I need some help on what I am going to go in there and ask for based on this new evaluation. My son is 11 and reads on a 2nd grade level. My school system is having financial problems, but I don’t care I can’t even get him indivdual reading time with a teacher, she acts like she barely fits him in. I need alot for my son he wants to be a scientist when he grows up and I don’t want to let him down by not doing everything I can to see that happen. I will take this all the way to court if I have to I just need to know what they have to give me or what is available to him. Please help.
may have to do it yourself
Kim, My son started showing signs of having reading problems in third grade. As parents, I felt that the public school would have ALL the answers. After about a year of fighting just to have him tested, we found out that he was behind with reading. (No, I wasn’t surprised!) After spending a whole year in the special reading program, we pulled him out. During that year he had gained less than 6 months in his reading skills. (To me that meant he was falling further behind. They, however, saw it as progress.) When I tried to find out what reading program the public school had they said that they didn’t have one. So, that is when I started doing tons of research on every reading program I could get a hold of.
This board has lots of info, like Mary said, plus there has been a lot of discussions about the different reading programs. Do a “search” and you will get a list of the past discussions. We have done Fast Forward, Vision Therapy, Interactive Metronome, PACE and now are doing more Vision Therapy. All of it has helped my son.
The first thing you need to have is a good evaluation. After that, find a program that addresses those issues. Then, either get trained yourself, or find a provider to get your son going. Don’t wait around for the school to do it. You can do it! A lot of us parents have proven that it can be done.
Donna in MO
If you go to the “LD in Depth” section of this website and read the articles under “assessment” and “IEP”, you may get a better idea of what you can and cannot reasonably negotiate for. The financial status of the school district should not affect what you ask for. It may mean you have to fight a lot harder to get a compromise that provides something valuable for your son, however.
Typically, you cannot ask for specific programs. However, you can certainly argue for one-on-one time with a specialist to work on reading.
Personally, I would not rely on the school only. If your son is 11 and reading on a 2nd grade level, they clearly have been unable to meet his needs in the past. I would recommend that you buy the book “Reading Reflex” for $16 and start tutoring your son at home in reading, using the book. A good follow-up to RR is Megawords, available from http://www.epsbooks.com or http://www.rainbowresource.com — another good program that is easy for a parent to do at home with a child.
Mary