After my post last Friday, I heard back from the SST Representative. She passed me off to the Guidance Counselor (GC) rather than address my inquiry. Yay.
GC called me Monday and talked to me (to me, not with me) about the process for a 504 vs IEP and what to accomplish next. Ok. She wants a 504 medical form completed by ped (already sent to ped) and then have an eligibility meeting. She says that and IEP will put him in Spec Ed category and will include pull-out time from the classroom (in larger blocks than EIP). I discussed Ben's resistance to EIP last year because it means to him that he's one of the "dumb kids". I should get the EIP form today in the class folder and I am "encouraged" to sign it since this is their first line of general classroom intervention.
Ben's ELA teacher called me later on Monday. She reassured me that about 8 of the kids in Ben's class will be involved in EIP for reading instruction so there will not be a singling out of one student that needs help. It will be almost 1/2 the class. Side note: I am doubtful that 8 kids in her class have dyslexia so I wonder how all these kids got out of 2nd grade "on grade level" in reading. Oh, and Ben is currently independently reading at DRA level 18 (end of 1st grade reading). Crap, crap and crap.
So - the alphabet of terms you probably never wanted to know. I am having to learn on the fly and educate Kurt as well.
EIP - Early Intervention Program - if a child averages 70 or below on assignments or assesses below grade average he is referred to an EIP which can include pull out time alone or in groups and some extra one on one with the teacher within the classroom. Ben loves the in-classroom help. We'll see what he thinks about the pull out time.
504 - 12 month plan based on medical issues that provide accommodations for a student. Not sure whether ped will go with ADHD only or include Dyslexia or state the ever-nebulous OHI. GA DOE considers Dyslexia to fall under SLD category. This provides general classroom assistance.
SLD - Specific Learning Disability - covers a host of conditions including mild brain trauma, aphasia, dyslexia, on and on and on.
OHI - Other Health Impairment - this is the flag we may fall under if SLD does not work.
IEP - a legally binding plan, reviewed annually, with specific goals, benchmarks and accommodations listed to provide a level playing field for each child within a school. One point I was told yesterday - an IEP is enforceable during PSAT, SAT and ACT. A 504 plan is not. So extra time on reading/writing assignments as an accommodation will not happen for these tests unless it falls under an IEP provision.
I am researching today a bunch of websites for common accommodations for SLD/dyslexia/and ADHD. I am compiling a list. Heard from another Mom yesterday that her some of her list of accommodations were denied by our school as "impractical". I best be prepared to ask for the moon and hope for a few stars.
Going to do some more laundry and then research Child Advocates in my area.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
It's been one year exactly
Wow. I cannot believe that it's really been one year exactly since my last post. But, on the timeline of stuff happening, not much has really changed for us. That's depressing.
Ben did well in 2nd grade and is now in his second week of 3rd grade. However, after meeting twice with the 2nd grade teachers and the Guidance Counselor last year, it was determined that Ben tests "at grade level" and there's "no need" for an IEP. Stupid me, I bought it. I thought that was a good thing. Now I think I was wrong.
3rd grade Curriculum Night was last night - where parents sit in kid-sized chairs for 90 minutes and listen to the teachers scare the crap out of you over the expectations they have for your child. I came home with a bad headache and a worse heartache. We no longer have the CRCT test here in GA. This year we have an "End of Grade" test which is not a standardized - fill in the bubble with a #2 pencil - test. It's a "free response, critical thinking" test with lots of writing - including an essay. You remember an essay from high school, right? Five paragraphs - opening, three reasons and closing. Yeah - this is what Ben has to be able to do well to get out of 3rd grade. WHAT????
He will also be required to write out explanations of his reasoning in Math, Science and Social Studies questions. Do you hear me banging my head against the wall? My first question to myself was "can I opt out of Ben taking this test?". He has dyslexia/dysgraphia - writing is an arduous task for him. He can verbally express himself and his memory is excellent. But putting it down on paper takes forever and he gets really anxious about it (even on ADHD med).
So, last night I emailed the Curriculum Specialist at the school (on my friend's advice) and requested the "Other Health Impairment" form for Ben's ped to complete. This form will require that accommodations be put into place for him. Of course, I am spending time today trying to figure out what to even ask for as accommodations. One will be that he can type his writing homework rather than trying to write paragraphs longhand after his ADHD meds have worn off. Parenthetically, I have considered an afternoon booster but it can screw up sleep patterns so the answer to that is a huge NO for us.
Today, I am emailing Ben's ELA teacher and the Guidance Counselor at Ben's school. Just because he made A's and B's last year does not mean that he does not need assistance. I have to remember that.
The adoption. Well we are still waiting. In fact, today I overnight our I-800 Extension application to the USCIS office. Our approval expires next week and we had to update our homestudy so we could reapply. We changed our application to read "one child or two in a bio-sibling group". We'll see. My typically optimistic husband is very pessimistic about this adoption happening. We are giving it 12 months and then calling it quits if it hasn't happened. This is Kurt's decision based on his age and I have to respect that. Hard to believe that it's been two and a half years of working on this already.
Gotta go read about accommodations now :)
Ben did well in 2nd grade and is now in his second week of 3rd grade. However, after meeting twice with the 2nd grade teachers and the Guidance Counselor last year, it was determined that Ben tests "at grade level" and there's "no need" for an IEP. Stupid me, I bought it. I thought that was a good thing. Now I think I was wrong.
3rd grade Curriculum Night was last night - where parents sit in kid-sized chairs for 90 minutes and listen to the teachers scare the crap out of you over the expectations they have for your child. I came home with a bad headache and a worse heartache. We no longer have the CRCT test here in GA. This year we have an "End of Grade" test which is not a standardized - fill in the bubble with a #2 pencil - test. It's a "free response, critical thinking" test with lots of writing - including an essay. You remember an essay from high school, right? Five paragraphs - opening, three reasons and closing. Yeah - this is what Ben has to be able to do well to get out of 3rd grade. WHAT????
He will also be required to write out explanations of his reasoning in Math, Science and Social Studies questions. Do you hear me banging my head against the wall? My first question to myself was "can I opt out of Ben taking this test?". He has dyslexia/dysgraphia - writing is an arduous task for him. He can verbally express himself and his memory is excellent. But putting it down on paper takes forever and he gets really anxious about it (even on ADHD med).
So, last night I emailed the Curriculum Specialist at the school (on my friend's advice) and requested the "Other Health Impairment" form for Ben's ped to complete. This form will require that accommodations be put into place for him. Of course, I am spending time today trying to figure out what to even ask for as accommodations. One will be that he can type his writing homework rather than trying to write paragraphs longhand after his ADHD meds have worn off. Parenthetically, I have considered an afternoon booster but it can screw up sleep patterns so the answer to that is a huge NO for us.
Today, I am emailing Ben's ELA teacher and the Guidance Counselor at Ben's school. Just because he made A's and B's last year does not mean that he does not need assistance. I have to remember that.
The adoption. Well we are still waiting. In fact, today I overnight our I-800 Extension application to the USCIS office. Our approval expires next week and we had to update our homestudy so we could reapply. We changed our application to read "one child or two in a bio-sibling group". We'll see. My typically optimistic husband is very pessimistic about this adoption happening. We are giving it 12 months and then calling it quits if it hasn't happened. This is Kurt's decision based on his age and I have to respect that. Hard to believe that it's been two and a half years of working on this already.
Gotta go read about accommodations now :)
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