Why Parents Panic When Schools Remove Supports That Work

IEP meetings can be stressful, especially when a support that’s helping a child is threatened. Parents’ strong reactions are completely understandable.

High Stakes: Removing a successful accommodation feels like a direct threat to a child’s progress. Research shows parents of children with disabilities experience high stress around educational decisions (Friedman et al., 2020).

Future Worries: Parents worry about long-term impacts on academics, social skills, and mental health. Studies find that children with ADHD or learning differences are particularly vulnerable if supports are reduced (Chronis-Tuscano et al., 2010).

Advocacy Fatigue: Many parents have fought for months or years to secure supports. When schools consider taking them away, it can feel like all that effort is dismissed, increasing stress (Estes et al., 2013).

Emotional Investment: Parents see their child succeed with these supports, so removing them triggers anxiety, frustration, or anger (Blue-Banning et al., 2004).

Bottom line: Meltdowns in these moments aren’t overreactions they’re the natural result of high stakes, prior stress, and deep care for a child’s success.