When the brick and mortar school curriculum is not working

[Storygirl]

I'm just curious. What do schools do when a student simply can't keep up with their classmates or needs materials that are at a lower level? In high school, there are the college prep tracks and the vocational/life skills tracks, so those students really wouldn't even be in the same class. But what about elementary school?

 

For example DS11 is in fifth grade, but his teacher has determined that his comprehension level (based on Accelerated Reader, which is part of their grade) is only second to mid-third grade. It is blatantly obvious that he will be getting an IEP for a reading SLD. He is having similar issues in math, and I think he will likely receive a SLD in math and also an SLD in writing when the IEP is written later in the year.

 

In a public school, would a student who can't manage to succeed with the regular curriculum be pulled out for those classes? Would they get an aide? How would an aide help them if the material is just beyond their capabilities? Would they be shuffled into a special ed classroom? Common Core is emphasizing inference and critical thinking questions, and although I think those are important things, he just can't do it, due to his disabilities (NVLD). Having him do the second grade inference questions would be more appropriate, but that is not what his class is doing. He can't be put in the class with the seven year olds (not that anyone would suggest that).

 

In our case, this is a private school with only one class level per grade. So there is no lower reading group and higher reading group for each grade, the way there was in my public school. The whole class works on the same curriculum.

 

I'm just trying to predict what the school may come up with as a solution, and what we might ask for in the IEP. I think having him mainstreamed has benefits, but I don't see it addressing his academic needs appropriately. I would hate for him to be in a special ed classroom, because I think it would also not meet his needs. He has a lower IQ but is not intellectually disabled. There is no special ed class at this school, but there is the possibility that they could decide that they can't adequately educate him next year and refuse to re-enroll him. What is the in-between option, between mainstreaming and special ed?

 

Because this is a homeschooling board, I know you are all probably thinking "homeschool him." And I have until this year. I'm not sure we will go back to it, though, for many reasons, so I'm trying to figure this school thing out.

[OneStepAtATime]

I think this really depends on the school. Most schools really are not set up to adequately address the needs of kids that don't fit in the box, so to speak. Which is really unfortunate since a ton of tax dollars, resources and man power go into the public AND private educational systems.

 

Honestly, your best option may be to work on pushing the IEP and hope they know what they are doing with regard to differntiated instruction, etc. You might actually have a school that can handle the situation effectively. Just stay in close contact, work closely with them and maybe they will have a useful and productive plan.

 

Hugs and good luck.

[Arcadia]

My local K-8 school has at least 120 kids per grade and 4 classes per level. Kids who need help would get pulled out during class time for group time with a specialist.  Individual time with a reading specialist was after school hours for those with IEP.

The private school kids get services through the public school though and the parents need to transport their kids to the public school for services.

[Dmmetler]

In my experience, badly. Usually in the name of inclusion the kid sits there, struggles, and tries to keep up, with minimal accommodations and the primary modification made is on the grade, so the child is moved along with passing grades, but without knowledge. Your son would probably qualify to have the standardized tests read to him and done orally-but may or may not actually qualify for specialized reading instruction, as opposed to handing him an audio book, a simplified textbook, or a digital version where he could use a screen reader, and that can easily become extremely unwieldy to keep up with fast.  This is in the public schools. Some private schools provide support services, some do not.

 

There are a couple of private schools here that just specialize in LD, especially reading disabilities. They're very expensive.

 

 

 

 

[Heathermomster]

DS sat in a private classroom and dyslexia was the only issue that was dealt with.  Three Wilson tutors and one retired 4th grade teacher were employed by the school, and I was the only parent that pushed hard for extra accommodations; however, my student is 2e with 3 SLDs. There were only two educational tracks at the school, and the tracks were regular and advanced.  There was no voc track, so it was sink or swim for the students.  The school never volunteered any helps, so the parent and student had to ask.   

 

For 5th grade, DS pre-listened to audio recordings at home that would be read and discussed in class the next day.  I worked very closely with his teacher to make that happen.  That was 5 years ago,  Why can't your DS wear headphones in class and listen to his books and then answer the questions?  DS was ever expected to compete AR at the level of his classmates.  An iPod loaded with the VoiceDream or the LearnngAlly App would suit that purpose. 

 

 

[Heathermomster]

I just had  thought.  Is this school spending your scholarship money?  If so, they are without excuse and should be using that money to purchase the materials and equipment that your DS needs to succeed.  That means purchasing a LearningAlly membership, audio device with headphones, and a word processor so that your boy can type his work.  If they advertise dealing with SLD kiddos, they need to act like it and deal with them accordingly.  Just sayin'.

[City Mouse]

Remember that private schools are a whole different beast from public school. Some are better at providing services, but some are much worse because they want everyone working at the same pace.

In PS, a student like you describe would not have an individual aid. At best, an aid might be assigned to the students for a few minutes per class if the student needed help such as copying spelling words off the board, but today that is less likely because it ie easier for teachers to make and hand out hard copies of stuff written on the board. Individual aids are few and far between in public schools. I have only ever seen them used for kids with severe behavior issues or kids with severe visual impairment.

Most likely, a student like you describe would have some pull out instruction with accommodations for the whole class part. Students must be instructed with their grade level peers using grade level standards, so a 5th grader could not be given 2nd grade level instruction or materials even if they are reading at a second grade level. The only real exception to this is if a student has a low iq and is put in self-contained special education classes.

[displace]

We were in public school. At our school they did not test. Even with our testing and diagnoses it was obvious the schools can't do it all. They advance materials when 80% of the students pass the material. The teacher may try to individually help students but in a class of 20 or more with a full day, there are relatively few min to help a struggler or give them a new curriculum.

 

In our school there was pull out time, but you could either go to gifted class or remediation class. What is 30 min per day when a child needs hours daily of intervention? How helpful is 30 min when the teachers are not specialists for your child's disabilities or strengths? Can 30 min help if the class teacher still teaches the regular way the rest of the day with a curriculum that isn't appropriate for your child?

 

IEPs can give help in the classroom but you may need a modified outcome or timeline. My DS can read now after a strong OG phonetic based program, but it's still shaky and a lot different than what the public school did. You need to know what your child needs to succeed and decide what the school can and cannot do. For my DS to succeed he would have needed everything read out loud to him for a year or two, plus written for him for every assignment or everything done Orally for at least 2 years, but maybe more. When he can read for himself and write or type for himself he may be ok in a public school setting (or not). I knew the teacher could not be expected to do this so we homeschooled. We were already doing hours of homework after school daily and with 30 min of remediation and no gifted services we would still have to continue that.

