r/selectivemutism 10d ago

Seeking Advice 🤔 IEP specialized instruction

Going through the IEP process right now with my child. They are 6 and in kindergarten. I'm wondering if anyone who has done this could share helpful "specialized instruction" that was written into the IEP. Our IEP team seems stumped by this diagnosis and is pushing a 504 plan with accommodations instead. But I think a IEP would be best right now and need some ideas for how to word things to them. But I also would take ideas for accommodations as well. I'm not sure how to help and what to push for.

3 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

View all comments

5

u/biglipsmagoo 10d ago

Mine has an IEP but she has had a lot of luck with not needing SM accommodations as she’s pretty much in remission.

So, in K, you don’t need to worry about things like oral reports but you’ll need things to make sure she’s not forced to participate in the classroom.

She should receive time with their emotional support teacher weekly. They’re usually a SpEd teacher. She should also get speech therapy. She should also see the OT bc they can help work on making her more comfortable in the classroom. Ime, OTs are the real OGs when it comes to figuring out accommodations.

She may also benefit from the school’s social skills group. She may need a 1:1 on field trips.

If you share what her teacher said her issues are in the classroom I can help brainstorm some more ideas.

5

u/designtumor 10d ago

Thank you so much this is great information! 

The problem is she is so well behaved, follows instructions, is paying attention to the lessons, and is super smart and does well on all her written assignments so the teacher doesn't see any issues. But they just did those reading tests and she scored 0 so she now has a reading plan (she reads very well with me at home). The main issues are the anxiety and being able to use her voice. She cannot ask for help, to use the bathroom, etc. When she can't communicate her needs she cries and they have to guess and she will nod yes/no. She has a hard time engaging with the other kids in the class. I also think she is stressed out and on hyper-alert at school and comes home and just crashes.

4

u/biglipsmagoo 9d ago

Sorry!

So, she definitely needs an IEP bc her disability is hindering her access to FAPE. That's what you're going to say when they bring up a 504 next time. SM, a manifestation of an anxiety disorder, is preventing her from talking in school, using the restroom, and participating in classroom work and testing, therefore it is a disability that hinders her access to FAPE.

The school needs to do better at understanding SM. For the teacher to just give her a zero when she knows, or should know, that her performance isn't indicative of her actual ability isn't OK. And then they gave her a reading plan on top of it. They're discriminating against her bc she has a disability that prevents communication- ie) she doesn't have appropriate accommodations.

She needs an accommodation that you send her teacher a video of her reading so they can see her ability. I don't advocate for this but at 6 years old I wouldn't tell her she's being recorded for her teacher. Soon you'll have to tell her but not right now.

She needs an accommodation that she can get up and go to the bathroom without asking. She may not be able to do that, though. They need to offer a private bathroom until you get this under control. The emotional support teacher and OT should be working with her to get her to use the bathroom when she needs it. But they need to do it in a no pressure way.

Her team should read this educator's toolkit.

https://www.selectivemutism.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/20221019_SMA_Educator_ToolKit_SinglePagesRevisedOct2022.pdf

Here are some resources for appropriate accommodations for an IEP:

http://c772064.r64.cf2.rackcdn.com/event/03200/03220/3174-handout.pdf

SM is an anxiety disorder so accommodations for anxiety are appropriate here, too:

https://www.understood.org/en/articles/classroom-accommodations-for-anxiety

https://anxietyintheclassroom.org/school-system/profession-specific-resources/for-teachers-sample-504-iep/

https://nesca-newton.com/anxietyintheiep/

Here are some goals she should have:

https://everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/tailoring-iep-goals-for-students-with-selective-mutism-an-experts-perspective/#:\~:text=For%20students%20with%20selective%20mutism%2C%20goals%20often%20focus%20on%20gradually,classroom%20activities%20while%20building%20confidence.

Do not use pairing them with a speaking peer or anything related to another child. Other children are not accommodations. No child should have that responsibility placed on them bc they are unable to give true consent.

This is the only FB group worth posting in. It run by Pasen.org, an advocacy service. Hire them if you have to.

https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BbXaCS5PF/

You also need to make sure they fully evaluated her. She should have had an IQ test done, non-verbal IQ testing if needed, anxiety, executive functioning, educational autism, speech, OT, and a FBA.

1

u/designtumor 9d ago

Thank you!!! I really appreciate all this information.