Hello,
I am new to this board. Can anyone help me with ideas what to do about my 6th grader who is now moved to the middle school in our town? My child is a bright person who has LD, the learning differences are severe in handwriting, higher order language, writing, short term memory and organization.
I have plenty of evaluations to document the learning differences and the abilities.
Last year the elementary school (with lots of push from home front) did a good job of providing services integrated into the classroom. It was successful.
At the new school the middle school refuses to provide the service delivery, saying they just do not have the time to service. It has become a battle from what I can see between special education and the building principle.
So for now my child is getting very little services, and is pulling mostly D’s for grades, but he can retake till he passes they tell me! Yuck!
Any ideas, I feel like I am on a dead end street. There are not many alternatives such as another school.
Any experiences are welcomed.
Re: need guidance and ideas
Well, it is illegal as all get out to say they don’t have time. No if and or but. I wonder, based on your post, if you have looked at any subtypes of ADHD?
Re: need guidance and ideas
I can’t help you much with how to get the school to do what they are obliged to do.
Our son — just entered 7th grade — manifests the same problems as your son does. His school is very receptive, so that’s not an issue. However, we have him tutored to try and correct the underlying conditions. In the matter of higher order language, his main problem with reading is his inability to discriminate the syllables in multi-syllabic words. He just can’t discern what’s in the middle, so he guesses. The tutor works directly with that, teaching him to be aware of the middle syllables. He is also learning a structure of syllables, i.e., to recognize patterns.
We do daily work practicing spelling, and we have a couple computer programs designed to foster repeated practice with vocabulary. He specifically practices cursive writing and has increased his capacity. For note-taking in school and to get assignments right, he uses an Alpha Smart.
Let me know if you would like me to elaborate. Or, if you wish, I could put you in touch with our son’s tutor who may be able to refer you to a tutor in your area and/or to written material to help you work with your son.
P.S. She uses a multi-senory approach with lots and lots of repetition. Repetition is the only thing we’ve found that helps overcome the short-term memory problem.
Anyway, good luck.
Carol
Re: need guidance and ideas
Please tell me about an alpha smart. What is it and where could I get one? Did your school provide it or did you have to purchase it.? My LD son could really use something to help with notetaking. Thanks!! Rachel
Re: need guidance and ideas
An AlphaSmart is sort of a cheap notebook computer. It is one, compact, portable unit — a keyboard with a small viewing screen just above it. About five lines of type show at a time. It has memory capacity. To retrieve the notes you have kept during the day, you plug it into your home computer or printer, using a cable that you can purchase when you buy the AlphaSmart.
I bought my son’s machine on the net. One contact address is: [email protected]. You can reach them by phone (in California) at (888)274-0680 or (408)252-9400.
About a month ago, it cost $219.
Carol
Have you considered holding the middle school accountable to your child? They are violating her right to F.A.P.E. and her civl rights under 504 antidiscrimination law. I would write the director of special education in your district send it certified. I would tell him or her that your daughter in elementary school had a successful year,that now the middle school refused to provide her what she was getting. Explain that this is discrimination,this is a violation of her right to a Free and Appropriate Public Education. You ask that they correct this situation. If you wait ten business days and recieve no response, I would file a complaint with the state dept of education.