My 21 yo son has short term memory loss due to a brain tumor and is attending UW Whitewater. He just got his final grades from last semester and he received two A's a B and a D. The D was in math, his weak spot due to his memory issues. He did have a tutor and is in a special program called project assist through the UW but this D says to me he didn't get the help he needed to show his true potential. He had neuropsych testing before school started and I sent a copy of the findings to project assist so that they would have a clear understanding of his needs. I don't know what to do, who to tell him to talk to about this grade or if there is anything that can be done. He has a very high IQ and with the proper help he is very successful as you can tell from his other grades.
Due to this D in math he will not be able to get into the math class he needs to take this semester! I just don't know what to do. Anyone have any suggestions?
T.
Thank you all so much for your advice. I have talked with my son and we will start with contacting his professor and explaining the situation to see if he can help with Dustin’s entry to this semesters needed Math class. If not I will start climbing the ladder to find someone who can!
Thank you all again,
T. & Dustin
You may think about contacting PACER Center to see what suggestions they might offer. They are a non profit that provides advocacy and training on many disabilities, located in Mpls.
Good Luck!
I don't know anything about college, but I have a stepdaughter that has issues with a very late diagnois of epilipsy (thanks to her worthless mother). We also had neurophysch testing done and sent the report to school. I don't know who did your testing, but our doctor actually came to school and talked to her teacher. It relly helped when she was in 8th grade, but when she got into high school I had to stay on them like stink on poop! Good Luck.
I attended Augsburg College last winter. I was in a special program probaly like your son is in. It was called Trio. I was at high risk of not graduating because of being low income, single mom, and not having had either parent graduate college. I was promised extra help and this and that and they just talked up this program so much and went on and on about how great it was. Let me tell you they didn't help me with anything. I was extremely frustrated with the adminstrative office over paperwork and went to trio for help they snottily told me maybe this school wasn't right for me. I was scared and nervous a little encouragement or support would have done me just fine something this program claimed they do. So I consider myself a bright person, did well in highschool, have worked for several large companies doing a variety of office work and always loved English. Well college was a shock for me. I could hardly understand what my teacher was talking about she used words I'd never heard of nor could I pronounce. plain English would have suited me just fine and I would have actually known what she was talking about. I felt emabarassed and stupid, I confided in a few classmates who admidted they were having the same problem. So I then knew it wasn't me. Alot of it is in the teacher. I failed a art class once at Brown College and had turned in every assignment and took every test. That teacher and I just didn't connect. So what I'm trying to say is don't count on a program to help your son or a expect every teacher to be good at what they are actually teaching. I would try and go with your son and talk to the director of the program yourself or bring your concerns up with the Dean. I would keep climbing the ladder til you get someoene who's willing to do something. My experiance in both colleges I went to was I was nothing more than a number and all they were interested in was my money. I'm sure they're are great schools out there but none I've tried.
Has he ever seen a speech therapist for his memory deficit? Maybe the college has a program and he could get some help there? Just a thought.
Or maybe if he talks to his professor that that would help? There was at UWEC a homework help place to go to too.
T.,
I would have your son talk directly to his professor, explain the situation and see if there is something the professor can do to help him. Maybe you should speak with him/her as well and let them see the paper work and let him/her know exactly what your sons needs are and that he didn't receive the proper tutoring he needed. I guess I would start there just because the professor is the only one who can do something about the grade. If you don't get anywhere then go to the next higher up and so on. I mean really if the school is aware and knows the specifics they should be doing everything they can to meet your sons needs. It may be a long drawn out thing so I would get started right away so he can get registered for next semester.
Good Luck!
B.
Hi there-
I agree with other entries about having him talk to his professor. Was the professor aware of his memory loss? Just make sure that the memory loss is not used as an excuse also. I do not know your son, but I worked as a TA when I was in graduate school and saw that students would use things when they received low grades. Also keep in mind that often times students will receive a low grade in a course (myself included, I took Chemistry 2 times in college) and use it as a learning tool.
Good luck with this! I know that the program your son is in for the help is a wonderful program overall! As a guidance counselor I use to talk with my students that had some form of disability about going to Whitewater because they would receive more support then most of the other schools would offer.
I wish you and your soon the best!!
