IEP...question about inclusion

Brenda,

First of all, no, they can’t tell you they won’t get him recorded books unless there is some good reason besides they don’t have any. They are ordered from organizations that record books for the blind and dyslexic. Does your son have a reading disorder? Is he on grade level in some subjects like math, maybe? I guess I am asking this because you said he is “well below grade level”. Without knowing more about your child, it is hard to comment. Yes, I think there are children who are functioning too low to be in an inclusion class.

One of the many questions I would ask you is what is being done to remediate the reading disorder? Is he LD? How far behind? See, I’d have to ask a million questions to really be able to comment. If you want to explain a little more about his actual levels, then maybe you’ll get some more specific replies.

I guess my point is, they cannot deny a reasonable accommodation request. But in this case, perhaps they do not feel inclusion is an appropriate placement. And I’d have to know a lot more to give an opinion. But in general, I feel remediation is the key to success. Massive accommodations and modifications in an inclusion environment when a child has major deficits which have not been remediated is not the answer, in my opinion.

Janis

Hi,

I wanted to add to my last message. (an actual positive, lol)

Although the school and district seems to be fighting us at all levels…there is one teacher that has been exceptional and a Godsend to my son.

She is Anthony’s speech therapist. Even though Anthony has worked his way out of therapy and no longer qualifies for her services, she continues to work with him. She doesn’t do “speech work” with him; instead she works with him on vocabulary/site words/comprehension/self-image/confidence etc…

When I first found this board I was beside myself with envy of all the children that you all work with. I thought “if only my son had “one” person from his school that was on his side…. and cared the way you all do.”

I have to tell you that this person has worked very hard with him and proved herself yesterday at his IEP meeting. She was the only one I felt went out on a limb for him, suggesting services that might be available…though pretty much halted and shot down, she none the less took that chance. She took exceptional notes and didn’t miss a beat. She called me this afternoon to update me on her work with Anthony, because he tracked off for a month today, she wanted to make sure I knew where they left off. She listened yesterday when I spoke about starting a new reading program with him (PG) and gave me suggestions on books to buy him for math, comprehension, etc.. to work on during his break.
When she called today she told me that she stopped by the store on her way home last night and bought the books she felt would help Anthony…. she then took the time to copy ALL of them…total of 6, I think. She spoke with me for over 2 hours and candidly discussed all my concerns. WOW…I hung up with a renewed sense of empowerment and support. “Finally, someone who agrees that my son could/would do VERY well, if given the chance and opportunity to be exposed to things other than his SDC class. Someone who sees his potential and is willing to work with him. She even offered her phone number and told me not to hesitate to call if I had any questions or just wanted to talk. She believes in Anthony and truly wants to see him succeed, and seems to be willing to do what she can to help him. Thus far, she has gone above and beyond her duty…and I couldn’t be more excited or happy! I only wish there were more like her, in her position…. that were willing to take that extra step on behalf of my son.

Okay…. I just wanted to tell the world what a wonderful person/teacher/therapist she is and it’s true…there really ARE teachers who care! They seem to be very few and far between, unfortunately…. but do exist.

What a wonderful feeling it is to know that one of “YOU” are right here willing to go out of her way to help and truly believe in her student!

NOW…. if I could only get the rest of them to … ahem, well stranger things have happened, I guess. : )

Brenda <–-taking tim to give credit where credit is due….. : ) VERY excited and happy with her effort and love for my son.

Hi Janis,

I apologize for not clarifying about Anthony. I haven’t posted in a while because I’ve been completely focused on preparing for this IEP meeting, and at the same time…..studying and preparing lessons from the Reading Reflex book…..(Shay has been most helpful with phone conversations/advise) So needless to say, I’ve been a super busy (stressed out) beaver. : )

I am the one who had quesitons about my son’s test and posted his recent scores. There are a few threads concerning my son and his issues. If you do a search for my name, I’m sure you’ll remember who we are and what Anthony’s troubles are. I know that you’re very active on the board and there are many of us asking for advise and such…..so I completely understand why you might not remember. I hope when you check out our threads that you’ll be reminded of our situations……it’s WAY to much to re-post.

*Huggz*

Brenda

Oh, yes!!! I remember you now Brenda! I am so sorry! It’s just a middle-aged memory lapse! Lol!

