I am a parent who is trying to advocate for another parent in my school district in PA. Her son is in8th grade and is severly dyslexic. He has been in the special education system in this school district for 8 years. His current reading level as measured by the school district is 2.5 grade level. The parent has asked for an intensive multisensory reading program for him and that the reading instruction should be every day. The school district has refused. They said he can have two 1/2 hour reading instruction sessions after school hours and that this reading instruction will be reinforced in his reading class.
The school states that they have given him a free and appropriate education my giving him reading instruction. Is there a reference in IDEA that states that a FAE must results in acedemic progess? That would help in making her case. She is looking for legal counsil but needs to respond to the IEP sonn.
I would appreciate any help or advice you can give
Re: Free and Appropriate Education
Nope. The only criteria to meet FAPE is that the programs offered are viewed by those with the adequate knowledge and training as meeting the base minimum requirements of being vaguely resembling appropriate.
Some kids will fail despite all our best efforts, and the schools cannot be held accountable for that.
Homeschool may be the best option when you consider the child’s needs as being the top priority.
Good luck to you.
Look under the LD IN Depth in on this site. I used a few articles when I went to a school meeting (just workin on testing, both school and private, not yet to an IEP). One that I showed them was
Finding the Answer: Dyslexia, and under lined this for them ( and pointed it out)
Individuals with dyslexia need special programs to learn to read, write, and spell. Traditional educational programs are not always effective for individuals with dyslexia.
Program Content: Individuals with dyslexia require a structured language program. Direct instruction in the code of written language (the letter-sound system) is critical. This code must be taught bit by bit, in a sequential, cumulative way. There must be systematic teaching of the rules governing written language. This approach is called structured, or systematic language instruction.
Program Delivery: Individuals with dyslexia require multisensory delivery of language content. Instruction that is multisensory employs all pathways of learning —at the same time, seeing, hearing, touching, writing, and speaking. Such delivery requires a teacher or therapist who is specifically trained in a program which research has documented to be effective for dyslexic individuals.
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Also under the LD In Depth, is the Catagory IEP
This has lots of articles that should help you.
I also told my school that I had research that proved appropriate education was programs based on Orton-Gillingham and that it is the law,
or else I would take her to a specail school ( like Lindamood Bell) and the district would have to pay for it. And told them there are legal precedents that backed me.
Good luck!!! Connie