Help !!!

You’ll get two kinds of advice. One how to fight the school system,the other how to homeschool and use private tutours. My personal solution is to homeschool and I’d suggest get a copy of The Well-Trained Mind and research CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder) . Those of us who homeschool just prefre to put our money and energy into our kids rather than the constant battle you most likely face from your recent experinences. I’ve read on this bb that Txas has an enviable homeschooling culture with parent coops to share teaching tasks etc.. Get in touch with your local homeschoooling groups.A book, “When the Brain Can’t Hear” may help explain your son if his prob is CAPD. Check into his phonemic awareness. That’s where most os us start to remediate. Begin researching Lindamood-Bell and LIPS.

You are right about many issues here, I think. We are expected to show a paper trail of interventions (you said there were none so far), however in my school interventions begin in first grade, not K. You are also right that he should not be retained in all liklihood.

As a sped. teacher I would have a hard time being convinced that a coding score of 9 warranted special education interventions, irrespective of what a private evaluator recommended. Coding is a strictly visual-motor. The block design, picture arrangement, etc. are NOT measures of fine motor coordination (I have never had a student in my program, even one with low coding, receive a low score on block design because of their fine motor skills, they would have to be uncommonly low). These subtests measure visual-spatial intelligence, the ability to perceive patterns, gestalts, etc. A 9 is a perfectly acceptable score, well in the average range. As a parent and also an educator, I would advise you to continue working on that grip at home. Practice just a short time, perhaps 2-3 times per day. Make it quick and keep it simple. If you are overly concerned about handwriting, do a Google Search on “Handwriting Without Tears.” This is a good program that can be purchased inexpensively in pieces. A small investment might give you the tools you need.

Lastly, you must know that to diagnose an LD and find eligibility, there must be a discrepancy, in my state and many others, of 22 points between IQ and achievement. If you child knows letter names and even a sight word or two, he won’t achieve that discrepancy in K. With his high IQ he will in first grade, so you already have the WISC. Get testing after about a trimester of first grade in academics with a standardized test and determine then if you have a discrepancy. Oh, in order to have your private eval considered, you need a typed report on letterhead with the psychologists license number included. A phone conversation won’t be accepted.

I’d agree that retention doesn’t sound like a good idea at all. Do you know why he’s having trouble with the letters & sounds and making the connections? How’s his awareness of sounds in words, rhyming, etc? YOu may be able to bridge some of his gaps yourself; his “lows” are enough to be significant and frustrating for him but (saying this looking at numbers, *not* the kiddo!) not the stuff of a special education program, depending on how the school approaches reading. If he needs that structured, explicity teaching of the sound-symbol stuff, then do what you can to get it for him through the school or whatever resources you can find.

Hello. I’m a college student learninng SPED.

I feel helpless and am boiling with indignation about reading your topic and your school’s responces. I would like to suggest you that resarching about section 504, though it way not be a perfect plan.

Section 504 applies to any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. Because states and local education agenceis recieve federal funds, they may not discriminate against students or other persons with disabilities on account of their disabilities. In many domains of life will the person receive any protection from section 504.

I found some tips from “LD in Derth” this website.

Commonsense Guidelines for Section 504¡×
Appoint a district Section 504 coordinator who can devote substantial amounts of time to the law and to coordinating the district’s efforts.
Appoint building-level 504 coordinators.¡× Develop a policy and procedures manual for Section 504 that includes a grievance procedure.
Develop a set of 504 forms.¡×
Treat people fairly.¡×
Use common sense.¡×
Treat people in the same way you would want your own child or yourself treated.

I pray more better life for your son and children like those situations. Hope this message will mean someting.
Thank you.

How about you back off a bit and let your child mature a bit before you look at trying to label him and expect lots of extra help??? after all he is only 6 years old!?!?!?!

we don’t test until at least mid grade 2 because for there to be considered a problem, they have to be 2 years behind. when you haven’t been in school, you can’t be 2 years behind in acadmenics.

i teach first grade and i certainly don’t expect kids to be reading and writing when they come in. kids, especially little boys, take longer to mature and be ready to do the work. one of the problems with the school systems is trying to teach kids before they are ready. read up on piaget to know what i mean! part of this maturing also explains why so many little boys are diagnosed as adhd. i have classes of little boys that could all be put on drugs if the people around them were irresponsible. the good thing is that none are on meds and they are respected and valued and taught, keeping their special behavior needs in mind!

in closing-how about you look at all the good things that your little guy can do, work on pencil grip and play games with him.

as far as the iq goes- it says that there isn’t necessarily a disability. there has to be a spread. even then- there can be a big spread but if the child is able to succeed, it isn’t considered a disability. the iq numbers show your child’s capacity for learning- not that he is going to be a genius at the start of schooling.

