giving teachers info before school starts

without question. If it were my class that your son was placed in I would want an opportunity to read the reports, do some research on my own and meet with you and anyone else on his team. There is a need to get together before school starts to develop a support system for him, you AND the classroom teacher (and any specials teachers) with regard to the Tourette’s in particular. If he is ticcing a lot now- when it is summer and reasonably relaxed- it will likely become more difficult to manage as he goes to school. The plan needs to be in place first and folks need to have the right information and understanding of this piece of your son so that they will respond appropriately with him.

Robin

As a parent, I agree with Robin. You’re a bit ahead of the game here because your son had the benefit of a teacher last year who handled him well and you definitely should convey to the new teacher the success the second grade teacher had in using using certain techniques to deal with him. Also, since the dx is new, you should be aware that the tics may change with the transition to school. My son’s doctor told me this when he first started with Tourette’s and sure enough his worst vocal tic from the summer transformed itself into a (far more discreet) motor tic just when he started school. Also a book you may find helpful if he’s showing ODD at home (good for teachers too) is “The Explosive Child” by Dr. Ross Greene. It’s newly available in paperback.

thank you all.his teacher from last year retired so she wont be around this year.She was great but her sister also a teacher has cancer and both had 30 years of teaching so they both retired.I read this in the paper so that is why I am questioning if I should inform his teacher for next year.his teacher from last year already planned on working with what ever teacher he is assigned to until now she retired to spend time with her sister.

In the ideal world, I’d get in touch with last year’s teacher - who sounds like a winner - and ask her her opinion. She’ll know his teacher this year as a colleague.

Some teachers like early input, others don’t. It’s a tough call but the best person to make it, if she would, would be last year’s teacher.

If you can’t get her opinion, make an appointment and go see next year’s teacher. I’d never give a teacher reading material unless they ask for it myself but I would make sure I started out by saying to this new teacher what a great year your son had last year and how aware you are of his differences and how much you’d like to be of any help you could.

That should put the new teacher at rest and leave her feeling comfortable.

Good luck.

Why would you _not_ give reading material to a teacher on your child’s disability? I can’t imagine a teacher not wanting to know what s/he’s up against, particularly in the case of a less common LD. I wouldn’t want my child placed with a teacher who wasn’t receptive to learning about my child’s special needs. In fact, it is written into my son’t IEP that teachers and other school staff MUST read the materials provided.

Karen

Thank you all for this feed back.I am planning on talking to his principal next week when he is in summer school and have him give me his teachers name or set up a meeting with her.There is a 3rd grade teacher down the raod who was on maternity leave most of last year and she is returning.She mentioned to me about she was asked if she wanted my son in her class and she said yes because she has dealt with him in other situations .I have heard she is a great teacher and understanding.I know her cousin pretty well and she said that she thinks she would be great for my son.He got a card from last years teacher today and wants to hear from him he tried to write but got to fustrated he could not remember how to form the letters.We just went over them on Friday.She is going to call next week to see how his appointment went with the new dr. he sees next week.I plan on knowing who he will have for next year and have her talk to who he has.There is just more going on now than there was a few months ago.He has a seizure last week and his scans did not show anything.

My 9 year old son has ADD and depression. He sounds very similar to your son. Every year since 2nd grade the third week of August I write a short letter to his new teacher and drop it off in the teachers mail box in the office. The school should be open all summer long, but usually the only ones available are the principal and his secratary. Any issues you want to have his new teacher be aware of before the year can be in the letter and include that you would like a follow up call at the end of the first full week to discuss the teachers intention and approach to be taken with your son. This is a good way of saying “Hey, I’m going to be there to help you with my son.” It helps keep the teachers on their toes. The teachers receive each childs files and sometimes have already been breifed on each child with special needs before school has begun. But there are some children who have been forgotton or the teacher has been overwhelmed that they are missed. This is why a letter right before school begins is a good idea. If I do not here from the teacher by letter of phone after the first full week, I follow up by calling them myself the following week. Because the first week is overwhelming to the teachers this should be kept in mind.

he is in summer school right now and I talked to the principal.He wants me to come visit him the first week in Aug and talk to him then he will have a meeting set up so me and my son can talk to his new teacher for next year.I did find out his teacher he will have has a austisic son that might help.The principal put my son in her class after asking her if she would work one on one with him with his school work he also told me there will be only 13 students this year he had 17 last year.His one on one tutor hours will be increased this year to 1 1/2 hours instead of 45 mins last year.This was due to his LD tutor requested it I knew nothing about it bit am very happy with it.

I did not know this teacher taught 3rd grade she just switched from 4th grade due to teachers retiring.Maybe this is a good sign.