E: My child struggles in school, however, with his compensation strategies he is able to get good grades and test as average. He has to work double as hard as his peers and has been diagnosed ASD age 3. When is he eligible for support?
Eligibility: GOOD GRADES, BUT STRUGGLING – STILL ELIGIBLE FOR SUPPORT?
If by support you mean special education – students are eligible when an evaluation finds that they have a disability and, because of that disability, require specially designed instruction to help make progress in the general education curriculum. This includes academic and non-academic areas and skills (eg social-emotional skills, programmatic language skills, and other areas typically harder for kids with autism).
Support could potentially come through a 504 plan as well – students are eligible for this when an evaluation finds that they have a disability and, because of that disability, require supports or services to help make progress in the general education curriculum.
Have you asked the school to evaluate your son’s needs for eligibility under either IDEA or Section 504? If not, you can ask at any time. If you did ask and they refused, or if they did evaluate but found him ineligible, you do have options to dispute this. This may include independent evaluation, state complaint, mediation, due process hearing, or other options, depending on the circumstances and where you live. I encourage you to connect with your local parent center (http://www.parentcenterhub.org/find-your-center/). They can help you understand your rights and explore options.