My daughter (going into 8th grade) has recently been classified SLD; learning disabled-big issue is processing speed and reading comprehension. The Child Study Team is recommendng replacement classes. My dilemma is that in this class are 2 extremely disruptive students, who have made a “name” for themselves. It is a class of 8 students, and they already have an instructional aide. Here comes my dilemma; do I put my child, (who is meak and socially fragile) in this class, and insist the school provide a safe, nurturing environment for her? Or do I move her to a school cross-town? Her home school does not provide In Class Support for Eng. and Math, which is what I think she needs…….any advice? My Identification meeting is in 2 weeks. help!
Re: One bad apple
It’s a difficult question to answer wthout a great deal more information. What are your daughter’s feelings? I’d certainly want to take a look at the school across town and see for myself what it and its classes are like. I’d even want to go into the replacement classes to see these two disruptive students for myself.
Things like that can help me to feel more confident in my decision rather than choosing ‘blind’. Sometimes two disruptive students aren’t as disruptive as it’s said. Sometimes next year’s teacher is one who keeps good control. Sometimes just seeing the other new school and driving the distance from home to there is enough to know you’d prefer her to be in her home school. Or sometimes the other school is such a place of wonder that it’s clear moving her is the right thing to do.
Good luck.
Re: One bad apple
remmber it’s called an INDIVIDUALIZED education plan- not “lump her in with behavioural issue kids” plan- are they nuts? nope, just cheap and lazy, slothful, etc, etc) her IEP needs to reflect HER needs, not the school’s schedule grrrr.stand your ground try to get your kiddo what she needs.
good luck and god bless
go to reidmartin.cm and wrightslaw.com
Re: One bad apple
I’d push hard for some in-class support — if you can get them to acknowledge that that’s what she needs (but gosh darn, we just don’t have the personnel), and get that in writing or on tape, then they are, legally, required to provide it.
SIgh, however, that doesn’t mean it will happen. The cops don’t come in and bust ‘em. However, again… if you can figure out just what in-class support would benefit her then it is morelikely you’ll get it.
I would visit that other school, though, as Sara said — I’d visit the classes and the teachers so you can get some idea of what’s going on. (Even better would be somehow happening to pass by the classroom in question…)
I have taught in some classrooms where students were really, truly dangerous in middle and high school. If these kiddos have been disruptive all these years… hate to say it, but sometimes they *really* come into their own in middle school, if they’re really pathological and nothing effective (as in, consistent just for starters) has been done. They figure ouit the system and work it to their advantage. Now again, as Sara said, could be you’ve got kids who really just need a good teacher … and maybe there is one…
Hi Joyce,
This is tough and is one of the reasons I pulled my son out of sped. There was one child who was abusive to most of the class. My son handled it better than most so was put with him 2 years in a row. They actually found my son was a good buffer but really it was way too much responsibility for a 9 year old with problems of his own.
I would recommend two things.
One, is there a regular ed program that could provide support if her problems are mild. There are tons of these programs at my son’s school for children who are not identified but who do poorly on the state mandated tests. My friend’s son is in one and has found it very helpful. It is more specific than resource room which at times can be just a place to “put” children with various disabilites.
There is a software program that you can buy that I think will help her with the exact problem you described. It addresses visual processing speed and by addressing this issues helps with some comprehesion. It is called vision builder. It costs $40. I am using it and I am seeing my son’s processing speed increase in a very short time. It is pretty amazing.
Search google under vision builder and reading.