My daughter has not been labeled learning disabled. She is more than likely ADHD (soon will be trying meds for this) and has emotional disabilities. She is in special ed. for ED.
This year she does receive a lot of help from the LD teacher, but I doubt much, if any, remediation. She has spelling and writing goals in her IEP.
She seems to have completely given up this year. Her writing is worse than ever and she flunks almost every test.
Well, she received all C’s on her report card. I mentioned the possiblity of holding her back in 6th grade next year and I don’t think the school wants to do this. So they just give her passing grades she doesn’t deserve.
As I’ve said many, many times in the past years, I don’t know if my daughter is just lazy, has actual LDs or what. I’ve been told to remediate her myself (not by the school but by others), but working with her in the past has been a nightmare. We are seeing a counselor and she said that I should be a mom to my daughter, not a teacher.
Anyway, this year has been a challenge so far.
Margo
Re: C's
Susan, is the inconsistency also prevalent in children with LD’s only, with no emotional/psychological issues?
Some, not all
Just like ED, LD can be mild to severe—some subjects can be more negatively affected than others, too. You knew that just from living in your own house. :-)
Re: Amen- LOL n/t
Another issue that no one addressed is the fact that many school districts prohibit retaining special ed. students, or those students on an IEP, such as our school districts in California. Teachers are “discouraged” from handing out failing grades to special ed. students and are “encouraged” to grade failing students on effort rather than academics. The rationale behind this is as Susan explained.
So what the teachers in Philly should do
… the teachers taht the Edison schools are making fail their kids because of their reading levels (see Dad’s post) — get ‘em all on IEPs.
Re: Why would school give my daughter C's?
Hi my name is Kris . I am a mom of a daughter with a muscle disability, a regular education teacher and currently receiving my special education degree. First of all you are her mother first and foremost. Home is a place to come home and relax. I know this now because I was very anal for several years doing school and therapy at home. One day I remember telling the therapist we would continue and finish at home and my daughter started bawling. What a wake up call that was. She just wanted to go home and snuggle up next to me, relax and take a nap.
You can request the school to test her to see how well she is functioning in her class and on her IEP goals. Have you tried having her type her homework or do oral lessons. Handwriting is not worth the fight always. All she really needs to know is how to sign her name the rest she can accomplish with technology. Talk to the teachers about alternative grading. This way she is being graded on what she is accomplishing versus against the rest of the class. Hope some of this helps.
Re: Why would school give my daughter C's?
Kris has some excellent ideas. Research has shown that retaining students doesn’t usually help, particularly in later grades. The social stigma would be devastating to an adolescent/pre adolescent.
You should look into accomodations that would make life easier for your daughter. Try getting a portable word processor like an AlphaSmart or Quick Pad. Ask the teacher to modify (shorten assignments) to require quality, not quantity. Frequently, students who have assignments shortened, start doing the whole assignment on their own in a few months, when they aren’t frustrated or daunted by the requirements. She could definitely type her work or dictate it to you, but you have to take it down word for word, even with mistakes. Maybe she could get a study-buddy whom she can call or do homework with and work with in class. If the teacher can have someone take notes for her on carbon paper (if they still sell it) or photocopy notes for her, so she can just listen. ADHD kids can’t split their attention to write and listen at the same time.
Finally, try a tutor and GET THE MEDICINE! I have a young adult with neurological difficulties, ADHD, and a genetic hormonal imbalance; I teach LD kids, and my husband is an MD. Research and personal experience shows the best results are with medicine and good teaching, but medicine is the deciding factor.
Re: Why would school give my daughter C's?
Kris has some excellent ideas. Research has shown that retaining students doesn’t usually help, particularly in later grades. The social stigma would be devastating to an adolescent/pre adolescent.
You should look into accomodations that would make life easier for your daughter. Try getting a portable word processor like an AlphaSmart or Quick Pad. Ask the teacher to modify (shorten assignments) to require quality, not quantity. Frequently, students who have assignments shortened, start doing the whole assignment on their own in a few months, when they aren’t frustrated or daunted by the requirements. She could definitely type her work or dictate it to you, but you have to take it down word for word, even with mistakes. Maybe she could get a study-buddy whom she can call or do homework with and work with in class. If the teacher can have someone take notes for her on carbon paper (if they still sell it) or photocopy notes for her, so she can just listen. ADHD kids can’t split their attention to write and listen at the same time.
Finally, try a tutor and GET THE MEDICINE! I have a young adult with neurological difficulties, ADHD, and a genetic hormonal imbalance; I teach LD kids, and my husband is an MD. Research and personal experience shows the best results are with medicine and good teaching, but medicine is the deciding factor.
First, I am a teacher who works with both ED and LD students—some having only one designation and some with both. I am also certified for, and have worked in, a regular classroom.
The theory behind ED is that the underlying emotional problems (neurologically related) prohibit much of the learning learning growth on a normal curve. The student may think or reason in a sporadic manner, making it difficult to know where the ability and disability begin and leave off.
I cannot say why your teacher could give C’s, but I have given C’s to many ED kids because it was clear that their emotions were prohibiting them from doing the work. Some days they had trouble thinking a clear though, let alone writing one.
Also, sometimes special ed grades are averaged with grades in regular classroom. Why don’t you ask about it?
There are several philosophical perspectives on this issue of grading. Why not have an email or face-to-face with your child’s teachers on this subject?