Question for any parents of kids with learning disabilities or any teachers....My son is in 5th grade. He's in the gifted program at school, but has always struggled with writing. In 2nd grade, his teacher agreed that it was more than just a kid who didn't like to write--there was something "wrong." We talked with the school, but they wouldn't test him for anything because he wasn't functioning below grade level. Fast forward to 5th grade--same issues, and school won't do anything, still--he's functioning at an "average" level in writing and way above (2-3 grade levels above) in all other subjects. I finally decide to privately test him (to the tune of $500 that insurance won't cover) and he was dx with a learning disability in writing (39 point difference). I take the info to school and they won't do anything, because he's still not functioning below grade level. I asked about a 504 plan and they tell me that's for a "medical diagnosis." Huh?? All I want is for him to be allowed to use a netbook computer when he has writing assignments. Now, both the school OT and counselor believe this is OK, but said it probably won't, because nothing official is in writing. Help!! I'm not sure what to do....I'm just trying to help my child.
UPDATE: More info...I forgot to mention that the teacher is not being helpful at all. She does not respond to any e-mails I send asking about his progress in class, nor do I ever get any graded papers. I've talked to the principal, she got me a short meeting with the teacher, but it got nowhere. The teacher does not believe there's a problem. My issue is that he compensates amazingly! Writing 2 paragraphs for him is the equivalent of running 2 miles for other kids. It's exhausting and very difficult (plus no one can read his handwriting when it's done).
They need to do something! You might be looking for an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and not a 504. Also, Sylvan is GREAT (another Mom mentioned it)! I worked for one in OK for many years. Great program and you get results!
If you live in Missouri, you should contact the Educational Advocacy organization for the state, which is called MPACT--phone # 800-743-7634. If you live in KS, you should call Families Together at 1-888-815-6364 (KS parents). Either organization should be able to assist you in dealing with your school district. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call at the Missouri Family-to-Family Disability and Health Resource Center @ 800-444-0821. Probably your son has been diagnosed with Dysgraphia, and I do have a packet of information on this learning disability that I would be happy to share with you, free of charge. And, it is possible to be a gifted student and have accompanying learning issues!
Sincerely,
J. A. Hatfield-Callen
Information Specialist
have your doctor write out a medical accommodation form for him stating that due to his disability in order for him to get as much out of the classroom experience as the other kids it is recommended that he be allowed to use a netbook for writing assignments. That would be within the 504 guidelines as long as the doc has considered him "disabled".
can I approach this from the other angle?
Your child is gifted. Your child excels in most subjects. Your child scores "average" in writing skills.
Is it so wrong not to excel in all areas? As humans, don't we each have our strong & weak points? Is your son unhappy, or is he thriving & content in his world?
I honestly don't see much wrong with "average" scores.....as long as the child is happy & content! If you would back off & let him be.....in the end, would it really matter if the language arts grade were a "C" & "A"s in all other subjects? What's more important: a happy child who feels a level of comfort.....or a child who's put thru a battery of testing & is a point of contention between his parent & his educators/administration?
Contrary to how this sounds, I do believe in excellence in all we do.....BUT at our own levels, not what Mom or society expects. Diversity is what makes us human! & you may ask "where" this is all coming from: my older son has lived with a physical disability since age 6 & has lived in his own way.....& my younger son has lived with ADD - left untreated. He is happy, content, & fully-engaged in school life. His term grades are typically A/B, but the daily scores range from A-F. We learned early on to accept him as "he is"....a very happy child....rather than placing our focus on those grades.
Where is your child emotionally? If you continue to pursue this, how will it affect his self-esteem....& conversely, if you do not fight for what you believe he needs, will it affect him? Sometimes, we just need to take a few steps back & really look at the "big" picture before proceeding! Faith & Peace to you.......
sylavans learning center.expensive but worth it. my son had learning issues but diffrent from yours. so I really cant help you. they probably wont iep him either but its worth asking.
I was a counselor before staying home with my kids, so let me start by saying that my info is from 4 years ago, when I was last in a school. 504's are indeed for "medical diagnoses," and learning disability does not fall under this category, with or without a doctor's written note; it is an educational diagnosis. And it's true that special education services (and funds) are reserved for students who are not showing success in the classroom, so if your child has average success, then he won't qualify for special education either. Continue working with your school's counselor and his teacher. You can have a classroom plan that outlines accommodations (such as using a laptop for writing assignments) without having any official diagnosis. Teachers accommodate for kids all the time without IEP's or 504's--it's part of being a good teacher and knowing what will help a child to be successful. Perhaps request a meeting with the teacher, counselor, principal, and/or a Sped teacher--maybe the OT since they're on board. These are often referred to as CARE team meetings and are a collaboration to discuss a child's struggles and see what interventions can be implemented to help the student. It will give you a chance to voice your concerns and will clarify what it is you want for your child. The school is much more likely to address the issue outside of an IEP or 504 since there are very specific state- and federal-issued guidelines for these services. Best of luck to you and your son!
Good morning, J..
I agree with Tricia that a 'Care Team' approach would probably be your best bet for getting help through the school system.
Here is a website that helps in understanding about being twice gifted---having a high IQ while also having a learning difference--- http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/index.htm. If you can find a copy of the book Upside Down Brilliance by Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph.D. I think you'd really love reading it.
There is a group that you might benefit from joining on Yahoo for kids with dysgraphia. Is that by any chance what your son was diagnosed with?
MO is horrible for not recognizing learning differences & the schools are good at the if MO doesn't require us to do it, we're not going to. As the previous posters have mentioned your son is entitiled to a 504Plan. This is a plan for children that have "medically diagnosed" learning differences, but do not meet the state criteria for special education. The problem with a 504 is that it is mostly, if not all, classroom accomodations that the teacher has to make. My son has a 504Plan because he is Dyslexic (which the schools do not test for - that was $1000 out of my pocket, although it's a medical diagnosis, it's funny the insurance doesn't cover it, right?), which also affects his writing & math skills (dysgraphia & dyscalculia). Our school is not very familiar with these (504Plans), unfortunately, so I think his should probably be more specific. Hopefully your school is better. My son's teacher last year worked great with the accomodations, the teacher this year has turned my son into a behavior problem. One of his accomodations for writing is that I am supposed to be allowed to write his homework because homework went from being 2-3 hours to 30 min when I made this accomodation. Unfortunately, this teacher takes everything I write to the principal & asks how she should grade it....REALLY!!! I don't know why your son can't receive OT for his writing skills. It took me until Dec. this year (2010) to get it for my son, but they finally agreed his writing is not up to par. & something they might not know is a child with a 504 can get OT in MO! Our school did not know that, but the OT was at our last meeting and someone brought up the fact that we needed to go over his 504 & she piped up & said well, if he has a 504 I CAN see him an hour a week! Don't give up! Unfortunately, we as parents do not know all of our rights & the school that is supposed to help us & inform us like to hide them because they don't want more work! Sorry for the babbling....keep us posted!
