: Re: how lack of brain energy impacts behavior/

[Guest guest]

, Zach and Sam both have what is called 'waived absences". Any doctor can request this. Ours simply writes a letter each year stating that the child has a mito disease which is a disease of energy production. due to child's easy fatigability and frequent hospitalizations he will need to leave school earlier, start school later and will incur many absences. doctor requests absences be waived and that home bound instruction to supplement school time be provided. by law they have to honor the request to waive absences. they still take attendance and even mark it on the report card but the child is not penalized. you don't even need to have an iep for this (my kids do have ieps but it is section 504 that allows this accommodation for some children to access education). have the doc write it - it can be very brief -he does not owe them some big long explanation. at the bottom our doc always says that the amount of time kids are in school will be left up to my discretion and that he fully supports my judgment. if they have questions they should feel free to call him any time. Zach is in 5th grade and sam in kindergarten and they have yet to call him. then in the iep you an make a plan to address what will happen with the many absences. will there be home bound instruction to supplement? extra set of books at home? communication via fax or email or phone when lessons are missed so that the child can get it, etc. we don't leave anything out. we have a wonderful school system that has supported us every step of the way but even so if it is not laid out in the iep, they get busy and my kids suffer. so we make very specific plans for how they will access education when they are too tired to go to school but well enough to still learn. Anne Annewww.caringbridge.org/wi/zachsam