[Library Momma]

Here there are leveled groups starting in K.  Any groups with students reading below grade level  (or even just above)would work not only with a teacher but also with a tutor.  Regular Ed students may also be pulled out to work with a tutor individually but additional services would require on an IEP.  Any modifications in work would also hinge on what is outlined in their IEP.  Private Schools often do not have the services available that public schools do unless they are schools geared towards students with special needs.

 

 

[Lecka]

It will depend a lot.  It varies so much.  

[Library Momma]

Remember that private schools are a whole different beast from public school. Some are better at providing services, but some are much worse because they want everyone working at the same pace.

In PS, a student like you describe would not have an individual aid. At best, an aid might be assigned to the students for a few minutes per class if the student needed help such as copying spelling words off the board, but today that is less likely because it ie easier for teachers to make and hand out hard copies of stuff written on the board. Individual aids are few and far between in public schools. I have only ever seen them used for kids with severe behavior issues or kids with severe visual impairment.

Most likely, a student like you describe would have some pull out instruction with accommodations for the whole class part. Students must be instructed with their grade level peers using grade level standards, so a 5th grader could not be given 2nd grade level instruction or materials even if they are reading at a second grade level. The only real exception to this is if a student has a low iq and is put in self-contained special education classes.

 

 

That is not true here.  There are many one on one aides and some are two on one or three on one.  Almost every classroom has an aide working with at least one of the students. There are no special ed classrooms in elementary.  That is why there are so many aides.  As long as the student has a diagnosis and an IEP they can get the assistance they require and sometimes that does mean someone reads all of their assignments for them or takes notes.  The students also work individually or in groups with the aides within the classroom as well as getting pulled out for services.

 

It is the students that are working a a lower level that do not have a diagnosis or an IEP who have less options available to them.  Those students usually work in the lower level reading and/or math groups which would involve some extra tutoring, but that is about it.  They can work through their recess with a teacher or tutor if they are so motivated but that doesn't happen often.  Many of these students are also the ones that repeat grades (usually it is K or 1st)

[City Mouse]

That is not true here. There are many one on one aides and some are two on one or three on one. Almost every classroom has an aide working with at least one of the students. There are no special ed classrooms in elementary. That is why there are so many aides. As long as the student has a diagnosis and an IEP they can get the assistance they require and sometimes that does mean someone reads all of their assignments for them or takes notes. The students also work individually or in groups with the aides within the classroom as well as getting pulled out for services.

 

It is the students that are working a a lower level that do not have a diagnosis or an IEP who have less options available to them. Those students usually work in the lower level reading and/or math groups which would involve some extra tutoring, but that is about it. They can work through their recess with a teacher or tutor if they are so motivated but that doesn't happen often. Many of these students are also the ones that repeat grades (usually it is K or 1st)

That sounds like a really nice arrangement. It sure would be nice if schools everywhere would do that.

[kbutton]

I don't have a lot of experience with the public schools, but my understanding is that it's kind of a progression of trying things...accommodate in the classroom, pullout for tutoring, etc. My son's IEP indicates he would receive pullout tutoring for composition in a pullout room, but he'd be there with other kids, so maybe not getting 1:1. I know some kids with borderline cognitive abilities who are in regular classroom and struggle, and then they go to a pullout classroom, then when they do well, they go back to the regular classroom and fail, wash, rinse, repeat. In the case I know about though, I think there were some issues with the school identification--I think the school realized later that they hadn't done everything necessary to uncover all the issues. If that student went back, I am not sure if they would have the same situation,. but I don't know what they would be facing.

 

Depending on providers in your area, once you get the scholarship, you may be able to get aide services and tutoring at your school. We have an a la carte provider who contracts to do in-home tutoring, and i believe she's listed that she can provide school aide services/tutoring on campus at private schools, if they are agreeable. The school doesn't have to be a provider.

 

Just to muddy up all the lines, lol!

[Storygirl]

Thanks to everyone who replied so far! As I mentioned, being in school is a new thing for us, so we are trying to figure out what will work for him and what the school will be able to provide for services. It's helpful to have an idea of what other schools do, so that we can know what to ask for.

 

Just to respond to a couple of questions:

 

Comprehension should not be based only on AR. Those tests dont give a complete picture. In general, an LD child here not reading independently in fifth will have recorded texts and reading material available.

 

His class does do other comprehension activities, and they have a test every Friday over that week's reading, which includes comprehension. Generally, he has been bombing every test (I think 60% has been his highest grade so far). So far he has been practically incapable of doing Accelerated Reader AT ALL. He has an alphabet soup of issues that affect comprehension. He can actually read at grade level. But he can't get through a whole book from beginning to end. It's amazingly difficult to get him to start at the beginning of a book and work his way through it. Six weeks into the school year, he has not managed to complete one book yet, despite the help of both his teacher and me in keeping him focused. When he finally finishes it, I think there is little chance that he will do well at the AR test. He does not have an IEP yet, but when one is in place, I think he needs to be exempted from AR and have pull-out remedial comprehension lessons. The truth is that this will always be an area of weakness for him, and he needs to have both different goals than the rest of the class and different material to help him reach those goals.

 

I just had  thought.  Is this school spending your scholarship money?  If so, they are without excuse and should be using that money to purchase the materials and equipment that your DS needs to succeed.  That means purchasing a LearningAlly membership, audio device with headphones, and a word processor so that your boy can type his work.  If they advertise dealing with SLD kiddos, they need to act like it and deal with them accordingly.  Just sayin'.

 

We don't have the scholarship yet (for those who are wondering, our state offers disability scholarships depending on level of learning disability that can be used at a nonpublic school or other therapy provider). I did suggest to his teacher that he might do better if he uses a Kindle with Immersion Reading, and she indicated that she is open to that. We have to figure it out, but at least it is a possibility. I'll add Learning Ally to my list of things to ask for for him. DD10 is dyslexic, so she will definitely qualify for Learning Ally, but I don't know if DS11 will, since his reading disability is comprehension, not decoding. I don't know enough about it yet. I'll look into it. Thanks!

[Storygirl]

I'm having to think about things in a new way since we decided to enroll instead of homeschooling. I'm seeing the depth of his disabilities in a way that I didn't before, when he was basically getting either one-on-one tutoring or small group lessons for everything when I was his homeschool teacher. I'm feeling upset that he is floundering, and I think he is probably regressing in math. He was starting in the fifth grade level of CLE over the summer, and doing okay, but he does not seem to be grasping the concepts in fifth grade Everyday Math :thumbdown: . Because he needs constant review not to forget, I'm sure he is already forgetting what we worked so hard to learn over the last couple of years. I wish I could afterschool him and make him do CLE math on the side, but we are already loaded after school with homework and activities. And the truth is that after a whole day of school and homework, asking him to do more math is too much and would not go well, so even if we had time, it wouldn't be a good option.

