As a parent or guardian of a neurodivergent child, your tracking of their behavioral health history plays a critical role in allowing your child’s school to create an effective Individualized Education Programs (IEP) and/or 504 Plans. Because so much of the necessary information lives entirely outside traditional medical records, your records of behaviors, triggers, and successful interventions are essential for ensuring that your child receives the most appropriate and effective support.
Additionally, accurate and thorough documentation of your child's behavioral health is often also critical during IEP or 504 Plan meetings. This information provides concrete evidence that supports the need for particular services or accommodations, making it easier to advocate for the necessary resources.
Being the parent of a neurodivergent child, I know how overwhelming it can feel as there’s no test result or single diagnostic tool that gets him the help he needs. But by creating a topic for his condition in KinKeeper with doctors names, documents and notes, I am able to “download my brain” and reduce the pressure on me to remember everything. Some days are easier than others, so I put in what I can, when I can – each diagnosis, document or note I add is one less thing that I have to remember or find later.
So next time you observe or receive something you might need to know later, take 5 minutes and add it to your KinKeeper – Future You (the one that fiercely and relentlessly advocates for your children) will thank you.
