On the “teaching a child with LD” bulletin board I posted about my brothers writing troubles in reading remediation class. I was going to post about reading also but felt it would confuse the issue.
As I mentioned in the other post by brother is 14 yrs old, freshmen in high school. He was diagnosed dyslexic, dysgraphia, and has severe auditory processing disorder.
He was not diagnosed properly until age 12 and only diagnosed dysgraphia, this summer through and independent eval. He received 3 years of Wilson from grades 6 to 8, and although the teacher was an angel from heaven, the Wilson program was basically ineffective.
He has stayed at a grade 3 reading level, since, well…. grade 3. I read in another post that children can memorize enough words to get to grade 3 level but not beyond. The independent evaluator noted in her report that he read based on memorization and lacked decoding skills.
My question is this, he is in a reading remediation class. She does not use a specific program, she said she pulls from here or there based on what the child needs. The children read silently, which to be would be ineffective at school, because she has no way to know if they are decoding, comprehending, or actually reading. Once a week, they have to read a children’s picture book out loud. Also, while the children are reading silently she is working one on one with another student, sometimes not even one from his grade. The independent evaluator suggested this type of strategy not be used on my brother and last night my Mom was ready the Ron Davis dyslexia book and it also suggested this not be used in a classroom setting.
I feel that he needs one on one reading instruction at this point. I agree that he could benefit from many different programs but feel he would make his best progress with one program and supplements from different programs as needs. I do not believe that continuing Wilson would be effective because it did not help before.
Another problem is that he attends a vocational school and only has academic, two weeks a month. The teacher and I agreed that he needs reading assistance on those days as well.
I really like the teacher a lot and have volunteered to help out in the classroom so that she may work one on one with my brother. I can imagine her frustration with having so many children who need one on one and being the only reading teacher in the building for every kid. However, I feel he needs much heavier remedial work.
I would like to see a reading tutor involved, one that could come to the school everyday or after school. My brother and discussed this last night and agreed that from now on, he will read 20 minutes to my 6 yr old son, every night.
I would appreciate any suggestions. What type of program should I be looking for? My tutor suggested that he needs Orton Gillingham tutoring, not a collaboration of many things. We do not live near a Lindamood bell center, and I have no idea of finding a Lindamood tutor. Also, how do I present this to the school, they feel reading remediation class is enough.
Thanks,
K.
Re: Well, I'm impressed
Hello Leah,
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The law isn’t that specific and even if it were, I couldn’t point you to the exact spot. It says that schools have to provide a free and appropriate education (FAPE) and they have to do it in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Least restrictive is different for different students. For some, least restrictive is in their regular education classrooms with some accommodations. And for some, least restrictive is in a hospital day school or for those with severe emotional or behavioral issues, even in a residential setting. It all depends on the student’s needs. And that’s the same with programming. If a student isn’t reaching his or her potential, then something isn’t right. IDEA doesn’t say that schools have to pay for tutoring. It says that they have to do what is necessary to provide an appropriate education. I’m not sure what part of the law clarifies the issue of parents not having to wait for staff to be trained, but I know that this is the general interpretation of the law. You’d have to ask an attorney or advocate that question. It may be explicitly stated by law or it may be something that over time was tested through court cases. Sorry.
Re: Well, I'm impressed
We did not ask for Wilson, it is what the school uses and that is what they said he needed. This decision came before we understood what his true disabilities were.
I was going to explain my parents financial situation but then it dawned on me that it was unneccessary. If my parents or myself had the money we would pay for private tutoring or speech and language. The only clinic accepting pediatric speech and language is $150 dollars an hour and tutors for reading, who are qualified run about$50 an hour. I am glad to hear that some families can afford that, mine can not. The school and what I can learn on my own will have to do. The school is supposed to provide the free and appropriate education and my butt will be parked every day outside the SPED directors office and I will get the services, programs, and qualified and appropriate trained people working with him if it is the last thing I do.
I do not wish to be made to feel guilty that we have not run out and gotten a loan to pay for services. Again, if we could afford it, it would be done. I do not wish to be made to feel guilty because my family chooses to pay their mortgage and utility bills and not $50 an hour tutoring. I think all families who have the ability to pay for private services, should take into consideration that there is a family out there who can’t!
K.
Oh!
Since you are posting on Janis’ response to Leah, I’m not sure who you are think has made you feel guilty. (I’ve always understood than someone makes their own guilt.)Perhaps you didn’t mean to do that. If not, you might mention it as it does seem particularly pointed toward Janis.
I, for one, am tired of reading this thread with no solutions and only going round & round from Dawn till dusk. Every possible alternative for some time now has been unacceptable—some reason it can’t be tried or won’t work. I’m ready to turn the page because there doesn’t seem to be a suitable answer here.
