Let’s compare two different accidents.
In one scenario, a person was driving drunk and had a wreck.
In scenario two, a person had a heart attack behind the wheel, leading to a wreck.
Would these two drivers have the same consequences?
Of course not. The drunk driver would receive their penalty. The person having a heart attack would receive medical treatment.
Let’s talk about what that has to do with IEPs and 504s.
Let’s say Rutabaga has ADHD, with hyperactivity and impulsivity being some of the main ways it presents.
Rutabaga is like the driver who had a heart attack. If he yells out, is out of his seat, or does something impulsive, those behaviors are directly related to his medical condition. Instead of layering on harsh consequences, we need to talk about additional ways we can support Rutabaga.
The scenario I have described here is related to the discussions held in a Manifestation Determination Review (MDR) meeting. This blog post provides an overview of the MDR process and how it’s supposed to work.
In last week’s email, I introduced the idea of March Madness (school house style) and unofficial suspensions. It’s important to keep tabs on those unofficial suspensions because MDR meetings are triggered when a student reaches 10 days of suspension. Unofficial suspensions slow down this process because the team is not forced to revisit the student’s programming and supports through a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) to provide more support.
It’s a good idea to understand the MDR process before you need it. MDR meetings are one of the very few situations that require an emergency meeting. Most districts have a policy that these meetings must be held within a short timeframe to determine further suspension or change of placement. You will need to have specific information and documentation to prepare for this meeting.
An MDR is a situation that needs to be taken very seriously and addressed swiftly. If your child has suspensions, consider joining Your IEP Source Membership to review our full training workshop on MDRs so you can be on top of your game if you need to participate in an MDR meeting.
P.S. - I will be sharing something new with the advocates’ newsletter list this week. If you’re not already on it, you can sign up here.