Latest news with #IndividualizedEducationPrograms
Time Business News
2 days ago
- Health
- Time Business News
Why More Parents Are Turning to ADHD Coaching for Teens
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 11.4% of U.S. children aged 3–17 years—about 7.1 million children—have been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as of 2022. The diagnosis is more common among boys (16.3%) than girls (6.5%). ADHD prevalence also varies by demographic factors. For many of these students, academic struggles are only part of the picture. Challenges with executive function—skills like organization, time management, and task initiation—impact nearly every aspect of daily life. Research shows that around 70% of individuals with ADHD report significant improvements in executive functioning skills after engaging in ADHD coaching (Psychology Today). Programs like offer one-on-one ADHD coaching in South Carolina and online to help students build lasting strategies for success in school and life. While schools play a vital role in providing accommodations and support services, they are often stretched thin. Many schools offer 504 Plans or Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), but these focus primarily on classroom modifications and academic goals. Outside of school, parents are finding there are limited options for building real-world skills that help teens thrive beyond the classroom. This is where ADHD coaching is stepping in to fill the gap. ADHD coaching for teens is a growing field designed to help students understand how their brain works best—and how to develop strategies that match their unique learning and thinking styles. Rather than focusing solely on academic content, coaching helps teens build foundational life skills: organizing assignments, managing time, starting tasks, and handling distractions. Many parents turn to coaching because they see their teens struggling with challenges that aren't fully addressed at school: A student who forgets homework, even with reminders A teen overwhelmed by large projects that require planning A bright child whose grades don't reflect their abilities due to executive function difficulties One recent survey by ADDitude Magazine found that over 50% of parents of children with ADHD seek out services outside of school to help their child manage symptoms and develop life skills. ADHD coaching is increasingly one of the top choices, as it offers personalized, one-on-one support that complements existing school services. In South Carolina and beyond, this trend is gaining momentum. 'We're seeing more families reach out not because their child can't learn, but because they know their child needs a different kind of support to unlock their potential,' says the team at Carolina ADHD Coaching. 'Coaching provides a safe, supportive space for students to learn skills they'll use for life—not just for school.' For parents exploring ADHD coaching, the process often begins with an initial consultation to discuss their child's needs and goals. From there, coaching sessions focus on building practical strategies, reinforcing positive habits, and empowering students to take ownership of their growth. As awareness of ADHD and executive function challenges continues to grow, more families are looking beyond the classroom to give their teens the tools they need to succeed. ADHD coaching is helping bridge that gap—and for many students, it's making all the difference. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Viewpoint: Michigan schools get $160M in federal Medicaid funds. Cuts would harm students
In a time of deep political division, it's rare for management and labor to speak with one, united voice. But this moment calls for exactly that. Michigan's congressional delegation must protect Medicaid and reject any proposals that would cut or cap this critical program. Doing so would devastate our public schools and put Michigan students at risk. Medicaid may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about education funding, but for hundreds of school districts across our state, it's a lifeline. In the 2023 school year alone, Michigan schools received over $160 million in federal Medicaid dollars — funds used to support students with disabilities, deliver mental health care, and help children succeed in the classroom and beyond. These services are not optional. They are essential. Cutting Medicaid would mean pulling therapists, school psychologists, nurses, and paraprofessionals away from the students who rely on them most. It would stretch already-limited school resources even thinner and leave educators and administrators without the tools to meet the needs of our most vulnerable learners. Nearly every district in Michigan, rural and urban alike, participates in the Medicaid School Services Program, which helps reimburse schools for health-related services delivered to students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). From speech therapy to physical therapy to mental health supports, these services make it possible for students with disabilities to learn, grow, and participate fully in school life. And it's not just special education that's on the line. Through the C4S (Care for Students) program, Medicaid also helps schools deliver critical health and mental health services to the general education population. The rise in youth mental health needs is well documented, and school leaders are working hard to respond. Losing Medicaid funding now would be a crushing setback. Let's be clear: this isn't just about dollars. It's about outcomes. It's about equity. Students cannot learn if their basic health needs are not met. Medicaid ensures that students from low-income families, students with disabilities, and students facing mental health challenges don't fall through the cracks. It's also about stability for school budgets. If these federal Medicaid dollars disappear, schools will be forced to make painful cuts or backfill these services with limited general fund dollars, robbing classrooms to pay for care that should be covered. That's an impossible choice for districts already operating under tight constraints. As education leaders representing the people who run our schools and the educators who bring them to life daily, we are urging Congress to reject any proposal that cuts or caps Medicaid. The future of our students depends on it. Michigan's public schools are still recovering from the disruptions of the pandemic. We are working hard to improve literacy rates, address absenteeism, and close opportunity gaps. Now is not the time to pull the rug out from under the very supports that help students thrive. Congress must protect Medicaid — for our schools, our educators, and most importantly, our students. Erik Edoff is the senior executive director of the Michigan Education Association, and Peter Spadafore is the executive director of the Michigan Association for Student Opportunity. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Opinion: Medicaid cuts would harm Michigan public school students
