes and tests. It is specified as time & a half. If he needs, it, he just informs the teacher and takes it during lunch, study hall, before or after school. It's up to him to get it done in a timely manner.

If your child has extended time for everything- all assignments. How can they change it mid stream? Sounds like you understood, your child could have an extra few weeks to finish up and now they are saying no. Hmmmm. I'd be annoyed too. Sounds like the issue is between your advisor & the special ed coordinator. Is there some mediatpr you can appeal to at a district level?

Sorry-

Julie

[kclynn]

Julie,

The 504 just states extended time for assignments and modifying and shortening assignments. It isn't too specific which I suppose could be a good thing, depending. We have to be careful. I have been really happy with the efforts that have been made up till now by everyone and don't want to negatively impact that, we have to work with these people going forward for the next 3 years (or so). I don't think this is because of people not working hard enough for us. The problem I think is with the higher district rules. Our school district is large and they are very adamant on not making exceptions or perseved exceptions (even if it is a bad rule). I think at best we will end up with an extended time but no teacher support. If I have to live with that, I will, and hire a tutor or what ever. The added stress on him of repeating a 9th grade class could result in him doing worse. Logically, he would get the concepts better if he repeated. What to do...

This homebound stuff hasn't been very good. There is such a lack of instruction. We get a teacher one hour a day for 5 days a week, but impossible to teach everything. The teacher says he has to work more independently, but with brain fog, that isn't happening and he barely gets through the time she is here, after which he has been exhausted. Things are "a little better". He started Midodrine a couple weeks ago and that has helped clear some of the brain fog and a little more ability to stay upright. Don't know how long that will last and I even hate to say anything about that to the school because it is far from a miracle cure, just a little better some days.

Maybe they will have some good answers for me tomorrow and I will have worried for nothing.

[55baron]

I love this thread!

When my daughter was first homebound, mid sophmore year.. I did AOT of research, talked with alot of other parents, most of who were having problems with schools. Well, I dug in and did my research, and went to the school expecting a fight. I didnt really get one, but learned alot.

My daughter had a 504, which we chose because you can change anything about it with a simple meeting. iep's are harder to change. And with pots symptoms ever-changing, we thought it would be better.

I got alot of extended times, alternate credits, (imagine a student getting a physical education credit when she couldn't even walk!! Or extra english credits by watching movies and filling out questions when her brain fog was so bad she usually forgot the name of the movie before it was over!! (just a heads up, you can get alot of accommodations for taking the ACT and SAT. But start early...

I would suggest specific letters from doctors, asking specifically for whatever you are thinking would work. (Ana had tutors for two years and they came over the summer) as well as all the info you can print about symptoms and causes. The ones on this site worked beautifully for us. Also, I let it be known that I knew where to go if they chose not to give a "free and appropriate education" to my daughter no matter what the cause was or what I was asking for. I didn't care if it would cost the district more, look at your property taxs and see if your spending that much!

(I hope I can follow what is happening. Its kinda hard to find discussions I'm following!

Just so you know, Ana graduated #6 in her class of 125. She is in her second semester of college, with a 4.0! It can be done.....

Cathy

Keep us posted....we're in Wisconsin

[kclynn]

We have actually had NO problem with assignments. Teachers just give them to the homebound teacher and accept them whenever. The only issue is this extended school year which we know we were told but will not happen, at least with a teacher. We will have to see if we can negotiate extended time on our own with a tutor or something.

His homebound teacher really is PO'd that we are even considering pushing him through and thinks he should just repeat the year. His grades have not been good and would probalby benefit from repeating. Will it set him back in his recovery, though?? The stress of not keeping up?

I have discovered that he is farther behind than I thought. The teacher has been doing what she can but he has been so symptomatic this winter that I guess we have been just working to keep his head above water and I think he will be ok in most of his other classes but the math is awful. He is so upset to repeat it, and be in a class a year behind him. I know logically it is the best but for a 15 yr old dealing with this and school and missing out on everything it is just one more thing the D... Pots is taking from him. Looking back at this a couple years I know it will look a whole lot different and maybe not so bad but getting through the NOW stinks!

