Special Education

DO YOU THINK YOUR CHILD HAS A LEARNING DISABILITY?

Different Learning Disabilities exhibit themselves in different ways, so there is no formula or one behavior that will give you the answers about whether your child has a learning disability.  However, there are some things that might indicate concern about a disability. Please remember that learning disabilities should not carry a stigma. It is not an indication of how smart a student is.  Learning more about how your child is learning can only help him now and in the future. Learning disabilities and intelligence are not the same.  Very intelligent people have learning disabilities.  This is one reason not to ignore signs of a disability.  The proper response to a student’s disability should allow him to learn at his ability.

• If your child is attending school regularly, paying attention in class and doing his homework regularly, yet receiving poor grades, it is time to have take notice of some important indicators. First, make sure to look at your child’s work regularly.  If your eight grader has terrible handwriting, that is actually important information.  Is your child’s work scattered and confused or is it organized and easy to follow?  How about notebooks and backpacks?  Could your child find his math homework if he needed to?  Are notebooks filled with signs of classroom learning or do you find signs of frustration.  One of my students had “I hate school!”  rammed into the paper with scribbles throughout the pages.  It made me sad but motivated to help him have a better experience.  Keep works samples to bring to a future meeting so you can show school officials what concerns you.
• Sit down and ask your child about school.  First, acknowledge that you have observed his efforts and are proud that he is a responsible student. This might help your child to reveal exactly how he feels about what is happening in school.  Make it a conversation, not an interview, but here are some questions to consider asking your child:

• Do you like school?  What is your favorite subject?  What is your least favorite subject?
• Tell me about your teachers.  Who is your favorite teacher and why?
• What is one thing your teacher does that helps your learn? What frustrates you?  How do you handle your frustration?
• Do you think you are smart?
• Do you usually have enough time to finish your class assignments and quizzes/tests?

• If your conversation with your child confirms your concerns, choose a teacher who might know your child well.  Some schools have homeroom teachers who act as liaisons for students their homeroom.  Other teachers usually contact them if they have concerns about your child.  If this is the case, contact your child’s homeroom teacher.  Most schools communicate through email, but whatever means you use to communicate, be specific about your concerns, and request a meeting with your child’s teachers and possibly a special education administrator.  Bring the work samples that you saved and some short notes to remind you what questions you want to ask and take notes so you will be able to remember what each teacher said.  At this point, the teachers and you may discuss some ideas about what might help your child learn better.  Perhaps one teacher has found that seat placement makes a difference, or another shortens homework assignments.  Offer your own ideas about what might help your child learn better.  If you feel that the team has come up with a plan to intervene, then take the time to discuss how everyone will know if the strategies are working (measurable goals) and set a time for a follow-up meeting. Make sure you leave with a contact person’s information and changes you will implement at home.  If both parents are able to attend this meeting, they should.  Your child’s education is important and one parent trying to absorb a team’s information can feel overwhelming.  If both parents cannot attend, bring someone who can help you.  You can call Shrewsbury Learning Experts and Maryellen Brunyak will meet with you prior to the meeting, attend the meeting with you and follow up with recommendations.
• Sometimes your child’s struggles raise enough concern that a Special Education evaluation is appropriate.  A teacher, special education representative, or a parent can make a request for an evaluation.  Parental consent is required before the evaluation can be conducted, so once you have decided that an evaluation is necessary, write and sign the consent to get the process started.  The school has sixty days from receipt of that consent to conduct an evaluation.  Ask the teachers to pay attention to the child’s learning needs while the evaluation is being conducted and an IEP is being written.  Your child can work in a small group at times and receive extra help or his teacher can shorten long assignments, work with him one on one, or change the way he is tested.  A teacher may use sound mythologies to help any student without an IEP.  This saves time and failure for students who are being evaluated and helps all students.