How to get help for struggling students

TAMPA - When your child is struggling in school, it's tough to know the reason. At first you may wonder, is it that the child isn't trying hard enough or they aren't smart enough?

In many cases, there's a lot more to it, and finding the answers isn't easy.

Sometimes the explanation is pretty simple. Children have different strengths and weaknesses, and different learning styles. Sometimes all a child needs is a few changes to their environment at school.

But whether the answer comes in the form of a little extra tutoring or a diagnosed learning disability, there are often stigmas attached to seeking help.

Ana Sanders knows how hard those stigmas can be on parents and children. Ten years ago, she was just like any parent with a young child struggling in school.

"I have a 16 year old who at the age of 7 was diagnosed with learning disabilities and some anxiety, which the two blended," Sanders said.

It became obvious pretty early on that her son needed special education.

"You have to get to point where you accept it and you move on," she said. "And it's okay, because your child is still the same child."

Sorting out the options

Sanders had two options: A "504," which refers to Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act ; or an "IEP," which stand for "individual education plan."

"A 504 is a little more simple in the sense that if your child just needs a little extra time during testing, that's simple enough," Sanders said. "That doesn't require a lot of modifications throughout their day.

She said an IEP can be more complex.

"An IEP goes more detailed. You set goals. Let's say you have a child in 5th grade, but reading at 3rd grade level—there's a lot more involved there. You have to get that child up to that grade level," Sanders explained.

Her son qualified for the IEP, and she was so successful advocating for his education, the school started asking her to help other parents.

Sanders is now part of the Hillsborough County Superintendent's Exceptional Student Education Advisory Council. It's a liaison between teachers and parents, where communication can be toughest.

"There's so much to it," she said, "That it helps to have someone to talk to."

More parents, children seeking help

Dr. Nancy Carnevale is a developmental pediatrician at the Tridas Center for Child Development . She says recommended examinations are up, and she sees a lot of different types of diagnoses as parents try to understand what's going on with the child.

"Mostly attention deficit disorder, a lot of autism, a lot of children with just developmental delay, especially language delay. A lot of childhood onset anxiety," Dr. Carnevale explained.

Carnevale said about 5 to 10 percent of all school aged children have some sort of ADHD or ADD diagnosis alone, a significant statistic. She believes higher expectations, FCATs and mounting homework assignments make it tougher.

"Our curriculum demands are really high on these kids nowadays," Carnevale said. "Do you see what they're learning in kindergarten in first grade?"

But the reality, she says, is one bad year can make all the difference.

"Once we start to fall behind academically, it may take a long time to catch up."

From frustration to success

Ana Sanders says she's seen a lot of success stories in her 10 years with the IEPs and 504s, especially when it's caught early enough.

"They look at what are the changes that the child is going through. Have they met goals? Where else are they needing help? What new goals do we need to establish, and so on," Sanders said.

Dr. Carnevale says parents need to get around a lot of the myths. She says it's important to do several things, such as talking to their child's past and present teachers, educating themselves, knowing what the expectations are, and where the child is struggling.

This is not to say that every child who struggles needs an IEP or 504, or even a medical diagnosis.

In fact, it's law now that schools try everything they can to accommodate the child on their own before resorting to that, known as RTI (Response to Integration). But parents should know their options if all else isn't working.