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advocates fear for future of special education programs funded by US government
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Special education programs in Knox County Schools may be impacted by the recent executive order aimed at dismantling the Department of Education. While the department has sustained cuts in staff and funding, advocates for special education programs are left questioning what this means for Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs, that were funded by the department. While IEPs are protected under the Individuals with Disabilities Act, the Department of Education was responsible for overseeing, monitoring, and providing funding to schools for them. Knox County Schools told 6 News their commitment to serving students with IEPs remains the same, advocates for the program say they are concerned for its future under the federal government. End of USDA funding for fresh local produce hits Grainger County Schools 'We have an obligation to make sure that students have IEPs, that their IEPs are being followed, and we also have an obligation to make sure that the state and federal government are funding those programs and providing what they, by law, are required to provide to us,' said Knox County Board of Education member Katherine Bike. Bike said if federal funding for special education programs were to be reduced or taken away, the school district would not be able to financially support them on their own. 'With student supports and interventions, those cost money,' she said. 'Knox County alone cannot afford to pay those. They are hundreds of thousands of dollars and when you put it all together with students, it's millions of dollars.' According to Knox County Schools, 9,000 students benefit from some form of special education support each year. As a parent of two of those students, Cortney Piper, who is also a political contributor to WATE, said she is worried for her children's future. 'The uncertainty is almost crippling and it is very scary,' said Piper. US agency targeted for elimination provided vital funding to Beck Center, Zoo Knoxville Piper said two of her children benefit from IEPs and may not have gotten to where they are today in the classroom without them. 'I have seen an incredible, incredible progress, particularly with my son from kindergarten to where he is in second grade,' she said. 'Because he is receiving those supports and services, I've been able to see him progress in Knox County Schools. So, in addition to providing those academic support, those individualized education programs also provide support that helps children learn how to learn.' While the future of IEPs remains uncertain, Piper and board member Bike are urging the community to advocate for the program. 'I think it is important for everyone. Not just saying, 'well, the school will take a take care of it,' or, 'well, a school board member will take care of it.' But we really have to be diligent. Everyone has to be diligent in making sure that the standards are kept where they're at,' said Bike. ▶ See more top stories on In 2023 the Knox County Schools Board of Education passed a resolution to make KCS a model district for excellence in special education. Bikes told 6 News IEPs play a large role in making that happen, and she has prepared another resolution to be heard this April outlining what they are committed to do under state and federal law. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will a Texas-led legal fight over gender dysphoria threaten disabled student protections?
Villanova University student Kaleigh Brendle has had low vision her entire young life. At her college in Pennsylvania and as a child growing up in New Jersey, she has used screen-reading technology that turns written documents or books into audio recordings and hardcover braille texts. To compensate for the longer time it takes to listen to passages being read aloud or in braille, she's been given extended time on exams. These accommodations – given to her through a federal disability protections law – have allowed her to attend and thrive in traditional classes with students who don't have a disability, she said. "Without a screen reader and braille, I would not be able to an have equitable education," Brendle said. "Braille is the ultimate equalizer. It has allowed me to learn literacy and keep up with my peers." Now, upwards of one million students with disabilities like Brendle who receive assistance in schools could be affected by a legal challenge to that same law − Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Known as 504 plans, the popular system for accommodating students in school are geared for kids who do qualify for help under disability plans known as IEPs, or Individualized Education Programs. The more than 50-year-old law requires federally funded schools to offer learning plans and accommodations to students with disabilities. The law also mandates protections from discrimination for Americans with disabilities in federally funded workplaces, hospitals and other agencies. In Sept. 2024, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed Texas v. Becerra, leading a coalition of 17 Republican state attorneys general against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services after the Biden administration's Office of Civil Rights finalized a new rule under Section 504 last year. They've argued in their lawsuit that Section 504 is "unconstitutional" as it stands and they want to see the law re-evaluated in federal court and the repeal of key changes in the new regulations, which include protections for people who experience gender dysphoria and a clarified requirement for states to provide accommodations for people with disabilities in "the most integrated setting The most integrated settings in schools under Section 504 are often traditional classrooms with students who don't have disabilities. The alternative is an "institutionalized," or isolated setting, which could be a classroom or school away from their peers. In a recent joint status report, the Republican state attorneys general, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clarified they don't want to see the law entirely overturned or declared unconstitutional "on its face" – but they are concerned about the way the law is enforced. Despite the new development in the case, some