Our third-grade son has just been diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome. We have notified his teacher. However, we are having a problem because she expects him to work faster than he is capable of working. How can we work with this teacher and future teachers so that my son makes academic progress despite his disabilities? - Concerned
Answer: What you need to do is get your son to qualify for special help under one of two federal programs: IDEA or 504. This is what any parent with a child with a disability that affects his or her learning should do.
Under either of the federal programs, an assessment of how Tourette's syndrome affects your son in the educational environment will be developed by a specially selected team of educators and others, including yourself. Do make sure that his doctor is on this team to point out how your child's medical problems impact his learning. The plan that the team puts together will tell the classroom teacher what adaptations your son needs to have in place so that he is able to make academic progress along with his classmates and will eliminate future hassles with teachers.