Do you have any information on whether or not schools find students eligible for special education services when their primary issue is executive dysfunction? If so, what category are they found eligible under (i.e., learning disability, not otherwise specified, etc.)?
There are 13 categories of disability under the IDEA. Executive functioning (EF) is not listed as one of these categories. Further, EF disorder is an evolving condition that is not yet fully recognized within the medical community. Generally, it is currently seen as a problem related to or under the constellation of symptoms of ADHD. If your child is diagnosed with ADHD, it would typically be considered under the Other Health Impaired category of IDEA. Even if there isn’t an ADHD diagnosis, if is the EF disorder is diagnosed by competent mental health professionals, it may fit under the Other Health Impaired category if the clinician can demonstrate how it results in limited ability to attend to educational tasks due to excessive distraction or attention to other things going on. It would be a less obvious fit under the Learning Disability category, unless it can be clinically documented as a processing disorder impacting one of the basic processes of learning, e.g., reading, writing, etc.
Even if the school does not feel your child meets criteria for IDEA eligibility, if you have clinical documentation of the EF disorder and evidence that it substantially impacts one or more life activities at school, your child may be eligible for a Section 504 plan and could get accommodations for the EF disorder under the 504 plan. Much or all of what your child may need could be provided under a 504 plan as well as under an IEP.
Topic
Special Education