disability experts say the lawsuit poses a serious threat to the federal disabilities law and the outcome of the case could still lead to the law getting overturned. Shira Wakschlag, a senior director of legal advocacy and general counsel of a national nonprofit organization that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities called The Arc, says the lawsuit is "still very much alive" because it has not been amended or withdrawn. The original lawsuit stating Section 504 is "unconstitutional" is what's before the judge in the case – sparking worry, she said. Brendle worries most about the idea of students with disabilities being separated from their peers in traditional classrooms. "The 17 states said they'd never wanted to make all of 504 unconstitutional – even though that was written in their complaint," Brendle. "They also said that the only aspects they want to repeal have to do with integration and protecting people from being placed in institutions. No disabled person should be forced to live in an 'institution.'" Iowa joins suit over: Biden gender dysphoria rule, alarming parents with disabled children Section 504 is a federal law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination in federally funded institutions, including schools. About 1.6 million students with disabilities were served under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act during the 2020-21 school year, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education. Public schools and some private schools receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education to support students with disabilities. These students are guaranteed the right to a "free, appropriate public education" through the Individuals with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act broadens those protections. The law guarantees a 504 plan for kids who need one at federally funded schools. The accommodation plans are for students with a wide range of disabilities who need specific tools and help to learn equally to their peers in integrated classrooms, said Daniel Van Sant, director of disability policy for the Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement. Those tools can include noise-cancelling headphones for students to stay focused, a desk at the height of a wheelchair or a medical plan for a student who has an allergic reaction. One of the disabilities protected by Section 504 is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Kids with ADHD make up a large portion of those with 504 accommodation plans, which are needed to help them focus and complete schoolwork in an integrated classroom setting, said Jeffrey Katz, a clinical psychologist and co-chair of the public policy committee for the organization Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or CHADD. "Most kids with ADHD need help with organization, management plans that help them with talking out or modifying their work because kids with ADHD have trouble persisting with effort," he said. "All of these things can be done in a classroom." The legal requirement also forces teachers to follow student-specific plans to help them thrive in their classes and prevents students with disabilities from being segregated from their peers without disabilities, Katz said. The state attorneys general object to the addition of gender dysphoria to the list of student disabilities protected under Section 504. Gender dysphoria is the distress a person can feel when their gender identity doesn't match their sex assigned at birth. (LGBTQ+ rights advocates have long said gender dysphoria is a recognized medical condition that should be considered a disability under Section 504.) The states also oppose a part of the new rule that clarifies a long-standing stipulation of the rule that states must provide services for people with disabilities in the most integrated settings possible. In schools, that would mean kids with disabilities are required under the law to be served in traditional classrooms with students without disabilities. More broadly, they argue HHS under the Biden administration violated the Administrative Procedures Act and the Constitution's Spending Clause by placing new requirements on federal grants for people with disabilities, including students. The original lawsuit also states they want a judge to evaluate whether Section 504 as it stands and the regulation of the law is constitutional. Following the outcry from disability rights advocates and parents of students with disabilities, the coalition of state attorneys general have clarified in a court document they do not want to see the law removed in part or as a whole, but that the regulations of the law as it stands are too restrictive on states and unconstitutional as applied. On Feb. 19, the plaintiffs filed the joint status report in the U.S. District Court in Texas after President Donald Trump in January signed an executive order stating that agencies shall not 'promote or otherwise inculcate gender ideology," including gender dysphoria. They said in the court document that they are evaluating their position in the lawsuit based on this move. The state attorneys general suing include those from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. But the potential axing of protections for some people experiencing gender dysphoria under the law doesn't cover all of the states' worries. Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has said he joined the lawsuit because of the added inclusion of gender dysphoria under Section 504. On the other hand, Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor has said he's concerned that the "integrated setting" requirement will increase costs on states and burdens Medicaid providers. "From Alaska's perspective, the gender dysphoria is a very small piece of the lawsuit," said Patty Sullivan, a spokesperson from the Alaska Department of Law, in an email to USA TODAY. "Our concerns have been and continue to be on the adverse impacts this rule will have on the provision of services to people with severe disabilities and on state programs." U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Judge James Wesley Hendrix is currently assigned to the case. Paxton's office and several of the other state attorneys general named in the complaint did not respond to inquiries about the lawsuit from USA TODAY. Sullivan, the spokesperson for the Alaska Department of Law, pointed to an op-ed written by Alaska State Attorney General Treg Taylor for The Alaska Beacon. In the article, Taylor said the changes made to Section 504 have jeopardized "the continued viability of state programs and services and are impossible for any state to fully comply with." "In fact, the new regulation is likely to undermine the State's ability to provide ongoing service and supports,' Taylor wrote. "It requires states to redesign their service delivery systems to conform to newly imagined and vaguely defined requirements, regardless of the cost or impact to the state." Does Project 2025 eliminate IEPs? Not explicitly, but experts are wary Despite her vision impairment, Brendle has been able to succeed academically and socially in her schooling career – at least up until this point. But she worries she and other college students will not continue to prosper in schools and whether it will be more difficult to secure jobs if Section 504 is removed from federal law. