Tammy,
How lucky you are to have colleagues who will help you with your son. When
my ADHD daughter was in fifth grade her teacher, upon looking at her psych
report and IQ ask me if I thought she was really that intelligent! I almost
went ballistic on her. My daughter's IQ was 130. But it was hard to detect
behind the ADHD, even with meds. I too have had to fight for her education
but have not been as successful as I wanted. She is now taking classes at
the community college so she can transfer to a 4 year school. This is not
because she couldn't handle the academics but because of her impulsivity. It
was very hard to manage in a college dorm setting with so many distractions.
I continue to encourage her and affirm her ability and strengths. However, I
fear the trauma of her public school life will take longer to overcome. She
is very creative and social but doesn't manage things and time well. She is
still learning and growing. Best of luck to you and your son with your
assessments.
Deidra Chandler
MA Early Childhood Ed.
MA Reading
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tammy Bush" <tb...@kcdsb.on.ca>
To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group"
<mosaic@literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 6:30 PM
Subject: [MOSAIC] children with hard to identify learning disabilities
My oldest son is just finishing 5th grade and all through his school career,
teachers have questioned his ability to focus, his writing and
organizational
skills, and that he'd get flustered when it came time to do the work after
the lesson and then he would shut down. In 4th grade, his teacher
recommended
him for testing. So, we began the process but he tested out too high and so,
with some minor accommodations such as finding a quiet place to work, we
were
without answers.
This year we've had the same comments from his 5th grade teachers. At one
meeting, the teacher said, "orally, he's brilliant but it is like there is a
disconnect between what he thinks and what comes out his hand - it's like 2
different people!" The other teacher recommended taking him to be assessed
outside of the school system. I called in March and we have our initial
visit
with a psychologist June 23. As a teacher of 16 years, I often see kids who
fall through the cracks because only the most GLARING of disabilities seem
to
be identified in the school system. Other kids can sit on the waiting list
or
be dismissed as my son was because their need is not as great as other
children's.
I think that some of the accommodations listed by some of you who posted,
are
similar to my son. The multi step instructions, oral or written, tweaks me
as
well as many others. I am hoping that by the time my son reaches high
school,
in one year, that his teachers will be aware of his accommodations and that
it will help him to feel successful rather than "stupid" as he sometimes
does
now. I keep trying to tell him that there are many different ways to get to
the same place and just because you may need to do things differently,
doesn't make you any less than anyone else. I am just lucky to teach in my
son's school and to have colleagues who are willing to help me with this
frustrating but hopefully rewarding journey. They try to help my son to see
his strengths, rather than harping on his weaknesses and for that I am truly
grateful. Any suggestions you have for me as I begin this journey are
appreciated.
Tammy Bush
Tammy Bush
KCDSB
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