Tips for going back to public school?

[Lecka]

Elizabeth, I am going to comment a bit more.

 

One, it seems like he would be participating at his IQ level this year.

 

Two, teachers hands are probably not so tied as you think. What if the teacher decides to offer the option of using x or y to all students, or decides to assign groups in a way that a certain child just happens to always be in the technology-heavy group.

 

A lot of times teachers ARE free to do this kind of thing. Like -- I don't think they are regulated like "you are required to make the students write by hand." If there are iPads in the room, maybe the teacher CAN just use some certain apps, or have them as part of math rotation, or what ever. And just have some kids who do better with an app always start at the iPad station and do their math practice there.

 

This is the kind of thing a teacher can do, I think.

 

A lot of accommodations are given by a teacher making a certain thing an option for everybody, and then making sure certain kids take the option, and steering other kids away from it.

 

Like -- "raise your hand to do such-and-such" and then pick the kids you want to do it, if it is an option during some kind of centers or rotation.

 

So it takes the teacher wanting to do it, but if it works and can fit into the class, teachers may do it.

 

The teacher also might be happy to do any app that seems good that a child can do independently, bc then maybe the teacher has more time to spend with kids at the "teacher table."

 

Also I think here building principals are in charge at schools, not district special Ed. So it is fine district special Ed is telling you some things, E. But here they do not overrule building principals when it comes to what teachers are allowed to do in their room. Edit: at least I don't think so. I think if a principal backs up a classroom teacher and encourages teachers to be flexible and have individualized assignments, the district special Ed is not going to come and interfere with the principal.

 

Part of this is just semantics and not *calling* things accommodations. Just doing them, saying it is what you are going to do in the classroom. It happens all the time I think.

Edited May 29, 2016 by Lecka

[displace]

I'd like to say I'm very thankful for all the responses. I'm going to try to respond more later but I can't right now :)

Edited May 29, 2016 by displace

[Lecka]

I re-read, and it is a good point about potentially needing the IEP to say certain things for private school.

 

Here, though, for *only* reading as an issue, and a child reading on grade level, they would just never qualify for pull-out. Maybe someday somebody will fight it for dyslexia and get it. I don't think it has happened yet, though. I remediated my son at home. He had some productive things at school too wrt reading, but they were pleasant surprises. I was happy when it happened, but it was nothing to count on.

 

My younger son has reading goals in his IEP and he has one-on-one tutoring, but it is a really different situation. He has many other things going on, and reading is just one tiny section.

 

But my older son is just not in the same category as far as the school is concerned. It is just like talking about two different systems even though they are in the same school.

 

What I mean is ---- here your son would probably not qualify for "small group instruction" aka resource room/pull-out. He would just probably not qualify. Maybe he would qualify someday, but maybe not.

 

But it sounds like a non-issue right now. It is not what you are looking for right now, it is not what you think he needs or are trying to get.

 

Anyway -- the kinds of accommodations that are practical and reasonable and possible in a regular classroom may not be the same as are easily available in a resource room. At least -- this is how it has been for my older son. There are things that he could have done if he had been in a resource room.

 

But for him bc his personality etc. we also all felt like he really benefited from large-group discussion and hearing what his classmates had to say. He likes that and benefits from it.

 

But the resource room hasn't been bad either, this year. He likes his teacher in there and there is a male aide he gets along well with who can help him if he has gotten frustrated with something in class. For some group work he is in a group with other kids in the resource room, and the aide just helps their whole group.

 

But these are things where he really was successful doing them in the classroom before.

 

He also needs help with learning to use technology and that is part of his IEP, that they are teaching him how to do it himself so that he won't need help as he gets older. But there is an element of, they teach him things in the resource room that they want him to do in the regular classroom moving forward.

 

So that is another way the resource room makes sense.

 

But really -- I would prefer he was not going into the resource room, as much as it has been a positive experience.