Fond Farewell
I was not aware that I was not finding any solution acceptable. The only one that I did not find acceptable, for financial reasons, was the private tutoring.
I guess you are right that I have created my own guilt. My brother received the wrong services, the wrong diagnosis until age 12, that would make anyone feel guilty.
My brother is in a new school. We are looking for a fresh start. He is doing well and getting very good grades. There will be no D’s on his first report card. I am slowly easy him into Phonographix, with the help of incentives, we read at night together, he has gotten organized with binders, folders, pencils, paper, and anything else he needed, I found an advocate who works with low income families, a case manager at the commission for the deaf and hard of hearing, I volunteer in the reading class to help my brother and other children like him, and I contacted the United Way in the hopes that they can provide tutoring through the local literacy council they fund.
Private tutoring at $50 an hour and private speech and language at $150 an hour because there is only one clinic taking new pediatric speech and language children. So you are dead on, that won’t work, but I have tried other things!
Through this board I have met some incredibly helpful people. I have learned about many laws, programs, and services that will help my family but I agree wholeheartedly with you Susan, it is time to turn the page. Reading your post and writing my response has helped me understand that I am doing all the right things by my brother, son, and sister.
So, I feel it is time for me to turn the page on the LDOnline bulletin board. Throughout my brief time in the disability world, I have built up a support system that has guided my family and supported us and it is time that I utilize those people and organizations.
A Fond Farewell and thanks to those that have helped me in the past,
K.
Re: Well, I'm impressed
THanks for the response. I feel that they should provide and if enough parents were able to “push the right buttons” it could be done. We chose to go the easy and/or hard route of paying for it ourselves.
Fortunately, my daughter has been pretty much remediated and altho still considered LD at this time (new testing will be done at the end of 5th grade) is definitely a successful student.
I am asking for all the other parents I know who aren’t in the same place I am. Thanks for being willing to lend your expertise!
Before you go!
Don’t feel guilty about the tutoring. Most people don’t have the extra money for it, and in my opinion (and this is just my personal experience), I don’t think it’s necessarily the best answer. One hour of tutoring a week is not even close to what most of these kids really need.
Here’s my suggestion (here I go with yet another suggestion!).
I’m going to guess that your brother might be out of school for winter break? If so, and if you just happen to have one to two hours a day during this time (I know that’s asking a lot! but think of it as temporary — just to get through the book or at least the advanced code), devise a schedule for working on PG (make sure you keep a “rewards” list with your materials so your brother can keep track of his goals and what he’s earning…maybe a star chart of some type).
Last April when my son was “off track” from school, I did what I’d describe as “intensive PG” with him. Since he knew the basic code, we were able to move through it quickly prior to April and then in April we spent as much time as possible working on Advanced Code. I was determined to make as much impact as possible in a short amount of time (one month).
So I tried to work with him 2-3 hours a day (weekends included!). Sometimes we broke the time by doing it once in the morning and then an hour in the early evening. I carried all of the supplies (papers, pencils, small dry erase board, dry erase pens and my book) in a plastic box so we’d work on it at home, and then later in the evening when my daughter was at dance class I’d drop her off and take my son over to the library so we could find an empty corner and work on PG for 45 minutes. I tried to concentrate on anywhere between one to three sound word lists per day (depending on the difficulty) and I’d do lots and lots of those word analysis exercises following them (also, pulling sounds from previous lists just to make sure my son remembered them).
Since we only had a short time off from school, I really tried to take advantage of our “month” and do as much work as possible with the book.
Perhaps something like this wouldn’t work with your schedule, or your brother might be resistant to it regardless of the rewards, but it’s something to think about…..
At the beginning of April, my son could barely read even the simplest of words. By the end of April he had made huge, tremendous, progress.
Even if you can’t do any of this, don’t feel bad or guilty.
I know you’re doing the best you can. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t be here on this website looking for ideas.
Best of luck to you and your brother. You are a very caring sister.
Re: Before you go!
K
I have always admired your devotion to your brother. It is rare to see anyone have such devotion to a sibling. He is lucky to have you. The schools failed him but you haven’t. He must love you so much or will someday when he realizes what you are doing.
I paid for a tutor, paid for sylvan and then did it myself with PG. I think those other routes did nothing but slow things down. I mean the teacher that was tutoring him came from the school district that failed to teach him to read in the first place.
I have to say Laura, also, WOW you are an amazing mom.
And, to be honest, would I be satisfied with the amount of remediation given to my child in small group in lieu of one on one? Probably not. So, alas, even if LMB shows up in school, I will probably be paying for grandchildren too. Unless, of course, my daughter becomes the first dyslexic president and can afford to pay for her own kids!