 

It's really discouraging. But I'm trying to remember that the reasons we had for putting him in school are still valid, and that he will eventually be getting services of some kind under an IEP. I'm also working through my emotions about his NVLD now that I see it having a worsening affect on his academics. The difficulty of the work is ramping up, and at the same time, he is falling behind, so the academic gap between what he is capable of and what is required is becoming more obvious than before. It's just a lot for me to process.

[Storygirl]

The kind-of-good news (in a weird roundabout way) is that he lacks self-awareness, so his poor grades and general struggles are not causing him a lot of stress. He has asked about whether he needs extra help, because the intervention teacher has been observing him and helping a bit, and he has noticed that writing is hard for him compared to his classmates (he has dysgraphia). But he pays no attention to his grades and doesn't worry about whether he has done well on tests or assignments. It's not that he doesn't try. He does his best on whatever is in front of him (usually) and then moves on to the next thing. So this kind of floundering that he is doing is not affecting his self esteem. In fact, he really doesn't realize that he is doing poorly.

 

Right now, he is being "observed" by the intervention team and his classroom teachers, and the official IEP process will be starting in about a month. (Yeah, I know that "observation" is not a legal part of the process, and we could object under the law, but we've come to think that he may get a better IEP if we allow the school to take a little extra time to figure out his complex needs. So we've decided to use their delay tactic to our advantage).

[kbutton]

I'm having to think about things in a new way since we decided to enroll instead of homeschooling. I'm seeing the depth of his disabilities in a way that I didn't before, when he was basically getting either one-on-one tutoring or small group lessons for everything when I was his homeschool teacher. I'm feeling upset that he is floundering, and I think he is probably regressing in math. He was starting in the fifth grade level of CLE over the summer, and doing okay, but he does not seem to be grasping the concepts in fifth grade Everyday Math :thumbdown: . Because he needs constant review not to forget, I'm sure he is already forgetting what we worked so hard to learn over the last couple of years. I wish I could afterschool him and make him do CLE math on the side, but we are already loaded after school with homework and activities. And the truth is that after a whole day of school and homework, asking him to do more math is too much and would not go well, so even if we had time, it wouldn't be a good option.

 

It's really discouraging. But I'm trying to remember that the reasons we had for putting him in school are still valid, and that he will eventually be getting services of some kind under an IEP. I'm also working through my emotions about his NVLD now that I see it having a worsening affect on his academics. The difficulty of the work is ramping up, and at the same time, he is falling behind, so the academic gap between what he is capable of and what is required is becoming more obvious than before. It's just a lot for me to process.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

You are doing a good job. The situation is becoming more and more clear as you wade through it all. You are gaining mountains of data to dump into an ETR report for his IEP. I am sorry that it's also dredging up a lot of things that are hard to think through, discouraging, and confusing, but all of this is making you a good advocate for him.

 

Keep up the good work, and we'll be thinking of you! 

[Storygirl]

kbutton, thanks for the idea about the scholarship possibly funding an aide from outside the school. The school has an intervention team, but they obviously can't dedicate a large percentage of their resources to one student when they have a bunch to look after. Yes, he deserves to get the services that he qualifies for, regardless of staffing issues, but the reality is that they have to divide their time among all of the students who need extra help, so his time with a one-on-one aide would be limited if he qualifies for that. Funding an aide from outside the school with the eventual scholarship money is an interesting option to consider.

 

I do suspect he has the potential to get more intervention help through this school than if he were in the public school. I'm just not sure whether it will be enough.

[Storygirl]

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

You are doing a good job. The situation is becoming more and more clear as you wade through it all. You are gaining mountains of data to dump into an ETR report for his IEP. I am sorry that it's also dredging up a lot of things that are hard to think through, discouraging, and confusing, but all of this is making you a good advocate for him.

 

Keep up the good work, and we'll be thinking of you! 

 

Thanks! I've had a hard couple of days emotionally.

[kbutton]

Thanks! I've had a hard couple of days emotionally.

 

I bet so--I think the reality of what we (all of us on the LC board) are dealing with peeks through in sudden bursts at times, and it's very overwhelming.  :grouphug:

[PeterPan]

DS sat in a private classroom and dyslexia was the only issue that was dealt with.  Three Wilson tutors and one retired 4th grade teacher were employed by the school, and I was the only parent that pushed hard for extra accommodations; however, my student is 2e with 3 SLDs. There were only two educational tracks at the school, and the tracks were regular and advanced.  There was no voc track, so it was sink or swim for the students.  The school never volunteered any helps, so the parent and student had to ask.   

 

For 5th grade, DS pre-listened to audio recordings at home that would be read and discussed in class the next day.  I worked very closely with his teacher to make that happen.  That was 5 years ago,  Why can't your DS wear headphones in class and listen to his books and then answer the questions?  DS was ever expected to compete AR at the level of his classmates.  An iPod loaded with the VoiceDream or the LearnngAlly App would suit that purpose. 

Just as an observation, my guess is the op's dc is having comprehension issues because of pragmatics and the NVLD/theory of mind stuff (what she wonders about getting pushed over to ASD) not because of the dyslexia portion.  So he probably doesn't comprehend or answer comprehension questions any better even if he's given the audio.  Good testing by an SLP would sort that out, but that's my guess.

 

So then the real thing to sort out is who provides that help with language processing issues and whether it would be the SLP or the reading intervention teacher...

[Tsuga]

Every school and district is different. My limited experience:

 

I'm just curious. What do schools do when a student simply can't keep up with their classmates or needs materials that are at a lower level? In high school, there are the college prep tracks and the vocational/life skills tracks, so those students really wouldn't even be in the same class. But what about elementary school?

 

For example DS11 is in fifth grade, but his teacher has determined that his comprehension level (based on Accelerated Reader, which is part of their grade) is only second to mid-third grade. It is blatantly obvious that he will be getting an IEP for a reading SLD. He is having similar issues in math, and I think he will likely receive a SLD in math and also an SLD in writing when the IEP is written later in the year.

 

That is already more than some schools have.

 

In a public school, would a student who can't manage to succeed with the regular curriculum be pulled out for those classes?

 

In our schools, yes. There are pull-outs for remedial students, and a gifted program for highly advanced with high IQ students (you have to be high achieving and high IQ).

 

Would they get an aide?

 

In our schools, yes. You have to go through the testing process but you will get an aide. However, by 5th grade, there are issues of social stigma, so more likely, they would provide free tutoring and remediation. They might have the child mostly in a special-education classroom with some time in a grade-level classroom for social purposes.

