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If your child is refusing to use their Special Education Accommodations in school, the IEP team needs to understand the WHY behind this behavior.
There are many reasons why a child might not be using the accommodations you have fought so hard to get them. I am going to point out a few of the more common reasons below. And, I will provide some insight into what the IEP team may want to consider once the “why” behind the refusal behavior is understood.
Imagine how it must feel for a child to know they are different from their peers. It is human nature to want to fit in. Kids with special needs often feel like they stand out.
Make sure all of your child’s general education teachers understand what the accommodations are, and how they can be delivered discretely, without drawing attention to the student.
This challenge may be real or perceived by the student. Regardless, the IEP must establish why the student feels this way. Have they tried it, and still failed? Are they not using the accommodation properly?
Once the reason and actual challenge are understood, the team can work to either modify the accommodation, or work with the student to understand and properly apply it.
The student may not want to, might forget, or doesn’t know how to ask for the accommodation to be applied. It might not be easy for a student to advocate for themselves in the classroom.
Sometimes visual cues may help, such as a card for a student to present to the teacher, or display on their desk when they need help.
More importantly, it is the educator’s role and responsibility to provide the accommodations. The teacher might come up with an innovative way for the accommodation to occur in a way the student feels comfortable using it.
It may be the case that a certain accommodation, for example text-to speech, is not necessary in every class. The student might only need text-to-speech when a class involves reading. If the class is, on the other hand, a PE or art class, the student may do fine without the accommodation.
Accommodations are components of the IEP that may need to be amended more frequently for some students. Accommodations will need to be re-written and modified as student needs and behaviors grow and change with them.
Remember it is about understanding the WHY behind behavior. You can click here to watch my video on Behavior as Communication.
If you have questions or concerns about your child actually and effectively using their IEP accommodations, feel free to give me a call.
I offer a free initial consultation.
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