This 6 weeks Interim Progress Report...

[Chaosuncontained]

Remember, we are still waiting for IEP testing. It's all supposed to be done by 11/11 (I suspect there will be excuses and requests for an extension--UGH). Soooo, maybe this progress report will be good in terms of getting him an IEP--or helping anyway... Carson is in the Fourth Grade.


Reading 54
Soc Studies 45
Science 76
Health 93
Math 62
PE* No grade--have no idea why
Music 95
Language 07...yeah, a SEVEN. This is the class where he has to WRITE two essays per week.


I asked him why he can't get his work done. He told me that it is all "too hard". I gently reminded him that when he finishes his work he makes good grades. He just kept saying "I think it is all too hard. I just can't do it all." I asked him if it scared him--the work. He said yes.

Sigh...

He BEGGED me not to tell his Dad or his stepDad...he knows they will be disappointed. He said he will get a lecture from stepDad and "in trouble" by Dad. Which is all true. So, now he's anxious about THAT.

 

[InsaneCdn]

OK, lets split this up...

Science 76
Health 93
Math 62
Music 95

These are the classes with the least reading, and the least writing. Math being the lowest of these makes sense... word problems are difficult if reading comp isn't where it needs to be... but generally, these marks probably reflect resonably on his abilities and current understanding...

Reading 54
Soc Studies 45
Language 07...yeah, a SEVEN. This is the class where he has to WRITE two essays per week.

Reading and Social... are highly dependent on READING skills.
Social and Language... are very, very highly dependent on WRITING skills.

Can you say "learning disability"?
Dyslexia, dysgraphia, but NOT DYSCALCULA (that would be a math disability and he doesn't have that one!)
Fine motor skills disability
Doesn't rule out APDs... but top of the list is going to be classical LDs.

SCHOOL should be more in tune with LDs - these are not behavior issues, they are known challenges that schools are supposed to be used to dealing with, and they aren't new so lots of good info and resources out there.

And yes - the reading/writing thing is too hard for him. Its probably like asking a kid with spinal bifida to run 10 laps around the gym. I mean, really.

Yes, this is good back-up info for the IEP evaluations.

If all the marks were low, maybe its an IQ problem {in the school's eyes}... Know what I mean?? The spread is too wide for that.

 

[TerryJ2]

Does Carson have an in-school or after school helper? It helps our son immensely.
Also, we have been rewarding him for A's, which we never used to do. Then again, he's never gotten many A's ...
We break chores/assignments into bite-sized pieces. Even "regular" folks can have a meltdown when there's too much to do.
So sorry for Carson. I'm sure on this board, he's in good company.
Plus, the ups and downs of his grades is/are to be expected from someone with-anxiety and other issues.

My son came home today with-his grades, too. Amazingly, even after skipping 3 days of school last wk, he passed everything with-C's and D's. Which means to me that he could get straight A's if he really applied himself. IF.

PE is usually pass/fail. The teacher should have at least marked it.

 

[Chaosuncontained]

InsaneCdn: You always know the "right" thing to say--or bring to my attention. I know you only tell the truth--but sometimes it's hard for me to see, being so "up close to it" and all. The breaking it up, genius. It makes so much sense to me. I agree, I see Learning Disability (LD) too. He has soooo much anxiety over not being able to do it that he just shuts down--and refuses to do any of it. I was actually surprised at his Reading grade. He is always commended on his Reading and Comprehension. He read The Hobbitt last year in 3rd grade and scored 30 out of 40 Accelerated Reading points. He is a voracious reader. But again, this year Reading requires more writing. Thank you!!


Terry: I want a "helper" for Carson SO BAD!! He needs constant motivation, supervision, redirecting, reminding. He needs a Jimminy Cricket to help with situations before his behavior gets out of hand and someone gets choked or a pencil flies towards someones eye. I doubt seriously they will want to get him an aide. They are under such stress re "the budget". Not that I really give a rats ***. Right now our SD has an aide for every grade PreK-4th grade. One. For every grade. She spends a lot of her time in Music, Computer Lab and Cafeteria Duty and at Recess. She looks 18. Gah. Don't get me started.. LOL We also do not have "content mastery" that a lot of schools have. They claim that is what the aides are for. Thanks!!

 

[InsaneCdn]

If you can get the right accommodations and interventions for the learning disabilities... then he will NOT need a full-time aide.
There is a major stigma at school to having an assigned aide.
Less of a problem if you get a fraction of an aide... and the aide is sharp enough to help "everyone"... the other kids are less aware of who gets more or less attention, as long as its widely spread.
Full-time aide can lead to other problems, including bullying.

If you can solve the underlying problem... the secondary issues solve themselves, most of the time, and if not... are easier to solve anyway.

 

[TerryJ2]

Insane, good point. My difficult child has fits when ever I bring up the subject of an aide.
Still, it would be nice to have a Jimminy Cricket.

If the staff goes over the IEP with-you and suggests that they are wavering on certain issues, don't let them. They'll try to say that certain things are already covered under blah blah blah but they are not. Get as much as you can, because when one thing falls through (and it will), something else can take over. But if it all falls through and you don't have enough interventions, then you have nothing to fall back on, unless you want to sit through the classes yourself.
(I've actually considered that. Ugh.)

 

[InsaneCdn]

My difficult child has fits when ever I bring up the subject of an aide.

We struck a truce.
We fight tooth-and-nail so he does NOT get a joined-at-the-hip style of aide.
As long as the aide is sophisticated enough to not be obviously assigned to HIM... he admits he can use a "little" help from time to time...

 

[buddy]

my mind went right where IC went.... language heavy stuff=all the lower scores. also the fine motor and visual motor questions. Poor boy..the school should be embarassed for not seeing it themselves. Sounds like you are doing really well. Hope dads dont come down too hard, remind them he is being assessed and it is not fair to punish or lecture until they know what is really going on.

 

[confuzzled]

i'll put my money on not the language heavy but the writing heavy. more fine motor than dyslexic. i'm going out on a limb and guessing the "reading" score is lowish because 1. its overwhelming and 2. its the most boring reading material (to him) ever and 3. much more writing heavy than you'd think. might be some underlying comprehension issues...very worth screening for, but i wouldnt bet the farm on it.

during your IEP process i'd absolutely insist on an Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation, and probably i'd find something to disagree with in their findings and insist on an independent evaluation. i'll bet the two reports look very different...