 

How would an aide help them if the material is just beyond their capabilities?

 

If a child is 1- 2 years behind in reading, that is within what they are doing. So the aide may adapt the material. They may coach the child along thinking through math problems, scribing for them, or something like that. But if the child is so significantly behind that they cannot read or approach the material, then an aide would more likely be there to help the teacher with behavior issues.

 

Would they be shuffled into a special ed classroom? Common Core is emphasizing inference and critical thinking questions, and although I think those are important things, he just can't do it, due to his disabilities (NVLD). Having him do the second grade inference questions would be more appropriate, but that is not what his class is doing. He can't be put in the class with the seven year olds (not that anyone would suggest that).

 

At his level, he may be put in a special education classroom, yes. I'm not sure if he's just testing at 2nd grade because of his disability but can do some 5th grade work, or if he is a 2nd grader intellectually.

 

In our case, this is a private school with only one class level per grade. So there is no lower reading group and higher reading group for each grade, the way there was in my public school. The whole class works on the same curriculum.

 

We have reading groups. You son would be in the comprehension group if he were even at 3rd or 4th grade reading, but at 2nd grade reading level, probably be in a pull-out situation because a 2nd grade level reader would not be able to read fast enough to participate, KWIM? An audio would still not allow for this because audio goes more slowly than most kids read at that age.

 

I'm just trying to predict what the school may come up with as a solution, and what we might ask for in the IEP. I think having him mainstreamed has benefits, but I don't see it addressing his academic needs appropriately. I would hate for him to be in a special ed classroom, because I think it would also not meet his needs. He has a lower IQ but is not intellectually disabled. There is no special ed class at this school, but there is the possibility that they could decide that they can't adequately educate him next year and refuse to re-enroll him. What is the in-between option, between mainstreaming and special ed?

 

At our schools, it's part time or with an aide depending on the kid. I think in your son's case, having an aide at his age for all subjects could be hard. I think we also have summer school. 

 

Because this is a homeschooling board, I know you are all probably thinking "homeschool him." And I have until this year. I'm not sure we will go back to it, though, for many reasons, so I'm trying to figure this school thing out.

 

Nah, we don't homeschool. We supplement PS to provide our kids with a classically-oriented education by adding memorization, music, language and literature.

 

 

 

I will PM you a link to see what our PS has to offer. I have no idea what district you're in. It could be a nightmare, but it could be a relief. You just don't know until you go in to see.

[OneStepAtATime]

Storygirl, I just wanted to send you big hugs and hopes that while things may be rough at the moment, they will smooth out, at least enough for your son to get help and make progress through this school.  I wish you and your family the very best.

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[Lecka]

Our system for K-3rd does not continue on for 4th-6th, and then middle school is different, too.  

 

So I really don't know.

 

Here for my son's age, if a child is more than 1-2 years behind, and they are still capable of benefiting from being in the classroom and exposure to the instruction -- they could have an aide who helped them and they could have more extremely adapted work.  If they are truly just sitting there and not getting anything out of it, and if they are truly feeling frustration by being in an inappropriate setting that is leading to behavior problems -- they would go in the resource room.

 

But I have to say, for my son last year, I don't think it is quite a fair characterization to say he has an aide for behavior issues, like he gets no benefit from instruction.  He could get benefit and still go to the resource room when he needed a break or it was a part of class where it was not appropriate for him.  He improved over the year and is doing even better this year in all areas.  So even if that is happening -- maybe it is a good thing leading to progress, and maybe it is a bad thing if it is not meaningful in any way.  

 

This is why ours changes, from what I have heard.  It is a lot easier and more likely for kids to get benefit from being in a K-3rd class, b/c of the nature of the classes.  It is true -- a small amount of the day is really academic, there are a lot of activities, there are a lot of stations, etc, that are easy to modify.  When the teacher is just talking and kids are just sitting there for more of the day ----- it is not the same situation.  

 

I would not want my son just sitting and not understanding a lecture/discussion that he did not have the receptive language to understand.  But if he could, I would want him to have the opportunity.  

 

But I do not know a lot about the middle school programs.  Your son would not be in a separated program here ---- he just would not be.  He might have a 1:3 or 1:4 aide in a classroom.  He might have individualized work, and go have it explained to him in the hall or in a study carrel, and then sit in class and do his individualized work in the class while other kids did the general classwork.  That is a thing they have here.  My son has done that some.  If it is deskwork -- he can have his own deskwork.  

 

If you think he benefits from being around his classmates and things like that, which are important, then that is something you could get -- 15 minutes of one-on-one and then he is back in the classroom doing his deskwork and possibly being helped by the aide in the room as needed.  Or, maybe he would have a resource period as one of his classes, and get his instruction and assignment from the teacher.  Then maybe he can work on his math in his regular math class and maybe there is some kind of accommodation for him to participate in some certain ways.  Like -- if there is a multi-step problem, maybe he gets called up for a step that he knows how to do.  

 

But I don't know how that works in middle school, really.  

 

I hear about things like that, and I am aware of some things like that for 4th-6th grade.  

 

A lot might be done by having a resource period with a resource teacher instead of a study hall.  That is a thing for middle school I think.  That could be with or without an aide (or 1:3 or 1:4 aide or whatever).  

 

I think it depends a lot.  

 

I am a little surprised nobody has mentioned the resource period.  That is a thing for older kids here, that I have heard of.  I have thought it was common -- they even have "guided study hall" when I was in high school that was for people who needed actual tutoring and not just a place/time to do homework.  

 

Also definitely for 4th and up there is a huge stigma to *obvious* 1:1 aides.  That is why there are non-obvious aides who are presented as a teacher's aide or a classroom aide ------ they are not presented as "these 3 kids' aides."  That is really possible.  That is a thing.  The kids who have 1:1 aides and "need" an obvious 1:1 aide are probably spending more time in the resource room.  I doubt this is storygirl's son's situation very highly.  But the 1:3 and 1:4 aides are very discreet here, and it is a huge secret who the aides are for.  It is very private.  Sometimes people will say things like "this really good aide is in my child's room, I wonder who she is for?"  and not be able to figure it out.  Sure, sometimes you might know.  Other times -- you might not know.  Some of the kids on the 1:3 or 1:4 might have ADHD or something besides a SLD.  A lot of kids not qualifying for aide support might be helped by the aide (my older son has been).  The kids getting behavior support might have it in the form of a break-out group that is not presented to the class as "a special needs thing."  

 

So -- I guess I would say, there may be kids who have aide support and you don't know it.  It is possible, if they have a set-up like that for some kids.  It is a 4th-and-up thing at our school from what I hear.  A lot of things are kind-of 4th-and-up while 3rd-and-under might be more "we are going to split into different groups."  

