children learn and behave . When you meet with a teacher , ask about your child ’ s strengths and weaknesses . You should feel comfortable asking questions like : Does my child have difficulties with organization , following instructions or staying on task ? Have you noticed any delays in her academic or social development ? Does she get along well with other kids ?
3 . Maximize parent-teacher conference time .
Many parents go to parent-teacher conferences unprepared . They arrive without questions , receive an enormous amount of information about a child ’ s academic performance and then leave with a laundry list of concerns they haven ’ t been able to talk through . You can maximize your parentteacher conference time by planning questions to ask at the beginning , not the end , of the conference . By asking your questions upfront , you ’ ll help ensure that the conference time is used to address your child ’ s challenges , set appropriate goals and determine whether any special education services might be needed .
4 . Don ’ t delay getting support for your child .
If you have specific concerns about your child ’ s school performance , don ’ t wait until parent-teacher conference time to request a comprehensive evaluation and inquire about special education services . Your child ’ s teacher can provide not only a different perspective on how he is progressing but can also help facilitate evaluations of your child ’ s cognitive , academic , linguistic , social and emotional functioning . You should also know that there ’ s a federal law requiring schools to provide an education to children in the least- restrictive environment — meaning , a child with symptoms of a learning or psychiatric disorder must have every opportunity to be educated alongside his typically developing peers . The school is supposed to ensure that children receive the services they need to fulfill their potential .
5 . Request special services in writing .
If you suspect your child needs special education services , you must request in writing that he be evaluated to determine which services would be appropriate . School districts offer school-based evaluations free of charge , but parents must send a letter of request to the administrator responsible for the school ’ s special education programming . Talk to your child ’ s teacher about this process — specifically , find out who to contact to arrange an evaluation — and ask for assistance in obtaining a copy of his school file , including report cards , progress reports , attendance records , behavior assessments , testing data and any other teacher reports . The materials in your child ’ s school file will be used in all evaluations for learning and psychiatric disorders .
6 . Meet with the people who evaluate your child .
The school must provide you with written results from your child ’ s evaluation . But you can get more than a written summary . Arrange a meeting with the people who ’ ve evaluated her to discuss the results and whether educational objectives are being met or need to be changed . If you disagree with the results of the evaluation you can request an independent one .
7 . Understand the Individual Education Plan .
You must become familiar with the IEP process in order to effectively advocate for a child with a learning disorder . An IEP is a personalized education plan that takes into account a child ’ s specific needs and outlines a modified curriculum with practical goals for academic success . Parents , teachers , special education experts and any other specialists on a child ’ s team should participate in the development of the IEP . They should also carefully monitor the child ’ s progress on the IEP , assess whether he is meeting educational goals and coordinate more support if needed .
8 . Monitor your child ’ s moods .
A large number of children with psychiatric disorders also struggle with learning disorders . In fact , roughly half of all children with ADHD have dyslexia and half of all children with learning disorders develop chronic depression in adulthood . As a parent , one of the most important things you can do is trust your intuition when your child ’ s behavior seems abnormal .
Pay attention to changes in her personality and mood in the same way you watch for rising and falling grades . Her academic achievement is intimately tied to her emotional well-being .
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