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I moved my 2 children from Long Island NY to NC 4 yrs ago, and as for moving to the Triad area which is in Davidson county it was a very bad choice for us, I am thinking of moving again so I can provide the right services for my children who both suffer with A.D.H.D my son is 7 and daughter 12, my daughter is receiving some form of extra services but is still failing, No one in 4 yrs here ever thought to put an IEP in place till a friend of mine in NY told me about it, once I said something they jumped for my daughter but my son has (failed 2nd grade) and THEY asked for a retention, My son didn't fail...Davidson county schools FAILED HIM, I had him tested at his psychologists office although his I.Q a little low, his scores on ALL subjects were middle to above grade level, the test were taken on a 1 on 1 kind of setting, he excelled, putting my very hyperactive child in a group setting he cannot focus the school ( teacher & counselor) very noticed his decline never picked up on his not working, I don't understand why my son was pushed aside now oh lets leave him back? they say 3rd grade will be to much for him to handle, and cannot test him for any special education services till next yr, do to his having NOT been diagnosed with a learning disability do to his test scores, doesn't having A.D.H.D warrant extra services by that alone..I am so lost in what to do, I want the best for my son just don't know if leaving him back is the right thing to do....Please help!!!
Let me start out by saying I can undertand your frustration. If I am wrong about this I hope that an EC teacher can help, but I will just say what I have experienced in NC.
I think that in order to receive special ed services (IEP) there has to be a certain point discrepancy between IQ and performance. If you had him tested and he is performing on grade level on the tests and there is not a discrepancy with the IQ, then I do not know what the school will do. If there is a medical condition, AHHD, and it does affect his learning you may be able to get a 504. The paperwork will give him modifcations such as extended time on testing, testing in a separate room, preferential seating that type of thing.
As far as one on one services, I do not know of any cases where ADHD students have received a one on one mentor. You may receive extra tutoring from the teacher, although one on one is usually for more incapacitated students. Unfortunately the testing can take a little while, so you may want to ask that they start it this summer. It can take a couple of months to get the testing done through the school district, and then actually get the services put into place.
Does your own psychologist recommend anyone that works with ADHD students that can help your son to develop some strategies to help him in school?
Does your own psychologist recommend anyone that works with ADHD students that can help your son to develop some strategies to help him in school?
I myself actually have ADHD, pretty bad, too. I had to have a mental waiver to enlist in the Military. The main reason the waiver was granted was due to my test scores. I'm very intellegent, despite struggling with ADHD. I even attended NC Governor's School (Governor's School of North Carolina) in English. I've never taken any meds, my mom wouldn't allow it. I developed techniques like writing down everything the teacher says, or whatever is on the board, or if it's a reading assignment write down everything I'm reading. That way a.) my mind can't wonder & b.)i'm not restless. You don't even have to literally write everything, you just have a pen in your hand and move it/scribble/doodle in writing like manner. A pseudo type writing that helps you focus on the task.
The problem with it is the person has to either enjoy or see merit in the activity. For me personally, my ADHD has made me somewhat of a procrastinator, not that I intentionally put stuff off, but get distracted easily, so it ends up w/ the same end state. Due to hyperfocus, though I wait to the last minute when I get to the point where I have to get it done, a pressure situation, my hyperfocus kicks in and I typically end up w/ a superior end product and/or state vs my peers who took a multiple of my time spent on the same task. It also allows me to get tasks done quickly upfront, if I can motivate myself to do it................
starting to ramble. The point is if you can a.)relate your son learning into something he likes or already hyperfocuses on b.)use access to something he already hyperfocuses on or likes as a condition of completing daily educational tasks or goals. he may soon be hyperfocusing on his work, or at least doing it. c.) discipline him when he doesn't do well. DOn't let him use his condition as a crutch. When I was first diagnosed and they wanted to put me on meds, my mom refused b/c she did not see why me having ADHD should effect my ability/capacity to learn, and as far as any disciplinary problems that resulted from me being ADHD, well, she had her own way of handling those, biblically.
All of the above may be too little to late for this school yr. what you may need to do is cut your losses and let your son be held back if he doesn't have the grades to progress. In the long term this will not effect your son academically, it may even help him. No one was ever denied college entry for failing a grade in elementary school. It can effect him psychologically if he sees you stressing over it, though. He may feel like he failed you.
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On a side note I have a younger bro (16 yrs younger) who has ADHD as well, but my mom has him on meds. Though it must be said not for academic reasons, but for disciplinary/conduct ones. He actually just graduated valedictorian of the fifth grade.
Let me start out by saying I can undertand your frustration. If I am wrong about this I hope that an EC teacher can help, but I will just say what I have experienced in NC.
I think that in order to receive special ed services (IEP) there has to be a certain point discrepancy between IQ and performance. If you had him tested and he is performing on grade level on the tests and there is not a discrepancy with the IQ, then I do not know what the school will do. If there is a medical condition, AHHD, and it does affect his learning you may be able to get a 504. The paperwork will give him modifcations such as extended time on testing, testing in a separate room, preferential seating that type of thing.
The discrepancy between Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and academic performance determines a LEARNING DISABILITY.
Depending on the district the difference can be as little as 5 or as great as 20...
ADHD is typically determined by a physician.
504 are usually for a temporary condition or sometimes used for ASTHMA or conditions that impeded classroom progress and require simple modifications like prepared notes provided...
