MY 15 YEAR OLD SON IS UNDER “TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY” TO GET LD SERVICES. HE HAD LEUKEMIA AS A BABY AND THE CHEMO THAT WENT TO HIS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM HAVE CAUSED A BROAD RANGE OF L.D.’S. HE IS ON AN IEP (ONLY INCLUSION ROOM IS FOR LANGUAGE ARTS). EVERYTIME WE WENT TO AN IEP MEETING HIS TEACHERS WOULD ALWAYS TELLING ME HOW WELL HE IS DOING. HE WOULD BRING HOME REPORT CARDS WITH A’S AND B’S. BEGINNING IN JANUARY I QUIT MY FULL TIME JOB AND TRIED TO WORK WITH HIM AT HOME. I WAS SHOCKED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE BASICS OF MATH AND ENGLISH. WE ENROLLED HIM FOR THE SUMMER IN A “SYLVAN LIKE” PROGRAM WHICH WILL RUN FOR 18 WEEKS. MY GREATEST CONCERN IS THAT THIS WILL BRING US INTO THE LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER - HE WILL HAVE TO ATTEND THIS TUTORING PLACE 3 TIMES A WEEK AND I MUST WORK WITH HIM ON 4 HOURS OF HOMEWORK PER WEEK. THIS IS ONLY FOR THE SPECIAL PROGRAM. I AM VERY SCARED WHEN HE STARTS HIGH SCHOOL (WHICH HE IS AFRAID OF ALREADY), AND HIS TRYING TO DEAL WITH SCHOOL WORK AND THE “PRIVATE” SCHOOL. I FEEL AT THIS POINT THE PRIVATE TUTORING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SCHOOL. COULD I GET AN ACCOMODATION MADE THAT FOR THE FIRST 8 WEEKS OF HIGH SCHOOL HE DOES NOT GET OVERBURDENED BY HOMEWORK? OR DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS SO THAT HIS FIRST 8 WEEKS OF HIGH SCHOOL WILL NOT BE SO STRESSFUL?
It would help to know a great deal more about what it is you see your son as lacking. It’s interesting that you did not notice his lack of skills until he was 15. How is his speech - is his basic spoken English correct? When you’ve given him money, is he able to make purchases with that money and receive the right change?
I’m very skeptical of the ‘private schools’ such as Sylvan - those tutoring places are profit making businesses and they are very eager to have your business. But in any case, you should be able to have a conversation with your son’s school about what you’re doing and that you would like his homework load reduced until October. In the best situation, they should look at what Slyvan has given him and perhaps incorporate some of that into his homework at high school.
I’m not sure what Sylvan promised you but if your son is truly behind years and years in his ‘basic skills’, no 8 week program can address that or cure that. I guess what I’m saying is it may not be as bad as they are willing to lead you to believe.
Why not talk to the school and tell them what you saw with your son - what you saw him unable to do?
Good luck.
INJURY” TO GET LD SERVICES. HE HAD LEUKEMIA AS A BABY AND THE CHEMO THAT WENT TO HIS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM HAVE CAUSED A BROAD RANGE OF L.D.’S. HE IS ON AN IEP (ONLY INCLUSION ROOM IS FOR LANGUAGE ARTS). EVERYTIME WE WENT TO AN IEP MEETING HIS TEACHERS WOULD ALWAYS TELLING ME HOW WELL HE IS DOING. HE WOULD BRING HOME REPORT CARDS WITH A’S AND B’S. BEGINNING IN JANUARY I QUIT MY FULL TIME JOB AND TRIED TO WORK WITH HIM AT HOME. I WAS SHOCKED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW THE BASICS OF MATH AND ENGLISH. WE ENROLLED HIM FOR THE SUMMER IN A “SYLVAN LIKE” PROGRAM WHICH WILL RUN FOR 18 WEEKS. MY GREATEST CONCERN IS THAT THIS WILL BRING US INTO THE LAST WEEK OF OCTOBER - HE WILL HAVE TO ATTEND THIS TUTORING PLACE 3 TIMES A WEEK AND I MUST WORK WITH HIM ON 4 HOURS OF HOMEWORK PER WEEK. THIS IS ONLY FOR THE SPECIAL PROGRAM. I AM VERY SCARED WHEN HE STARTS HIGH SCHOOL (WHICH HE IS AFRAID OF ALREADY), AND HIS TRYING TO DEAL WITH SCHOOL WORK AND THE “PRIVATE” SCHOOL. I FEEL AT THIS POINT THE PRIVATE TUTORING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN SCHOOL. COULD I GET AN ACCOMODATION MADE THAT FOR THE FIRST 8 WEEKS OF HIGH SCHOOL HE DOES NOT GET OVERBURDENED BY HOMEWORK? OR DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS SO THAT HIS FIRST 8 WEEKS OF HIGH SCHOOL WILL NOT BE SO STRESSFUL?[/quote]