I am confused about something. I have been doing a lot of reading
the last few months about LD/ADD. My son (9th grade) is academically
behind his peers in some areas. He is also at grade level in
others. He is in sped classes. So far, they are just basically
lower curriculum based classes, no apparent individual remediation
taking place. On Wright’s law, he recommends intensive remediation
instead of accomadations and/or modifications. Others seem to favor
accomadations and modifications with remediation as neccesary, but
less intensive it seems. What are the pro’s and con’s of both ways?
Has anyone had experience with intensive remediation with their high
school student? Does it actually work this late in the game plan or
would it be better to ask for modifications and accomadations and
hope that the remediation takes place?
ps. At this stage of the game, my son isn’t too motivated for school
any more. He seems to like the good grades etc. of assignments done
right, but doesn’t want to do anything more than is assigned and then
in the shortest and quickest way possible even if it means a lower
grade.
I am worried that if I ask fight for the intensive remediation he
needs in some areas, he won’t fully participate and make use of it.
Any suggestions?
It could help to know what your son’s issues are. If he would be a poor reader, remediation might be something you would be interested in having for him. If his issues are not so fundamental, accomodations and modifications might be enough.
Not all learning differences make as big a difference in life as they do in school. Some learning differences, maybe even many learning differences, pose more of a problem in school than in life. Life rarely asks us to sit in straight rows, read textbooks and take tests based on what we read.
One of my sons has struggled through school yet in the summers is very successful at a job and a job he likes at that. His learning differences do not impact upon his performance at that job. Why then would I consider remediation for him?
My other son though had language issues that manifested both in his school work and in his speech. For that I wanted remediation because his language/speech issues might certainly impact upon his life and his performance in his real work roles.
Different schools have very different approaches to their students with learning differences and perhaps the biggest difference is their approach to remediation vs. accomodation.