Hi, I tihnk people are confused because the test scores don’t sound so bad, but then you say he couldn’t even pass kindergarten. Forget the test scores what do you feel is wrong. Can he recognize any letters? What sort of dyslexia is in your family? I would disagree strongly about waiting. Though it is true boys develop more slowly if your boyo has a form of dyslexia waiting will be disastrous. It would be better to be labeled an over protective, nuerotic Mom than wait 2 years for the school to recognize his dyslexia.
Do you see a discrepency in what he wants to do, ought to do , and what he can do? Is he hitting himself in head trying to remember letters , acting goofy to deflect people from asking him questions, is he beginning to call himself stupid?
What’s really got you scared?

testing this thread

Thanks UK mom and others for your support and advice. My son is so frustrated and yes he says he is stupid. He picks up on absolutely everything so quickly, but they letter and number symbols have baffled him. The coding part of the WISC that killed his scores was where he had to transfer symbols by finding them and writing them under corresponding symbols and it was timed.He was penalized for not working quick enough. His fine motor is so poor, I would describe his writing as more of drawing for him. I taught 1st grade for many years and taught over 200 children to read. I am not being paraniod. My brother and sister were both affected by the type of dyslexia called dysphonesia. They could not make the connection between the symbols and the sounds, segmenting and blending sounds. Neither can my son. To wait until 2nd grade is disasterous for dyslexics, so I respectfully will ignore posts of people who are not educated about this topic. All the research points at helping and identifying young, but then when there is a pretty clear cut case, they don’t know what to do with these little guys. I will look into Handwriting without Tears and other methods. Thanks to all of you who had helpful constructive comments.

I was going to ignore your post, but I simply can’t. I taught first grade for 8 years. I know about little boys and maturity, I don’t expect my child to be a genius when he enters first grade and by the way I don’t think I would pick a fight with the school district in order to look like a complete idiot if it is a developmental issue. I know children, and I know children well. By reading your post I wonder how long you have taught 1st graders. You sound like me my first two years of teaching. Just so that you know, dyslexia is a heritable disorder (it is genetic) and anytime it has affected your family you make sure you watch for it to rear it’s ugly head. The key to successful treatment is early intervention. So, I will NOT back off and let him grow out of it. He won’t grow out of it! Good God I feel sorry for any child with reading disabilities that hits your classroom, they don’t have a fighting chance. Also how would you feel if your child was developing perfectly normally in everything except for reading. He can add in his mind, multi-digit numbers, with no finger counting involved,but when written, he has to ask me, what is that number? That is not NORMAL. He has memorized the alphabet this year. I can tell by the way he has to really think about it when retrieving the information and how long it took for us with kinesthetic methods to get down each letter. That again is not NORMAL for a child his age with the strengths in the other areas. How would you feel if it were YOUR child wanting to write a story, wanting to practice addition and subtraction because it is fun for him, but not being able to because the symbols for all these things are the ONLY things that he don’t get. I think that if it were your child and his ONLY weakness was not ever being able to read because the alphabetic code was a mystery to him, you would be singing a different tune.

l

advocating mom,

As one of your posts mentioned, you will get two kinds of thought: 1) Fight the school and 2) provide private tutoring.

My daughter went into Kindergarten and although she passed, because of a gifted IQ, she couldn’t rhyme or read/remember words. She is adopted, but because I knew there was a history of dyslexia, I began inquiring of the Kindergarten teacher if there was a problem. Of course, the school said no. We moved into 1st grade and continued to hold our head above water, but I knew something was wrong. The school continued to tell me she was “immature” even though she was older than most in the class.

At the beginning of 2nd grade I had her test privately. She is now in Lindamood Bell LIPS tutoring and private OT (Handwriting without Tears). She has made tremendous progress. I tell you all of this to say if you know there’s a history, DON’T wait. Intervene early with private tutoring, if at all possible, so that they DON’T have to go the special ed route.

Oops,” doesn’t get” not “don’t get”.

Sounds like my child. Fight for what you think is right. Don’t give up, and get him what he needs early on even if it means doing so privately.

I would NOT wait and see. That is what people told me.
Instead, I jumped into action and now my child is reading above
grade level. They wanted to retain her in Kindergarten too and I said
NO WAY. I worked with her all last summer and things are much better.
She had many of the same problems you are describing.
We did Handwriting without Tears. I ordered the large wood letters
and the slate along with the workbooks. This is great for a kinesthetic
learner. Get your son a pencil grip for his pencil. You can order
online. The best I have found is the one called “The Pencil Grip”.
Good luck to you.

Frankly you might be just a college student,but you are wise beyond your years.

You hit the nail on the head more than anyone else here..

Dear Bottom line,the child has rights.

As you can see you will get a wide array of opinions. I would never suggest to someone who can provide it, to not provide tutoring or private remediation. Homeschooling either,but one bit of reality must be addressed.

If your child is truely dyslexic,and in my opinion,from what you describe, he most definitely is. Early intervention is key,but,he will ALWAYS be dyslexic. The fight with the school will always be there,unless you never intend on having him attend a public school. Private tutoring aside,whether you fight now or later,you will still be needed as the “advocating mom”.

Now,with that being said,
your child is having difficulty making academic progress. You have a private evaluation that states he is regarded as a child with a disability. He is protected under section 504 antidiscrimination law.

They are required by federal law to provide a free and appropriate public education. This,for your son,would be other teaching strategies,other then what is being used now.

If he doesn’t meet the criteria for eligibility,he is still protected under 504.