 

A lot of the time his classroom teacher could offer him the option of going to the resource room or staying with her, too, so he had a choice. That goes a long way for him. I think he would like it less if he "had" to go.

 

But that has all been new for him in 5th, and that was a lot of hassle.

 

But I can feel like I am having a hassle with the school, while feeling like the teacher is on my side and also wants my son to have things go well for him.

 

So for me -- if you needed to show up and have him go into "small group instruction" ----- I think that would take a lot of time and hassle. But turn-around for some fairly simple things with a teacher ----- it will depend on the teacher.

 

But if the teacher won't or can't do it, it is probably not going to be that great of a program anyway, is how I look at it.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Lecka

[PeterPan]

Well see that's what is going to be interesting.  Displace has done a ton of aggressive intervention.  Here, my ds got his SLD diagnoses on the basis of discrepancy.  They basically let those stick for the three years till they have to do a full re-eval.  There's no move here to go oh he bumped up 1 gr in reading and he's a 1st grader so pull the intervention.  But to walk in at grade level and ask for an IEP, I agree they're going to go slowly on that.  They might ask to watch and they'd do their own evals.  

 

At our school it's all numbers that drive things.  Show up with 2SD of discrepancy, you get it.  No discrepancy, tough crunchies.  And there are big bucks on the line with this!  That's why I say if they're going to accept your numbers and the numbers are recent (in the last year), that you might want to try to use the numbers you already have, not your new numbers.

 

And maybe it's not an issue to you.  If you don't want their intervention for the reading and they're not qualifying him, then you're both happy.

 

My ds did say his hand got sore tonight while he was writing for some standardized testing, but he was using he LEFT hand.  He's such a nut. 

[Lecka]

They acted like it was a big hardship to qualify my son by the discrepancy instead of by an absolute score. I had to send several e-mails about it. And this was with him getting an 86 with a cut-off of an 85! It was such a hassle, but just in a "I guess I will send another e-mail" kind of way. But they did not just automatically look at the discrepancy, or that is how it came across to me. So irritating.

 

I don't know how many SDs he had, maybe that is what it was. I have no idea. It did not make any sense to me. There is an obvious discrepancy!

Edited May 30, 2016 by Lecka

[EndOfOrdinary]

My mother is a literacy specialist in one of the lowest income, highest need, highest accomodated elemenatry schools in our state. Ipads are ONLY allowed for Lexia reading time. The school has them, but ALL children, unless their hands physically do not work, must write by hand. Hand pain is deemed to normally be that the child has been allowed to not write and have weak hands unless a doctor can tell them other wise. They are HUGE on writing by hand. Typing is deemed a crutch.

 

In a completely different district, I worked at the alternative high school where over 65% of our student body were either 504 or IEP. Those were just the identified ones. Not a single member of our student body was allowed iPad usage for daily assignments. My husband is still an English teacher and it is the same. They are allowed extra time, but no technology in the classroom. They have scribes for state mandated testing, no technology. Audiobooks are allowed to be taken home on CD or cassette with appropriate technology. No iPads. At the high school level, the technology was deemed to seem flashy and not encouraging the student to improve. It was seem as a crutch.

 

This is mainly due to iPad usage being so distracting it was very quickly removed. The same comment has come from teacher friends in other districts.

 

If you are expecting them to allow this for of accomodation, I think you might want to see if there is another option you are alright with. Many students use them in pull out, but not in the classroom.

[displace]

Bingo.  Or ask the school upfront how many kids in their gifted program have IEPs. From the boards here you would think 2E is very common, but I don't think in real life it is, not functionally, not in those settings.  But ask...

Ok, as long as the kids sleep a little I can respond more :)

 

I'm not sure if the schools are allowed to divulge information like that.  Since it's a new program they may not have any knowledge of anyone's IEP yet.  Its a regular school so they do have generic services, but the fall is the starting class of this program.  I can ask general questions about services, though.  Our last PS acted like it's not possible to be gifted and not able to read, but I'm hopeful these gifted instructors are trained better. :)

[displace]

I think you're making a lot lower risk, less potentially traumatic decision if you get the IEP FIRST and THEN decide.  They have plenty of time to get that IEP made first and they seem to want you.  I wouldn't begin without it.  

