- Ingham County Special Services explains the plans entirely and the process.
- Holt Public Schools shares what the process is within the district.
- Video shows how you can go about applying to get your child an IEP or 504 plan.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"My son has had extreme issues from a young age, probably 3 or 4," said Brittani McMullen.
For Holt neighbor Brittani McMullen, she’s tried everything, from early childhood interventions to now, where he is in public school.
"He was overstimulated, and finally, he was diagnosed with ADHD," said McMullen.
She says when applying for an IEP, an Individualized Education Plan, the district was hesitant at first. But after the second time applying, her son came back qualifying for speech services.
"He has the IEP for speech now, and with that, he is able to have the behavior plan attached to that."
Leaders at the Ingham County School District say 15% of students require an IEP or 504 Plan. Superintendent Dr. David Hornak says that in Holt specifically, nearly 1,000 students are on a plan.
An IEP allows students with disabilities to have access to programs, services, goals, and accommodations.
"If they just need accommodations, that would be a 504," said Greg Molenda, the director of technical assistance at the Ingham ISD.
Leaders say that asking the district is the first step to obtaining a plan.
"The district will review some data and then will decide whether or not the district detects a disability," said Molenda.
In a statement, Hornak says, "This can be a complex process because Michigan has 13 areas of special education eligibility that can be considered, each with its own set of criteria."
Students may go through an IQ test, achievement testing, and observations of behavior and cognitive abilities to determine the state of the child.
Though parents in our neighborhoods express troubles.
"It's like, okay, we wanted to support your child in the best way, but I feel like administrative actions don't follow those words," said McMullen.
Leaders say it’s important to note why that may be.
"There are differences between school eligibility as what is considered a school-based disability and a medical-based disability," said Molenda.
For the district, Hornak says they work very closely to ensure proper evaluation and review.
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