Oh, goodness, what do I tell you??? I am thinking that he may not be successful thrown in a regular classroom at this point. I think his reading skills need to come up some first. Even with recorded books, there are simply too many things in a class that require reading and there is no way to have it all read to him…overhead projector notes, hand-outs, etc. Because of going all these years without reading skills, his vocabulary and writing skills are low, too. To be honest, I think he needs some remediation to have a chance at being successful in a regular class. Understand that a child with no other issues and an 80 IQ would be having difficulty in a regular classroom in high school. Ideally, a private LD school would probably be best for him, because as Shay mentioned earlier, it could take years of hard work for him to make substantial progress, and if he spends all day at school with no remediation, then that will even be harder. Buy his special teacher a copy of the Reading Reflex book. See if she’ll buy into doing it with him, too. Or you could pull him out and homeschool and do nothing but remediation for a couple of years. He’d more than likely need a good writing program to be able to pass English classes, too.

I think you need to think about how long he’d be willing to stay in school if you are hoping to get a diploma. He legally can stay in through age 21. But his achievement is going to have to come up quite a bit before he could really do enough work to master the high school curriculum. Cases like this are so sad, but they are not uncommon. If only kids could get the help they need early on, so much could be different. But you keep working on that PG and that’ll give him some success. Then see where you are maybe at the end of the summer and reconsider things then. You may need to have him evaluated privately periodically to measure progress, too.

Good luck, Brenda!
Janis

Hi Janis,

Thank you for replying. I just sent you an Email. :)

Brenda

I would find a way to creatively document what they said about books on tape in writing — perhaps a letter to them asking for clarification of any of a number of things, and just happening to include that you understand that the reason he can’t get books on tape is not that they won’t help him, but that the school does not have access to them. (I would be tempted to send them inf0 from www.rfbd.org or www.rfbd.com, whichever one it is that’s reading for the blind and dyslexic, too).
I have to agree with Janis about there being a lot of issues to deal with here. When I taught middle school I had kids who would thrive in my special ed classroom, and we worked on skills & accommodations… but unfortunately the ones who got “mainstreamed” floundered at best and often failed. When I saw the tests they had to take, I had my first glimmer of understanding — often they were these wordy multiple-guess monsters taken straight from a textbook. HOmework assignments were too long to be learned from (answer these 20 questions, then fill in the blanks with the 20 vocabulary terms) and overwhelming to begin with. THe kiddos who didn’t outright fail were “passed along” — but I can honestly say they didn’t learn squat, except to be tractable.
(And now I’m working with kids paying the price for that situation — they’re failing college courses because it’s not enough to “Try Hard” and write *something* that is indecipherable, and pass into English 101. SO the students get very, very angry at the teachers.)

Hi Sue,

I’ve been trying to write a letter of understanding to the district about things that were said at the meeting. I’m finding it difficult because I’m not sure if I should wait till the meeting is reconvened next month or just state my understanding of what was said a couple of days ago. I don’t want to cause waves…. or sound like, well I don’t know…. I don’t want to be perceived to be a crazy mom who is asking too much for no reason. I just want to understand the process and I need to understand where they’re coming from. If they would only attempt to help me understand why they won’t or haven’t done anything other than SDC, I would be better able to argue or if I’m wrong, accept it. (I’m not wrong though).

I’m not sure how to write this letter because nothing was definitely refused, just a lot of excuses for possibly not being able to give him what I ask for. (we only got as far as the ‘hypothetical book on tape” In other words, she never said he CAN’T have the books on tape, but instead made it clear that if it wasn’t available to them, then there was no way to give it to him. And again, to me, as his mother, I take that as if they were to have said that the funds weren’t available…. that’s illegal, is it not?

I taped the meeting so they can’t deny what was said. (right?)

The program specialist promised to call me within a week to let me know where it stands. I can only trust that she will. (It’s hard for me to believe that they’ll do anything, considering their past attitudes and actions).

And Sue, if my child was taught by a teacher like yourself, who cares and understands what he needs, I wouldn’t be so upset. Because if he had a teacher like you, he’d actually be learning something…not just sitting in the class doing assignments that the others need ….therefore, not getting what “he” needs. I can’t see how staying in SDC, the way they’ve been teaching (or not teaching him) can help him. I think that by leaving the class, at least for one period, he would at least know what’s out there…learn “something” that he hasn’t already mastered…do you understand what I’m saying? probably not, because I don’t know how to put into words exactly what’s going on, and make it make sense. :(

Tell me Sue, if you had a student that was clearly “beyond” the clock thing…. would you make him do the assignments and spend class time teaching him to tell time?” Or would you be aware that a certain child is beyond that lesson and focus, for him, on where “he” should be? How does that work?? When one student clearly needs to take the next step, but the rest aren’t ready yet. How is that handled? Maybe I’m misunderstanding how the class should work. My understanding is that his education should be “individualized” and from that I get that he should be being taught at “his” level and not be made to sit though lessons that just repeat what he’s already mastered. Am I wrong? Please, tell me. And if I am wrong, please explain to me how he is benefiting from his SDC class. ?