 

What happens if he gets in there and LIKES it and is CRUSHED because the overall system cannot be made to work for him?  What then??  That's actually your worst case scenario.  And maybe they'll do a bang-up job of it.  I'm just saying the IEP is your protection that everything that CAN be done is going to be done, and I wouldn't enroll him without that FIRST.  

 

I will look into starting the IEP process sooner.  I know it takes a long time.  I realize the states have to test by law for disabilities, but as resources vary state to state and county, I'm uncertain about the actual IEP for homeschoolers in my state.  I think speech services are available only.  And if the school will accept outside testing I don't really want to go through theirs necessarily.

 

I'm not certain what the worse case scenario would be for us.  I'm viewing it as a trial process.  Like you might test out a class before committing.  DS likes homeschooling but has forgotten almost all about PS (the benefits and negatives).  He hated PS on a daily basis in K, and first was a new experience with feeling bad that he is different, felt stupid, etc.  That, to me, would be the worse case.  And that's why I'm cautious, and I will pull out if he feels like that again.  He enjoyed being with kids but he understands he won't be able to just play with the kids all day.  He wasn't asking to go to PS, but the program popped up unexpectedly and superficially feels like a good answer to some of our problems we're having.

[displace]

I do also have personal advice; they may something really chirpy about "it's not that bad" and you might want to shake them and go "yes, yes it is that bad."

 

Well, I have had comments that came across that way to me, from people who have done things well.

 

They are just trying to say something positive to start off a meeting sometimes.

 

But it can come across to me in a weird way, if I don't already have a sense like "yes, they acknowledge the problem and aren't going to put me off."

Yes, I agree.  I think sometimes professionals may say things to give "support", but it feels like a lie or watering down the truth, and maybe they see it as something that will eventually improve, etc.  And I think school timelines are different too.  I feel changes should occur soon when there's a problem (which a teacher may do but not the administration).  When there's too much delay I feel like we're wasting time.

[displace]

When he was younger, I have communicated with teachers about what is a high priority and what is a low priority, and I have shown them or told them about reading remediation, and they have made the reading remediation a higher priority for homework than homework (or unfinished work) there may be from school.

 

 

That sounds like a great teacher!  I hope we have someone like that.  :)

[displace]

Here in younger grades they don't really expect kids below 4th to be doing homework every night. They want you to spend time reading together and listening to kids read. They want kids to study their spelling words. But it is not like "here is your homework" until 4th and then it is not a lot.

 

So that is a big reason 5th grade was a change here. There is homework. Where before, we could have a manageable amount of time to spend on the bits of unfinished work or for me to scribe part of his math, etc.

 

The volume increased and the writing (etc) is important. There is not the same sense of "the teacher can just X out the top half of the worksheet" bc it is not like that for him in 5th grade.

 

 

Homework and volume is a concern.  Our county has a policy of 10 min/grade nightly homework.  I'm not sure if that's true but the admin of the old school said it, so I'm inclined to believe it.  The teachers decide what to do with that, though.  Some just had the kids do reading.  Some had throwaway papers.  I'm hopeful I can make our homework remediation/spelling/handwriting or some other deal, with "real" homework on the weekends.  IDK. 

[displace]

You keep mentioning hand pain.  Are you getting OT for that?

 

Yes, you have the legal right, under federal law, to request evals for disabilities, and they DON'T have the legal option to fail to do them because it's summer.  

