My son (8th grade, age 14) struggled through fifth grade with very little help. Mostly he was overlooked in a school which had a lot of very high-achieving students. He got by with lots of help from me. He finally got an effective IEP in middle school.
This district does very little mainstreaming, and he was put into a modified class for English, history, and math.
Here we are, 2 years later. He doesn’t have any classic ld’s but his writing and math are about 2-3 years behind. (He is classified OHI, for ADHD). He has seemed more and more discouraged about school, except for the classes he has in regular ed. I got an idea why at back to school night. A brand new (still in school for her credential) teacher for history and english. I won’t go into all the details, but I just got a gut feeling that he needed to move, at least for history.
I can’t believe the change in my son, just at the idea that he would be getting out of the modified classroom. It’s like a huge weight has been lifted. All of which make me wonder if a modified classroom is the answer at all. Is it better to be surrounded by peers who are all out-performing you every step of the way, or to be treated with low expectations, and surrounded by a few peers, all with significant learning problems?
The way things were going, I saw the gap widening with frightening speed. Anyone jumped ship from special ed with good results?
Re: Ready to Bail on Special Ed
Thanks Angela. I think that’s where we’re heading. I had to work too hard to get the IEP to just give it up entirely. I’ve been second guessing myself lately, wondering if having him in a pull-out environment the past few years was actually a good thing. I’m thinking now that it was good, but it’s time to merge back.
Re: Ready to Bail on Special Ed
I taught 8th grade RSP for 14 years and started with a pull-out program. It was very hard to teach this group that had little confidence in themselves and often did not have a realistic picture of what the world would require of them. When I began collaborating with regular education and placing them in regular education classes their motivation and interest increased. I did have a study skills period to work with them and many eagerly wanted help so that they could keep up in the regular education class. Sometimes after a long time in pull out they think they can’t do regular ed work and 8th grade is a good time to let them try again. Sometimes they did have to deal with the disappointment of a low grade on tests or assignments, but often they found areas where they could excel. The regular ed experience gave them information to help decide on a high school program. The bottom line here in CA and I assume most other places is that a special ed curriculum in high school may not earn you the diploma you have worked hard for. Others on this board know that I also fought the same battle for my son with LD. I weighed remediating his lds with getting an education and staying interested in school. He did not need remedial instruction, but rather accomodations that would allow him to learn grade level curriculum. So, keep special ed law on your side, but provide opportunities for your son to learn and grow.
Re: Ready to Bail on Special Ed
At this age, the ideal pull-out might be better… but I’ve yet to meet the public school that could provide that ideal pull-out. You *can* go back into the regular classroom and keep the label and get some accommodations (how much you have to fight for them depends on the people nvolved).
Sadly, many of his peers are also probably a few years behind in hteir language skills.
That said, though, when I ‘mainstreamed’ students from my middle school classes, they often fell flat on their faces becuase they didn’t have the skills to “read the book and answer the questions.” Those reading skills were not good enough to decipher the questions on quizzes and homework… parents can help with homework, but tests are another story. Sometmes getting the questions read was enough, but often the ideas just got strangled in all that language. They needed lots of help & guidance to get better at making sense of boilerplate questions.
Re: Ready to Bail on Special Ed
Yes, I am thinking regular classes with accommodations and a tutor outside of school might be better at that age.
Janis
I really like mainstreaming for 8th graders. They are getting good curriculum and an intellectually stimulating environment. It is also a good time to evaluate what he will need for high school. I would NOT though dismiss him from special ed. I would request that he be mainstreamed with accomodations and support. The IEP will be crucial in getting accomodations, otherwise he is just another kid and no special considerations need to be made. Perhaps he can have one pull out period where he can go to RSP to get help on assignments and so the RSP teacher knows what he is doing on a daily basis.