504 states he only needs to be regarded as a student with a disability before he recieves accomodations within the classroom. This is something he will need through out his school years,regardless of whether you get tutoring or not. if he is above average intelligence,which he appears to be,he will be best served within a regular ed classroom.

It is the way he is being taught,not the way he is not learning.Know what I am saying?
He obviously needs to learn to visualize. I know exactly how he feels. He see’s in pictures not words. He can’t visualize words if there is no picture for it. I had the hardest time trying to visualize “the”. To THIS day,I can easily forget how to spell it.He needs to learn by being taught to visualize . LMB programs do this,they work on this principle,but aside from this, a classroom teacher must be willing to accomodate this problem in the classroom. A word on the board could mean nothing,but if she said it outloud and gave a description,your son could imprint the word and the picture, he develops, together.

Personally don’t believe you ever rid yourself of the “fight” as it is called. Advocacy isn’t always a negative concept. It is talking about something you will have to do sometime or another. Figthing now,just gives you more training
:-)not even going to try and explain scores,or other ways teacher’s can help this child,you are the teacher. I am only coming at it from one dyslexic to another.

So two points I want to state.

Individuals with disabilities education act states that IQ can not be used as the sole measure of whether a child needs or doesn’t need services from special education. If he is having fine motor difficulties,ask for an OT evaluation. If he needs OT,this is also very important to start early.

And a child who is “regarded” as a child with a disability would qualify for accomodations under 504.

Why can’t I see the responses everytime I come to the board?

Wow.
Unfortunately, your opinion is quite often believed by many people in the position to make a kids life miserable. Statistics are clearly of a differing opinion,not to mention the federal government’s opinion on the subject.

They say ignorance is bliss,and there are a lot of happy people out here.

Do you know or have you heard of something called early intervention? You might check into it,you would be surprised,really. The federal government spends millions in grant money to provide early intervention,why do you think they do this? As a matter of fact the funding from the federal government goes down as the child gets older,why do you think that is?

“back off” seems rather defensive,don’t you think? “Wait and see if he matures,or grows out of it”,is rather ignorant. Way too many people have proven this wrong already.

Thank you Stephanie,
You have given me hope. I plan to work with him this summer intensively.
Thanks for all the advice.

Thank you Socks,
He does see things in pictures. I can tell when he sees say the number 9, he counts out loud, looking into space until he gets to the number nine, then says it is nine. I think he must be seeing some sort or number line in his head or maybe he senses the feeling of the number or something. It is strange, but also fascinating to watch as an educator. I wasn’t sure about the 504 issues. Sounds like they will make accommedations in the regular classroom if he is classified under 504. Do you have an IEP for this kind of kid? I’m willing to get OT privately if necessary. I’ll go bankrupt before I allow this disorder to get the best of him. I think I am going to try Handwriting Without Tears. I would have felt so much better if the district had said, “You know he won’t qualify for OT, but why don’t you consult with one of our OT’s and they can give you some things to work on at home.” They are so worried about not labeling him. It’s crazy. All I want is help for him, I really don’t care about a label. Anyway thank you so much for your insight it was very helpful!

Georgian,
You are wise beyond your years! This is the way 504 was intended to work. The school I taught at felt this way and the children were served. The school my son attends obviously has a different perspective. As a matter of fact, the 504 coordinator for the campus is the Dyslexia teacher who has screened my child for dyslexia. She admitted that he had strong tendencies for Dyslexia and it was her recommendation that he repeat the 1/2 day Kinder program. Also, during the meeting she said she didn’t have to serve him if he was in Kindergarten by state law, she only had to serve grades 1-5. (How convenient.) But that she could meet with him once a week for 15 minutes, maybe twice a week, but we had to understand that he might not get served consistently because she had “meetings”. Note: she also has a 30 minute lunch and 45 minute planning period. His 15 minute sessions would be worked into a 30 minute block that she used for quote” running around and getting things ready.” Needless to say, I have a request in to transfer out of this school next year. Go out into the world and change things. Make a difference in the lives of children. You sound like your heart is in education. Mine is too, I’m just briefly taking a time out for my kids. Remember you have great power as a teacher to mold each young child, go out and make a difference. Good luck, you will be a great teacher!

Wait for the psych. report…don’t try to make decisions based on a little phone info. LD’s can’t be diagnosed with just an IQ test, and with a verbal IQ higher than performance IQ that does not sound like a language-based learning disability. Have a private OT eval and get therapy over the summer; find out about what other services are available to kids in regular ed.(like Title 1, etc.). Your child was very young for the WISC III, as it starts at 6 yrs.; the WJII results will be more helpful. Go ahead and do private tutoring if your child will cooperate; What about summer camp? You’d be surprised how many fine motor acitivies get worked on in camp and Cub Scouts.

He not only received the IQ test but also the Woodcock Achievement test. He was ok in all areas but in the coding section he was 2 standard deviations below where he was on everything else. I don’t have the results in front of me, but that was the way I understood it in our phone conversations. The diag. said that there is a striking difference between his coding and the rest of his skills and definately enough to qualify him for SPED in Texas. However, she did say the only way to responsibly place him in SPED is to show that there were at least 3 interventions and that they failed. I think interventions will work with him, just getting the school to recognize that failing him in K is not an appropriate intervention is another story.

