Hi all, I’m new here. My son is in kindergarten, has just been diagnosed ADHD, although I’ve known for awhile. The problem is that his teacher has been teaching for 26 years and is not the one with the problem, or so she says. She does not understand ADHD, and continuously reminds me that I need to be working w/ him at home w/ phonics, alphabet, and sight words b/c he is struggling. She frequently has to call him by name b/c he is off task and easily distracted. No, really? However, she has not heeded my requests to sit him in the front of the class or even the front of the class line. I’ve already met w/ the teacher, guidance counselors, and principal on more than one occassion this school year. Many of my notes or calls attempting to communicate about my son’s performace and my concerns go w/out a response. Dr. started him out on 10 mg Adderall, and the teacher stated that he was doing well, but he would have complete emotional meltdowns after arriving home from school. The Dr. reduced him to 5mg, which does not help at all, according to the teacher. She is not working w/ me w/ any form of positive feedback, only negative. She feels that the proper drug and dosage will “fix” him. My son is an intelligent, creative, loving, energetic child, he does not need to be “fixed”. The school administration and teacher need to understand that not every child fits into a box. Nor can a five year old grow up over night and automatically be able to know sight words, sit perfectly still, and not talk in line. Just b/c out children are ADHD or LD doesn’t mean that we parents aren’t or haven’t been working with them at home (they tend to think that we don’t).
Already, my son does not want to go to school, and this is a very bad way to begin his educational career. I’ve met w/ the principal, who informed me that the school has a “no teacher change” policy. The teacher has not made any accomodations for him, and so we have scheduled the meeting. This will be in place until the school can go through the long drawn out process of several meetings before they finally agree to have him evaluated for an IEP(LD might be a factor as well). Any suggestions for specific strategies/accomodations to implement in his 504 plan enable my son to have a positive learning experience? Also, any knowledge of anyone in the Lee County School District who could help me? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
(My daughter in second grade has also recently begun the long process of being evaluated for LD, and I have not had a satisfying experience thus far w/ her either).
—One mother who is already tired of being the only one in this “partnership” to provide my children a qaulity education. [color=blue][/color][color=blue][/color]
http://www.leeschools.net/dept/stusvc/504_Accom/504.htm
This was on your districts website. A lot of good information to start with.
Good luck.