How do I get the school/teachers to teach him at HIS level in SDC rather than making him go through lessons that are irrelevant to him? The only thing I can come up with is to get him out of there. I’m soooo tired of telling them, asking them, begging them, and showing them that he already knows this or that. Bottom line is that they have a lesson plan for all, and he has to sit through it. From where I’m sitting, his time is being wasted. How do I get him to be taught things he needs without having to sit through things he doesn’t need. Isn’t that what the SPED laws are all about? :(((

I’m just asking…. please, if I’m wrong or if I’m missing something tell me. I’m lost and I certainly don’t want him to be forced to do things he “can’t” do, but at the same time, I need his time in school to be beneficial to him.

Should I just stop trying to fight for him and be quiet…. letting them do what they’re doing and not make waves?

I’m sorry for sounding so negative, but I’m truly at my wits end…I just don’t understand.

They should just give their students what they know they need, and not wait for parents to question why our kids aren’t learning, when we finally realize that they haven’t progressed, despite report cards and assurances…..we shouldn’t be made to research and complain and demand… that process doesn’t make sense and is hurting our kids. :(

Oh and btw: I went to the sites you sent, but they don’t work. :(

Thank you for putting up with my pain/confusion/ranting and raving. I just wish I understood.

*Huggz*

Brenda

Here is where I disagree with you Janis. My daughter as well as Brenda’s son are auditory learners. As long as he has books on tape and is given notes, he will do just fine in an inclusion classroom. It will not take him a long time to reach close to grade level reading. Brenda has already given him the PG tests and the only problem is that he doesn’t understand the advanced code and strategies for MS words; he has no problem segmenting and blending and that is most of the battle. He is so behind the other kids in knowledge that he has to be in the reg ed classroom if he is going to succeed in life. I feel that he will make it because he not only wants to but is a hard worker. He is going into high school and has missed everything due to the fact that he hasn’t been taught. He deserves the chance. I think that the reason that his IQ is so low is due to the Matthews effect: The longer a child cannot read on grade level, the lower the IQ can go, up to -50 points. Give him a chance, it seems that up until now, he has been treated like he was mentally challenged. The subjects in middle school are repeated in high school, in the regular ed classroom he will be given the chance to learn what he has missed in middle school where he has only learned to tell time?

Shay,

My main thought was that this is the last quarter of the school year. Personally, I think it would be hard for a typical average child to go into some classes when a course is 3/4 completed. I actually had several emails with Brenda off the list so as to not clog it up, and what I ended up telling her was that she could try something like social studies if she wants to do a class until the end of the year as each new unit is not necessarily dependent on previous knowledge. In a class like that, he could have taped texts, test review sheets, oral tests, etc. I do feel that to put him in regular English or math without a little remediation first would be a disaster. You just can’t skip several years of math and go into Algebra and expect to succeed. That would be about like sticking me in a calculus class at this point…I’d be lost and I would most assuredly fail!

Because of state testing, in my state beginning in 9th grade it would be impossible to just stick a child in a class 3/4 of the way thorough because they would then be required by law (IEP or not) to take the end-of-course test. So we have one-week deadlines for schedule changes for those classes after they begin. Eighth grade here has an end-of-grade test as well, so I’d be surprised if they’d move a self-contained child into mainstream classes at this point in the year very readily. But of course, decisions like that are IEP team decisions. But those issues come into play when the school team members give their viewpoints.

My other point was that by the beginning of the new school year in August, he could have 5 months of PG which ought to significantly boost his self-confidence, and I think that would potentially give him a more successful start. But I told her that a class like social studies or maybe science could be done NOW if he is willing to try it and accepts the accommodations that will be necessary. I agree that by fall he should be in most regular classes as long as Brenda somehow is able to get him the continued remediation somewhere. I think I was the first one to suggest to her that he was a victim of the Matthew effect and that the IQ probably was not valid. So I don’t think we disagree in the basic premise of this, just the timing possibly.

