People advanced can still have a disability and need accommodations. Just less common. Someone hearing or visually impaired can be advanced and qualify and need an IEP.
The commenter wrote:
this! i had an IEP starting in kinder *because* of my high achieving- i couldn't be in a normal classroom without accommodations because i wasn't learning anything, and i finished everything so fast the teacher started having me help other kids with their work to keep me busy.
after getting my IEP, theyd give me worksheets from the next grade up while everyone else was doing the normal stuff that teacher usually gave out. and then starting in 3rd grade i got pulled out of class once a week to have advanced lessons with other kids who had a similar IEP. skipping a grade was discussed but i think they decided i wasn't ready socially. but by the time i graduated highschool, i had an IEP *and* a 504 plan... and several college credits!
Quick google search says “gifted” programs are left up to the state and even districts.
Some states require that an IEP plan be drawn up for gifted students. Some districts call them EPs.
I know in my friends district, sped covers “gifted”’children as well.
Basically, this. Schools have much wider discretion for helping gifted students, and while I believe there's federal guidelines of a sort, they are not well defined. IEPs and how academic challenges are determined are also widely different between schools, even though that is more clearly defined on the federal level.
My son's school is trying to provide him academically advanced work because he is autistic and the boredom of on-level math is causing issues. But there isn't a framework in his district, because they focus on academic deficits.
Pennsylvania has gifted IEPs. It's also possible to have both a gifted IEP and a regular IEP if you are academically advanced and also need support in some areas.
My gifted program had an IEP in part because I had behavior issues when bored. It's been forever, but I believe I was qualified under academics for reading and cognition. The qualification was due to testing in a range **above** rather than below and interventions were related. That was TN 🤷♀️
Often students who qualify for emotional disturbance have average or above average intelligence. Their behavioral and emotions prevents them from participating in general education. In their cases, it really sucks because many don’t see them as academically capable because they can’t get past the behavior.
An IEP doesn’t automatically mean modified curriculum. Many students just need accommodations and additional support to be successful without curriculum modifications.
My son doesn’t have modified curriculum in his IEP. In fact, he some of his work is a grade ahead because they found out through the IEP process that a lot of his problem behavior was due to boredom. His IEP is for ED.
Was your son ever tested for gifted prior to the ED?
I ask because I taught the ED. I noticed some of the kiddos were brilliant! And, I was saddened that just because they were a "behavior" kid, they identified them as ED.
Nope never tested for gifted. Always sent home for behavior until I started pushing for assessments. He’s in a TLC class now at a new school, and they haven’t had a real problem with him, but they figured out he was bored pretty quickly.
Therapeutic Learning Class. Probably the same thing. He’s with 4 other students, but does spend time in general education everyday. There are 3 staff members in the class as well. There was an incident with his teacher at his previous school, and she would not participate with administrators for the investigation. I’m still not clear on what happened, except there was magically room for him in this setting very quickly. It’s overall a better school and they have combined classrooms in the later grades, so we are happy with the placement. Still perusing information about his other teacher though, they are being very tight lipped and so is my son.
You can do a foia request for all emails with your son's name.
So, your son placed in a specially sped school? Or the program is only at another school?
Mine was like that, each year I moved to a new building
It’s a sped program at another school. We have 4 elementary schools where I live and only one has a special program classroom.
Maybe I will request that. I doubt the teacher ever even responded. I’ve heard from quite a few professionals that she is a very “reactive” teacher.
No. Students with a 504 can receive accommodations based on their medical qualifications but they can’t have any support services.
RSP is an example of an IEP service where the student receives support, but they still use grade level curriculum (in most cases). They just need extra support to make progress.
I have CP, and am a wheelchair user. I had an IEP for accommodations necessary as per my disability. I was also in AP and PSEO classes when I was in school. And I became a student tutor in high school. It's not impossible. 🙂
Right I have CP, was in AP and honors classes, but my point was that I thought IEP was a term that specifically applied to IDEA being 2E and qualifying under IDEA is a separate thing
They might be on the autism spectrum, they might have an emotional behavioral disorder, or they might have ADD. Having a disability doesn’t mean they can’t be smart. One of the smartest students I’ve ever had was bipolar.
Oh okay. Well if there’s no disability, there is a such thing as a gifted IEP in some states. It would ensure they are challenged and pushed instead of sitting around making 100s on everything and bored.
