IEP Meetings-Do teachers encourage meds or even suggest them?

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

 

As a first year special ed teacher, I'm not the only special ed teacher in my school and I have a huge pet peeve. At IEP meetings, the special ed teacher is often suggesting that the child take meds for their ADHD at my school. I've also been asked to call families to make sure their child is taking their ADHD meds. This is a huge pet peeve to me because for one I'm not a fan of meds, and number two I feel that meds are a personal family choice and that teachers are overstepping their boundaries when they do things like this. So I'm curious ... when you attend IEP meetings for your child do you get these same med suggestions from teachers?

 

Carolyn

[evemac]

As a SpEd teacher for over 15 years as well as a parent of a child with tics, I have been very careful when dealing with this issue at IEP meetings (We called them ARDs in Texas). The committee may discuss or ask if the child is on meds, and usually the parent is fine giving information on this topic: if the meds have changed, increased in dosage, etc. However, for students who I really believe might benefit from meds, I will not make suggestions or try in any way to convince a parent that they consider medication. I'm not sure if it's a legal issue or not, but I truly believe (as it sounds like you do) that medical decisions are made by the guardians, regardless of how I think it may positively impact a student's academic or behavioral performance. I think as a parent, I would be taken aback if the district's representative tried to push that.

 

Just my two cents!

[Chemar]

they tried it with us before we even had a TS dx and suggested my son needed ritalin!!!! which is very bad for people with TS as it escalates tics. So glad we did not try it!

 

Then, when he was dx with TS, they bullied us into starting him on meds with disastrous results. I considered legal action but decided we had quite enough to deal with already then. Part of me regrets not taking action tho, not for $ but to set a precedent. Needless to say he did not stay at that school, which was a private one. The public school system treated us far better and fully accepted his natural treatments and never tried to suggest meds.

 

I was told by a lawyer friend that it is illegal for a school to try to recommend medication, but that instead they should request the child see a doctor for evaluation. It is ONLY the DOCTOR who can legally recommend a med, not the school

[mythree]

At our latest IEP meeting they discussed what med's she was on. I said she isn't on any meds. They said they were asking because she has been doing so so much better - with tics and adhd. When I told them she was on natural treatments and supplements - they were really not interested. They all just smiled a condescending smile and changed the subject. In the past - they had suggested medication. And so did a teacher. I was kind of shocked by it.

[Lynn777]

My son has ADHD & in most states it is illegal for a teacher to suggest medicating a student. In fact teachers should be very careful how they approach the subject altogether. They can ask if there are any specific issues you (as a parent) would like to share with them or give you a form to fill out, but they should not be suggesting a diagnosis or meds. The advocate I spoke to said the teacher can voice their concerns & recommend an evaluation, but that should be the extent of their involvement. That said, I have had just about every teacher ask me about medications. My son did take ADHD meds for a while, but the schools questions & attitude about it frequently annoyed me.

[Sheila]

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