My son who has inattentive ADD was recently diagnosed with dyslexia and mild anxiety. His cognitive score was 120 and his academic achievement score was 90. The doctor said that is a huge difference. He is making straight As and can comprehends well when reading silently but his reading fluency is extremely low and he has great difficulty with his phonemic skills.
The doc recommends an IEP, a summer Ortin-Gillingham class, etc. The school refused to test him because they said he was at grade level so we had it done privately. I am now waiting for the school to schedule an IEP/504 meeting but they already said they don’t do stuff in the summer. However, from researching it seems like they might be obligated to.
This is all new and I would appreciate any advice on the pros and cons of 504s and IEPs. And what is reasonable to expect the school to do. The summer program the doc recommends is at a private school and costs $1,200 which we can’t afford.
She also recommend he be allowed extra time and an alternate place for testing. His current teacher says he probably doesn’t need that but the doc said he is going to need it when it comes time for SATs, etc.
I also don’t want him taken out of his regular class for special instruction. He did that last year and missed so much.
This is all so overwhelming. Please fill me in on my options. I just want what’s best for my little guy.
Thanks.
Re: son diagnosed with dyslexia - need IEP v. 504 advice
The school’s stance is probably that there is “no educational need” for special education if your son is making A’s. But, he does seem to have a diagnosis that has an effect on his learning, which when you bring that to the school’s attention, they have the responsibility to look into. He may very well qualify for 504 modifications. As the other person stated, put all of your requests in writing. I wish you and your son success! It can be a frustrating process.
Re: son diagnosed with dyslexia - need IEP v. 504 advice
I have a son that has ADHD and is dyslexic. The school failed him with a 68, he needed a 70 to pass. They refuse to have him evaluated, so we paid for the reports ourself, and they still refused to accept the reports. He has struggled every year he Is now in the 4 th grade. We are fighting the retention based on the fact they know he has a documented disability and refuse to have him tested because he was passing. I have to meet with his principle and the district superintendent tomorrow and would love to talk to someone that has been there. I live In Mississippi.
Thank you.
son diagnosed with dyslexia - need IEP v. 504 advice
efrank- Might I suggest that you start a new thread wtih this information. That way more LDonline members will have an opportunity to see it and respond.
In the interim, I would recommend that you put your request for him to be evaluated in writing to the school for him to be evaluated. This thread should be of assistance:
http://schwablearningforumarchive.greatschools.org/thread/17246.html
In addition, There is much to substantiate that retention is not usually an effective strategy for students with learning disabilites. See the following attached articles:
http://www.greatschools.org/special-education/health/repeating-a-grade.gs?content=659
http://www.ldonline.org/article/23376?theme=print
http://www.ldonline.org/?module=uploads&func=download&fileId=591
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/retain.index.htm
http://www.wrightslaw.com/heath/teach.retain.htm
http://www.greatschools.org/elementary-school/community/discussion.gs?content=38444
http://www.readingrockets.org/articles/22580
http://www.cdl.org/resource-library/articles/grade_retention.php
http://www.education.com/reference/article/grade-retention-role-response-to-intervention-RTI/
Best Wishes.
More questions than answers for the moment…What grade is your son in? Did you put your request in writing? Put your request in writing to get the clock ticking on the eligibility meeting.
Are there any Scottish Rites Reading Centers in your area? Your son may qualify for free help through them, if you live close to a center.
$1,200 for private OG tutoring is not a bad rate. When we were looking the cost was more close to $6,000 - $11,000. What OG based program would they be utilizing and what would the instruction look like?
Extended time might be beneficial for SATs and more advanced curriculum — especially when considering larger vocabularies with technical, mathematical and scientific jargon.
[Modified by: dhfl143 on April 25, 2010 12:07 AM]