 

But I don't know.  Partly b/c my son is young.  Partly b/c so many people are secretive and don't want their kids "outed" b/c the stigma!  They don't want other kids whispering, so they don't tell other parents who might gossip and it might get back to their kids.  It is a big thing here.  Plus some kids might not even know about it themselves!  The kids might not know the details of their own IEP, and might not know they are on Ms. So-and-So-the-classroom-aide's list!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

This again -- maybe not storygirl's son's situation.  But it can be a thing here.  

[Alessandra]

Storygirl, ((hugs))

It's difficult.

 

I have not read all the posts, on phone now.

 

But one thing jumped out at me, the IRP 'later in the year.' You do do not have to wait. By Federal law, the school has to respond to a written request from you within two weeks, I think is the timeline.

 

There would be testing, followed by an eligibility meeting, followed by meeting to develop IEP. You are part of that team. Schools can have various delaying tactics, so parents need to know their rights,

 

In elementary, we have special classrooms, pull out, push in, etc. aides are in most classrooms, but a kid who needs an individual aide throughout the day would probably not be in a general ed classroom. My kids classes had almost as many kids in the resource room as in the classroom, lol.

[displace]

(Hugs too). It's overwhelming and I applaud whatever you decide. Honestly I dreaded the process of all that, and it was a contributor to homeschool. Though in the future we may need to go that route. I've seen a few podcasts on IEPs. It may be helpful to listen in if you have down time but can't read.

 

Btw, has formal testing been done? If so, by school or privately? I'm on my phone and cannot check.

[Arcadia]

:grouphug:

 

 

So then the real thing to sort out is who provides that help with language processing issues and whether it would be the SLP or the reading intervention teacher...

 

I know neighbors' kids who gets services from both the SLP and the reading intervention teacher but I don't know them well enough to ask for details.  The reading intervention teacher service a school while the SLP service a few schools. My district is relatively affluent and very well funded by property tax though.

[Storygirl]

Just as an observation, my guess is the op's dc is having comprehension issues because of pragmatics and the NVLD/theory of mind stuff (what she wonders about getting pushed over to ASD) not because of the dyslexia portion.  So he probably doesn't comprehend or answer comprehension questions any better even if he's given the audio.  Good testing by an SLP would sort that out, but that's my guess.

 

So then the real thing to sort out is who provides that help with language processing issues and whether it would be the SLP or the reading intervention teacher...

 

Yes, this is true. DS11 doesn't have dyslexia. So in some ways his issues are harder to figure out. My daughter does have dyslexia, and there is a clearer path toward remediation for her. It's hard to figure out what DS11 needs, because his issues are all interwoven. And truly, you can remediate all you want, but there is a level of comprehension he may not be able to move past, due to his disabilities. He does seem to do better with auditory comprehension, when he is able to pay attention (ADHD), so if he can read a book and listen to the audio simultaneously, it might benefit him.

 

He can sit and read a fifth grade book out loud. He has poor fluency and expression, but he can do it. He can decode, and he can understand what it is saying on a sentence level. But he doesn't get the overall picture. He may focus on the unimportant details because they happen to interest him but not follow the main thrust of the plot. He doesn't understand character motivation or author's intent or the social things happening in the story. He doesn't understand flashbacks or plot lines that are not chronological. He may find details of the book interesting and re-read certain sections over and over but never actually read the book from beginning to end. Fiction in general is a problem for him, although we have always read a lot at home. He may do better with nonfiction but will still focus on the odd details that catch his notice instead of absorbing the main point.

 

He is getting better grades in social studies and science, because his tests have been asking for one clear answer, fill in the blank, etc. He can memorize these things (with a lot of practice) and put the right answer on the blank. But when the questions require comprehension, inference, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting, or explaining why, he just can't do it. He can write and actually loves creative writing. But he can't answer a question meaningfully if it requires more than a sentence. He may be able to give a better answer orally, but his answer still won't be sufficient if it requires him to pull his thoughts together in a new way instead of just giving an answer he has memorized.

 

He may get better at some of these things over the years with help and intervention, but he is not going to ever be GOOD at it. As in, he is always going to struggle in these areas. I'm not sure how he will manage to learn from a textbook in later years.

 

I've read some things lately that say a kid with NVLD is unlikely to be able to succeed at math beyond a fifth or sixth grade level. Ugh. I'm not going to let that stop us from trying, obviously, and I'm not accepting that statement. But there is a level of disability that won't be overcome no matter what we do.

 

I'm not going to stop hoping and trying. But I am trying to reframe my thinking about what he needs educationally. One thing he doesn't need is to be constantly failing. And he also doesn't need to be given grades just high enough to pass him up to the next grade (which is what I suspect happens sometimes).

 

I think he does benefit from being mainstreamed in the classroom. I think I could probably go back to homeschooling and keep his academics up more effectively than the school can. But his life after graduation is not going to be about academics, so as much as I want him to do well on tests, etc., it's probably a lower priority than social and life skills and learning how to function in the wider community. So I think being in school has benefits for him that are not mainly academic.

 

(Hugs too). It's overwhelming and I applaud whatever you decide. Honestly I dreaded the process of all that, and it was a contributor to homeschool. Though in the future we may need to go that route. I've seen a few podcasts on IEPs. It may be helpful to listen in if you have down time but can't read.

 

Btw, has formal testing been done? If so, by school or privately? I'm on my phone and cannot check.

 

He has been tested by a neuropsychologist but not the schools yet. His main diagnosis is NVLD -- which comes with a lovely selection of LDs -- but we wonder if it should be autism as well. We're working on getting a second opinion on that. He's hard to categorize (though I think the NVLD is correct, whether there is autism in addition or not). The school evaluations and an IEP are in the works.

 

I dreaded the whole school process as well and put it off for a very long time. I think it's good that we are going through it now, and I'm glad that we have the private school as a partner, because I hated the idea of figuring it all out for myself. Of course, the reality is that I am still bearing the big burden, and we are having to continually show things to the school about his disabilities and generally advocate. But having teacher input for the IEP and getting support from the school instead of trying to do it all by myself are good things. I'm trying to keep an eye on that in the midst of everything.

[kbutton]

All of those comprehension issues are things you can work on, but it will probably require both direct and indirect work, and it will take time. It's not a guarantee, but those are things they work on with kids on the spectrum as well. It can be improved. Social skills training could improve some of those comprehension issues, I think. A lot of Socratic dialog could help. I think I have also read that you can preview the plots of books, stories, movies, etc. to kind of give them something to refer to. 

