The flowers are blooming. The sky is blue. The birds are chirping.
And if you’re a parent of a child in special education, it’s time to prepare for October.
Sounds strange, right? For most families, spring is about planning summer camps and buying sunscreen. But for our community, it’s also about prevention. Because October is coming, and with it, the slump.
Teachers know this term well: the October slump. The back-to-school honeymoon fades, the workload piles up, and everyone’s energy drops. Kids with learning differences? They often hit a wall. The supports they need haven’t kicked in, or haven’t reached the right hands.
Jane M., a Thurston County mom, knows this all too well.
“My son was written up four times for being disruptive,” she told me. “He was sent to the principal’s office and lectured for 20 minutes. How does that solve anything?”
That’s the question. What is being solved here?
Often, the issue isn’t the behavior. It’s that the behavior is a message, and no one’s listening.
By October, teachers may still be unaware of a student’s Individual Educational Program (IEP), 504 Plan, or disability-related needs. Yes, even if it’s in the file. Even if the school says all teachers have access. Access does not equal action.
Sometimes they don’t get the information. Sometimes they don’t read it. Sometimes they’re not even told what to look for.
Want to protect your child from October fallout? Start with this one-page power move: an IEP at a Glance.
This isn’t the one buried in the school’s database. This is the one you create, tailored, clear and teacher-ready. You control what’s on it, what’s emphasized, and what tone it strikes.
And yes, Canva is your friend. Make it visual. Make it memorable. Make it stick.
“Teachers aren’t trained in every disability,” I often remind parents.
A student with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and anxiety is different from one with ADHD alone. A sensory need in one classroom might look like defiance in another. Your IEP at a Glance helps teachers understand, not assume.
Mrs. M thought her son’s teachers had what they needed. His IEP stated all staff would receive an IEP at a Glance. But when the calls home started piling up, it was clear something had been missed.
Here’s something most parents don’t know: some school-generated IEP at a Glance docs only include accommodations that apply to a specific class. If your child has reading supports in English but not in science, the science teacher might not see anything. That’s a problem, especially because children with reading struggles need to understand informational text in science class.
Your version? It travels across subjects. It tells the whole story.
This week, pull out your child’s IEP or 504 Plan. Then, check out our sample IEP at a Glance. Start drafting your own version.
Once you are done, be ready to share it via email with all of your child’s teaching and administrative team. Because spring may be in the air, but October is closer than you think.
A vision statement?
This column is written by Shannon Sankstone, she is an Olympia-based special education advocate and the owner of Advocacy Unlocked. She may be reached at ShannonSankstone@theJOLTnews.com.
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