I am at a loss for where she got this really off the wall idea about not servicing kindergarteners?

Here is the section of 504 that would apply. NO WHERE does it specify no kindergarten age groups not qualifying,as a matter of fact preschoolers are most definitely included as well as college students.Sounds like a story to me. I would kindly write a letter about what rights your child has and how you want to imform her of what the law actually states.Might be time to educate the educator. 15 minutes my foot..

Subpart D — Preschool, Elementary, and Secondary Education

§ 104.31 Application of this subpart.

Subpart D applies to preschool, elementary, secondary, and adult education programs or activities that receive Federal financial assistance and to recipients that operate, or that receive Federal financial assistance for the operation of, such programs or activities.

§ 104.32 Location and notification.

A recipient that operates a public elementary or secondary education program or activity shall annually:

(a) Undertake to identify and locate every qualified handicapped person residing in the recipient’s jurisdiction who is not receiving a public education; and

(b) Take appropriate steps to notify handicapped persons and their parents or guardians of the recipient’s duty under this subpart.

§ 104.33 Free appropriate public education.

(a) General. A recipient that operates a public elementary or secondary education program or activity shall provide a free appropriate public education to each qualified handicapped person who is in the recipient’s jurisdiction, regardless of the nature or severity of the person’s handicap.

(b) Appropriate education. (1) For the purpose of this subpart, the provision of an appropriate education is the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services that (i) are designed to meet individual educational needs of handicapped persons as adequately as the needs of nonhandicapped persons are met and (ii) are based upon adherence to procedures that satisfy the requirements of §§ 104.34, 104.35, and 104.36.

(2) Implementation of an Individualized Education Program developed in accordance with the Education of the Handicapped Act is one means of meeting the standard established in paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section.

(3) A recipient may place a handicapped person or refer such a person for aid, benefits, or services other than those that it operates or provides as its means of carrying out the requirements of this subpart. If so, the recipient remains responsible for ensuring that the requirements of this subpart are met with respect to any handicapped person so placed or referred.

(c) Free education — (1) General. For the purpose of this section, the provision of a free education is the provision of educational and related services without cost to the handicapped person or to his or her parents or guardian, except for those fees that are imposed on non-handicapped persons or their parents or guardian. It may consist either of the provision of free services or, if a recipient places a handicapped person or refers such person for aid, benefits, or services not operated or provided by the recipient as its means of carrying out the requirements of this subpart, of payment for the costs of the aid, benefits, or services. Funds available from any public or private agency may be used to meet the requirements of this subpart. Nothing in this section shall be construed to relieve an insurer or similar third party from an otherwise valid obligation to provide or pay for services provided to a handicapped person.

(2) Transportation. If a recipient places a handicapped person or refers such person for aid, benefits, or services not operated or provided by the recipient as its means of carrying out the requirements of this subpart, the recipient shall ensure that adequate transportation to and from the aid, benefits, or services is provided at no greater cost than would be incurred by the person or his or her parents or guardian if the person were placed in the aid, benefits, or services operated by the recipient.

(3) Residential placement. If a public or private residential placement is necessary to provide a free appropriate public education to a handicapped person because of his or her handicap, the placement, including non‑medical care and room and board, shall be provided at no cost to the person or his or her parents or guardian.

(4) Placement of handicapped persons by parents. If a recipient has made available, in conformance with the requirements of this section and §104.34, a free appropriate public education to a handicapped person and the person’s parents or guardian choose to place the person in a private school, the recipient is not required to pay for the person’s education in the private school. Disagreements between a parent or guardian and a recipient regarding whether the recipient has made a free appropriate public education available or otherwise regarding the question of financial responsibility are subject to the due process procedures of §104.36.

(d) Compliance. A recipient may not exclude any qualified handicapped person from a public elementary or secondary education after the effective date of this part. A recipient that is not, on the effective date of this regulation, in full compliance with the other requirements of the preceding paragraphs of this section shall meet such requirements at the earliest practicable time and in no event later than September 1, 1978.

§ 104.34 Educational setting.

(a) Academic setting. A recipient to which this subpart applies shall educate, or shall provide for the education of, each qualified handicapped person in its jurisdiction with persons who are not handicapped to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the handicapped person. A recipient shall place a handicapped person in the regular educational environment operated by the recipient unless it is demonstrated by the recipient that the education of the person in the regular environment with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Whenever a recipient places a person in a setting other than the regular educational environment pursuant to this paragraph, it shall take into account the proximity of the alternate setting to the person’s home.

(b) Nonacademic settings. In providing or arranging for the provision of nonacademic and extracurricular services and activities, including meals, recess periods, and the services and activities set forth in § 104.37(a)(2), a recipient shall ensure that handicapped persons participate with nonhandicapped persons in such activities and services to the maximum extent appropriate to the needs of the handicapped person in question.