Janis

Hi Janis,
We actually talking about the same thing. I didn’t mean this year, I was talking about next year. I guess that I didn’t make myself clear. Your logic is correct, get some good remediation under his belt this year and try inclusion next year. I guess we were on the same page, just didn’t realize it. He will be in a different school next year and hopefully they have heard of inclusion!

Good Shay! I have so much respect for you and consider you one of my primary mentors, so I’d never be comfotable being in disagreement with you on anything involving special ed.! I’m glad we were able to clarify!

Janis

janis

is inclusion the same thing as the 15 minute consultation IEP you had talked about before, i called another mother today who has a special needs son now 19 and is quite an expert on the IEP and the role of advocacy

she also thought inclusion would be the way to go and she thought inclusion and the 15 min consult were probably the same thing,

i assume the IEP is retained during inclusion and could be changed if need be??? am i correct??

as an advocate for the first time i plan on sitting and listening, the mother who is the expert told me she has used advocates merely as another pair of ears so to speak,

i hope this is all the mother who called me wants as i would be very uncomfortable doing or saying anything, i am unfamiliar with this district and am not at all familar with spec ed code and law,

libby

Libby,

Well, “inclusion” can possibly mean different things to different people. In my district, if a child receives inclusion services, it means he is in a class at least some of the time with both a regular ed. teacher and a special ed. teacher. So there is a difference between regular class with consultation services and an inclusion class. If they have an inclusion class where there are other special ed. students and a special teacher co-teaching, that can be a good transition to regular ed. if the child is receiving remediation elsewhere or is close to grade level but needs more than accommodations.

So I would differentiate between regular ed. with accommodations and consultation special ed. services and an inclusion class with consultation services. But it is possible this mother is using the term inclusion to mean regular ed. class.

Janis

Brenda wrote:
>
> Hi Sue,
>
> I’ve been trying to write a letter of understanding. If they would only attempt to help me understand why> they won’t or haven’t done anything other than SDC, I would> be better able to argue or if I’m wrong, accept it. (I’m not
> wrong though).
>
I would want to get something documented — since nothing was refused, you can keep it very upbeat. How’s this sound — you write them a thank you letter for their time and concern. (Dear teachers and administrators, this is to express my appreciation for your involvement in the meeting on date x. We discussed the possibilitise of books on tape, which you agreed would be valuable to my child because he is able to retain and comprehend what he hears, but his disability prevents him from successfully comprehending or retaining from just the book… there were questions about obtaining them; one possible source is http://www.rfbd.org [which works at least now]. ) That way — it’s clear that there is a *need* there. Having that in writing will probably make somebody along that chain roll their eyes and say the educational equivalent of “oh, well, lost another loan to ditech” — “dang it, the lady’s gotten educated. We’ll have to find those books on tape.”
THen I would just briefly mention the other stuff you hope to talk about — a sentence or two — and a gracious “Thank you again for your time and concern. I lok forward to meeting with you on the 35th.”
This kind of letter is not asking for the world — just giv9ing them some information. And if you’re trying to keep things friendly, maybe just a “return reciept” kind of thing to make sure it got there (we do that with stuff we ship) is less antagonistic than registered… but lets ‘em know you’re keeping track of things.
Frankly, I agree that if the kiddo’s going to not have his needs met, they might as well not be met in the regular classroom unless the social realities are the nightmare they sometimes are. What are his feelings on this?

