Think Twice Before Exiting
the Special Ed Program
It’s not unusual for a student with learning disabilities to reach high school and want to leave behind the resource room and Special Ed services. But it’s not a decision to be made lightly. Once your child withdraws from the program, she’s no longer eligible for Special Ed services. If it doesn’t work out, she can’t simply change her mind. To be readmitted to the program she would have to go through a full evaluation, just as she did originally, which could take months.
If her desire to exit the program coincides with her entrance into high school, counsel her to postpone the decision until she’s had experience with the requirements of the more demanding curriculum.
Rather than exiting the program, the more sensible option may be to take a measured approach:
- First, try cutting back the services she’s receiving. After a reasonable amount of time, evaluate how she’s doing.
- If she’s handling learning independently, she can then request to go on observation. This allows her to access services should she need them without having to reapply to the program
- If she does well on observation, she can move to 504 status under the Americans with Disability Act, which provides for accommodations, but not for Special Ed services.