 

In our district there are SN coordinators who coordinate evals and make the IEP team happen.  Buck stops with them.  So if the school has a guidance counselor or principal you've been talking to, that might not be the person who actually runs the IEP process.  I would get confirmation that they'll accept your private evals from that SN coor first, because I would be shocked if they did.  They CAN, but I'm just saying I would be shocked if they did.  The reason is that they are accepting someone else's evals and putting their school financially on the hook for providing for those services.  That has not been the case at our school that they would do that.  Not with someone not already enrolled, not when they haven't done ANY time with the child to confirm things.  

 

Yes, we're in OT.  Most of the OT is focusing on his dyspraxia (IM, coordination), plus sensory and dysgraphia.  We're going to start another session to focus just on handwriting too, as I feel I need the support.  We do OT homework often and used to be in gymnastics but switched to karate and swimming d/t boredom.  I may consider re-implementing gymnastics though.  He technically doesn't have decreased strength anymore but does have the hand pain.

 

I will ask the school re: evals and starting IEP process.  The thing is, I believe the state decides, or the county, what needs special services.  Do just because you have dyslexia does that mean you qualify for services if you're reading on-level?  Writing he could definitely qualify for because it's so obvious.

[displace]

 

 

"small group instruction, breaks after 30 minutes of seated work, manipulatives, number grid/line, extended time up to 1.5X typical peers, modeling, directions read aloud, visual and verbal cuein, repeated practice, visual schedule, sensory breaks."

 

I asked about putting in keyboarding and they said no.  They said that would go under assistive tech, and there IS a section for that, right before accommodations, in this section 7.  Nope.   They would not put it in, not at this age.  They said that's later, not now, that at this age they will continue to compel him to write by hand.  Unless he has NO HAND and therefore qualifies for a scribe, and this age he WILL be compelled, at least in our school, to do it just like the other kids are doing.  And I said but don't your kids learn to type, can't he type?  And they're like oh yeah, our kids all type 15 minutes twice a week, fine, that's what everyone does.  But just to say oh I'll let you type your math, fat chance, not here, not till later grades.  

 

And the REASON is because if they put it in they have to provide a scribe.  And that costs them money, therefore you don't get stuff like that in the IEP.  Not at this age.  Now I'll go back and question you on this, because you're saying hand pain, and that's an OT issue.  I would get some OT going.  My ds' hand doesn't hurt.  It just takes him a LONG time to write anything.  It's really not a functional thing for him right now.  I'm going to have the OT begin working on it in the fall.  Right now we're working on finger excursion.  I'm just saying technically the SLD writing does not involve hand pain.  The hand pain is because he's low tone, laying on his wrist, whatever.  That's an OT thing. 

 

And maybe because they have ipads the teacher will be like oh yeah, fine, whatever.  But I'm just warning that they might not.  With the way our schools are run here, I would be SHOCKED if an individual teacher just crossed the official policy of the IEP team and SN dept and said oh yeah I just let that kid use snaptype for all his math.  Yeah right.  She's gonna risk getting FIRED because your kid's hand hurts??  I think not.  The official line, top down, is sorry charlie, do it anyway.  As long as he physically CAN, which your kid can, in our school, from the top down, that's what the teacher is being told, that he has to do it anyway.  But maybe your teacher fudges it, who knows!  Maybe your school doesn't say that, kwim?  But that's how you would find that out.  You would talk with the SN coor at your school (not a guidance counselor or admissions counselor) and you'd ask them flat up what assistive tech they will put into the IEP for an x-grader with dysgraphia if he qualifies, whether that's the norm, and then find out whether the teacher has the LIBERTY to do more if she feels it would be good.  

 

We have another section (12) that lists details of accommodations for all forms of district and state testing.  There his accommodations are almost identical (extra time, read directions, small group, breaks, etc).

