ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Gifted - IEP Meeting Question

[Anonymous]

I am trying to decide if I should be worried about some things that occurred during my son's IEP follow up meeting with our new principal. He is in second grade.

The most important issue I have (and seem not to be able to get over it) is when I asked about whether or not my son could have orton-gillingham services during the school hours, I was told that not all "popular" methods were appropriate for all students with dyslexia. Given my son is on grade level with reading, she doubted he would need it. This statement contradicted what the VA Dept. of Education presented at APS's 2018 Dyslexia Conference this fall. He is in an inclusion classroom and does seem to be getting time on his written services outlined in his IEP.

On a side note, the administration at a SpEd coffee earlier this year that kids with too many accommodations use them as crutches.

It maybe a knee jerk reaction, but I signed up for tours at Commonwealth, the McLean School and the Lab School. However, both his neuropsychologist and everything I have read (and the APS conference), early intervention is key, but it really feels like as long as he stays on "grade level" he will not receive the services for dyslexia that he needs until he starts to flounder again. We have tutors come to our house twice a week for the past nine months (including the summer) to help with the reading. He currently struggles with writing and spelling.

Am I crazy to think of pulling him out of APS and sending him to a private school? I cannot figure out who to trust these days (or advocate has too many students she is currently working with and forgets who my son is and was actually rude in the meeting to both the school and me).

[Anonymous]

Why crazy? If I could afford it I would send my child to Lab or Commonwealth. These schools know how to work with kids who have a 2e profile while most public schools do not.

[Anonymous]

I have a son with the same diagnoses, although his reading level was always below grade leave so he qualified for an IEP and services. We were also in FCPS. He did receive Wilson in school, but it was not enough to make progress. as a result, he went to a private tutor from mid2nd grad to mid 7th grade 2-3 times a week. We also got as many audio books to listen to at home and on the road. From the library, Learning Ally and Bookshare. Arlington Central library has a large collection that we tapped for years. We also did home reading work on the days that he did not have tutoring.

He also dictated his written homework until he was proffiecient on the keyboard. This lasted until the end of his sophomore year of high school. We worked on keyboarding in the summer, 20 minutes a day and he progressed, but so did his thinking and dictating skills. Graphic organizers were also helpful. In MS and HS (and now in college) he received many accommodations so that he could take Honors and AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a son with the same diagnoses, although his reading level was always below grade leave so he qualified for an IEP and services. We were also in FCPS. He did receive Wilson in school, but it was not enough to make progress. as a result, he went to a private tutor from mid2nd grad to mid 7th grade 2-3 times a week. We also got as many audio books to listen to at home and on the road. From the library, Learning Ally and Bookshare. Arlington Central library has a large collection that we tapped for years. We also did home reading work on the days that he did not have tutoring.

He also dictated his written homework until he was proffiecient on the keyboard. This lasted until the end of his sophomore year of high school. We worked on keyboarding in the summer, 20 minutes a day and he progressed, but so did his thinking and dictating skills. Graphic organizers were also helpful. In MS and HS (and now in college) he received many accommodations so that he could take Honors and AP classes.

In additIon, we considered all of the schools you mention, but DC’s strength is in math and sciences and none of them had the lentgh and breadth available to him,in his mS and HS. So we kept him in public to make sure his strengths were supported there and supplemented at home with what we could not get to support his challenges at home.

[Anonymous]

Before you pull why not pay for an OG tutor outside of school for 6 months or so to see if it helps?

We did this with my kiddo and it was private OT.

When the OT issues improved, we did switch to private, but for other reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why crazy? If I could afford it I would send my child to Lab or Commonwealth. These schools know how to work with kids who have a 2e profile while most public schools do not.

Not OP, but if DC qualifies for an IEP, is financial assistance to the school need based, or can it be based on their disability/SN? Maybe this is another thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why crazy? If I could afford it I would send my child to Lab or Commonwealth. These schools know how to work with kids who have a 2e profile while most public schools do not.

Not OP, but if DC qualifies for an IEP, is financial assistance to the school need based, or can it be based on their disability/SN? Maybe this is another thread.

need based

[Anonymous]

I would make the switch to private earlier rather than later. We waited until HS— which in hindsight may have been a mistake, until then it appeared to us that the public schools were meeting his needs (although maybe they weren’t). The McLean school probably would have been great for our kid.

