ADD diagnoses IEP, sticks for many years... I have been through many alterations of mine through the years. I had to be released from the demand of a foriegn language, I had to get rid of all spelling tests... Alternative testing site, use of computers, unrestricted access to a computer, etc.

I am assuming you are getting you child tested with a IQ test. Once that is done there is little anyone can do to argue against your child's disability.

For me, and my family it was a constant fight to get what I needed. I did, and graduated from a 4 year college at RIT.

You have a long road ahead of you, be happy for this first step!

Lastly, they may re-evaluate the conditions in the IEP, but they rarely change, and almost never go away unless he truly was mis diagnosed.

BTW, make sure to watch for mental illness and for other disabilities.

When I was diagnosed with ADD, it was a new thing. I was put on ritilian and not monitored for other effects. Soon after my mental illness kicked in. I am just learning now that I have Aspergers Syndrome, and I am finding that I have little or no resources available for Adults with Aspergers.

A helpfull hint on how to play the game. When getting help from government agencies, Diagnoses are important. The more Diagnoses the more ground you can stand on... When you deal with how to help the situation, don't focus on the diagnoses, but the symptoms. The symptoms are everything from a clinical setting, the Diagnoses don't mean anything.

I am 100% classic ADD. I meet every criteria of the DSM-IV. I have been through hell and back in school... I have a high level of ADD. And I was on the minimum dosage of the stimulants I could of taken.

I think some doctors want to over medicate, while teachers want the medication to fix their inability to teach. I would move slow with these stimulants, more is not better with these drugs. These are narcotics and have some major side effects.

Without my meds I wouldn't of made it to collage. At the same time with my meds I couldn't eat lunch, my mind raced and I was rather uncomfortable.

If you put your kid on meds, give him a lunch but make sure he has lots of healthy (but good snacks). Make sure he can eat one of these during class if hes not disruptive.

The best snacks are granola bars, trail mix, and other things that are small, sweat, and that he can eat in small amounts. A sand witch was too much for me, I would feel sick just looking at eating it.

Ohh, BTW; I am 29... so I have allot of experiance and knowledge of ADD, especially what was right, and what went wrong in my life and treatment.

I had a minor in psychology, and I have more knowledge of the system then almost all the doctors I see. Its not that they are ignorant, its that they don't have the personal experiance of having a child in special ed.

Your kid will differ from me. The ADD diagnosis criteria can be broad in some area's and firm in others. This means that there is somewhat of a range within the ADD spectrum. Since it is now an older disability it has become much more clear.

I am now facing the same issues with asperger's that I did with ADD.

What is Aspergers Syndrome?

so what is the difference between IEP and 504? and what is a 504? both of our teens have IEP's our son has ADHD/ learning disabilities, and our daughter has learning disabilities.

Have you had a meeting to test your child into special education? An IEP cannot just be written for a child without going through the proper meetings and testing and evaluations.

My advice has always been....be careful about IEPs. They can be more harmful than good. They have a tendency to label a child and inhibit a child from excelling in the classroom. Also, since he is only 4 years old, that is a little early to be making any diagnoses.

Honestly, go for the 504 unless your son gets classified as Developmentally Delayed. A child is not supposed to be diagnosed as anything other than that until about 7-8 years of age....or at least that is how I know things to work.

Good luck. If you need any help, just holler.

An IEP is for Learning dissabilities where a 504 is an accomadation plan for kids with special needs like ADHD. Not all adhd kids qualify for an IEP.

I am currently going through this with my 9 year old. A 504 is issued to a child that struggles, but can do better with simple basic modifications in the classroom (a front row seat, dictating notes to a friend rather than writing them by themselves), an IEP is warrented if the child is impaired in the classroom and can only be benefited by the intervention of special ed teachers. My son is in a regular ed classroom with a 504 right now, but we're discovering that this isn't enough for him. We'll be making the transition to an IEP next week.

I'm not sure if this is state or federal mandated, but here in Wisconsin, kids in special ed have to be re-evaluated every 3 years. (To make sure they still qualify for special ed services) Their IEP is updated annually, to adjust the educational goals listed. Hope this helps!

Good Luck!

With an IEP you can get accomodations in the class that can cost the school district money. With a 504 plan, any accomodations agreed to can have no financial impact on the School District. My son started out with a 504 plan, then when he finally qualified for Special Education, they developed an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for him under Spec. Ed. IF he needed a laptop for his learning disorder (LD), I could have it written into the plan, and the School District would need to provide one for use in class. If he needed a special writing tool, it could be written into the plan and the School District would have to provide it for him. With the 504 Plan, he got to sit closer to the teacher, he got to take tests in the library or a quiet place, he got extra time to do basic work...no financial impact to the District...Hope this helps...