How does one know?

[wakeupcall]

My difficult child is doing pretty well in his first year of intermediate (6th), BUT he's failing reading even though he's in Special Education. How does one know if he's just goofing off or if he really, truly can't do it? I hate to come down hard on him if he just can't do it....you know, the "what was the author trying to tell you?" He doesn't even know what "I" am trying to tell him most of the time. I just don't know what to do....

 

[Steely]

The only thing I can recommend is getting some of those reading comprehension workbooks from your local bookstore, or sitting down and doing some homework with him, and see for yourself how much he is really retaining.

If he is in Special Education, they should also have tested him, and should know what grade level he is on, and therefore he should be receiving grade appropriate work. If you know for certain he is doing the grade level work he tested at, then I say push him a little harder with his school work. The Special Education dept should also be helping you with this if he is failing.

Good luck.

 

[AllStressedOut]

I agree with the above, sit down with him and see what you think.

I still have reading comprehension problems at 30. If anything is distracting me, shiny objects, whatever, I can't focus. I'll read one paragraph 20 times before it sinks in. This is why I don't read for pleasure very often. It's just too frustrating.

 

[wakeupcall]

This is what I'm afraid of. On the other hand, if he's goofing off, I want to come down on him for it. If he JUST CAN'T DO IT, then we need to work with him to find other ways to help it sink in. I guess this is what I thought he was in "Target" reading for....so they can help zero in on the problems and work through them. ARG........

 

[DazedandConfused]

Son is an amazing reading decoder. Just don't ask him WHAT he has read, most likely, he will not remember.

For Son, it took a Neuoropsych evaluation to find out he's in the >1 range for visual processing. That explains lot. The info is going in his brain, but from there who knows what in the heck his little head is doing with it. He's was scheduled for an MRI, and the "famous teaching hospital" blew it big time by not getting a prior authorization from my insurance company. Son and I show up, and well, anyway, it was a big mess. Still waiting to get another appointment and hopefully rule out any physical abnormalities.

He could very well have issues that are brain related, and in all seriousness, can't help it.