[Anonymous]

There are similar kids at Commonwealth. My child loves it. If you can afford it and can get in, its a great place. They don't have dyslexia specialists on site but they have small classes, understanding teachers and accommodations in place.

[Anonymous]

My DD is gifted, dyslexic, and has minor dysgraphic and exec. function issues. She is blossoming at Oakwood.

[Anonymous]

OP: I think I know what school you are at and the person who said those words. Your story is all too familiar. Do you have an IEP already? Re the advocate, you could try another one for this school year (and maybe tutoring) while you explore private schools. APS needs to serve kids like ours rather than push us into private schools. I say this as a taxpayer who really, really wants to retire someday and private delays that significantly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to decide if I should be worried about some things that occurred during my son's IEP follow up meeting with our new principal. He is in second grade.

The most important issue I have (and seem not to be able to get over it) is when I asked about whether or not my son could have orton-gillingham services during the school hours, I was told that not all "popular" methods were appropriate for all students with dyslexia. Given my son is on grade level with reading, she doubted he would need it. This statement contradicted what the VA Dept. of Education presented at APS's 2018 Dyslexia Conference this fall. He is in an inclusion classroom and does seem to be getting time on his written services outlined in his IEP.

On a side note, the administration at a SpEd coffee earlier this year that kids with too many accommodations use them as crutches.

It maybe a knee jerk reaction, but I signed up for tours at Commonwealth, the McLean School and the Lab School. However, both his neuropsychologist and everything I have read (and the APS conference), early intervention is key, but it really feels like as long as he stays on "grade level" he will not receive the services for dyslexia that he needs until he starts to flounder again. We have tutors come to our house twice a week for the past nine months (including the summer) to help with the reading. He currently struggles with writing and spelling.

Am I crazy to think of pulling him out of APS and sending him to a private school? I cannot figure out who to trust these days (or advocate has too many students she is currently working with and forgets who my son is and was actually rude in the meeting to both the school and me).

Before you leave and give up and pay for private, I would elevate this to the Director of the Office of Special Education. Your son probably appears to be on grade level because of all of the private tutoring you are doing on your own. You should not have to pay for a private school just to get access to OG. It sounds like your principal is unreasonably withholding access to OG for a student with a disability, and this needs to be elevated in writing. Is the school giving him help with writing and spelling? Put that in your email to the Director too. I think it can be fixed. Too often principals and schools are way off base and the problems can be fixed if parents elevate them. But if parents don't raise them, they will not be fixed.

Chances are you are not the only one having problems, so it would be good if other parents voice their concerns too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: I think I know what school you are at and the person who said those words. Your story is all too familiar. Do you have an IEP already? Re the advocate, you could try another one for this school year (and maybe tutoring) while you explore private schools. APS needs to serve kids like ours rather than push us into private schools. I say this as a taxpayer who really, really wants to retire someday and private delays that significantly.

And I think I know who this rude advocate is. If it's who I think it is, she's not only rude, but she's not very good and no one respects her. I would drop her immediately.

OP - ask around your school for other parents in this type of situation, they are there surely and will be your best supports.

[Anonymous]

I'm going to assume you are in APS since you mentioned the APS dyslexia conference.

OP - APS has dedicated a lot of money and resources on OG. It's ridiculous that your principal won't give OG instruction to a kid with dyslexia.

Are you sure your son is on grade level? Schools like to claim that, when they really aren't. Even if he is, it sounds like you're getting him there through private tutoring. That is the school's job.

Don't let this principal stand in the way of your kid getting what he needs and is entitled to. Email the Director of Special Ed with a cc to the School Board members. That should get their attention.

Principals in APS are basically uncontrolled and unsupervised, and parents unfortunately need to elevate when they do something stupid. Yes, this whole system sucks. You can complain to the Board about that too, they let the worthless Super get away with it.

[Anonymous]

OP here - Thank you for all of your responses! I feel better knowing that I am covering all my bases by touring the schools and trying to understand the best route for my child.

It is good to know there are options! I am definitely trying to go the public school route and hope it works out with a strong IEP, but the back up plans are at least getting lined up!! I do wish I had won the lottery