[bkweavers]

There is absolutely NO REASON why they shouldn't be accommodating your child and I would fight it. Yes, he may be behind in math and your homebound teacher may not agree with you but is he/she considering how your son would feel repeating the entire year? He's already fighting a horrible illness and I'm sure he's given up plenty of activities, hanging out with friends, sports, etc. already and then how would that do for his self esteem? Remember, you know what's best for your child. I think at this point that when your son gets better and the brain fog improves, he will be able to catch up then and better understand the material. I know for my daughter the thought of not graduating with her class was something unthinkable.

We've been in special education since the beginning and from the many parents that I've heard from with a 504, they also did not receive the support and help they needed. We've had to fight the school on a few issues but overall, they were able to support her so much more being in special education. I would strongly suggest checking into that especially if he's having a difficult time being upright and he's struggling with the brain fog. If it's showing in his grades, he obviously needs more and they need to be more accommodating and helpful.

It just infuriates me that we as parents are already dealing with the stress of our child's illness and then the school decides to heap more stress on. What is wrong with our schools?

Just another thought that one parent said to me. We were discussing school and she said that right now her main focus was to get her child better and that school was last on the list of priorities. That stuck with me and my husband and I adopted that idea as well. There is more at stake here than just school. There's your son's emotional well-being as well as physical and the importance of friends and relationships.

Anyway, I hope and pray that you will find a solution to this and that your son gets the help he needs. I also pray for days of feeling better for him. Maybe if some of these administrators and teachers became ill, they would be more understanding and compassionate.

Brenda

[kclynn]

The meeting went well. We did feel they were very concerned for his well being. He has always struggled with math. We found out he is actually only a little past the first semester and his grade is probably not even passing, close. It is hard to tell because he isn't on the same path as all the other students. What it comes down to is that he has a tremendous amount of work that needs done, plus a lot of work for the the other 3 core classes. If he only did math I am not sure he could get it done. The teacher has not cut his assignments in that class, though he would allow us to cut them if we felt he had mastered a concept and can move on. That really hasn't even been a consideration. Considering he has to get through 2 more years of math to graduate, if he doesn't get it then the following two years will be extremely hard, especially if he is struggling physically and still has the brain fog.

Don't get me wrong. At this point we have given up worrying about the actual grade and mostly focusing on getting the credit. He will still graduate with his class. It will be emotionally difficult. There is no really great option here. I do know he will do much better in his other classes with out the math to worry about. I know a lot of other kids with POTS have had to repeat math or other classes. AND I do think he will do better in math if he repeats it. He got sick the middle of October, had no school, homebound, tutoring or anything for six weeks then the homebound since the beginning of December. He has had extreme brain fog, memory loss and cognitive thinking issues making math literally impossible for much of the time. He has been improving some.

They will give him a couple extra weeks to finish up past the end of school, if needed.

I have to give up fighting for how I "Wish it was" and just try to make the best decisions I can with the information I have.

[swreeder70]

We have been extremely fortunate with our son (Mason) to date. Before he became home bound, he made the honor roll the first two semesters with pretty much all A's across the board. After getting sick we were able to get him signed up for home-bound instruction. We were informed early on that he had completed enough academics to pass and we need not be concerned with this year.

These days Mason cannot do much school work; lack of focus, inability to sit upright and all the other symptoms that he gets make it very difficult. So to attempt to keep structure the teacher shows up once a day and they do oral work. Mason laying on the couch and the teacher and him reading and interacting together. They are going at a "work at your own pace" and it is good for now. The teacher and principal are OK with this method.

The only thing we have continually supply is monthly notes / excuses from the Dr to the school. If his condition progresses past this school year and into next, I think we will be in for a much different scenario.