504 Expectations?

[Paige]

My DS has a 504 at school for hearing loss. He wears hearing aids, but in a crowded environment, they can't provide full correction. Hearing aids aren't like glasses. His 504 says that he's supposed to have copies of all lecture notes in the beginning of class and written directions for all homework. His teachers are not doing this and he's missing assignments. I can't say 100% that he is being responsible and copying down what he's supposed to copy from the board, but he claims he did not know that he had assignments, does not know that he's supposed to find his assignments on a certain webpage, and has been doing his assignments incorrectly- answering wrong questions, doing wrong pages, etc. He also doesn't even hear the bell ringing sometimes, so I know that it's not completely out of line to think he's missing some things because he doesn't hear or mishears. With hearing loss, he literally does not know he is not hearing something. It's not like it's muffled and he should know to ask for clarification.

 

What is the appropriate step to take to make sure his 504 is being followed? He's only been in school 3 weeks and his grades are already suffering. He's 15, so I know they expect more the student to be more proactive. Do I contact the teacher for him, tell him to do it, or reach out to the special ed coordinator to intervene for us? He's supposed to have an FM system that pipes the teacher's voice directly to his hearing aids, but it isn't working and they haven't been able to find a solution yet. I want to advocate for him but don't want to do it in an obnoxious way that makes it harder to work with the staff and faculty. I sent the teacher for the class that he's doing the worst in an e-mail reminding her that he needs written information and letting her know that we're aware he's struggling, but she hasn't replied. 

[wapiti]

I think the first step would be for him to talk to the teachers, either before/after class for a quick minute or meet with them during office hours if they have them, to emphasize that he can't hear.  They might not really "get it" unless they talk with him about it and he explains all of the above, especially that other noise makes it even harder.

 

I imagine that providing notes before class is a really big imposition on the teachers such that there needs to be a real system in place for this.  I'm not familiar with this particular accommodation but I wonder how other schools get that done.  If you can figure out how this can happen and offer a suggestion, that would probably help, as the less work they need to do, the better.  I have no clue but I'd be googling about accommodations for deafness.

 

If the teachers are not responsive, then the next step is for you to contact the special needs people or whoever is in charge of the 504s.  If that's not effective, I'd be contacting the principal and the district-level special needs/learning services department.

[Paige]

He's getting the notes after class instead of before class, so it's not like the teachers have to do more work. Maybe they think he should be expected to try first, or maybe they forget until the end. If he doesn't have them before class, who knows what he is misinterpreting when he tries to follow along.

 

I think he's just supposed to have a copy of teachers' notes if the teacher has notes in the first place for her own use, but not in classes where there aren't really lectures. And he's supposed to be given his assignments on paper or otherwise visually, and not simply told where to look for it.

 

I'm not even sure DS gets how much he misses. He thinks he's hearing everything sometimes when I'm talking to him, while I'm feeling frustrated and like giving up on the conversation!

[wapiti]

I bet the teachers simply start class and don't remember about the notes until after, or maybe they don't understand the accommodation itself, about following along.  I would have him ask for the notes at the beginning of class.

 

(Some of my kids attend a school where almost all of the assignments are in Canvas, an on-line system that many schools use, and I have to say it's awesome for my distracted, executive-function-challenged child who might forget his arm if it wasn't attached.  But then my dd's high school only uses it partially, with only some assignments in Canvas.)

[EKS]

My understanding of how things happen at our high school is that kids with 504s need to ask for their accommodations every single time.  So, unfortunately, that is probably what he is going to have to do.  He should ask for the notes the minute he walks into class.  

 

As for the homework... Perhaps if the teachers put the homework assignment at the top of the notes it would help?  That way, if it isn't there, he will know to ask for that as well.

Edited September 22, 2016 by EKS

[MysteryJen]

This just caught my eye. My dd2 has a 504 at her high school (extra time-dyslexia and slow processing speed). She has to ask every single time. Teacher have a ton of students and just forget. She is also in a position that it seems like she can do things in the regular time, so they think she doesn't need it. She has to ask/remind them before every test, quiz or in class assignment. 

