You said earlier that you liked the middle school's system because they did stay on a certain subject 'til they "got it". That's what needs to happen here. If he doesn't "get" the material for math test #1, he's not going to be successful on math test #5 -- not when the work builds upon previous work. Not being a math teacher, I don't know what things are typically built into math IEPs, so I can't offer much in the way of specifics. You're not going to like this: I threw out a number of concrete ideas that've worked over the years with a wide variety of kids with disabilities, and you shot down half of them and ignored the other half. I understand that not knowing the child, I'm sort of shooting in the dark, making guesses about what may help . . . but when a parent rejects everything, it makes me think that the parent wants the class expectations to be excused away (i.e., just give him a passing grade or let him skip certain assignments). The IEP is supposed to give the student the tools with which to be successful -- not to remove expectations. Okay, then what DOES motivate him? I don't see anything about blaming him or taking anything away from him. I'm suggesting concrete ways that will help him be successful in class.
I am not rejecting everything, but you said he should do MORE than copying the notes on the board. That was one thing I rejected because it isn't possible. I was pointing out that my child's specific writing disability is one that slows him down so much that he can't even get that much down. In addition, he cannot listen and write at the same time(another disability) which means he would not get what the teacher was saying. He is much better at auditory retention and seeing things worked out than he is at reading his own notes and understanding the concept. He does take notes at times, but teacher notes would take that pressure off him, so he can attend to the teacher. And teacher notes are in his IEP, so professionals feel the same way; I am not trying to remove the expectation that he will do the work; accommodations level the playing field .
He was in a pull out resource math in MS.They cannot stay on a concept until every child gets it in the regular HS classroom. They have to be prepared for the EOC tests, and besides that would not be fair to the kids who got the concept the first time. I have spoken to the special education chair about the possibility of breaking some math classes in half for students who have a hard time with math, IEP or not. DS's high school is on the block schedule, so they have about 4 1/2 months in each class. I was suggesting they offer an Algebra 1a and 1b as an option, so the classes would move slower and the kids would get more repetition. Math, especially, is a subject where concepts build, so not getting one concept will affect your understanding of other concepts. This wouldn't help my son now, but it would help other students who struggle with math.
The only other suggestion I saw was to use driving as motivation. I'm sorry if saying my child is not interested in driving was a rejection. It was simply the truth. I do use other things as motivation(video games, tv).
Please try to stay away from avoidance techniques in the IEP - the best thing you can do for your son is advocate for him to be responsible for his own life - getting all these accommodations may help him get good grades in school, but what do those grades show? I know that doesn't sound how I mean it to - try not to focus on his grades, but on getting him the skills he needs to be successful after he is out of school, after you are not in control of his life, when he is responsible for his own well-being.
What is he going to do in the workplace? How is he going to get his job done without all this support? What kind of job would he like, what skills would he need to be successful in that job? That should be the focus of the IEP.
There should be standards set where he is responsible for certain things - if he can't write legibly for the teachers (my daughter's writing used to be described as a mix of chicken scratch and hieroglyphics) then have those assignments typed. His own notes, if he can read them, can be in his own penmanship. Make sure he takes notes even if he gets a second set from the teacher. It's a skill he needs to work on. Have him outline the teacher's notes at home for practice if he needs to just listen in class to absorb the information.
If the work is too complex for him to complete, and he is in honors classes, he needs to be moved to a lower level - That way, he will have the time to grasp the subject at hand, and since the academic part won't be a problem, he can focus on the other stuff, like decoding and organization. Understanding a subject is absolutely useless if you can't apply it when needed. He needs to learn how to use his strengths to overcome his weaknesses (don't we all).
I'm not concerned with grades, other than whether he is passing and doing his best. I learned early on that his best is not the same as another child's best. C's for him are equivalent to A's for some students as far as the amount of effort he has to put into getting that grade. He really does not have many accomodations---preferential seating, extra time on assignments and tests(to make up for the writing difficulty), and copies of teacher notes. He is not even getting those is the problem. He is taking notes, and knows how to do that. Can you imagine asking a kindergarten student to keep up writing what the teacher is saying though? He has no automaticity in his writing and it is s-l-o-w.
Right now, he is planning on going into computer programming or video game creation and programming. He will need minimal writing to do these jobs, and he can type what writing is necessary. I don't imagine he will have many lectures he needs to take notes on in the workplace
, so notes should not be a big deal. If he is in a job that interests him, that will make a big difference. As one psychologist once said "School is the only time that you are expected to be good at EVERYTHING." We all specialize in what we're good at, and kids with learning disabilities will usually pick careers that include things they are good and and not so much of the things they are bad at.
He has also said he would like to possibly be a teacher to help kids with learning disabilities be successful. He has a few teachers who went the extra mile to do that for him, and they definitely left an impact.
He definitely has to work on organization, and that will be a goal for next year. I also plan on getting him to use a planner, even if it is on his Ipod, so that he knows what is due and when. I will have a meeting in the first few weeks of school to make sure his teachers know his accommodations and what has worked for him in the past. I am going to make sure they are aware that there have been some problems getting the accommodations met in the past and that I'm going to be a little more proactive in that area next school year.
I think it is hard to understand the whole LD child thing if you have not been through it yourself. It is an uphill battle, and I just thank the Lord that my DS does not have more serious disabilities. Other than the ones I have mentioned, he is a normal kid who is very sociable, outgoing, and artistic.
I don't know what kids with more severe learning disabilities do.