(c) Comparable facilities. If a recipient, in compliance with paragraph (a) of this section, operates a facility that is identifiable as being for handicapped persons, the recipient shall ensure that the facility and the services and activities provided therein are comparable to the other facilities, services, and activities of the recipient.

§ 104.35 Evaluation and placement.

(a) Preplacement evaluation. A recipient that operates a public elementary or secondary education program or activity shall conduct an evaluation in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section of any person who, because of handicap, needs or is belived to need special education or related services before taking any action with respect to the initial placement of the person in regular or special education and any subsequent significant change in placement.

(b) Evaluation procedures. A recipient to which this subpart applies shall establish standards and procedures for the evaluation and placement of persons who, because of handicap, need or are believed to need special education or related services which ensure that:

(1) Tests and other evaluation materials have been validated for the specific purpose for which they are used and are administered by trained personnel in conformance with the instructions provided by their producer;

(2) Tests and other evaluation materials include those tailored to assess specific areas of educational need and not merely those which are designed to provide a single general intelligence quotient; and

(3) Tests are selected and administered so as best to ensure that, when a test is administered to a student with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the student’s aptitude or achievement level or whatever other factor the test purports to measure, rather than reflecting the student’s impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills (except where those skills are the factors that the test purports to measure).

(c) Placement procedures. In interpreting evaluation data and in making placement decisions, a recipient shall (1) draw upon information from a variety of sources, including aptitude and achievement tests, teacher recommendations, physical condition, social or cultural background, and adaptive behavior, (2) establish procedures to ensure that information obtained from all such sources is documented and carefully considered, (3) ensure that the placement decision is made by a group of persons, including persons knowledgeable about the child, the meaning of the evaluation data, and the placement options, and (4) ensure that the placement decision is made in conformity with §104.34.

(d) Reevaluation. A recipient to which this section applies shall establish procedures, in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, for periodic reevaluation of students who have been provided special education and related services. A reevaluation procedure consistent with the Education for the Handicapped Act is one means of meeting this requirement.

§ 104.36 Procedural safeguards.

A recipient that operates a public elementary or secondary education program or activity shall establish and implement, with respect to actions regarding the identification, evaluation, or educational placement of persons who, because of handicap, need or are believed to need special instruction or related services, a system of procedural safeguards that includes notice, an opportunity for the parents or guardian of the person to examine relevant records, an impartial hearing with opportunity for participation by the person’s parents or guardian and representation by counsel, and a review procedure. Compliance with the procedural safeguards of section 615 of the Education of the Handicapped Act is one means of meeting this requirement.

It IS fascinating,this is why at ever opportunity I like to let people know how amazing people with dyslexia actually are.

These are people who will forever be dyslexic,they will always have the ability to visualize in picture form. While it is exceedingly difficult for us in school,especially elementary school,once out in the world,we can be found in areas where creativity,fast thinking,and problem solving comes in handy.It isn’t all bad,the fact is,we depend on the people who love us to fight for our right to learn our way. To help people who teach us, understand this need. To always tell us how cool we are,and how even though we are different,we are still incredibly intelligent and worthy of an education.

Okay,okay,I’ll get down from the soap box now.

For the next questions. As far as IEP’s go. I have two boys who are diagnosed dysgraphic,they too see in picture form. I am dyslexic,I was diagnosed in Kindergarten,yes,it can be diagnosed in kindergarten,ladies and gentlemen.
When writing my boys IEP’s,and if I ever had to chance to go back and write my own,the one thing I leanred was this:

I HAD to know how they learned first. What their strengths were,and what their weaknesses were.

For example;
One kid is strong auditorily,one is stronger visually. Both have the very same learning disability,both somehow learned to lean on one area or another to help them learn. WHy that is,I couldn’t tell you.

My visual kid,had significant auditory processing problems,and all that comes with it. He had a hard time with word retrevial,taking what he was hearing and processing it in a timed situation,writing out what he heard versus what he saw was very difficult for him. He learns best with flashcards,getting notes,or classwork the day before,etc.

My other one learns best by listening. Visual processing was almost impossible for him. He always looks away when listening,looking like he isn’t paying attention when in fact he is paying close attention. Oral testing works well for him,so does studying by listening to a tape of the class,taping reports,etc.

So first you must know what his strengths are as much as what his weaknesses are. He needs to be able to use these strengths.

Then all scores and evals aside,I took every area of need,and wrote a goal for it. What was the problem,what the goal should be, and then ideas on how to get him to the goal.
I mean everything. Organization,attnetion span,transition times,spelling,reading,math, whatever it was.

Use their strength first.

Dear Advocating mom,

I’m releived you sound well-prepared for beating this thing. I wasn’t. I was just sure there was something wrong and I was going to find out what. I’m still being told by teacher friends and people involved with schools here that my son’s prob is “developmental”. Kids grow out of these things as it’s put in the UK…. An OT friend in the U.S. even told me my son was fine. Stop worrying-he’s more gifted than ld. I would hate for another child to get maimed in that system. I went to U.S. to look for help and found this bb. Last Sept. my son was in such pain he was hitting his head in tears trying t oget his brain to work.
Yesterday he read me a book. This is a kid whose favorite reward is being read to. Who was read to in the womb and then spent a year in kindergarton (reception class -where they start kids as young as 3 yrs 11 mos)) hating himself because they told him he Should be able to read the Oxford Learnig Tree books. (Whole Language Method-the “test”for dyslexia is to throw them some phonetics in the 2nd gradeand see if that helps. )
And Yesterday after one week of LIPS from a private tutour, whom we had trained, he READ!
Anything is worth that. And i’ll tell any Mom to ignore the tests and trust your instincts.