HOWEVER....things are sometimes so much different in NC...another post here reminded parents that there is FEDERAL law and sometimes states try to create their own INTERPRETATION of that.
Look into WRIGHT'S LAW or find an advocate group that is able to help.
I know this is a very emotional topic. Maybe the school is right. If your child excels in 1 on 1 with a Dr, that is in no way similar to a school environment. My kids with IEP's get so many minutes a day with the ELP staff, but all are in my math class.
I do not think an IEP is going to give you one on one through the day, and if other than that is leading to low achievement, you are going to have to deal with that.
Retention, early is not normally a big deal to anyone in the school system. It also is not that big a deal to the younger kids, but as they get older, and start looking more and more to peers as a social network, it gets traumatic.
I suggest a non-confrontational, emoitionless conference with the teacher and administrator. You can also request that the county person responsible be present. I know when you are angry it is hard to take, but the deal here is what is best for your kid. I expect that can best be achieved by working with the school rather than against them.
I sincerely wish you good luck. On of my kids, made a level 4 on this year's math EOG, and growth of 17 points from last year. We all celebrated.
School Psychologist here.
Kids who have an IEP are not retained. (I can't speak for NC, but I've worked in western states). The "plan" is meant to address shortcomings in the child's education. If the child is not getting the material, the plan is not working, so the plan gets amended.
ADHD can fall under a 504 plan (with no discrepancy) or under IDEA as Other Health Impaired (when a discrepancy exists between cognitive ability and achievement).
As a parent, you have every right to deny retention. Just ask that he be put at the head of the list for testing next school year. When you sign your name for permission to test, the 60-day clock begins, culminating in the IEP meeting.
If the district gives you any problem, just tell them you'll have your lawyer get back to them, at which point they will not only bend over, but they'll drop their pants and spread their cheeks. (Sorry for that imagery there, but that's what happens...figuratively speaking, that is.)
I believe the son has no IEP currently in place.??
Special Education is different in Cali isn't it?
ADHD / ADD is NOT discrepancy BASED.
ADHD / ADD is an OHI classification.
Emotional / Behavioral is NOT discrepancy BASED.
Learning Disability (differences) IS discrepancy BASED
Cognitive Impairment IS Discrepancy BASED.
There is also the new mandate that districts offer another evaluation model to determine discrepancy based disabilities like Specific Learning Disability using other criteria than just the discrepancy based model by implementing or considering
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI)
I realize various states have their own interpretation of IDEA
but I am thinking section 504 might not cover ADHD / ADD as this tends to be a lengthy condition -- one that might not resolve itself quickly. and section 504 is designed to address situations that DO NOT require an IEP as Section 504 does not have goals and objectives (as I remember)--WHICH ARE NEEDED TO MONITOR PROGRESS TO DETERMINE IF PROGRAM (IEP) IS SUCCESSFUL...the IEP is a legal document that adresses deficits in the classroom--not just academics but can include BEHAVIORAL, ADHD /ADD typically does not mean POOR ABILITY LEVEL, it is the inability to focus which causes the person to miss the information--the ADHD / ADD person generally has the ability to process the information once they are on task. Omission of information is not the same as LACK of understanding.
A parent who immediately says "I HAVE A LAWYER AND I AM NOT AFRAID TO USE THEM." Generally will not fare well in court. As soon as the district tells the judge all the parent wanted was court, it usually gets thrown back to mediation--which I think is the first step anyways?
It is best to be calm and discuss the situation with the teacher, principal and another teacher who may be familiar with your child. Many times a student having difficulties will have been noticed and other staff will be aware of the struggle.
ask the school to show what it has done:
Child study / child find -- if they haven't why haven't they done one?
What has been done in the classroom this year to help the child be successful? In class modifications / adaptions (you do not need an IEP for the teacher to try different things to help a student be successful)
Ask to see any documentation on your child--referrals, notes the teacher made about in class behavior, whatever will demonstrate the school took an active role in promoting opportunities for your child to learn.
GET A COPY of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines and requirements...
It can be found online...
Last edited by zthatzmanz28; 06-07-2009 at 05:38 AM..
With a doctor's diagnosis of ADHD or ADD, a parent can call a Student Study Team (they can actually call for an SST meeting whenever they feel like it, usually needing to put it in writing first- "I want my kid tested for special education" is sufficient enough, along with the parent's signature).
ADHD is considered a disorder of executive functioning, generally having an impact on a student's ability to learn.
Most districts are amenable to the suggestion of testing the child. On occasion you run into "interesting personalities" who don't understand the process and just plain like to say "No!" to reasonable requests.
I know the inner workings of school district administrations. If you get any flak, the mention of "lawyer" (in any way, nice or not) will always do the trick. It's not worth the trouble to deny testing to a kid to get the district involved in a lawsuit. And there is no shortage of lawyers willing to work on a contingency basis to sue a school district.
Districts are mandated to follow federal guidelines, which will always supersede state interpretations. There are much more similarities to districts everywhere than differences.
The only really obvious difference among states is whether or not they look for intracognitive discrepancies when determining specific learning disabilities. OK, now that I've lost 98% of readers, I'll stop here.
The mom here will have no trouble getting her child scheduled for testing next year. With a doctor's diagnosis, it's just a question of either falling under 504 guidelines or IDEA. The 504 plan is under general education and that's where interventions, modifications and accomodations would take place.
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