I BELIEVE THE CLASSES SHOULD BE TAUGHT BY A PERSON WHOSE SPECIALIZED IN THAT AREA IS A GREAT IDEA. I ALSO BELIEVE WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IS THE CHILD BRAUGHT TO LEVEL THEY HAVE LD'S IN IS A NECESSAY THING ALSO. MODIFICATIONS SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT THE WAY LIFE ALWAYS WORKS AND IT DOESN'T IT ALWAYS.ThE FARTHER A KID IS IN THE MAIN SUBJECTS THE HARDER ALL THE OTHER CLASSES BECOME. IT ALL BUILDS FROM THE MAIN SUBJECTS ANYHOW.
Teens are all hormones and peers that's the fact. Thank you all for your responses. Yes, my son has been on Concerta and Strattera, and they both made him not feel "normal". Up until now, being med free for over 3 years now, he has done very well in school being in the specialized classroom for his subjects. That is the problem, he is used to being in specialized classrooms for the subjects he has trouble in and now they have taken that all away from him and placed him in the regular classroom. He does have an aid in some of these classes, but this alternative does not seem to be working. He is having extreme difficulty in reading and spelling to where they are wanting to give him a "student" now to sit with him at his desk and help him with his work. This student is a senior and it is considered "service learning" for them. How can this work? Tryston has extreme difficulty keeping his attention on task and I feel this mainstreaming is hurting him tremendously. He has had an IEP and has been tested to see where the problems are and that is where they have given him special education teachers to help with this. Now he has lost that and has to depend on an aid to help. This also makes it more difficult for him because he is wanting to "fit in" with the regular students and when he gets singled out by the aid or "service learning" student, this makes his self-esteem go down tremendously. I sure need some help on what I need to do in regards to this. Thanks for reading.............DeannaI don't think this is a medication issue, IMHO. This is an educational issue, and I would address it there. I'd start by calling whoever is responsible for SPED at the school and discussing your concerns with this person. Don't mention meds, except to say, if you feel the ABSOLUTE necessity to say something, that your son could not take them. Find out how your son can receive specialized instruction, as promised to him in his IEP. Be nice but firm about the fact that a high school tutor IS NOT specialized instruction. Once you talk to this person, let us know what the person says. We'll take it from there.
Also, it sounds like your son may have a language LD? When was the last time he was tested?
Welcome to the board! I only have a almost 7 year old so I have nothing to add but will be asking you in years to come.Doing away with resource in the upper grades and mainstreaming these kids, instead, is where school districts across the country are heading. I BELIEVE it is a result of NCLB's requirement for "highly-qualified teachers" teaching children. In order for the teacher to be "highly-qualified" in the upper grades, the teacher must be certified in the field in which s/he is teaching, so a resource teacher, who is teaching resource English and resource math, must be certified in secondary special eduction, secondary English, and secondary math to be considered "highly qualified." It's very difficult to find teachers with these multiple certifications, so schools are mainstreaming the resource children; HOWEVER, the schools are putting the teacher, who is just certified in special education, as most resource teachers are, in the classroom with the teacher, who is certified in the subject. This way the child gets teachers with both certifications, which allows the "specialized instruction" part of SPED to be fulfilled. I don't see your school doing this. And that's a violation of the law. If the child has an IEP, then it was deemed necessary for the child's curriculum and/or instruction to be modified with specialized curriculum and/or instruction. That's WHY the child has an IEP. The child needs these to be academically successful. If the child didn't need them, the child could function just with a 504.
There MUST be a SPED teacher doing specialized instruction at your son's school. Yes, your son legally can be mainstreamed, but if it was deemed necessary in your son's IEP that he receive specialized instruction, then your son must receive it. So, my question is, would specialized instruction help your son in class? Would a SPED teacher, who reteaches the lesson or checks for undertanding in small groups after the regular ed teacher presents the lesson to the entire class, help your child be academically successful? Would an aide being in class, to help your son focus and stay on task, allow your son to be academically successful? These are important questions because if your child must have specialized instruction to be academically successful, then your child must be given it. He CAN BE given it in the mainstreaming model your son's school has begun, but he must be given it.
I would like to see those questions answered before medicating your son, when medication did not work previously.
Hi..... I have a son also 13. I have a few questions that may help us understand better your situation.
What type of doctor diagnosed him? What type of doctor is currently following him? What age was it that you tried meds and when you were doing the trial, how closely was the doctor managing the trial ? Were several doses tried on Concerta?
Re....football. How is he doing with following the coach's instructions, paying attention on the field, etc.? Is he playing a position that requires him to have the plays memorized? You mention his older brother was a football star..... I'd be worried about that pressuring your son. If football really a passion, or does he feel the need to do it because of brother's legacy?
I don't understand at all why a school district would just suddenly "decide" to do away with special education classes. Are you in a very small district? That is a huge transition to go from self contained SPED class to regular classroom. Does he have a 1 on 1 aide? What does the aide do for him?
Okiemom
I am PMing you.
Lillian:
Thank you for writing. I just got Tryston's progress report back yesterday - he has 4 F's and 2 C's. Last year he had a 3.0 to 3.5 all year long. How could one year make such a difference unless there has been a dramatic change in the special education curriculum to the point where my child is being taught totally different. I have called the school and schedule a conference for Tuesday. Could you please help me get together some questions I need to be asking as far as this mainstreaming is concerned. This child was held back in Kindergarten and should be in the 8th grade now. He also is a big kid and he cannot afford to be held back again especially due to some experimental teaching with SPED. I really need some help with this. Thanks Deanna
I am in the same situation! My son started 7th grade and I have an IEP for him. I was never told our school is "mainstreamed" or that my son would not get resource room reteaching. I have had several meeting and phone calls this year already arguing this and I have gotten no where. My ds is also doing poorly now and he is on medication. He does not have an aide. They have co-teaching. This is a terrible failure in my opinion and I am really upset. It's reaching the point where I may pull him out and homeschool him because I feel like it's like watching my child get hit by a car in slow motion. It's just to painful for him and I to go through much more.
Good luck and let me know how it goes.
msbobbi