Hello all, I just found this site, and it is comforting to read and know there are other people dealing with this. I’ll try to keep it short. My 9 year old son has a severe learning disorder. He has a Language Processing disorder. In kindergarten the school had him tested and he has been in the RSP program ever since. My son is a perfectly normal boy in all ways, except he has an LD. No ADHD or ADD, no behavior problems, lots of friends, plays soccer, loves school. He started 4th grade this year, and boy, things are changing. I see him getting frustrated, discouraged, he even said “I’m dumb” broke my heart. He had a tutor, but she was just a regular tutor. His RSP teacher, wants to basically kick him out of his school and send him to a Special Day school. We visited this school and all we could think of was “no way” there were lots of obviously mentally retarded children in there, and if they want my boy to learn, this is not the place for him. Here’s the problem, our school system is a very highly performing and achieving school system. High scores mean more funding, so my son brings down the schools scores, therefore get him out. This infuriates me to no end, just a day ago they brought this up again. I am now enrolling my son is the Cullinan Education center. They specialize in dyslexia and LD’s. He will receive one on one tutoring for 1 hour 2 days a week. RSP teacher says this wont work. I am soo tired of the negativity. As a parent I will do all I can for him. The new tutoring center read all of his testing scores and thinks that with time they can help to close the gap. It’s positive!! Can the gap ever start to close, can things truly get better for my son? I feel like it’s crunch time, as things are only getting harder. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Re: new here son has LD
When you say that the Cullinan (sp) Education Center specializes in helping children with dyslexia, I wonder whether or not they use Orton-Gillingham. Do you know? I DEFINITELY would like to see your son tutored with Orton-Gillingham based instruction to see how he does. When his teacher says the Center won’t help, that may well be because she doesn’t understand dyslexia or “believe” in dyslexia or know anything about Orton-Gillingham.
Does it get better? YES! It gets better, with the proper tutoring, interventions, accommodations, and modifications. It definitely gets better. I know when my son was younger (he’s fourteen), I questioned whether or not he would ever be able to read and write. He still struggles with both, but he is in general education classes today, also in a high-performing school district, and doing well with an IEP.
new here son has LD
Sigh…
I cannot understand your schools. I do understand that some of the rules with respect to test scores and no child left behind do not properly take into account students in special education. Maybe it is time to contact our congress people to get them to change that, so schools will not blame children on IEP’s for their disabilities?
Now, about hope… yes, there is hope. I have, among other things, a reading disability. Early intervention for 2 grades has helped me read. I still have to read things multiple times sometimes to get the meaning, but I can read and I enjoy it! I have also learned how to accomodate those aspects of my LD that could not be remediated. Don’t give up, and don’t let the school give up either.
Hi - I’m new here too, also have a 9 yr. old son who was just diagnosed with LD -
I have not had a good experience with the schools also - apparently they do not make it easy, and I also live in an area where the schools have excellent ratings also, but with the little understanding that I have so far there are laws in place and what they are doing to your son may be considered discriminatory - children with LD’s are protected - and it doesn’t matter where you live - the same laws apply to all -
Look throught this website - I just started last night - and I think you will find a lot of very valuable information - but I know that I will also do whatever it takes to get my son the help and services that he needs and is entitled to under these laws.