Hi. My 8 year old daughter was diagnosed w/ having a learning disability. I was not surprised by this but am surprised by her school’s Learning Resource Teacher. How can I have the school help my child? The Learning Resource teacher advised me this morning that my daughter came to her at a bad time because she has already started working with the other LD kids. What does timing have to do with anything? If anything, what I don’t get is how can other older kids who have been in the program for awhile still be at the same skill level as my child? The principal mentioned to me during the evaluation, that my daughter would be with kids, some older than her, at her skill level, who will also be helping her. Correct me if I am wrong, but how can another child who is at the same skill level as my daughter help her? Isn’t it the LD teacher’s responsibility? I want to make sure that my daughter gets the help that she needs during school so that next year or the next, she still won’t be at this same level. I informed the LD teacher that I wanted to observe my daughter during normal class and then during her LD class. She was dumbfounded that I would ask such a thing. Regardless, it is my right as a parent. I just want to make sure that they put her needs first and not that of her regular teacher (as the LD teacher put it “I do not want to impose on so and so’s schedule because the teachers have worked hard on those schedules and I want to maintain a good relationship with the teachers.” Am I wrong to feel upset about this comment?
Re: Just learned daughter has LD - Need advice re: teachers
San, good for you, you have already picked up ‘red flags’ from the beginning.
You didn’t mention what LDs were identified or what services they were going to provide. But here’s some more questions you should be asking:
1) If child needs multi-sensory approach, what program are they using (reading, writing, spelling, math etc?)
ex. many schools still use reading programs that are not explicit instruction or proven methods for dyslexics.
2) How much 1:1 do they get and how many times a week? my dd was put in a group 1x per week with a deriviative of LMB Lips. We saw absolutely zero improvement from this environment. Most LD kids need 1:1 instruction, multiple times per week to see improvement. (I still don’t understand how you teach an LD kid an explicit reading program like LMB Lips in a group setting?)
3) Are they providing remediation or just additional help? My dd had a spelling goal that she received pullout, but they were not remediating, only helping her correct her spelling mistakes. In 6 yrs of having that goal, she NEVER achieved her spelling goal. She really needed explicit instruction in spelling, not someone proofing her spelling mistakes.
4) Are they even addressing the correct issues? My dd showed poor memory on her WISC. So they did put that into her original IEP. But they didn’t drill down to exactly what her memory problems were, ie. auditory vs. visual. Her problem was that if presented information auditorily, she could not retain it. If it was visual, she had no problem. So what did they work on? They presented information visually to her and then told me ‘she’s doing great, we’ve accomplished that goal’.
Have you already had the IEP meeting and an IEP put into place? The resource teacher HAS to implement that IEP. If you are not comfortable with the current IEP in place, you have the right to call a new meeting and have it modified. Unfortunately, with some schools it can take months or years to get the right IEP in place, fighting it with the school.
You may want to consider private tutoring in the meantime, so as not to lose precious time waiting for the school.
Re: Just learned daughter has LD - Need advice re: teachers
Demarti
Thank you for your response. I had my IEP meeting a week ago today and I did mention the 1:1. According to the Principal and the learning resource teacher, this is not something that they do right off the bat. As I mentioned, the learning resource center has kids that are older than my dtr at the same skill level as she. So what does this say about what they are or aren’t doing? I specifically stressed the fact that my dtr works and learns better 1:1 because I see it first hand. It went in one year and out the other. My daughter has extreme difficulty with reading and pseudocoding words—which I stressed to them when she was in 1st grade. She is also struggling in math. She cannot retain information. The school appointed psychologist stated that dtr is below average but that she is better in non-verbal settings.
I did get a copy of the IEP that they set up with her, and I already made changes to it. They know about it and did not expect me to call but I know my dtr’s rights, as well as mine.
I spoke with LR teacher because dtr was supposed to start program this past Monday, which I prepared her for, but it didn’t happen. So needless to say, I was not a happy camper. I called the LR teacher and she advised me that she will be working with dtr 40 minutes a day for now, until she gets to know her. The work will be what she does in her normal class that she can’t either finish or does incorrectly. (Not sure how this is going to help her when I do this at home.)
I also advised the LR teacher that in April I would like to attend dtr’s normal class as well as LR class to observe her. I want to see what they do or don’t do.
She basically tried to brush it off but I don’t care I’m not going to wait and see what happens-which I think they thought I was going to do.
Re: Just learned daughter has LD - Need advice re: teachers
Geoff:
Thank you for your response. You are absolutely correct. I have already started my documentation. From speaking with someone else who has a child with LD, I know that I am in for a fight with the school system.
Thanks again
San
Hi San and Welcome here,
While you have just learned that your daughter has an LD.
You have also just enrolled yourself in a new course of study?
Where you will need to become the Expert, so that you can explain to this years teacher, and every teacher in the future.
What your daughters difficulties are, and how they can work most effectively with her.
Also you’ll need to learn all about your Legal Rights and their Obligations, to get their cooperation.
You need to develop the skills to put yourself in control.
But the first tip on your journey, is; ‘To Document’!
Keep everything written down on paper, with dates on it, and keep copies!
This is really crucial, as their first defense, is always. But that’s not what I actually said!
If you haven’t got it down on paper, you’ve got no response?
So the 3 keywords are: Document, document and then Document everything.
Geoff,