> I’m not sure how to write this letter because nothing was
> definitely refused, just a lot of excuses for possibly not
> being able to give him what I ask for. (we only got as far
> as the ‘hypothetical book on tape” In other words, she never
> said he CAN’T have the books on tape, but instead made it
> clear that if it wasn’t available to them, then there was no
> way to give it to him. And again, to me, as his mother, I
> take that as if they were to have said that the funds weren’t
> available…. that’s illegal, is it not?
>
> I taped the meeting so they can’t deny what was said. (right?)
>
> The program specialist promised to call me within a week to
> let me know where it stands. I can only trust that she
> will. (It’s hard for me to believe that they’ll do anything,
> considering their past attitudes and actions).
>
> And Sue, if my child was taught by a teacher like yourself,
> who cares and understands what he needs, I wouldn’t be so
> upset. Because if he had a teacher like you, he’d actually
> be learning something…not just sitting in the class doing
> assignments that the others need ….therefore, not getting
> what “he” needs. I can’t see how staying in SDC, the way
> they’ve been teaching (or not teaching him) can help him. I
> think that by leaving the class, at least for one period, he
> would at least know what’s out there…learn “something” that
> he hasn’t already mastered…do you understand what I’m
> saying? probably not, because I don’t know how to
> put into words exactly what’s going on, and make it make
> sense. :(
>
> Tell me Sue, if you had a student that was clearly “beyond”
> the clock thing…. would you make him do the assignments and
> spend class time teaching him to tell time?” Or would you be
> aware that a certain child is beyond that lesson and focus,
> for him, on where “he” should be? How does that work?? When
> one student clearly needs to take the next step, but the rest
> aren’t ready yet. How is that handled? Maybe I’m
> misunderstanding how the class should work. My
> understanding is that his education should be
> “individualized” and from that I get that he should be being
> taught at “his” level and not be made to sit though lessons
> that just repeat what he’s already mastered. Am I wrong?
> Please, tell me. And if I am wrong, please explain to me how
> he is benefiting from his SDC class. ?
>
> How do I get the school/teachers to teach him at HIS level in
> SDC rather than making him go through lessons that are
> irrelevant to him? The only thing I can come up with is to
> get him out of there. I’m soooo tired of telling them,
> asking them, begging them, and showing them that he already
> knows this or that. Bottom line is that they have a lesson
> plan for all, and he has to sit through it. From where I’m
> sitting, his time is being wasted. How do I get him to be
> taught things he needs without having to sit through things
> he doesn’t need. Isn’t that what the SPED laws are all
> about? :(((
>
> I’m just asking…. please, if I’m wrong or if I’m missing
> something tell me. I’m lost and I certainly don’t want him
> to be forced to do things he “can’t” do, but at the same
> time, I need his time in school to be beneficial to him.
>
>
> Should I just stop trying to fight for him and be quiet….
> letting them do what they’re doing and not make waves?
>
>
> I’m sorry for sounding so negative, but I’m truly at my wits
> end…I just don’t understand.
>
> They should just give their students what they know they
> need, and not wait for parents to question why our kids
> aren’t learning, when we finally realize that they haven’t
> progressed, despite report cards and assurances…..we
> shouldn’t be made to research and complain and demand…
> that process doesn’t make sense and is hurting our kids. :(
>
> Oh and btw: I went to the sites you sent, but they don’t
> work. :(
>
> Thank you for putting up with my pain/confusion/ranting and
> raving. I just wish I understood.
>
> *Huggz*
>
> Brenda

Brenda, after reading this whole thread I wanted you to know you got some good advise. Getting remediation under your sons belt will definetly give him a boost up. I have a son that is a freshman in high school, through most of his school year is was extremly behind. In 7th grade he got placed in self contained LD classes in reading, writing, and math, I think it is the best thing I have ever done for him. During his two years in self contained LD classes he has grown by such leaps and bounds. This year he is primarily in all regular ed classes with few accomodations. The first semester like for most freshman was a struggle for him with him maintaining a C+ average. This quarter though is going really well for him and he has a B+ average in most his classes. He says that he feels the years of remediation truly helped him get where he is. I just wanted to share with you that there is hope. He was soooo far behind we thought he would never catch up, now we are wondering how to get him into college. Good luck to you and your son.

Lisa

Sue - yes, that is where I have been with college students, finding them totally unprepared and very angry, often with a huge chip on their shoulders that they *deserve* to get an A for showing up. It is no favour to push kids ahead without actually teaching them.

Brenda — you do have to be crazy and make waves sometimes. Bite the bullet and stand up for yourself and your son.
The school can refuse things that are absolutely off the wall (I have seen people demand that their child has a “right” to be automatically passed through all the state exams, for example). However no, they can’t simply refuse to even consider books on tape. Go for a happy medium here.
School boards are masters of stalling tactics. They know if they stall you for two or three years, them you’re somebody else’s problem. It’s much cheaper and easier for them. They’ve already wasted eight years of his life while you were being nice, right? So yes, you do have to make waves.
No, it isn’t appropriate for him to be on an IEP and in a special class and then be given a whole-class assignment whether it fits his needs or not. Yes, you are right to fight this one. Right, but how successful you can be is another question; the teacher may have neither time nor materials nor training to do anything different. Now, remember, if you do get him included in a regular class, there *will* be whole-class assignments, and this time they will be very difficult for him.
I agree with Shay that you should first work on his reading and writing skills intensively, then get him into regular high school classes next year. But be prepared to support him a lot for the first two years or so, and be prepared for the fact that he may need six years to get through high school.