Thanks Socks,
I agree with you. It seemed like they screened him, found he was deficient, used the excuse that dyslexia is difficult (albeit not impossible) to pinpoint at 6, and took the easy route for them. Never thinking about what was best for him. Thanks for the 504 sections. I’ve copied them and printed them out. We’ll see what kind of help he gets.

You may get more help with Texas in the subject line; in Mass. the steps for qualifying for spec. ed. are on our dept. of ed. web-site: does the student have one of the disabilities in the Federal definition; is the student making effective progress in school; is the lack of progress caused by the disability; and does the student need special ed. to make effective progress. The fail three times rule seems wrong…what if the student was failing for reasons unrelated to the disability(illness, family stress, etc); maybe other Texas families can help you out.

At the message list level, you can choose either “View Threads” or “Collapse Threads.” Sounds like you want to “View Threads.”

At the thread level, you can choose either “Threaded View” or “Flat View.” With threaded view, you choose one message and then see one message to a page (a pain in the neck). With Flat View you see all posts on one page.

Thanks that helps a bunch!

Thank you !! Great, great advice. I must admit my mind has been reeling and I couldn’t focus on what I needed to do next. You have got me focused again. My child has a tremendous amount of strengths so I will think carefully and write down what I think will be helpful for him next year. Thanks again for the ear and the advice, I hope he gets a teacher next year who is receptive. You sound like you are really on top of things with your boys! Good for you, I have a 4 year old boy who very well may be in the same boat, although it is not looking like it yet, I hope I can be as informed as you are if I need to be. If not I’m going to come looking for you Socks! ;-)

Don’t go bankrupt! If he has fine motor issues this is a motor issue. Motor issues are medical. Call your pediatrician. Get him or her on your side.
Your private insurance should cover OT if you can’t get the school too. This being summer it might be a good time to get started.

Also a good OT evaluation done privately will help you understand the underpinnings of your child’s issues. This information could be used in September to help the shcool know what he needs in further OT or other modifications.

Socks,

I wish you would look at interactive metronome. I agree that once a dyslexic always a dyslexic but there has been so much research that has come out in the past few years regarding the brains capacity to change and improve how it functions.
Another example is phonemics based reading education. Some interesting science behind this intervention.
When I was in nursing school I remember the teachers telling us that neurons can not regenerate. Once the damage is done thats it.

Yet I worked as a nurses aid with quadraplegics and brain injured patients. These people underwent intensive pt and ot at this incredibly progressive facility.
I watched one kid move from a semi comatose state due to a brain injury to a normal functioning High schooler. I watched quadraplegics gain some functioning in their upper extremities. All of this did not match what I was learning in school.

As it turns out recent scientific discoveries have proved that previous thinking wrong.

The brain is a much more flexible organ than previously thought. We can significantly improve deficits through some incredibly intriging new methods.

I implore all educators and parents to keep an eye on science. Choose options for your children that have stood the test of scientific principles. It is depressing that so many interventions done in schools are based on blah blah blah with nothing to back them up.

I believe that we will all soon find that there are many new discoveries about the brains capacity to change waiting around the bend.

What great news!!!!!!! See, all of your hard work paid off. I hope I’m in your position in a year or less. Thanks for the insight.

Thanks Linda,
I have always been fascinated by the neuron connecting issues. Very interesting stuff. I have a call into my child’s doc to get OT. He has to get a letter of medical necessity or something like that before insurance will pay.

His IQ is well above average. The question about fine moter skills maybe developmental lag. Im no fan of schools but the schools wait and see approach even though it may not be for the right reasons it may not be a bad thing.

Practicing his penmanship is all I can think of to do. Sounds like he’s in pretty good shape. He’s has a high IQ. I think He’ll be ok inspite of ehat his school does or doesn’t do.

Testing a 6 year old? Don’t consider the data too seriously, this is at the extreme lower end for validity. You need to view carefully the subtest scores. The IQ scores are at the high end of the average range and he should progress academically fine. However, maturity and attention are very valid concerns when dealing with a 6 year old. Another concern I see in your letter is the concern for OT services - he is only 6, there hands and feet tend to be awkwardly large when compared to the rest of their body and time will assist with this. It’s certainly better to repeat kindergarten then to repeat 8th grade later.

I hope you aren’t the spelling teacher in you homeschool program. Homeschoolers drive me crazy!

First - 504 is part of IDEA and is a regular education function and has nothing to do with special education. Second, it is designed for students that do not qualify for special education but need accomodations in order to achieve academically. They tend to be for some students identified as ADD/ADHD. It is also designed for students with physical limitations, usually temporary such as a broken leg - which would require a short term accomodation such as additional time to get to class. This case does not apply. Also, have a dictionary nearby when responding to e-mails. If you want credibility as a future educator, you need to spell correctly.

