Gifted/disabled program
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Anonymous
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Does anyone know how a child is placed in the highly gifted center program that is also for kids with a learning disability? It's for 2e students but the MCPS website is so vague and we are moving to the area. Have a highly gifted student going into 6th grade, he also has ADHD and disgraphia.
Also, is that curriculum the same as the gifted magnet curriculum? Based on the website it doesn't sound like it. It's sounds more like the focus on the disabilities and I'm not seeing how they service the gifted attributes of these kids. Any insight from parents who have kids in the program would be great. Thanks. |
Anonymous
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I am not an expert, but have been to several presentations where the program has been discussed. It's called the GTLD program. It is available at a couple of Middle Schools. Placement is by IEP, so it is a Special Education program.
The program is small, and the gifted portion of the curriculum is supposed to be unique to each child, but the programs are not co-located in the schools with the magnet curriculum, so you will not find that specific level of instruction. If your child has a 504 plan, they are not set up to be placed in GT/LD, but rather would be accommodated via 504 in the general magnet program. A couple of suggestions for you for better information: (1) move your post to Special Needs board; (2) join Montgomery County GT/LD network |
Anonymous
| You need to have an IEP and then they also have to recommend placement for you in the GT/LD Program. I did a tour at one of the programs and, honestly, I didn’t get what they offered the kids that was different from what they’d get at their home school aside from a small cohort of kids like them. They could not tell me specifically what was different at this program. |
Anonymous
FWIW, I have had 2 kids in the general magnet programs - one w/IEP and 1 w/504. For the one w/ IEP, we declined placement in the GT/LD program for a variety of reasons. Regular magnet was often non-compliant with IEP or 504 plans and required constant somewhat contentious follow-up, but overall it was a beyter academic fit. |
Anonymous
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You should ask for this to be moved to the special needs forum. You may get more responses there.
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Anonymous
| If you move it to the special needs forum please do not post as "GT/disabled". Parents of students with learning disabilities do not consider their students disabled. It is officially called GT/LD. Sorry, but as the parent of a student who has a learning disability I just consider them as a student who learns differently. |
Anonymous
I have 2e child with extremely High IQ but low processing speed, issues with writing and organization. (Officially has ADHD, possibly dysgraphia) Child is in regular magnet (not GT/LD) and struggling with workload. However, I would never consider to put child in GT/LD program in MCPS. That is not a place for real 2e child. (Definition of 2e child in my interpretation: on official psychological testing one or two parts of the test off chart high, one or two off chart low. Often children learn how to compensate and school will consider your child average struggling and try to refuse services...) Very few teachers really follow IEP or 504. The only thing they would do is extended test time. That is it. Some teachers follow IEP or 504 for every student in a class (i.e. when teacher post class notes for everyone and e-mail reminders to everyone.) The only good fit would be Homeschool, or Online school with classes that fit your child all over the place. Since each 2e kid is very different, there is no one size fit all. Unfortunately, that is MCPS approach even in magnets. Resource classes for IEP kids are just free periods to do homework. Nothing individualized. Do not even think about making MCPS to care about your child or be accountable. MCPS is big and extremely bureaucratic. You will be very disappointed. |
Anonymous
To this PP, this sounds just like my child. We are searching all the MCPS programs to find the right fit- this is a little disappointing...did you end up doing homeschooling? How did you supplement social aspects for your child? The writing/dysgraphia part for us is a big hurdle- would this not be addressed adequately in a magnet? What about enrolling in GT/LD, and doing enrichment on weekends? or pulling the child out before the end of the day to do off-site tutoring? |
Anonymous
| Someone just posted a great description of the GTLD program in the SN forum: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/sovrn/posts/list/673945.page |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
