February 2025: 

The MLO Minute: “February is National Time Management Month” 

By Michael Connolly, Esq., Supervising Partner of the Special Education Department — 

February is an important month for many reasons, Presidents and Valentine’s Day holidays, Black History Month, and for Philadelphia sports fans everywhere, a celebration of the Eagles second Super Bowl victory!  But February is also national Time Management Month, a skill area often impacted for students with disabilities, including students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (“ADHD”), learning disabilities, anxiety, and many others.  Therefore, February is a good time to remember that time management and other executive functioning skills can and often do give rise to the obligation to provide students supports and services to address those skill deficits whether under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (“Section 504”) or the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”).

 

Too often, time management and executive functioning deficits are addressed solely through accommodation (e.g., extended time on tests and quizzes, and other similar accommodations) in the context of either a 504 Service Agreement or Individualized Education Plan (“IEP”) under the IDEA.  That is not to say that such accommodations are not necessary or important; they are and absolutely should be provided based on the needs of the student.  However, executive functioning deficits can also give rise to the need for specially designed instruction (creating IDEA eligibility) and the need for goals and progress monitoring,  Some students, given the nature of their disability and how it impacts them, may require direct instruction in executive functioning skills or techniques to overcome those deficits and become more independent with the skills, and/or goals in executive functioning skills so that progress toward independence and success (or lack thereof) of specially designed instruction can be monitored.

 

There are many different specially designed instruction and goals for students with executive dysfunction depending upon individual need.  Some examples of specially designed instruction for executive dysfunction include:

• • Pair oral with visual instructions.
  • Repeat information/instructions and ask the student to repeat them back and explain.
  • Develop and support the student in maintaining an organizational system.
  • Directly teach lessons in prioritization and strategies to stay on task.
  • Reward efforts in organization, work completion and prioritization by specifically outlining the student’s positive actions/choices.
  • Pre-teach new vocabulary.
  • Conference frequently with the student to check on understanding of lengthy tasks.
  • Use computer and assistive technology.

 

There are also plenty of websites out there with a plethora of examples or specially designed instruction and IEP goals for executive functioning.  Two example are: Executive Functioning | Teach Special Education and Executive Functioning IEP Goals: A Complete Guide and Goal Bank.

 

For students with disabilities that impact their time management and executive functioning skills, it is important that school teams assess the impact of the student’s disability on executive functioning and the extent to which the student requires more than just accommodations, but specially designed instruction and/or goals.

 

If you are concerned that your child is struggling in school, we are here to help. We offer free consultations and record review, and most cases are handled on a contingency basis where families do not pay us a retainer or our hourly fees, which we can recoup upon successful completion of the case from the public school or charter school. If your child is struggling or you believe that appropriate services have not been provided, please reach out to us by CLICKING HERE or by calling 610-648-9300.