When to take a dyslexic student out of public school....

[OneStepAtATime]

I was in this position when my son was in second grade. His diagnosis was dysgraphia, ADHD, anxiety, auditory processing disorder and borderline ODD. The ODD was really beginning to become an issue. He was living under his desk at school. I pulled him out half way through grade 2 and didn't look back until this year grade 7......he is currently in online public school. I would say the following:

 

The PS absolutely knows how to deal with dyslexia.....they just can't. Especially with the attention issues, your child needs one on one education which your school cannot provide.

 

With all due respect, you know what to do and you are already doing it in the evenings. Just pull the plug!!! You are a psychologist. You also have a college degree and YOU ARE THE MOM!!!! You know already what is best for your child. This is what one of our public school teachers told me off the record during a phonemail. I took her advice and now I'm passing it on to you:)

 

The other thing that teacher told me was the damage that was being done to my child by keeping him in his current situation. She was right and he got so much better emotionally when I pulled that plug.

 

My biggest mistake in homeschooling thus far was putting my son back in public school (online) this year. Some things are working but some are NOT.......specifically Language Arts and Math......he's doing fine but it's just not how he learns and has quickly become a great source of frustration. Once again, the PS is pretending to not know what I'm talking about.....lol!!!!

 

Good luck in your decision......and remember how capable you are!!!!!!

So glad things worked out for your son. And actually, the OP already pulled her child out. He updated post is upthread somewhere.

 

Best wishes to all.

[OneStepAtATime]

 

The PS absolutely knows how to deal with dyslexia.....they just can't.  Especially with the attention issues, your child needs one on one education which your school cannot provide.

 

I wanted to address this specifically, by the way.  There ARE some PS situations where the school actually has support systems in place and can help.  There are some posters here and elsewhere that have had a lot of help and support from their child's school.  Really effective, targeted help and support.  It is heartening to read those stories and I hope that over time this will become the norm.  

 

There are also schools where they have the knowledge but not the infrastructure in place to help their students.  I agree with you.  The structure in the classroom is not conducive to the one on one instruction that most dyslexics need to truly learn to read/write/spell well.  The teachers may want to help very badly and know exactly what the child needs, but they just do not have the set up to provide that help.

 

I do not believe this is the norm, however.  In fact, what I have heard more often and certainly what we experienced locally, was that the teachers and administrators HAD NO IDEA WHATSOEVER how to help or even if help was genuinely warranted.  Or they had a very strong idea of how to help...and they were completely wrong in their approach.  Oh my goodness, even my Reading Specialist mother with all the degrees and all the years of teaching in PS at Middle School and High School level had no idea how to help my children.  I think there is an enormous amount of misinformation out there.  I don't think the vast majority of PS teachers and administrators have a clue how to deal with dyslexia, TBH. 

 

The bottom line, though, is basically the same.  Most schools will not be able to provide the same kind of targeted, one on one instruction that a child needs and can get outside of the school system either with a willing parent or a tutor.

[Antsmom]

Ah....I see now I came in late on this one!!!! Haha!!!!!