 

It would be interesting to see if you can find reading material at his comfort level that would demonstrate social skills progressively in story form to hit both needs at the same time.

 

Do you use social stories with him? Do they help? 

 

We are using a version for older kids, but The Reader's Handbook has very explicit teaching on reading skills, and they have levels for a variety of ages and grades. 

 

Just throwing out some ideas--you might have to make specific suggestions at times.

 

[PeterPan]

Has he had any language testing as part of the neuropsych eval or by a SLP?  They can run a CELF or the CASL.  Actually, the pragmatics testing they presumably ran would show it.  I'm just saying as you go into the IEP process, make sure you're saying this, that you see comprehension issues and can't tell if they're due to pragmatics or language processing or both and want them tested.  My ds has comprehension issues too, and his are a mixture of both I think (pragmatics and the language processing).  I've seen stories of people saying they got through many, many levels of Barton and still the dc couldn't READ (in spite of being able to decode) and it went back to this comprehension issue.  I *don't* think it's crazy to dig in on it and be asking what they're planning to do about it, who tests those things, what will go into the IEP to address it.  I don't know, because comprehension isn't really in our IEP right now, just decoding.  

 

I don't have an answer for you on his limits.  I think kids are surprising.  I think whatever place you find for him for high school that has vocational options will probably have the academic tracks that pair with it.  I don't think this is an *uncommon* problem in that sense.

[Storygirl]

Thanks for the social stories suggestion, kbutton! Somehow I hadn't gotten that suggestion before, so we haven't tried them. I think that is a great addition to our toolbox.

 

The NP ran the CASL, and he scored in the average range, except for pragmatics, which was low average. He hasn't had the CELF, so it might be good to ask if the school can do it during his evaluations. I'm not sure what they do for language testing, but I can ask at our next meeting.

[PeterPan]

I haven't seen the subtests on the CASL, so I guess look at it.  If it covers what the CELF would cover, then you don't need it as well.  Yes, low pragmatics should get you social into your IEP, bam done, meaning you can be *aggressive* on that.

[mckive6]

Just wanted to suggest you check out Bookshare.  It is similar to Learning Ally, but it is free to children with a reading disability.  Their web page explains how to qualify.  Our developmental pediatrician wrote a script for my DD.  We use is through Voice Dream.  It has audio, the font can be enlarged and it will highlight. Also, you can get any book you need, by requesting.  They will do textbooks also.  We've just started using it, and it is a big help.

 

Pauline

[displace]

Just wanted to suggest you check out Bookshare. It is similar to Learning Ally, but it is free to children with a reading disability. Their web page explains how to qualify. Our developmental pediatrician wrote a script for my DD. We use is through Voice Dream. It has audio, the font can be enlarged and it will highlight. Also, you can get any book you need, by requesting. They will do textbooks also. We've just started using it, and it is a big help.

 

Pauline

Thanks for mentioning this. I've never heard of it (or I forgot about it maybe).

[displace]

Many state libraries have a lot of resources for disabled (blind traditionally but useful and accessible for some LD).

[Pen]

All of those comprehension issues are things you can work on, but it will probably require both direct and indirect work, and it will take time. It's not a guarantee, but those are things they work on with kids on the spectrum as well. It can be improved. Social skills training could improve some of those comprehension issues, I think. A lot of Socratic dialog could help. I think I have also read that you can preview the plots of books, stories, movies, etc. to kind of give them something to refer to. 

 

It would be interesting to see if you can find reading material at his comfort level that would demonstrate social skills progressively in story form to hit both needs at the same time.

 

Do you use social stories with him? Do they help? 

 

We are using a version for older kids, but The Reader's Handbook has very explicit teaching on reading skills, and they have levels for a variety of ages and grades. 

 

Just throwing out some ideas--you might have to make specific suggestions at times.

 

 

First I've heard of "social stories"! please tell more!

[Mrs. Tharp]

In a public school, he would likely go to a resource room for specialized instruction in reading, writing, and math and stay with his class the rest of the time.

 

Aides are expensive. In our school district, they are usually only placed in a classroom to help a child with behavior issues. When they are placed with a child to help with academics, they may or may not be helpful--it all depends on the aide. Be aware that aides are often paid very little, may have little to no experience with special needs, and will not be told your child's diagnosis. They are usually forced to figure out how to best help a child through trial and error. That said, some are outstanding. But you don't know who you're going to get.  

I'm impressed that this private school is evaluating your son themselves and not referring you to a private psychologist or the public schools for it. In a private school setting they may try to have him work on separate materials from the rest of the class, depending on his needs. Or they might see if they can modify their existing curriculum. 

 

IMO, giving him separate materials that focus specifically on skill building (for example, SRA or Fountas & Pinnell for reading comprehension) would probably be more effective than modifying, especially as you have said they are using Common Core materials, which are all highly conceptual.

 

As for what to ask for on an IEP, you want to make sure the goals are specific and measurable, and focus on his actual needs. What does he have to do to meet the goal? In what time-frame? The results of the evaluation should specifically drive the creation of the IEP goals. Too often, staff just skim the eval, then put down what they think the kid needs based on their own observations. The result is a weak IEP that doesn't work for your child. It can take months to figure out problems when IEP goals are badly written, which adds up to months when your child isn't getting an adequate education.  Don't allow this. Also, don't forget to ask for accommodations! Would it help for your son to get more drill and repetition? Or for a list of vocabulary words sent home in advance when they start a new social studies or science unit? Ask for those kinds of things to be listed on the Accommodations page at the back of the IEP.

[Storygirl]

Thank you, Mrs. Tharp! That's really helpful. I know I can't depend on the school to create an adequate IEP without me advocating for what he needs.I do think the intervention staff and classroom teachers care and desire to help, but they seem to have kind of a list of regular ways that they do things, and I think he will need help over and above what their kind of standard response is. We want to make sure that the IEP is written for his specific needs and not just for what the school's standard programming is. In fact, we are not certain that this school will be the best placement for him forever, so we want to ensure the IEP is written for HIM, not for the SCHOOL (I know it is supposed to be written for the student's specific needs, but I think sometimes schools just plug kids into their programs instead of figuring out what will truly help him and we want to avoid that). In fact, we are not sure that this particular school will be where he stays after this year.

 

This school is willing to do extensive things to help their IEP kids (our neighbor is getting a private leveled math class due to her math disability and because she is the only student in her class who needs it, which is amazing), but I also know their efforts are imperfect (for example, that same girl's curriculum has been ordered but has not arrived at the school yet, so for these past six weeks her math teacher has just been going over basics with her. Six weeks without a curriculum! How will she catch up when she is already starting from behind anyway?). So we are going to have to stay on it. And they are a Christian school, so their experience with SN kids is more limited than the public schools.

