Need some advice.

[Michaelpi]

Well this is hard for me to do, But i am currently a junior in high school. Having dyslexia and ADD/ADHD has been hard for me, with Dysgraphia in high school is always emberising when my peers cant read what i have wrote. From early on around the 2nd grade I have had an IEP, going to privet school for 2 years that would try abd help focus on my Learning Disability (LD) did nothing but put me behind my peers in public school. Not haveing a full understanding what an IEP would do for me is somewhat my falt. No one at school or my parents gave me an inside what this would do for me and how it will help me learn. Leaving me out of the ARD's untill high school. freshman and softmore year I stugeld with a few issuies, late work, homework, getting counted off for spelling ect...I was told that If i needed help with anything go down to the Resorce room, But as a High school student who wants to stand out in a way that makes you diffrent? So partly my falt I did not ask for the help when It would of helped me. I have never failed any class, but getting a 70 in a class is just killing my GPA and applying to collages its awfule they will see that. This year I have been aplying my self by getting more help from the teachers, doing eveything In my power to raise my grades. I started taking AP US history, the teacher has helped a lot to improve my writing and getting acomadations with colleage bord test's.
Now my main issue, Is there any way with my IEP that I can raise my freshman and softmore year grades, I know partly it is my falt, but when I have teachers not folowing my acomadations and Im just not realising it hoping it not to late.

 

[svengandhi]

It's great that you are taking responsibility for your grades and schooling now. If your parents aren't helpful, find a school counselor you can talk to or a sped teacher.

You can't use your IEP to raise your prior grades but you CAN talk about your dyslexia and your struggles with learning in your college essays and try to put your poor grades into perspective. As for college, you can consider starting out at a community college which are often easier to get into. Many of them are starting to have special programs for Learning Disability (LD) students. The tuition is more reasonable as well. If you do well, you can transfer to any 4 year college and they will never look at your HS grades.

My husband is dyslexic and struggled all through school. Nobody knew what it was when he was in school (he is in his 50's) and he was considered stupid and lazy. He attended community college for 2 years and then switched to a top public college in our state. After that, he attended law school and works now as an attorney. He took the bar exam multiple times until he passed it.

My 12 year old son is also dyslexic and attends a private school. He uses a laptop and is now starting to work with a word recognition/dictation program so that he can hopefully go to district for HS (his goal). You might want to get a laptop and use voice recognition as well.

Other things you can get in your IEP are copies of class notes, the right to use books on tape or large print books to make reading easier and modified assignments - like giving an oral report instead of a written one. Make sure that spelling exemption is added to your IEP as well. And if the teachers are not following your accomodations, speak to your sped teacher or the sped office.

Good luck to you.