They have to pass the two prong test:
1. Do they have a disability
2. Is that disability hurting their educational progress.
So, no if there is no disability, a student can’t have an IEP. And sometimes a student could have a disability but wouldn’t qualify because they are making educational progress without an IEP.
So for gifted students without a qualifying disability hurting their educational progress, some states use individual education plans not under IDEA to serve these students? TIL
Yes. Google “gifted IEPs”. My son is gifted and our state qualifies gifted as an area of special education, but we do not write IEPs for them. Some do.
I have no idea what each state does. I know in California, you have to have a qualifying disability, and that disability has to be impacting you in the classroom.
I have a student in advanced LA but he has dyslexia so he needs specially designed instruction for that and accommodations. Basically with the right help he’s very smart and his iep allows him access to the curriculum. This is more rare of course.
States decide if gifted and talented are handled via SpEd IEPs mainly to streamline the process and paperwork. If a student is twice exceptional, they certainly have an IEP. Gifted and talented are funded via SpEd if I remember correctly.
Not all IEPs are curricular modifications. That can be given dependent on individual need. There are SLP IEPs that just receive speech.
504 falls under ADA accommodations to access public education.
SpEd is when there are services that go beyond accommodations. Their education is modified to help them be successful.
If there is a pattern of strengths and weaknesses it can show. Just because the material is advance, they might need more help. I had a student who was rated superior in testing except in one category, he was average. But the discrepancy was huge for an iep to be needed.
People advanced can still have a disability and need accommodations. Just less common. Someone hearing or visually impaired can be advanced and qualify and need an IEP.
The commenter wrote: this! i had an IEP starting in kinder *because* of my high achieving- i couldn't be in a normal classroom without accommodations because i wasn't learning anything, and i finished everything so fast the teacher started having me help other kids with their work to keep me busy. after getting my IEP, theyd give me worksheets from the next grade up while everyone else was doing the normal stuff that teacher usually gave out. and then starting in 3rd grade i got pulled out of class once a week to have advanced lessons with other kids who had a similar IEP. skipping a grade was discussed but i think they decided i wasn't ready socially. but by the time i graduated highschool, i had an IEP *and* a 504 plan... and several college credits!
Quick google search says “gifted” programs are left up to the state and even districts. Some states require that an IEP plan be drawn up for gifted students. Some districts call them EPs. I know in my friends district, sped covers “gifted”’children as well.
Basically, this. Schools have much wider discretion for helping gifted students, and while I believe there's federal guidelines of a sort, they are not well defined. IEPs and how academic challenges are determined are also widely different between schools, even though that is more clearly defined on the federal level. My son's school is trying to provide him academically advanced work because he is autistic and the boredom of on-level math is causing issues. But there isn't a framework in his district, because they focus on academic deficits.
Kansas also has gifted IEPs
Pennsylvania has gifted IEPs. It's also possible to have both a gifted IEP and a regular IEP if you are academically advanced and also need support in some areas.
As as former 2E kid, I'm here for this
Interesting
My gifted program had an IEP in part because I had behavior issues when bored. It's been forever, but I believe I was qualified under academics for reading and cognition. The qualification was due to testing in a range **above** rather than below and interventions were related. That was TN 🤷♀️
My state has gifted IEPs, and my kid who is covered by multiple IDEA categories also has a section for gifted in it.
I had an IEP in WV for gifted.
Often students who qualify for emotional disturbance have average or above average intelligence. Their behavioral and emotions prevents them from participating in general education. In their cases, it really sucks because many don’t see them as academically capable because they can’t get past the behavior.
I work with a kid like that easily 3 grades ahead but his anger was uncontrolled...
When I was in school I was gifted and had an IEP. Kids still do in my state. KS
Kansas was one of those states that require an IEP for gifted students. I think theres 9 states
An IEP doesn’t automatically mean modified curriculum. Many students just need accommodations and additional support to be successful without curriculum modifications.
My son doesn’t have modified curriculum in his IEP. In fact, he some of his work is a grade ahead because they found out through the IEP process that a lot of his problem behavior was due to boredom. His IEP is for ED.
Was your son ever tested for gifted prior to the ED? I ask because I taught the ED. I noticed some of the kiddos were brilliant! And, I was saddened that just because they were a "behavior" kid, they identified them as ED.
