Educational Needs Of Bipolar Children

1. Parents, school personnel, students, or others may make a request for evaluation. If you request an evaluation to determine whether your child has a disability and needs special education, the school district must complete a full and individual evaluation. If it refuses to conduct the evaluation, it must give you appropriate notice and let you know your rights.

You must give permission in writing for an initial (first time) evaluation and for any tests that are completed as part of a reevaluation.

2. A team of qualified professionals and you will review the results of the evaluation, and determine if your child is eligible for special education services.

3. If your child is not eligible, you will be appropriately notified and the process stops. However, you have a right to disagree with the results of the evaluation or the eligibility decision.

If you disagree with the results of an evaluation, you have a right to an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). Someone who does not work for the school district completes the IEE. The school district must pay for the IEE or show at an impartial due process hearing (see Key Terms below) that its evaluation is appropriate.

4. If you and the school district agree that your child is eligible for services, you and the school staff will plan your child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), at an IEP team meeting. You are an equal member of this team. Some states may have a different name for the IEP team meeting.

5. The IEP lists any special services your child needs, including goals your child is expected to achieve in one year, and objectives or benchmarks to note progress. The team determines what services are in the IEP, as well as the location of those services and modifications. At times, the IEP and placement decisions will take place at one meeting. At other times, placement may be made at a separate meeting (usually called a placement meeting.)

Placement for your child must be in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) appropriate to your child's needs. He or she will be placed in the regular classroom to receive services unless the IEP team determines that, even with special additional aids and services, the child cannot be successful there. You are part of any group that decides what services your child will receive and where they will be provided.

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6. If you disagree with the IEP and/or the proposed placement, you should first try to work out an agreement with your child's IEP team. If you still disagree, you can use your due process rights.

7. If you agree with the IEP and placement, your child will receive the services that are written into the IEP. You will receive reports on your child's progress at least as often as parents are given reports on their children who do not have disabilities. You can request that the IEP team meet if reports show that changes need to be made in the IEP.

8. The IEP team meets at least once per year to discuss progress and write any new goals or services into the IEP. As a parent, you can agree or disagree with the proposed changes. If you disagree, you should do so in writing.

9. If you disagree with any changes in the IEP, your child will continue to receive the services listed in the previous IEP until you and school staff reach agreement. You should discuss your concerns with the other members of the IEP team. If you continue to disagree with the IEP, you have several options, including asking for additional testing or an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), or resolving the disagreement using due process.

10. Your child will continue to receive special education services if the team agrees that the services are needed. A reevaluation is completed at least once every three years, unless you and the school district agree that reevaluation is not needed, to see if your child continues to be eligible for special education services and to decide what services he or she needs.

The accommodations required for a child vary based on the child's needs, in addition to their strengths and weaknesses.

Major Life Activity Affected by Bipolar Disorder: Learning

Possible Accommodations:

· Provide appropriate training to staff on bipolar disorder.

· Implement a crisis intervention plan in case child is uncontrollable, impulsive, or dangerous.

· Immediately report any suicidal comments to the school psychologist, the school counselor, and the child's parents.

· Give the child advanced notice of transitions.

· Create strategies for handling unpredictable mood swings.

· Allow the child to complete difficult classwork at times when he is more alert.

· Provide extended time to complete assignments and tests.

· Monitor the child's understanding of directions.

· Break down assignments into manageable parts.

· Train appropriate school personnel to properly dispense medication and monitor for side effects (as needed).

A behavior contract is an agreement between the teacher, student, and the student's parents. It sets limits for student behavior, rewards for good choices, and outlines consequences for bad ones.

This type of program sends a clear message to the child. It tells them that "This behavior can not continue."

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A Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is an attempt to look beyond the obvious interpretation of behavior as "bad" and determine what function it may be serving for the child.

Schools are required by law to use FBA when dealing with challenging behavior in students with special needs, although you may need to specifically push for it.

The BIP becomes part of the IEP and cannot be revised without an IEP meeting.

BIPs should emphasize positive interventions instead of punishment for negative behaviors.

For an example of what is on a BIP, Write Your Own Behavior Plan