 

[Storygirl]

Good thinking about the aides. Our school has three intervention teachers and one aide, so the odds are likelier that he would get help from a licensed teacher than from the single aide, but it's something to consider. You are right that an aide is not likely to have expertise in helping him academically. I'll need to keep that in mind when we talk about whether he qualifies for an aide or not.

 

About who is doing the evaluations: It's kind of crazy. The private school is involved in gathering classroom data and trying various classroom accommodations and noting whether or not they help. They will contribute all of that to the IEP evaluation process. But the public school where the private school is located will do the actual evaluation testing and is overseeing the process in general. And THEN all that will be turned over the public school where we live (which is a third school), and THEY will write the actual IEP. So three schools are involved. Three times the fun! (or not)

[Arcadia]

And THEN all that will be turned over the public school where we live (which is a third school), and THEY will write the actual IEP. So three schools are involved.

The school where you live is likely going to be the one bearing the costs for whatever is in the IEP. So it is probably better that the other public school and the private school does the evaluations and observations. Less conflict of interest.

[Alessandra]

Good thinking about the aides. Our school has three intervention teachers and one aide, so the odds are likelier that he would get help from a licensed teacher than from the single aide, but it's something to consider. You are right that an aide is not likely to have expertise in helping him academically. I'll need to keep that in mind when we talk about whether he qualifies for an aide or not.

 

About who is doing the evaluations: It's kind of crazy. The private school is involved in gathering classroom data and trying various classroom accommodations and noting whether or not they help. They will contribute all of that to the IEP evaluation process. But the public school where the private school is located will do the actual evaluation testing and is overseeing the process in general. And THEN all that will be turned over the public school where we live (which is a third school), and THEY will write the actual IEP. So three schools are involved. Three times the fun! (or not)

Oh, Storygirl, I think you said that the school will write the IEP. It will be developed by a team, and you are an integral part of that team.

[Alessandra]

In a public school, he would likely go to a resource room for specialized instruction in reading, writing, and math and stay with his class the rest of the time.

 

Aides are expensive. In our school district, they are usually only placed in a classroom to help a child with behavior issues. When they are placed with a child to help with academics, they may or may not be helpful--it all depends on the aide. Be aware that aides are often paid very little, may have little to no experience with special needs, and will not be told your child's diagnosis. They are usually forced to figure out how to best help a child through trial and error. That said, some are outstanding. But you don't know who you're going to get.

I'm impressed that this private school is evaluating your son themselves and not referring you to a private psychologist or the public schools for it. In a private school setting they may try to have him work on separate materials from the rest of the class, depending on his needs. Or they might see if they can modify their existing curriculum.

 

IMO, giving him separate materials that focus specifically on skill building (for example, SRA or Fountas & Pinnell for reading comprehension) would probably be more effective than modifying, especially as you have said they are using Common Core materials, which are all highly conceptual.

 

As for what to ask for on an IEP, you want to make sure the goals are specific and measurable, and focus on his actual needs. What does he have to do to meet the goal? In what time-frame? The results of the evaluation should specifically drive the creation of the IEP goals. Too often, staff just skim the eval, then put down what they think the kid needs based on their own observations. The result is a weak IEP that doesn't work for your child. It can take months to figure out problems when IEP goals are badly written, which adds up to months when your child isn't getting an adequate education. Don't allow this. Also, don't forget to ask for accommodations! Would it help for your son to get more drill and repetition? Or for a list of vocabulary words sent home in advance when they start a new social studies or science unit? Ask for those kinds of things to be listed on the Accommodations page at the back of the IEP.

Love this post. So, so true.

[Lecka]

I am going to add here, something about our school experience.  We live in a university town, and aides can be hired who are college students who meet certain requirements.  There are aides who are majoring in things like education and speech therapy.  

 

My son's program *does* have a lot of training for the aides, and it has a good reputation, so a lot of college students in certain majors try to get hired by my son's resource teacher so they can get the good training and experience (and experience with the population).  It is very popular.  Autism is very popular right now -- I  think b/c the kids are do darn cute!  And a lot of people are very drawn to working with little kids.  I know there are people drawn to different age levels, but my son is little, so I mainly know people who have been drawn to working with little kids.  

 

But I hear through the grapevine, some other locations are less desirable to aides, and so they do not get to hire the most competitive aides.  

 

My son is in the best situation as far as this goes.  

 

Aides do have learning curves, too, but I have been given a perspective where this can be a growth opportunity for children.  Not that it always is -- but I have just heard, this can be positive, b/c it gives children chances to be around people who are not *perfectly attuned to them* and this is actually going to be bringing them closer to a place of not needing an aide, in some ways.  (I have to say though -- overprompting becomes a major concern to me.)  

 

But that is all from the perspective of my son's experience, and I know that is not the experience of kids who have a different situation.  My son is one where his aides get special extra training and in-service days.  It is not something that is universal in our school district, it is set aside for certain kids -- my son is just one of those kids.  

 

Our aides are not paid well.  In my son's school/program, they do not have trouble keeping aides for the school year, it is rare for an aide to quit during the year.  But at some other schools there is a higher turnover.  Definitely some people quit b/c they do not think they are working in an effective way like they would like to.  Plus, some people who were just waiting for another job to have a start date or to find another job.  

 

My son's aide this year is a college graduate who is taking a year to work and gain experience before applying for a masters program in education for next year.  

 

This is typical for the kind of aide that my son has been placed with.  He is seen as both needy and high-potential.  That is what it seems like, anyway.  Maybe I seem like I am a pushy parent?  I don't know, I don't think so.  Certainly I am involved and would be a squeaky wheel if something was not going well, but I do not think I am pushy, either.  

 

But anyway -- I am saying that, for background, it is just what my experience has been for some things, that would not be more general necessarily.  

 

Someone in my Bible Study just got a job as an aide (like a para) in a higher grade, and another woman from my church is working as an aide also, at the high school.

 

If you can network with anyone who works in these positions ------- it is very valuable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

There are a lot of variations between schools/programs/levels ----- but that can be very valuable if you can hear about the next level up, or various options.  

 

I would definitely not read *too* much into one person's experience as far as that speaking for the entire school district.... but you can see some patterns for sure, I think.  

 

This is also where, I benefit b/c my son is "obvious" and so it will always come up with me, and so I hear a lot of things.  It is very helpful for hearing things.  

[kbutton]

First I've heard of "social stories"! please tell more!

 

I'm sorry. I didn't see this before.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935274058/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687702&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=188547766X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=18PARE9SGMG8Z94NTQTM

 

This is one example of a social story book. The stories use at least some first person language and talk the learner through a situation, typically a novel situation. I believe that aside from preparing a kid for something that is coming up, the stories are phrased in first person so that the kid can internalize that language for self-talk.

