Michele: Daughter, 13, has an IEP for behavioral issues resulting from anxiety, ocd and ADHD. She is often picked on by two specific students and she retaliates. This results in her getting in trouble. I don’t believe school is taking bullying seriously or handling her IEP as they should in such situations. What’s the recourse?
Is there a school psychologist or social worker who can work on social skills with her? Make sure the staff gets trained about OCD and associated disorders, and have a disability awareness presentation for peers that explains how the disorders affect a student who has them, and how the student’s peers can support the student. It is not necessary to identify the student when such a presentation is given. If you can’t find someone in the OCD world to give the presentation, ask your local Tourette Association to send someone. The two disorders are closely related. If you’re lucky, you can get a Tourette Youth Ambassador!
If your daughter has a private therapist, have him/her reach out to the school psych or social worker.
Ask the campus or administration building for a copy of the policy on bullying. Report the bullying & see if the campus follows the policy. There should also be a policy for appealing the campus decision to someone else, if necessary. You can request an IEP meeting to discuss the bullying. Keep the special ed dept. informed in writing.