What is Dyslexia? This is a medical term to describe reading difficulties but it does not specifically identify a particular problem. People like to think it means you read from right to left. In 22 years of teaching reading, I have never had a student that read from right to left. What the heck is a Dyslexia teacher, does she read from right to left?

Finally someone who realizes that 6 year olds are not all the same cognitively, socially, or physically. Kudos to you!

Thanks for not expecting the school to do all the work. It takes a village to educate a child!

This child of 6 shouldn’t even have an IQ score but his is in the high average range, “not well above average” as you stated.

Hi Steve,
My son never colored, when trying to write his name prior to beginning school he couldn’t control his hand even to get the first line down on his name. He said it hurt to color/ write and he said on too many occasions that he just couldn’t do it, and cried his eyes out. Writing is a painstaking process for him. I have a 4 year old who colors all the time and a 19 month old who has colored since she was 12 months old. I would say that is normal. Yes his IQ is in the high average range, different tests call it different things. Nevertheless I know that he is above average in intelligence. What I don’t understand is why some people take his intelligence score and discount his need for help. He deserves help as much as other children with higher and lower IQ’s based his deficits. Yes, his intelligence may help him overcome, but without help will he reach his FULL potential. I think he deserves as much as the next guy the chance for an appropriate education in order for him to reach HIS full potential.

gh

Steve,
You really need to go back to school. Dyslexia does not mean you read from right to left. It is much more complicated than that. Yes, reading involves many things including developmental issues. I taught reading too. Developmentally young children are typically “young” across the board. You don’t see huge deficits in one area if it is developmental. Please let me know where you teach so I can avoid you like the plague.

Linda,

Ironicly that you would mention IM.
Both of my boys went through Interactive metronome. I will definitely agree that it helped! It helped in terms of sustained attention, coordination and on task behavior. Made a tremendous impact,but it did not “cure” their dyslexia.

I attended many years of vision therapy,I am quite sure it helped me also.
It also did not cure my dyslexia.
I would never never disagree with doing remediation,and improving certain aspects of learning problems.

The big point I was trying to make was,dyslexia is something that is life long,it can be a detriment,and it can be just a minor annoyance. But it is who you are if your are dyslexic. Simply put,you learn differently,and you need to be taught how you learn best. Not such a complex idea,right?

You would think someone who teaches dyslexic children would know that, hmmm? I hate when I tell people my son is dyslexic and they say” oh, he reads backwards”. No, not really, he can barely read at all, thanks to the wonderful public school system.
If you think your son is having a problem now, fight for him, no matter how old. No one knows a kid like their mother. I knew my son was having problems in Kindergarten, I ask the teacher often, she kept saying he’s fine, don’t compare him to his older sister.
But, then low and behold, 9 weeks before the end of the school year, she said he has a problem, wanted me to hold him back. I am so glad I refused, if the teaching method doesn’t change,holding them back will never help.
Hang in there, he’s lucky to have you as a mom!!!!!

P.S. OH Steve, by the way, this in an informal bulletin board, my spelling here is awful, but when I send a letter, you can bet every word is spelled right.

Wow Steve,are you an educator?

You really reinforce what I have been saying for a long time. Even educators are not informed or even have a weak understanding of these two very distinct laws.

I suppose I will help you out here a little. You will have to learn some of this on your own. I guess you could stumble along in life thinking you are much more knowledgable and better able to tell us what our kid needs,but the simple fact is,one day you might just find out the hard way,by being the subject of a Due process hearing over your crass ingnorance of the laws. It will not however make any difference,breaking the law is still,breaking the law. You will be left telling the judge,well this is how I understood it to say.

Honestly Steve,read sometime..

You can find IDEA at http://www.ideapractices.org/regs/
You can find 504 at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OCR/index.html
a very good article explaining the difference between these two laws can be found at:
http://www.edlaw.net/service/504idea.html

in the meantime a few definitions for you:
IDEA

34 CFR Part 300, Assistance to States for the Education of Children With Disabilities
(Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

Subpart A-General

Purposes, Applicability, and Regulations That Apply to This Program

§300.1 Purposes.

The purposes of this part are-

(a) To ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for employment and independent living;

(b) To ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and their parents are protected;

(c) To assist States, localities, educational service agencies, and Federal agencies to provide for the education of all children with disabilities; and

(d) To assess and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to educate children with disabilities.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1400 note)

§300.2 Applicability of this part to State, local, and private agencies.

(a) States. This part applies to each State that receives payments under Part B of the Act.

(b) Public agencies within the State. The provisions of this part-

(1) Apply to all political subdivisions of the State that are involved in the education of children with disabilities, including -

(i) The State educational agency (SEA);

(ii) Local educational agencies (LEAs), educational service agencies (ESAs), and public charter schools that are not otherwise included as LEAs or ESAs and are not a school of an LEA or ESA;

(iii) Other State agencies and schools (such as Departments of Mental Health and Welfare and State schools for children with deafness or children with blindness);

(iv) State and local juvenile and adult correctional facilities; and

(2) Are binding on each public agency in the State that provides special education and related services to children with disabilities, regardless of whether that agency is receiving funds under Part B.