Inclusion in my district is a two teacher class with the kids on IEP with the sped teacher and the rest with the regular ed teacher for most subjects. There is some coteaching but in reality it is a resource room without walls.

It was a terrible environment because not only is the kid in sped he gets to see how different it is for the reg ed kids every minute of the day.

He is now in a regular class on consult.

thanks both of you, you have been very very helpful, i think the 15 minute consult sounds like the best option and thanks for clarifying the term inclusion

i feel better prepared now and hopefully will not stick my foot in my mouth during the conference!!

chances of that are slim though,

thanks again, libby

Libby,

Please let us know how it goes! Good luck!

Janis

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to thank all of your for your suggestions and input. I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve learned through this thread alone. The schools have never used any other word besides “main streaming” and it’s only been in PE and electives. So I really am just learning that there are other things/ways available to him. I will be spending a LOT of time reading and re-reading this thread, just to be sure I understand it all and make the right decision by next month (yet another IEP meeting) . Again, thank you SO MUCH! *Huggz*

Also, I just wanted to give a quick line or two about the Reading Reflex lessons my son and I have been doing. I was actually quite surprised to see him “using” what we’ve learned so far when reading a book about bats earlier. I noticed, for instance, that when he came to the word “float” he didn’t try to sound it out letter by letter, but rather he ran his finger under both the quickly and said “o”. In other words, it wasn’t “f l o ah t” as normal……it was “f l oa t” and he continued on as if he’s known that all along.
He struggles a lot because he tries to sound out every letter and as you know, it doesn’t always work and it’s SO frustrating for him. So it really was something to hear him NOT do that, but use what we’ve been learning in R.R. I know it’s a very small step, as we’re only on our 4th hour….but it sure was exciting to see him do it, and get it, all on his own! : )

Okay, lol I’m being silly, but I think he actually “gets” it, (so far) And I can’t wait til tomorrow! :) (Oh and fyi, I pulled him from Sylvan Learning Center so that we could focus on this program completely) Wish us luck!

*Huggz*

Brenda : )

Best of luck and {{{{BIG HUGS}}} to you, Brenda! It sounds like you are doign a great job with the reading! Please let us know what happens!!!

Janis

Yep, that is exactly what I did. Pulled the boy from sylvan and taught him to read with reading reflex.

It really is an amazing program. Congrats, you are doing great!

Hi Brenda, I am new to this site and not answering many of these q’s, as I see there are lots of great answers coming already (to your requests, too.) I will keep this brief; just to maybe give you a little more hope of what can be accomplished even when you are wit’s end….my story; I am a PG therapist; for 3 years now; fantastic results, as most of us report; I have 10-15 students at any given time (because it WORKS and I get referrals.)Now, my best client story; I got a new student 2 months ago; tested him and he could do nothing; he is 18 and couldn’t read 3 sound words without difficulty. I couldn’t believe it. He graduated from our local high school in spec. ed classes (once in, you rarely get out, I find)….I explained there is a code; that it works nearly ALL the time, and that it can therefore be trusted. Long and short; he has some issues (had speech therapy and does well now, but you can detect subtle probs.) but I haven’t gotten into them; he came to learn to read and comprehend and that’s what I’m doing. After 2 hours of PG, he took off. At that point, I asked permission to video him…he was happy to let me, as he was soooo angry that no one had told him there’s a code he could use. After 6 hours, I taped him again….you’d think it was a miracle; he’s about 90% through the code, can read a 6th grade book (no speed yet, but perfect decoding and comprehension) and I’m sure he’ll be reading at high school level in the next few months, with the fluency and speed taking longer, but HAPPENING. You can imagine how he and his mom feel; they were told he would never read; yes, I am taking the tape to the district when I am done with him….not to be adversarial, but rather to show the power of a good reading program, which we obviously lack. So, don’t give up; keep fighting for your son. Fight to get the books on tape, but for heaven’s sake, stick with the PG and if you can, find a GOOD therapist in your area (maybe you’ve already tried.) I have many parents who have had some success using the RR book, but were amazed at the progress made with me (it’s not me, though I think I[‘m a good therapist)…it’s having someone else do PG with the child. Best of luck to you; you have my admiration. You are a fighter and you obviously put your son above all else.

I had a district person tell me on the telephone this week that I wrote a “broad and bizarre” letter. I told her I thought it was more like detailed and specific. Needless to say, that same a.m., she was at my daughter’s school putting something on the computer for her. Suggested to me we “keep all this at the local level” on the tel. in lieu of writing the district.