 

This page has additional stories. The field trip video is customized--you can hear just what the student it was written for is fixated on or concerned about when he goes on a field trip. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935274058/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687702&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=188547766X&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=18PARE9SGMG8Z94NTQTM

 

Sometimes putting checklist items in social story language (I can play after I do these things...) can help. 

 

My son gets the idea of a social story, but we mostly use the phrasing for checklists. Prior to this particular search, I had never heard an example of one that went into detail about a field trip--time, place, length of the drive, etc. I will have to remember that just because my son is familiar with something, it doesn't mean he doesn't want some specific information tailored to the exact situation.

 

I wish I had known this concept existed when my son was a toddler. That would have been life changing. Caillou was very social story-like, and I think that is why he was enthralled with the show.

[Guest]

That's one of the social stories books we have as well. We also have the The Social Skills Picture Book but I like Gray's book better. Easier to adapt! I bought the printed version because it comes with a CD with printable, editable social stories. My oldest did not like Baker's book as much when we used it.

 

ETA: Social stories are most often written in first-person, but can also be written in third-person (see Gray's book pg. xlvii)

[Guest]

Kbutton, my youngest also liked Caillou, along with Curious George, and Daniel Tiger. He still watches Daniel and George. I have also used those for social stories, and usually watch them with him for discussion.

[Lecka]

My son's social stories need to be written personally for him and include pictures.  We have only done them for ongoing problems, and so we will have a really good, personalized one that we read every day for a while.

 

We had one about "how people ask for a drink when they are thirsty."  We have one right now about how we walk on different surfaces.  

 

My son will quote lines from the social stories.  It is great.  

 

The pictures in his will be some that are stock photos or clip art, but some will be pictures from our town or our house or specific things or a picture of him.  

 

I do not make them, other people make them for him, since that is something therapists and people at school can do.  

 

There are iPad apps (of some kind) that let you take photos on an iPad and then put them into the social story.

 

The school has "getting to know the school" social stories that show pictures of different parts of the school and what we do there, and then they can add in individual pictures of a child and the child's teacher, to make them individual, too.  

 

You can totally find a lot of social stories on pinterest, and if you "like" facebook pages for autism, they will usually share free links for seasonal things like "riding on an airplane" "back to school" "trick or treating" "fireworks" "Thanksgiving supper" and things like that.  

 

There are also videos that are similar.  

 

My son can do better with videos, and there are a lot of videos on youtube -- but for that, we are just looking to show him what something is like.  We are not explaining the rules or expectations.  But he can see more from a video of what something will be like, which is really helpful for him.  

 

I have seen that "The Social Skills Picture Book" and honestly would rather have something with cute clip art.  My son likes the cute, colorful clip art.  I can't imagine getting him to look at dull, black-and-white photos.  But it was a book where it was good to look through it and see what was in it.  

 

Oh, we have also gotten Social Stories that have been used before by other kids with favorite characters, and just had names and a few photos changed for us.  We had one that was full of Scooby Doo google images, and my son loved that one.  Another child in the practice loved Scooby Doo.

 

When it is something where you may be hoping to read it every day for 2-3 weeks and then pull it out again as needed ----- it can really help to put in favorite characters, and for some, you can find a ton of images on google image.  Scooby Doo is like that, and he has a lot of really expressive facial expressions and body language, too.  

 

Also -- for looking for a "feeling" you can just add the feeling as a search term on google image.  

 

I know people who have the apps can have a pre-made template, take a couple of photos (or select some photos they already have of the child), type a couple of sentences, and have a short social story ready in less than 10 minutes, if they have a child who really benefits from social stories, and something comes up.  We have never done that, though.  

 

I also do not know what the good apps are, or if they are just using a program that lets them select photos and add them into a page of text, and they have pre-saved some pictures so they can just type some things in.  I have just seen other people do it.  

[Mrs. Tharp]

Here's one written for upper elementary and older.  My oldest son is attending middle school part time and it's been extremely helpful already.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Social-Rules-Kids--Kids-Succeed/dp/1934575844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443299145&sr=1-1&keywords=social+rules+for+kids

[Guest]

Storygirl, I do not have experience with the school system and how they approach things as we have homeschooled from the beginning. This is why I hadn't posted and skimmed through some of the replies. The one thing that stood out to me that you said though that I feel needs great focus, is the comprehension issue. I know you said that he can memorize to answer in social studies and science, but if his reading comprehension level is low it will be difficult to make the important connections he needs that will later carry over into life. I feel your greatest focus needs to be there, pushing the school for a more targeted approach to reading comprehension.

 

With my oldest, simple questions with the answers in the text came easy and it was never my focus. The deeper comprehension, inferring, predicting etc, did not come so naturally. We had to work on it with a lot of one on one approaches. One important factor is background knowledge. I read about it in Jim Trelease's book when he was very young and put a focus on building background knowledge from the start. For some kids, more emphasis needs to be put in this area. We make stories come to life, I give them physical experiences where possible, we use encyclopedia type resources to connect to other countries or a science concept more deeply, we Google search images, the list goes on.

 

Many schools are now starting to put great emphasis on background knowledge as a means of targeting comprehension. I think this is where the school should put their focus, giving your son the tools he needs to be able to build on comprehension skills.

 

I would encourage you to get the school to obtain a copy of this book:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Background-Knowledge-Academic-Achievement-ebook/dp/B00KTMHJ6C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1443303008&sr=1-1&keywords=background+knowledge

 

:grouphug: Wishing the best for you and your son!

[Guest]

I just wanted to add that we worked a lot of social skills into our reading too. I chose books, older and more modern times, that involved many social interactions, and we also put quite a bit of focus on biographies. We used some as a form of social stories, one that was more natural and came with a plot. This made it more appealing for my oldest and helped us target many areas at once. We have done the same with movies. Example, my son recently read abridged editions of David Copperfield and Oliver Twist. We then watched the movies and compared to his abridged editions. I put more focus in our discussions on Copperfield's life as an adult(the parts that were not included in the abridged edition) to help him gain a deeper understanding. With Oliver, we did more research on workhouses so he can get a better understanding on what life was like for the people and especially children. He will be reading the unabridged editions in the future.

 

He is light years away from where he was when we started! Now, we can have deeper discussions at a level much higher than most kids his age and older. He reads a lot on his own now too, and will usually read 4-6 (200+ page) books in a month, besides keeping up with our curricula. He can make connections before I even ask the questions, now. There are good possibilities for improvement when we target their areas of need! Please remember that :)