ARD (Admission, Review, and Dismissal) meetings can feel so daunting. There are so many people involved, stacks of paper work, and a whole host of acronyms that just don’t seem necessary.
At The Helm ABA we believe collaboration is essential to creating lasting behavior change and one essential piece of that collaboration is with schools. After all, that is where many of our clients will spend the majority of their childhood years.
The Helm ABA has worked with over 15-local school districts to provide evidence based practices within the public school classrooms. We know a thing or two about making successful plans for children across the spectrum within public schools!
Here are our Top 5 tips for Navigating the ARD Process!
Everything is negotiable
An IEP, ARD meeting date, Goals, are all negotiable. When you receive an ARD meeting request it’s ok to say, “that date or time doesn’t work for me.”
Review goals before attending the meeting
I always request to read the WHOLE IEP (goals, schedule of services, accommodations etc.) before stepping in the ARD meeting. Remember number 1? Everything is negotiable. The ARD goals are only proposed and if they do not fit with your priorities you can ask for changes. We find it really valuable to share the goals with your BCBA so they can collaborate with your teacher and work on skills across both therapy and the school setting. Never assume that you HAVE to stick with what the school proposes. 
Ask for real data
General statements of “getting better” or “getting worse” don’t give us the information we want to know. How many times is he refusing to do his work a day? How many times are we seeing physical aggression? When you ask him his personal information how accurate is he the first time asked? All of this information lets us know if we are heading towards independence and if the current supports in the classroom are working.
Communicate Early and Often
Schools want to support you and your family, but they will not know what is most important to your family priorities unless you tell them. Let the school know what you hope to achieve this year and how you would like to stay in touch to play an active role in making sure the goals are accomplished. A daily note home is not too much to ask and can be a great way to ensure there is consistent back and forth communication happening!
Bring support
Attending an ARD can be overwhelming and can feel like 1 against a million. You can bring anyone you want to the ARD meeting who knows your child you feel might be helpful. Sometimes it’s nice to have another set of ears as a backup when you get bogged down in all the fancy acronyms. They may catch something you miss!
Using these five tips really does help start take the overwhelm out of ARD meetings, but remember we are always available. We support all current Helm families with up two ARD meetings per year and one ARD meeting up to one year after you graduate!
Call us today to learn more about how we can support!