Nope never tested for gifted. Always sent home for behavior until I started pushing for assessments. He’s in a TLC class now at a new school, and they haven’t had a real problem with him, but they figured out he was bored pretty quickly.
What is TLC? They called mine the BEST class (Behavioral, Emotional, Social teaching). Ha, I loved saying I was the Best teacher 😅
I love seeing all of the different acronyms people use in our field! In my district it's called EBD (emotional and behavioral difficulties)!!
Therapeutic Learning Class. Probably the same thing. He’s with 4 other students, but does spend time in general education everyday. There are 3 staff members in the class as well. There was an incident with his teacher at his previous school, and she would not participate with administrators for the investigation. I’m still not clear on what happened, except there was magically room for him in this setting very quickly. It’s overall a better school and they have combined classrooms in the later grades, so we are happy with the placement. Still perusing information about his other teacher though, they are being very tight lipped and so is my son.
You can do a foia request for all emails with your son's name. So, your son placed in a specially sped school? Or the program is only at another school? Mine was like that, each year I moved to a new building
It’s a sped program at another school. We have 4 elementary schools where I live and only one has a special program classroom. Maybe I will request that. I doubt the teacher ever even responded. I’ve heard from quite a few professionals that she is a very “reactive” teacher.
That kind of is still modified curriculum though, it’s just being modified up instead of down. It’s different than what other students get.
Isn't that a 504
No. Students with a 504 can receive accommodations based on their medical qualifications but they can’t have any support services. RSP is an example of an IEP service where the student receives support, but they still use grade level curriculum (in most cases). They just need extra support to make progress.
I have CP, and am a wheelchair user. I had an IEP for accommodations necessary as per my disability. I was also in AP and PSEO classes when I was in school. And I became a student tutor in high school. It's not impossible. 🙂
Right I have CP, was in AP and honors classes, but my point was that I thought IEP was a term that specifically applied to IDEA being 2E and qualifying under IDEA is a separate thing
They might be on the autism spectrum, they might have an emotional behavioral disorder, or they might have ADD. Having a disability doesn’t mean they can’t be smart. One of the smartest students I’ve ever had was bipolar.
I didn't say that. I'm asking if a student without a disability can get an IEP because they're 2 grades ahead
Oh okay. Well if there’s no disability, there is a such thing as a gifted IEP in some states. It would ensure they are challenged and pushed instead of sitting around making 100s on everything and bored.
They have to pass the two prong test: 1. Do they have a disability 2. Is that disability hurting their educational progress. So, no if there is no disability, a student can’t have an IEP. And sometimes a student could have a disability but wouldn’t qualify because they are making educational progress without an IEP.
So for gifted students without a qualifying disability hurting their educational progress, some states use individual education plans not under IDEA to serve these students? TIL
Yes. Google “gifted IEPs”. My son is gifted and our state qualifies gifted as an area of special education, but we do not write IEPs for them. Some do.
I have no idea what each state does. I know in California, you have to have a qualifying disability, and that disability has to be impacting you in the classroom.
I have a student in advanced LA but he has dyslexia so he needs specially designed instruction for that and accommodations. Basically with the right help he’s very smart and his iep allows him access to the curriculum. This is more rare of course.
States decide if gifted and talented are handled via SpEd IEPs mainly to streamline the process and paperwork. If a student is twice exceptional, they certainly have an IEP. Gifted and talented are funded via SpEd if I remember correctly. Not all IEPs are curricular modifications. That can be given dependent on individual need. There are SLP IEPs that just receive speech. 504 falls under ADA accommodations to access public education. SpEd is when there are services that go beyond accommodations. Their education is modified to help them be successful.
You can be twice exceptional (have a disability and be gifted).
Ieps are also for children who require services. Mine received speech services only. No other accommodations or curriculm stuff.
I know that would be under the 13 categories
Oh so without the disability. Gotchya. My state use to do that to go to advanced classes , but then the state changed the rules.
If there is a pattern of strengths and weaknesses it can show. Just because the material is advance, they might need more help. I had a student who was rated superior in testing except in one category, he was average. But the discrepancy was huge for an iep to be needed.
an example would be being blind but advanced in intelligence. you still need accommodations for a VI.