We had my daughters child study team and were told by the OT, guidance counselor and teacher that she’s fine. The school OT who observed her breifly twice said that her Sensory Integration isn’t severe enough for remediation. She’s being given extra help in math and reading but doesn’t qualify for an IEP or 504 because they claim she holds it together well enough at school. Mean while she’s awful at home. Tons of melt downs, hours to do the homework that takes the rest of the class 1/2 an hour. That’s if she can do the homework at all. Most of the time the work is years too hard for her. We are also paying a fortune to remediate her out of school with orton gilliamham tutoring twice a week, an OT once a week and a psychologist once a week. The school has admitted that she is extremely socially imature and they have spoken individually to all the children and told them to be nice to her (that will last a week before they make fun of her). What am I supposed to do they say she’s fine. Her testing scores are 2 years old. Should I get her retested before she fails 4th grade next year? Should I stop all the remediation so they can see what she’s really like? Doesn’t it matter that she comes home from school, falls a part and is unable to do the homework? Does she really do the work at school? Any advise would be great. Oh the teacher didn’t see any of the social problems until another teacher and the guidance counselor got involved. She’s just beginning to see a spelling problem but many of the kids she says has one. My daughter can’t spell anything at all. Please help. Sorry so long. Lori
Re: The school knows better than the specialists
Schools can be reluctant to acknowledge a child’s extra needs as oftentimes there are too few resources that can stretched to meet those needs. My question would be this - what ideally would you like the school to be doing that’s it not?
It’s sadly true that some children struggle academically and socially through school and no caring parent wants that for their child. What could they realistically do to ease her struggles?
Remediation can certainly play a positive role in easing a child’s struggles and I would not consider curtailing the services she does receive. I would consider spending time in the classroom and observing your daughter there. That is your right no matter how reluctant they are to allow it. If you sit quietly in the back of the room, the children will soon take no notice of your presence and the normal classroom routine will resume. You can see if your daughter struggles at school with her seatwork as she does at home. You can quietly watch recess from a distance and see what happens to your daughter in that situation. Go in at a lunch period and watch from the door to see who she might eat with or if she eats alone.
If you do that, you’ll get a much better sense of what’s going on in school. If it’s not so bad, you can focus on the homework issues. If it is pretty bad, you can consider your options for the coming school year whatever they might be. Sometimes bad schools can have some remarkably good teachers - in the following grade - and you’d certainly want to request one of those for your daughter.
It will soon be IEP time. New testing or no, at the least I’d want modifications in her homework. That you say the work is too hard for her concerns me and it would be good to know what it is that makes it hard. Does she not understand the concepts? Or is it simply too much homework? Many kids struggle with spelling and if that would be all this is, that can be managed. If though the basic concepts are an issue, that would be a different matter altogether.
Re: The school knows better than the specialists
Dear Lori
Please get your daughter tested by an independent learning specialist. It sounds as if your CST and teacher is really dropping the ball. You might also see if the reading tutor that your using will test her and send the findings to the CST. If your daughter tests below grade level, the school should be providing a comprehensive reading/language program for her. Don’t give up. Be assertive and respectful when dealing with the school. Remeber it is a team effort. Best of luck
Okay do you have statements from the tutors? I would get these reccomendations,and would write a follow up letter. I would state what the school states,I would state what the tutors state,I would state that the determinations made by the CST was based on scored from two years ago,and that you do not agree with their assessment. I would clarify with them that a determination of elgibility is being to be made only after an evaluation is done.You could refer them to sec.300.530-300.535 of IDEA.
Specificly 300.534 determination of eligibility.
(a) upon completing and administration of tests and other evaluation materials-
(1) a group of qualified professionals and the PARENT of the child must determine whether the child is a child with a disability as defined in 300.7and
(2) The public agency MUST provide a copy of the evaluation report and the documentation of eligibility to the parent.
(b) A child may not be determined a child with a disability if-
(1) The determinant fActor for that elgibility is lack of instruction in reading or math or limited english proficency OR
( 2) the child does not other wise meet the eligibility criteria under 300.7
NOW for 300.7
I want to point out developmental delay.
300.7 definition of disability
Developmental delays:
(b) children aged 3-9 experiencing developmental delays
(1)who is experiencing developmental delays as defined by the state and as measured by APPROPRIATE diagnostic instruments and procedures in one or more of the following areas: physical,cognitive,communication,SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL,or adaptive development and
(2) who be reason there of,NEEDS special education and realted services.
the area above where you see defined by the state,the state can choose not to adopt the term developmental delay,BUT they must address developmental delay. If they are agreeing she is socially imature she is developmentally delayed and in need of services. What the state can do is use another disability catagorie instead of calling it Developmental delay,but they still must provide services to any kid experiencing delay.
Anyway,write your letter of disagreement,request that they respond in writing that they are stating she does not qualify ,and specificly why. No emotions,very polite. Bet they will want to remeet.