I work as an aide/tutor in a school where each child is in a self-teaching programmed curriculum. If a student performs on a 5th grade level in math, they receive 5th grade books while their science book may be 9th grade level.
My son is enrolled in this school. He has visual processing difficulties. Because the program is totally visual he is forever falling behind. Of course he has homework to catch up every night on the goals he could not meet during the day.
In the transferring of answers to the worksheet he make repeated mistakes. For ex: Last week he wrote 1950 when the answer was clearly 1959. Yesterday, on a multiple choice test using a,b,c,d he wrote “r” on the blank for the answer. It actually blows his own mind when he sees what he has written after his work is scored.
The founders of the school have the mindset that if he is accommodated in any way it will make him even more lazy than he already is(their words). I have asked them to do things like test him on spelling halfway through the book(30 words instead of 60 at a time). They will not because “the real world will not accommadate him when he graduates”.
Yesterday, he took a written SS test and made a 65. The teacher chose to orally read the questions he missed to see how he would do. He got enough correct to score an 82.5. The grade of 65 still stands because “he is lazy and just does not concentrate”. I have asked them to accommodate in these type books by letting him have more than one grade per chapter.The chapter end test is the only grade. There are 3 checkup/review quizzes along the way he could be given scores for that could be averaged in with the chapter test.
They roll their eyes when I say he has a visual processing problem because that is irrelevant to the real world. They say he has to learn to perform no matter what problem he has. When pointing out to them on a failed spelling test how he had repeatedly left out one letter per word…the “o” in command for example,..one of the founders said “maybe he has a deep-seated psychological issue with writing vowels.” Basically, they are making light of my efforts to appeal to them.
Do these accomodations suggestions seem as absurd as they make me feel they are?
Re: Accommodations are absurd!?
Maybe I missed something - is this a public school? If so, you need to get “up to snuff “on your local state and federal rules and do some research. If your son has a documented they have to accommodate him. If necessary, contact your state DOE. They have been quite helpful in my state (Fla). In fact, a friend made one phone call to them, explained her situaton, and they were ready to set up a mediation. Gosh, all of a sudden the school district called back and wants to talk about these accommodations again. Sounds like you may need to give your school an “education”.
What accommodations? I don't see any accommodations?
I bet a billion bucks it wouldn’t take too lng to find someplace in the school personnels’ lives where they *are,* in fact, being accommodated.
It is true, that one of the important lessons of schooling, is learning to find a way around obstacles. If we accommodated *everything* that was difficult, students would not learn to look within themselves and around for resources to meet their goals — they’d always be looking for a way to be accommodated. I’ve met a fair number of these folks and that feeling of “entitlement” is hard to shake. If the school folks have been dealing with these kind of people they may be just assuming this is SSDD — same stuff, different day.
MOre likely though they have this program — which I’m sure is marketed as being able to address the individual needs and variation in different kids’ levels — and feel like why should they have to do any more work??? What??? Think about what a kid needs? THe program does that.
This doesn’t look like a good fit. I”d figure out how to learn despite the situation — maybe just not care squat about grades, give your own tests at home to see what he’s *really* learned, and do the best you can.
Re: Accommodations are absurd!?
Um, I have to assume this is definitely not a public school. So my recommendation is, go look for a new school. Your son and many others will not fit this mold. Plus, is he on grade level or above for all subjects? It is possible he might need remediation or therapy for this processing problem.
Janis
Re: What accommodations? I don't see any accommodations?
More likely though they have this program — which I’m sure is marketed as being able to address the individual needs and
variation in different kids’ levels — and feel like why should they have to do any more work???
One thing I feel I did wrong was to ask to skip him up to 9th grade SS and SC last year instead of continuing in the gap work as he has done in the other subjects. Maybe I blew it then.
The gap work for SS and SC is determined by reading comprehension, not knowledge. Since he bogs down each class period no matter what the level or subject, I thought he might as well be working towards general HS credits in those two subjects.
As for options to check out processing problems. Locally, I found someone in private practice with NILD and also, BobJones University is nearby. I can pay for a consultation with the Special Ed. program head and then be recommended the appropriate tests based on the consultation. Unfortunately, I took my son to his first of 3-5 sessions of testing with NILD before I found out about Dr.Sutton of BJU. It seems it would have been best to consult him first as he is an expert in the field.
Decisions, decisions. :)
Re: What accommodations? I don't see any accommodations?
I think you are very wise to seek an evaluation before deciding on a treatment program. It sounds like you have access to some good resources. I think this is a case where the school just honestly does not understand special ed. Usually private schools don’t have to serve children with special needs. Of course, public schools often don’t do a very good job either, so you’ll do well to seek private therapy anyway. It’s just a matter of whether this school is open to trying to understand learning disabilites at all.
Janis
Re: Accommodations are absurd!?
J–
What you have described is absurd and totally insensitive, if not against the law. Visual processing is part of ld and accommodations are not optional. Does your school have IEP’s?
Re: Accommodations are absurd!?
Kathie, this is not a public school so offering special education services and accommodations is optional.
Janis
What seems absurd to me is sadly your son’s school. Your requests would be rather standard accomodations in some other schools - however hard won they might have been.
The real world will indeed accomodate him as the federal Americans With Disability Act mandates that people with learning differences receive accomodations. Has this school heard of that Act? Even if a private school, it risks being in violation of it if it gives no accomodations.
Good luck to you and your son as you deal with this school’s absurdities.