Oops, sorry, I mis-posted my response.... I am different PP above who has had 2 kids with IEP and 504 in MS magnet. I want to address the PP's experience above: 1) "Very few teachers really follow IEP or 504. The only thing they would do is extended test time. That is it." -- I totally agree that this may be your experience in the beginning at a magnet. It was ours at both MS magnets. BUT, this is ILLEGAL. My DCs and I both follow up in writing, by email, with the teacher and IEP or 504 school-based supervisor when the IEP is not being complied with. A school which is "out of compliance" is acting illegally. Generally, I have found that most teachers, "come into compliance", very quickly once they are notified in writing that something on the IEP or 504 plan is not being provided. Every year there does seem to be that one teacher, or even an administrator, that doesn't think they have to follow the law. We kick those problems "upstairs" to the county-wide Section 504 supervisor or the head of the Special Education department. I have NEVER had a refusal to comply after that. Know your rights. If you don't have the energy or knowledge or temperament, hire an advocate or attorney. If your kid has "extra-time" on tests and quizzes, then that must be provided EVERY time. Document when it isn't. The kid doesn't have to ask for it every time. They just have to say once, in the beginning of the year in writing, "I have extra-time on tests and quizzes. I would like that for all tests and quizzes this year. Thank you." My DC has extra time, non-distracted environment, use of calculator, answer on test booklet, monitor test response, use of computer, class notes, etc. DC gets these the vast majority of the time, without additional badgering by him. Teachers are human; sometimes things are forgotten, but a polite email documenting oversight ensures that these oversights do not become the norm. Being in the MS magnet program has radically changed my GT/LD child. Before he got there, he believed all those teachers in his general ed classes who told him he was stupid, lazy, unmotivated, not trying hard enough, etc. Now he knows he is smart but that even smart kids work hard. Sixth grade was hard, but he did better than we thought. Each year gets easier. If it doesn't then there are options like having a resource class or adjusting the kinds of supports. DC has matured in so many ways. His self-esteem has improved. He has aspirations and interests now. And, his weaknesses are improving as well, particularly when it comes to understanding how HE learns and what HE needs to learn. The "advanced" classes in the GT/LD program are the same "advanced" classes offered to all kids at every middle school -- "advanced" english, which now almost all MSers take, and "advanced math" which means the regular math but perhaps one or two grade levels ahead. The MS magnets have a significantly different curriculum with units and information that is not taught at a regular middle school. I can see how some parents might decide the GT/LD program at schools like N. Bethesda are a better fit; it is a very individualized decision and there is no right or wrong answer. But I hate to see parents decide on the GT/LD program thinking they are getting more "advancement" than they really are. Similarly, I hate to see parents decide against the MS magnet program because they think MCPS either is not obliged to accommodate or not willing to accommodate. |
Anonymous
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"My DC has extra time, non-distracted environment, use of calculator, answer on test booklet, monitor test response, use of computer, class notes, etc."
Hmm - I bet a lot of kids would do better on tests if they had all those advantages. |
Anonymous
Okay, original poster here. First, I'm so sorry I didn't proof read my post. I really did mean to write gifted/learning disabled, not just disabled. Secondly, thank you for all the responses. Third, to the above quoted post, seriously?? "Advantages"??? A child with learning disabilities is give accommodations not advantages. Please educate yourself before posting such a rude thing. |
Anonymous
That was me! I came on here to write it all out again, so glad you spared me 
Your child needs an IEP and a recent WISC-V test where at least one subscore is above 120, OP. Overall our experience has been positive, I finally feel as if these teachers "get" my kid. Plus he has a resource class every day where he can do his homework (he's very slow). By all means apply to the magnets! My son was waitlisted, so we went the GT/LD route, which is better for the LDs, but not as advanced and in-depth. I heard both magnet coordinators talk, the one from the Humanities magnet at Eastern and the one from the STEM magnet at Takoma (there are also two equivalent programs up county at Clemente), the former clearly preferred a certain type of quick-witted kid without special needs, and the latter was more open to all kinds of quirky kids (perhaps because math accommodates more quirks ). The views of the coordinator naturally affect the way children with special needs are treated throughout their years at the school.
Good luck. |
Anonymous
Parent of a GT/LD child at TPMS magnet here. We have had trouble with the coordinator in the past and accommodations. But, he is really not the right person to turn to and he has no power to obstruct accommodations. When my student has trouble with accomodations, he emails directly to the teacher and copies his special education case manager. That usually fixes the problem, but if it doesn't we complain in writing to higher level sped person in school that scjool is "out of compliance" with IEP. For those that don't get in, I would encourage you to appeal or challenge. There are many reasons why the selection process is biased against special ed kids. Find out the reason you weren't accepted and challenge it. |