Making Sense of Individualized Education Programs and Neuropsychiatric Assessments: Practical Tools to Support Children and Families in School and During Transition to Higher Education.

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to do the following: 1) review the structure and purpose of 504 Plans, Individual Education Programs (IEPs), and accommodations for children and adolescents with mental illnesses to improve child and adolescent psychiatrists' skills in educating patients and families on IEP procedures and rights; 2) receive best-practice information on the importance of mental health secondary transition and IEP obligations to assist educators in facilitating postschool success; 3) review several redacted IEPs and discuss pragmatic ways to establish communication and collaboration to create better IEP goals to support students; 4) learn how to incorporate information from IEPs and neuropsychological reports into patient management; and 5) improve the understanding of the purpose and limits of neuropsychological reports via neuropsychologist-led practical show-and-tell presentations of some neuropsychological assessment tools and a review of redacted neuropsychological reports. At the end of this presentation: 1) participants will be able to gain access to tangible practical tools and resources for special education services and will be able to assist families in navigating this system more effectively; 2) through exposure, participants will be able to critically appraise IEPs and recognize appropriate (neuro)psychological assessments and consultations; and 3) participants will be able to lead patients and families in creating appropriate, successful transition plans. [Extracted from the article]