(c) Private schools and facilities. Each public agency in the State is responsible for ensuring that the rights and protections under Part B of the Act are given to children with disabilities-

(1) Referred to or placed in private schools and facilities by that public agency; or

(2) Placed in private schools by their parents under the provisions of §300.403(c).

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1412)

§300.3 Regulations that apply.

The following regulations apply to this program:

(a) 34 CFR part 76 (State-Administered Programs) except for §§76.125-76.137 and 76.650-76.662.

(b) 34 CFR part 77 (Definitions).

(c) 34 CFR part 79 (Intergovernmental Review of Department of Education Programs and Activities).

(d) 34 CFR part 80 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments).

(e) 34 CFR part 81 (General Education Provisions Act- Enforcement).

(f) 34 CFR part 82 (New Restrictions on Lobbying).

(g) 34 CFR part 85 (Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Grants)).

(h) The regulations in this part-34 CFR part 300 (Assistance for Education of Children with Disabilities).

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3(a)(1))

Definitions Used In This Part

§300.4 Act.

As used in this part, Act means the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as amended.

(Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1400(a))

§300.7 Child with a disability.

(a) General.

(1) As used in this part, the term child with a disability means a child evaluated in accordance with §§300.530-300.536 as having mental retardation, a hearing impairment including deafness, a speech or language impairment, a visual impairment including blindness, serious emotional disturbance (hereafter referred to as emotional disturbance), an orthopedic impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, an other health impairment, a specific learning disability, deaf-blindness, or multiple disabilities, and who, by reason thereof, needs special education and related services.

10) Specific learning disability is defined as follows:

(i) General. The term means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia.

(ii) Disorders not included. The term does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.

notice dyslexia is mentioned,Steve?

now for 504

TITLE 34—EDUCATION

SUBTITLE B – REGULATIONS OF THE OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

CHAPTER I — OFFICE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

PART 104 — NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

§ 104.1 Purpose.

The purpose of this part is to effectuate section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which is designed to eliminate discrimination on the basis of handicap in any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.

§ 104.2 Application.

This part applies to each recipient of Federal financial assistance from the Department of Education and to the program or activity that receives such assistance.

§ 104.3 Definitions.

As used in this part, the term:

(a) The Act means the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Pub. L. 93‑112, as amended by the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1974, Pub. L. 93‑516, 29 U.S.C. 794.

(b) Section 504 means section 504 of the Act.

(c) Education of the Handicapped Act means that statute as amended by the Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975, Pub. L. 94‑142, 20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.

(d) Department means the Department of Education.

(e) Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education.

(f) Recipient means any state or its political subdivision, any instrumentality of a state or its political subdivision, any public or private agency, institution, organization, or other entity, or any person to which Federal financial assistance is extended directly or through another recipient, including any successor, assignee, or transferee of a recipient, but excluding the ultimate beneficiary of the assistance.

(j) Handicapped person — (1) Handicapped persons means any person who (i) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, (ii) has a record of such an impairment, or (iii) is regarded as having such an impairment.

(2) As used in paragraph (j)(1) of this section, the phrase:

(i) Physical or mental impairment means (A) any physiological disorder or condition, cosmetic disfigurement, or anatomical loss affecting one or more of the following body systems: neurological; musculoskeletal; special sense organs; respiratory, including speech organs; cardiovascular; reproductive, digestive, genito‑urinary; hemic and lymphatic; skin; and endocrine; or (B) any mental or psychological disorder, such as mental retardation, organic brain syndrome, emotional or mental illness, and specific learning disabilities.

(ii) Major life activities means functions such as caring for one’s self, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

(iii) Has a record of such an impairment means has a history of, or has been misclassified as having, a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

(iv) Is regarded as having an impairment means (A) has a physical or mental impairment that does not substantially limit major life activities but that is treated by a recipient as constituting such a limitation; (B) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits major life activities only as a result of the attitudes of others toward such impairment; or (C) has none of the impairments defined in paragraph (j)(2)(i) of this section but is treated by a recipient as having such an impairment.

Steve did you notice specific learning disability was included in section 504 too?

I do hope you find these links helpful,it could mean the difference with complying or not with the law. More importantly it might mean the difference for a kid who needs your protection.Or is this not your desire?

why do homeschoolers drive you crazy? Do they intimidate you? Hmm,maybe it is because the last two national spelling bee winners were homeschoolers?

I see,you spell correctly all the time? Your the perfect educator? Your knowledge of children and their learning disabilities and how to teach them, make more qualified to teach then the child’s own parent?

Why does an alternative way to help children learn, bother you so much?
Is it the lack of social contact? Your class of same age peers is a much more normal situation? All your students have the ability to socialize in a variety of situations,with a variety of different ages groups? In the adult world is this considered normal? Do you only interact with people the same age as you?

One on one instruction from a parent is not considered by the educational world a good thing. I know,one on one instruction is bad. God knows the school system has all the answers,I forgot,gee thanks for reminding all us poor misspelling parents out there.