[pkbab5]

Can he get an interpreter?  I taught some 101 level classes in college when I was a grad student, and I had a deaf student in my class, and she had an interpreter for class times who would do sign language for her.  I also gave her notes before class, but she did come up and ask me for them specifically (she was a real sweetie).

[City Mouse]

It sounds like he might need more services than provided with a 504 plan.

If he is really missing that much, it is probably time for him to have instruction in sign language if he is not fluent yet. The the district would provide a sign language interpreter for the student. If can't follow what is happening in class without the written note ahead of time, he needs more.

 

I do agree that at the high school level he is expected to advocate for himself and ask for the notes/assignments. If the teacher fails to provide that after he asks, then you have cause got complaint, but I will also add that not all teachers would have notes written out in detail before the class even starts. Most season teachers that I know know their subjects well enough that they are not using a "script" each lesson

 

But do realize that many teenagers do not want to appear different in any way. You may want to check with school staff to find out their version of what is happening.

Edited September 22, 2016 by City Mouse

[Paige]

He doesn't know sign language. He's not deaf; just a moderate loss. In day to day life he can hear most things he needs, and one on one he hears and understands most things and can tell when he needs to ask for clarification. He's just not used to hearing in a classroom with other noises to filter out and when he may not have eye contact with the speaker at all times. There's a learning curve for hearing in different environments and we expect it will get easier for him as he gets used to it. The special ed coordinator told us he'd have an especially hard time at first. It's not a bad idea to have him learn sign language, though. His hearing is likely to only get worse. 

 

I think he'll be ok if I can get him to ask for what he needs every day. He was afraid that it would be rude or pushy to remind them, but if that's what's expected then he'll feel better about doing it. He has a form he's supposed to show them but we didn't realize he was supposed to show it to the teachers every day. Once they get his FM system working he'll have to approach each teacher before and after class to hand it off to them and that will give him an opening to ask for what he needs and should help them remember him and his issues. 

 

I'm hoping his teachers will be understanding and somewhat flexible if he takes a while to gain confidence and get used to the environment. He is a little overboard on being polite and deferential, so it's hard for him to be assertive about his needs with an adult. He's not shy, but maybe watched a little too much "Good Manners with Max" on Disney as a kid!  :D

[MarkT]

Is there a "front of the room" where he would be closer to the teacher?

I know in many elementary schools these days the concept of the front of the class is missing due to table/desk layout.

[Library Momma]

In the schools here if there is a student that has any level of hearing loss that requires a 504, the teacher wears a special microphone during class that is specific to a reciever (ear buds or headset) worn by the student.  Is this something that can be put in place for your ds?

[Pen]

Could he be seated by an aide who could take notes for him at this time while things are worked out, or as he learns sign language, or whatever is needed?  Or maybe at least between 2 kids who are good notetakers so he can look over and see what they are writing--where maybe it could be community service credit for the kids who were taking the notes to help him? 

 

Could he use a Livescribe pen to help capture what is happening so that the notes he does take can be used to access recording of exactly what was said after?

 

Could he use a digital recorder to have what is said recorded--or even could the teacher talk with a voice to text program recording and converting what is said into written form--even if imperfect?

 

Could he stop by teacher on way out of class daily to at least check whether he has the assignment correct?

 

I'd tend to reach out to SPED coordinator while asking him to contact the teachers himself as first step.

 

Could it be his hearing is much worse functionally than you or he realizes and that he has been using lip reading to make up for it--so that when he cannot see the face of the speaker he is getting close to zero content?

 

School bells tend to be very loud, so not hearing them, unless his school has softer ones than I have encountered, suggests to me that he may be more than just moderately hearing impaired.

[Mandamom]

One of my friends had to set up a meeting (it was today) because her school was not following her 6th grade daughter's  504 that was in place. She had made several attempts to fix things but had to set up the meeting. HOpefully now things will get better. 

 

Advocating is really important. If you aren't rude (which I'm sure you aren't) than all he is doing is asking them to do what they are supposed to do. You might want to start with an e-mail reminder to the teachers because I know it gets hectic getting to each and every student every day. It's possible but not easy. 

 

Good luck!