 

Remember, if your dc qualifies for an IEP, he's going to be *pulled out* to receive specialized instruction.  That is the whole point.  So when they pull him out, that intervention specialist is going to sit his butt down and say Johnny write.  And Johnny is going to go it's hard!  And intervention specialist is going to go do it anyway.  Because it's the intervention specialist running that portion, NOT the classroom teacher.  So even if in the class they're like oh we do powerpoints and ipad stuff because we're so creative and witty.  Fine, but he's still going to have time each day with another person who pulls him out.  And will that reading specialist or intervention specialist be OG certified?  At some schools they are, at some they're NOT.  See, me, that would be the first thing I would be asking.  I think everything else can be worked out.  He CAN write his math and he just PREFERS not to.  He actually CAN, but it hurts because he needs OT.  Fine, get OT.  You can work that out.  But if they're pull him out to do reading and math intervention and the person is low IQ or using inferior stuff, that's really a pain in the butt.  In that kind of situation, I wouldn't even WANT the stupid IEP.  Because then he's getting pulled out, noticing he's different from all the other kids, and he's getting inferior instruction.

 

So what you *could* consider doing, if their people are unqualified for intervention (which happens), is letting him sink/swim and letting them sort it out.

 

I'd get him some OT, whatever you do.  My dd had that hand pain, and honestly just a month or two of OT made a BIG difference.  There's stuff you can do at home too, but a good OT eval would help you sort that out.  He might have some retained reflexes.  Have you thought about putting him in gymnastics?  It would get his core and upper body stronger.

Those accommodations seem basic and normal and generic and would likely not be enough for DS.  I'm hopeful they can do more.

 

I'm torn between wanting an IEP and a 504.  I know most experts argue for an IEP because it involves the parents more, has better protections, etc.  And in my case if we were interested in a super special school and the scholarship we would need an IEP.  But, honestly, unless they have an OG tutor and a good OT, it's probably not necessary.  They do have someone for assistive technology that the counselor mentioned, and maybe that requires an IEP.  But an OT once a week for a few minutes in school would be a drop in the bucket compared to what we're doing and need currently.  So it's not something I'm relying on, and it's not the reason I'm seeking PS now. 

 

No retained reflexes that we checked for.  See previous post re: gymnastics and OT.  Thanks for the insight.

[PeterPan]

Yes, we're in OT.  Most of the OT is focusing on his dyspraxia (IM, coordination), plus sensory and dysgraphia.  We're going to start another session to focus just on handwriting too, as I feel I need the support.  We do OT homework often and used to be in gymnastics but switched to karate and swimming d/t boredom.  I may consider re-implementing gymnastics though.  He technically doesn't have decreased strength anymore but does have the hand pain.

 

I will ask the school re: evals and starting IEP process.  The thing is, I believe the state decides, or the county, what needs special services.  Do just because you have dyslexia does that mean you qualify for services if you're reading on-level?  Writing he could definitely qualify for because it's so obvious.

I had forgotten he had the overall dyspraxia diagnosis!  Well that explains it.  Yes, I would DEFINITELY pursue the handwriting with the OT, and I would do more for strength.  That's kind of curious you're saying he was bored in gymnastics.  Was it not a good program OR was his starting point so low that he was not having fun? 

 

So yes, a lot of the dyspraxia is overall strength and motor planning, and the gymnastics is fabulous for that.  Someone told me rock wall climbing.  It has a lot of crossbody.  I found a Y that has a rock wall you can climb!  But I guess see what floats his boat.  My ds needs a lot more praxis than other kids to get the skills, but eventually he does.

 

The 504 is a lower protection level document.  It's not appropriate, given his level of disability, and it's really not like you "choose" anyway.  You'll go in, do their evals and their process with him, and they'll have a team report and decide.  They'll tell you.  But yes, it will be an IEP.  

 

Yes, you are correct that it's possible to have dyslexia and no longer qualify for services.  If his current scores do not have enough discrepancy, they will not qualify him for services in those areas.  They're not asking what his medical or genetic or actual diagnosis is.  They're only evaling to determine what areas are so affecting his ability to access his education that they have to provide services.  With the reading, if his reading comprehension is lagging, they'll still put it in for that.  It sounds like he'll go SLD writing with the school, no matter what.  And I'm guessing just one SLD in the IEP will be enough to qualify you for the scholarship you wanted.  

