IEP reading and math help

[amo_mea_filiis.]

(If I use "an" where "and" belongs, or miss a d, I apologize. My d key is not working very well.)

 

I know, I know, this is a homeschool board, but you guys have experience in everything, especially in curricula.

 

I put my special needs 11 year old in a public cyber for the behavioral support. Obviously this comes with public school academics as well. Since he's been homeschooled for almost 5 years, there's no data or IEP for them to go on. Until his IEP is in place, I'll continue homeschooling him and I just email his teachers weekly with what he's done.

 

He will have an IEP, but I don't think I like the programs they lean towards for math and reading. They use SRA reading and SRA math. 

 

I can't find much on these online, but what I've seen with a friend's son doesn't look promising for us.  

 

My son CAN read, but not very well. Actually, what he reads, he reads well, but he doesn't like to work at it and isn't moving up much. He can fluently read Magic Tree House, and reads aloud from the 2nd McGuffey's reader. He loves Amulet, a graphic novel series, but there's really nothing else he'll willingly read. When he tries new books, he has difficulty with vocabulary, decoding bigger words, and stamina. When he did the LEAP 5th grade reading assessment, he read the first several sentences fairly well, but then started missing words, and the teacher prompted him "wrong," which annoyed him and he lost focus and motivation. 

 

He doesn't really spell and his writing content, written and orally, is about a sentence or two. We're using SotW and it's like pulling teeth to get more than a word out of him (he's been in speech since he was 18 months; word recall, general expression, etc). Anyway, I just reintroduced AAS and so far he's doing well. He's only at step 7 or 8, but previous attempts didn't go this well.

 

We were using CLE LA 2nd grade, but he stalled at the 4th book, retained nothing, and never retained the spelling. I had him continue for exposure only, but essentially dropped it. For LA I have him doing AAS, HWT cursive success, and a fluency notebook that I make weekly depending on his mood. Sometimes we go through CLE, but I'm not expecting much.

 

I want to use Barton as his entire LA program, but I don't know how to compare SRA with Barton, and without that comparison, I can't argue that it's better. I don't know how SRA handles spelling, but I on't want the focus to be entirely reading. Ds also does best with all-in-one type books, an gets very, VERY mad when "English" contains 4 or 5 different things. 

 

Child in question has been in a mood, and up my butt, so I lost my train of thought here. Lol.

 

What do you know about the SRA programs? How can I convince the school to try Barton first? (I think Barton is similar to AAS and AAS is working)

 

What other math programs are out there for kids with disabilities?

 

He's been using R&S 1st grade an the missing concepts seem to be finally sticking, although I won't know until I try to get him using the skill within other skills. R&S is (so far) slow, repetitive, and to the point. He's not likely going to do algebra or beyond, and I'd really like to get his skills solid where he's capable (he's theoretically capable of all math prior to algebra). He's great with memorization, so basic + - x / go very well, but as soon as I try to teach carrying or borrowing, he's lost again. He can count money an make change, but telling time is not sticking. He's *finally* consistently identifying ones, tens, hundreds, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, and can read a thermometer. 

 

(He has mild autism, moderate-severe ADHD combined type, an a borderline IQ)

[Arcadia]

 When he did the LEAP 5th grade reading assessment, he read the first several sentences fairly well, but then started missing words, and the teacher prompted him "wrong," which annoyed him and he lost focus and motivation. 

 

 

You might get a lot more answers cross posting to the learning challenge board.

 

Is the teacher testing him for reading the teacher that would oversee his progress? You could ask for a more patient/experience test giver. My oldest is very headstrong, having an experienced test giver that can size up the situation and react accordingly helps for getting relatively accurate test results.

 

I don't know anything about SRA.  A friend's daughter with ADHD diagnosis is having weekly reading tutoring by a reading specialist paid for by her public charter.  Her daughter's IEP is for ADHD but it affects reading since the daughter is having difficulty concentrating. That is something you could request for.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I've noticed that EVERY teacher and therapist will prompt him in a way that annoys him. The only therapist that has been able to learn is his behavior analyst.

 

I have no idea why he even had to do the LEAP testing since they knew he was coming in at a much lower level than his age.

 

If I could get the support while using curricula of my choosing, we'd be doing great!

[OneStepAtATime]

Post on the Learning Challenges board.  And yes, AAR/AAS are similar to Barton,  They are all based on the Orton-Gilliangham way of teaching reading/spelling and can both be used in instruction for dyslexics.  Barton breaks things down into smaller pieces and is designed specifically for dyslexics.  AAR/AAS is not.  Barton encompass reading/spelling//writing/grammar, but introduces the pieces in a very systematic way that interweaves them.

 

Does the school actually have Barton and someone trained to use it or who will take the time to learn how to use it?

 

 I don't know much about SRA Reading so I can't help with comparisons there but I believe other posters that sometimes are on the Learning Challenges board have used it.  They might be able to help more...

 

As for math, you might consider running him through the Ronit Bird e-books alongside whatever math you are doing...

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Alongside... I wish. Getting him to complete a single math lesson daily is a struggle.

 

If I can ever get back on my computer, I'll cross post, but I wanted to start here. :)

 

I passed the Barton tutor and he passed the student part, so I was planning on doing most of the work myself, unless he gets a daily instructional aide.

[gardenmom5]

he should be getting a battery of assessment exams by academic support staff to see where he is.  is any of that on the schedule?

 

kids who've been in school since kindergarten can still have learning challenges causing them to perform below grade level.  (e.g. for an 11yo - 2nd grade readers are below grade level. he would be in 5/6th grade.)

there should be one-on-one support services.

 

keep giving him books he'll read.  dudeling really struggled to read for a long time.  he has an auditory processing disorder (there are three kinds) based in the corpus callosum  - which is common in boys with reading and handwriting issues.  it's a developmental lag, and can be helped.   I thought I marked it somewhere, but don't know where.

 

last summer, he hit upon minecraft kindle books.  I think reading has finally clicked.  he went from 2nd grade reading level, to just above grade level, within months.  but his brain was ready. (finally.)

[Shellydon]

He'll have a battery of tests that will determine strengths/weaknesses.  The educational specialist doing the assessments will generate a list of learning disorders and recommend goals.  Once the IEP is in place, he will do whatever program all the kids with XYZ disability do at that school.  You are not going to be able to dictate what they use. 

[Laurie4b]

He'll have a battery of tests that will determine strengths/weaknesses.  The educational specialist doing the assessments will generate a list of learning disorders and recommend goals.  Once the IEP is in place, he will do whatever program all the kids with XYZ disability do at that school.  You are not going to be able to dictate what they use. 

 

Yeah, I tend to agree if he will be doing the academics in school that you won't be able to choose the curriculum they use. That would just be untenable for each kid to have their own program. However, I'm confused as to whether OP will be doing the academics and whether that is the issue. 

 

OP, if he is in school doing it, I wouldn't sweat the program they use too much. The teachers will be used to using it. Asking them to use something they are not used to will require a learning curve and you may well lose whatever advantage you think that Barton would have over SRA. 

[amo_mea_filiis.]

New evals are scheduled. Psychoeducational (ability, achievement, all that stuff), FBA, OT, speech (I don't like our private options).

 

Since he's in a cyber school, I'll still be doing the day to day teaching. He'll technically have teachers, but he's not going to be doing live lessons. SRA will be a problem for me not having the teaching guides.

 

I'm not a stranger to IEPs and the sped process. I pulled him years ago because no part of his IEP was individualized. He has made progress at home, but it's been scattered and he doesn't retain very well.

 

Gardenmom- he's allowed to read anything that sparks his interest. :)