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, another disabilities protections law, mandates student learning adjustments on learning assessments and goals. But Section 504 goes further to specify that people with disabilities must be given the tools to be thrive in integrated settings in federally-funded schools, workplaces and other agencies and organizations, said Carrie Gillispie, a senior policy analyst with the education policy program at national nonpartisan think tank New America. Brendle said she's heard of many people abundantly qualified for their job but denied that job just on the basis of a disability. She fears that reality could worsen. "This will touch millions of disabled children in some capacity," Brendle said. Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@ Follow her on X at @kaylajjimenez. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: States sue over 504 plan law protecting disabled students: What to know
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama disability advocate loses federal job amid Trump firings
Victoria DeLano (above) advocated for people with disabilities at the Office for Civil Rights. She was fired in February 2025. (Courtesy of Victoria DeLano) Advocating for children with disabilities was Victoria DeLano's dream. And after 15 years of advocacy work, she got her dream job at the U.S. Department of Education in December. Three months later, she was fired. The first sign that she had been fired came on Feb. 12, when she could no longer log into her computer at the department's Office for Civil Rights (OCR). She had no idea why, and neither did her boss. She later got a phone call from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management notifying her of her termination. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'I did get a phone call from someone at the Department of Ed saying 'We don't have a letter of termination for you, because we didn't terminate you,'' DeLano said in a phone interview Thursday. ''OPM did this.'' DeLano said she had no proof of her termination in a LinkedIn post written on Feb. 18. In the Thursday interview, she said she only received a termination notice six days after being locked out of her computer because she asked for it. The letter did not cite a reason for her termination, even though she was a probationary employee. Under federal employment law, a probationary employee is someone who has been employed for less than two years. Those employees can only be fired if they have low performance or any conduct issues. DeLano said she did not fall under either category. 'I have protections as a probationary employee … you can only be fired if there is documented low performance – and they actually have to document it and come to you and do a performance plan,' she said. 'That was not the case with me, like I was a high performer. I tracked everything.' DeLano is one of thousands of workers fired by the Trump administration and billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) since Trump entered the White House on Jan. 20. According to USA Today, the total number of layoffs may have exceeded 100,000. At the OCR, DeLano's served as an equal opportunity specialist and investigated cases of discrimination at public schools, museums, libraries and any other entity using federal funds in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. She specialized in cases involving discrimination of people with disabilities. DeLano said she looked at who, what, when, where, how and if a complaint was discrimination. In her three months of employment, DeLano said she investigated seven cases across her four states. 'Sometimes it's just a matter of bringing both sides to the table and communicating,' she said. 'Sometimes there are kids (with) super rare disease situations. Maybe it's something a school has never seen, so they don't know how to handle it.' The most common cases DeLano saw included students with Individualized Education Programs or Section 504 plans and making sure those students got the education they are entitled to. But she said the word disabled included 'a pretty large gamut' of cases. 'The definition of disability could be a child with asthma who needs an inhaler at school, and where's that inhaler going to be stored? Who's going to administer it?' DeLano said. 'It can also be a student who's on a ventilator and a feeding tube and in a wheelchair, like maybe the other extreme, who needs a one-on-one nurse to provide their medical care.' DeLano said she was the only OCR employee in Alabama that she knew of, but others still advocate for disabled Alabamians. The Alabama Disability Advocacy Program works with people with disabilities and aids parents in the OCR complaint filing process, said ADAP senior attorney and children's team leader Jenny Ryan. 'So if the parent has contacted us, it is typically to work with the parent to make sure that the IEP we're basically there to support the parent in trying to get an IEP that works for the child and parent, and protects the rights to education for the child,' Ryan said. There were 285 open discrimination cases in Alabama at elementary-secondary and post-secondary schools as of Jan. 14, according to the OCR website. DeLano said the Department of Education stopped outside communication of the inner workings of the department after President Donald Trump's inauguration. According to ProPublica, OCR opened about 20 cases in the first three weeks of Trump's administration, only relating to disability discrimination and not racial or sex-based discrimination. In the first three weeks of former President Joe Biden's administration, ProPublica reported OCR opened 110 cases relating to all discrimination. DeLano said OCR was still opening cases when she was there and students and families should still file complaints. However, she said there was not a way to know what cases were being investigated due to the external communication pause. 'I don't know what's happening right now,' she said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