 

The IEP process is really interesting and informative.  You're building a whole TEAM at the school, and the TEAM is looking at him and working together and saying what would we need to do to make him successful here.  They're really asking the SAME question you are!  You might not like their answers, but I'm just saying it's the question you're wanting asked.  To show up in classes and have him fend for himself and depend on whatever the teacher decides to do is to throw that whole process into the normal school timeline.  Normal timeline is observe for a grading period (9 weeks), put on the list to consider for evals, meet the parents to discuss that, sign consent forms, another 3 months to actually do the evals and write the IEP.  So if you wait until school starts, they may well do that to you, meaning it will be April before you have an IEP.  EVERYONE is getting IEPs then.  If you request NOW, then you beat the crowd, get the evals, start with some semblance of something in place.  Remember, they can always add IEP goals, etc.  It's not like things can't be modified.  But the actual point of the IEP *is* the very same question you're asking: what would we have to have in place for him to be successful here.

[PeterPan]

Those accommodations seem basic and normal and generic and would likely not be enough for DS.  I'm hopeful they can do more.

 

 

When you hear about kids getting more, where were they?  A school for dyslexia?  And what age?  I'm really serious here that we had that discussion with the IEP team and they pretty much said only if he had NO HAND.  Like hang it up, not at this age.  Iirc they said something about 4th/5th grade being a time when they could more have that discussion.  It will be had later, but not now.  

 

But, like Lecka says, maybe the teacher will flex!  There's a LOT of typing now, absolutely.  Like the whole class at our schools will go to the library and be on laptops researching and writing papers.  In lower elementary grades!  

 

The IEP process is your legal way to work through this.  If you do it BEFORE you enroll, you know upfront what you're getting.  And maybe that doesn't matter to you?  He's reading pretty well and able to write a page of math.  Maybe they never need more than that?

[displace]

I'd really think about the realizing he's different thing.  WHEN would they be doing pullouts for special instruction?  Will he notice this?  Will the teacher drop assignments and have him realizing oh all the OTHER kids do x but *I* can't?  That can really be defeating!  Now my ds doesn't notice stuff, but I know from talking with people that some kids really notice that they get pulled out and other kids don't or that they aren't given the same tasks as all the other kids.  It really very quickly turns into I'm DUMB kind of sentiments.  They notice.  

 

 

He did have concerns knowing he's different in PS.  Since homeschooling it's not an issue, obviously, but if it is a concern again in PS (if DS cares), it would be a problem to continue.

 

 

 

I'll just say this and you can say oh you're all wet.  Why are you thinking of enrolling him now?  Did I miss it in the thread?  Are things hairy because you have a younger as well?  I'm just asking, because it SEEMED like you were on such a roll!  It SEEMED like you jumped 3-4 grade levels in a year, wow.  And if you were were getting THAT MUCH progress, then what if you kept going another year?  Would he then be able to go in AT IQ LEVEL in function, maybe be a bit more eligible for use of tech (because he'd be 4th, not 3rd, yes?) and maybe not even NEED the specialized instruction and pullouts?  I mean, wouldn't that be ideal for him, just psychologically?  Because basically he'd have been pulled out COMPLETELY by you, but then he'd go back and mainstream.  That would really be ideal.

 

I'll address this circuitously.  :)  I'm giving this a trial for a few reasons.  One is that this gifted program just happened to start here as an option, I happened to coincidently find out about it on the last day of applications, we happened to get accepted by lottery, and superficially it seems a good program and fit.  Maybe it's all coincidence, or divine intervention, but it seemed like a gift or an opportunity. 

 

How the mighty have fallen!  We were on a roll (though only 2 grades in a year)!  We were rockstars together!  But now it's 1.5 years later.  IDK if it's an extreme case of burnout (as we have been either afterschooling or homeschooling and going year round for almost 3 years now, including lots of weekends in the beginning).  Everything requires my involvement and supervision.  DS and I don't work as well together anymore. 

 

I also have had illnesses.  Not just colds, but in general my health has been super strange and I have been averaging 3-5 sick days a month.  We've added on vision therapy, which is temporary, and OT takes up hours when we go (though it is getting done better now than when I was running the show).  DD has not been stimulated to her ability.  She can already read CVC words but I'm unable to work with her often, which upsets me daily. 

 

So, in a nutshell, it's me.  I'm making changes to improve.  I'm seeing doctors but it takes time to find answers and treatments.  I'm enrolling DD in preK to give her a few hours to play, outsourcing a lot more of the therapies I used to do myself, and using more supplemental learning instead of direct teaching.  I am implementing more independence for DS and his schoolwork.  PS for DS?  At the minimum I'm hopeful it will change our perspective.  I'm also going to liberally use summer camps for DS and I to take breaks.  I'm going to outsource writing and just enforce homework, and maybe even outsource some OG work. 

 

I think if the school can do general teaching to any extent for DS, and I can do remediation or at least manage it, it would be best for DS.  Regardless, I need a time out, and I'm hopeful a few weeks off in the summer, some major revamping of our schoolwork, and extra time off from homeschooling the whole day by using the public school may be a reboot I need. 

 

And there are other things but I won't get into them here.  I'm worried I've divulged too much already.  :)  But maybe it's good for other parents to read stories like mine.

[PeterPan]

Oh I totally get it!  I had serious health problems when dd was younger, so I've btdt.  And yes, when you get a lot of SLDs it does get overwhelming!  And I think you're RIGHT to expand your team!  I've brought in an ABA tutor to help us.  It's like this dark dirty secret.  Other people on the board use tutors.  There's a point where EVERYTHING is so therapy level, EVERYTHING has to be so on that it's really just going to result in burnout.  So when you have fresh people, even if they aren't as smart or savvy or qualified, at least they're FRESH!

 

And you know, I keep being devil's advocate on all this stuff, but I'd be putting him in that school myself if I had access to that and he qualified.  :)  Like seriously, I think what you're looking at is GOOD!  I think it will be GREAT in fact.  It's just gonna be really crunchy the first year.  There are some nice things about going in with a new class like that.  If everyone is new, they will bond as a group and he'll be there and part of it.  So it was a lottery?  Wow, I would definitely do it!  But I'd want that IEP sooner, not later.  The law specifies least restrictive environment.  Because you've btdt on some of this, you're going to be able to advocate and work it out.  

 

That's interesting that they have homework restrictions, btw.  Around here I hear the schools pile it on.  Like an hour a night for little kids after the schools had them a whole day.  

 

I think you should think through both scenarios, like how it will be if you get what you want (which might happen) or how it will be if you don't get what you want (which also could happen).  Then maybe psych yourself and him up for what that looks like.  Like ok to go into this program where they do extra fun things they're going to have us do xyz.  It won't be fun, but we'll be there and have to make it work.  And I would make the mentality stick out the year.  You've got a lot of health issues going and it sounds like he's where he needs to be.  So what HAS to be in place, bare minimum, for him to make it through the year?

 

Really, I think worst case scenario is they make him write a lot and his handwriting looks horrible.  He'll probably still have a great time.  They'll probably use more tech and do creative stuff because it's the gifted class and getting funding, etc.  It really might mask it over.  I would psych up for the whole year.  Can you meet with the teacher ahead?  That would tell you a lot.  Someone else said that.

 

Well you'll have to keep us posted!  My imagination has gone wild with how good this could be.  :)

[Lecka]

Sometimes though it is like ----- the teacher has the kids spend 15 minutes doing something.

 

A lot of kids finish.

 

Your kid has written two sentences.

 

Does the teacher say "I see you have worked hard" and then just collect the paper and think "whatever," or does the teacher go "you are lazy and must stay in for recess forever."

 

If they are going (which I have had) "well he does need to spend some time writing every day" and they mean "it's not like he can have zero practice at writing by hand" ---- well, does that mean that your child does some at his own pace and level, and that is fine?

 

Or is it like some punitive thing?

 

Are they into "kids have different strengths and weaknesses" or not?

 

Then -- does your child have some legitimate strengths that he can know, the teacher can know, and other kids can know? It does not have to be anything particular. My son has gotten character awards at all-school assemblies. He has gotten recognition in math (not like he is the best, but he is good enough).

 

My son is also not the best at sports stuff, and another problem we have had was when kids got older and quit playing at recess and went to just sports.

 

The only sport he can really do at recess is shooting baskets. Not actually playing basketball, but shooting baskets when you can take your time.

 

We had an issue when he was younger that an archery unit in PE was extremely hard on him. That was before I was aware of any OT issues.

 

He has been a bit frustrated with keeping up with hand motions in music.

 

Something to keep in mind, unless you make it happen in some way, there is probably no communication between the classroom teacher and specials or whoever watches them at recess.

 

So when you are asking questions, you might ask if there is a common age when most kids start playing basketball or soccer at recess. If it is approaching then you might make working on one of those areas a priority. You might want to speak with the PE teacher and not only the classroom teacher. If he is really quite a bit less coordinated than other kids, PE may be difficult in some units, but there may be things the PE teacher can do if it is pointed out.

 

I have had adaptive PE mentioned so I know it exists, but my kids are not in it and I don't know much about it.

 

But for just how kids experience school, PE and recess are big parts of the day for my son.

 

Art has never been an issue but I think it could be with a mean or negative teacher.

 

I think to some extent, if you have him in age-level activities that are not a specialty class in some way (for special needs in some way) then this is probably not an issue.

 

But still, once I saw the writing on the wall that my son was going to shoot baskets at recess, I made sure he got a bit more practice with a basketball. And he has gotten a lot better than I ever expected, with practicing at recess! He still doesn't play in games but there are other kids to just shoot baskets with and talk to.

 

Edit: when he was in 2nd grade this seemed like more of an issue. The OT had suggestions about what would be easier for him as far as a recess activity. Field position is probably one of the hardest things for my son (so flag football would probably be the hardest, some kids play it at recess), but then other things the OT could say "with practice he could do this" about other things. Just in a practical way, looking for the most practical place to focus.

Edited May 30, 2016 by Lecka

[Storygirl]

I always thought I would homeschool, but in the fall all of my children will be enrolled in school. This year three of them went to school. We reached a point where I was extremely burnt out, was having difficulty meeting all of their needs (four kids who all have various learning difficulties), and felt overwhelmed. Although I felt that in theory I could meet their needs better than the school, in reality, I was struggling. I needed a team of people to help me.

 

So I get it! School has been a good decision here, and I hope it will be for your family, too. BUT if I had given ourselves a six week trial period only, we would have pulled out. It was very rough at the beginning for my two kids who now have IEPs. It really took time for the rough edges to smooth out and for the benefits of going to school to kick in. I had a lot of concerns (and I posted about many of them here). Now that the first year is over, I'm glad we stuck it out. Things aren't perfect, and we are finding we have to continue to advocate. We're expecting to have more things to work out next year, with new teachers and new IEPs with new goals. It's a process with ups and downs, but it has been good overall, compared with homeschooling.

 

If you were to ask me, I would say to plan to make your trial period the whole school year. There will be hard aspects, but if you work through them instead of pulling out at signs of difficulty, there is the possibility of a good final result.

 

(I say this as a mom who had to deal with a daughter who had screaming tantrums for hours after school the first few weeks, saying that she didn't want to go back, but by partway through the year was very happy at school there. She is switching to the dyslexia school in the fall and is sad to be leaving the old school now.)