What Else Can I Do

Hi J.,

I have a 10 year daughter with ADD. There is a wonderful program by SDSU. Called SDSU Reading Learning Center. In which they tutor the children. If you go into the SDSU website link to the Education Dept. This is an amazing program. My daughter started attending for the first this past Spring. The children first get tested to see where their level and determine if they are eligible for the classes. Also if you have financial needs they might be able to waive the fees. This program is being taught by certified school teacher that are persuiung their masters.

-A.

Aloha J.,

have you tried san diego regional center? try them. i have a 7 year old daughter that has epilepsy and development delay was well.

P.

Have you requested that he be tested by a speech pathologist and has he seen the school psycologist? The website I listed below are your rights as a parent of a student with a disability. Explore this site below. It's a parent friendly sight that should be able to give you some good advice. I think that they also have hotline numbers for you to call to get better (professional legal) advice.

www.pai-ca.org --From there you click on publications and type in the search engine box “special education rights and responsibilities.” This will take you to list. Click on Special Education Page – Protection and Advocacy, Inc.” Here you will find the New, Revised, Updated, December 2005 SERR manual as well as a) 18 Tips for Getting Quality Special Education Services for your Child b) Special Education Rights & Responsibilities for Children with ADD/ADHD, and c) Special Education Fair Hearings and Mediations After July 1, 2005 documents.

I know that it's a bit overwhelming, but hopefully you can find an advocate and get the help that you need.

Good luck!

Hi J.,

I wanted to inform you that under the Individuals with Disabilities act in the state of California, school districts are mandated by law to provide your child not only with a diagnoses but also with the appropriate and necessary treatment for his diagnoses--and if they are unable to provide for the necessary treatment at the school site, then they have to, by law, pay for your child to get the care he needs...even if that means having to pay for him to go to private schooling. However, you have to make your rights known. Make sure you're there at all of his IEP meetings. Put it in writing that you have not only not been told of what specific disability your child has, but also that you feel he is not getting the help he needs. You are your child's advocate, and if you don't push the school and district, then they won't budge because it is in their best interest to not budge. Best of luck to you and your son. If you need further information on the necessary steps you need to take, feel free to contact me.

I understand my 8 year old just got resources from the school this week, even though I have told them since kindergarten that he has needed extra help. Sometimes we juggle too much as moms and need to make sacrifices to be there for our children. If possible spend more one on one time, this helps my son to connect and communicate with me. I know of some wonderful support groups online if your interested? Connact me anytime.
Meissa :)

J., there is plenty that can be done! I am a parent advocate for children with learning disabilities. Don't let anyone tell you that it's your fault or that you need to do more. I know what it's like to have children with learning disabilities and we work very hard to help our children succeed. Don't hold it against those who may criticize you, they probably have never experienced raising a child with disabilities. Only those who have can really understand. That said, the school district NEEDS to help. Is he on an IEP? Have they done a comprehensive assessment of him? There are so many ideas I can give you about how to proceed. Please email me and give me more of what you or the school has already done and I'll help you navigate the system. I completely understand what you're going through. Hang in there!

J.,
I'm a second grade teacher and I'm often frustrated how slowly the school diagnoses kids and gives them the resources that they need. One bit of advice: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In other words, continue to be your child's strongest advocate. Go and talk with the school councelor, the resource specialist, the special ed teacher, and of course your son's teacher. Let them know that you will not rest until he gets the services that he needs! Ask your son's teacher what you can do for him at home and what seems to work for him in the classroom. She might have some insights about him from a classroom setting that you may not have noticed at home. Good luck!

Dear J.,

Go online to find out all you can about learning disabilities - check out the autism websites.

You should be able to find a better school for your son. Write to the Federal Dept of Education, write to your congressman or woman, Senator. Go to see the people at your County Dept of Education.

Move to another town, do anything that you need to do, this is very serious, and you cannot just take the answers that the local school has given you, it is not right .

Good Luck. C. N.

In a letter form send a letter requesting a new IEP with specific evaluations in areas that concern you. Like speech, motor skills, social skills, etc. Anything you feel he might be behind in, request an evaluation. They will have to do something legally obligated to evaluate whatever you request them to for problems. Then they will figure out what he needs placement wise and what kind of a classroom program he should have to help him the best. My 7 year old has autism and we go through this same thing all the time.

Have you spoken to anyone at Alta Regional Center or Easter Seals about your son? He may/may not be eligible for the services they provide but they may be able to direct you to other services/resources. You might consider starting a support group on your own.

I think from what I read that maybe its possible that he may be acting out instead of a learning problem. If you work full time and study for college online, when does he see you? How can you regulate his diet to make sure he is eating home cooked meals that are healthy? It is impossible to unless your supermom! Is he up early being rushed with breakfast and out the door, picked up after daycare or after school programs with limited outdoor time and fresh air where he can be creative and active? Is the school teaching too many concepts at once and he hasn't even grasped the last concept and is frustrated? There is alot of things that could be going on. My first impression with your comment ,to be honest was, poor kid.

J. i am in the same boat although i am a stay at home mom it is hard i have two 9 year olds both in resource! the school told me to work with them at home but it is fraustring with 3 other boys pluse my two older ones..
just hang in there! it will get better... iam also 27
H. a

Where are you located? Both my husband and I are teachers and we also tutor..my husband has advanced degrees in several areas of special ed and different programs...we do occasionally do pro bono work and also lower our rates when needed.....maybe we can at least get you started in the right direction.....the battery of tests are very expensive, but we may not need to do all of them...let me know if you are interested? C.

Hi J.,

My girlfriend has 2 kids that are autistic and she gets a lot of free help from Alta Regional. You should go online and look up your local office and see what they can do. Sha has a teacher that comes to their home once a week to work with them after school.

hope that helps
J.

You can try contacting your local regional center, and ask them to evaluate him. They will do it for free. He may qualify for a lot of low or no cost programs for special needs kids. My son is autistic, and we get 13 hours of free babysitting per month plus 3 weeks of camp. He also qualifies for lots of free classes, and there are a lot of parent training seminars available.

Also, you are allowed access to his school records. Since he's in Resource, he's obviously been assessed by the school and has been determined to have a disability, so it should be noted in his IEP. You should be receiving a copy of it at each annual IEP meeting. If you don't have one, contact the resource teacher and as for a copy of his most recent IEP and assessments.

If you have any other questions about Special Ed, feel free to email me.

J.,

Please don't take this the wrong way - but I am an assitant in an RSP class - - - of course he isn't getting what he needs. The classes are overcrowded and he misses a lot of his regular classees - I feel for these kids I do what I can for them - but it isn't enough - many of them are still flunking. I am actually looking into seeing if I can afford to start a tutoring program that is more reasonable than the sylvan type programs - - - If there is anything I can do to help - give you tips on things you can do with him at home please ask

Hi J.:
The school is required to formally test your son. If you strongly suspect a learning disability, put it in writing and request another IEP meeting. They have to do it for you within 40 days. Be very specific about what you suspect and request they test him for auditory processing. I own a tutoring business, have a daughter with several learning disabilities who is actually attending school in Montana because the district could not and would not help her. I am not saying your son is that severe, but I know the law and have been dealing with learning challenged kids for a long time. Email me back if you want to and we can talk privately.

Maybe you can post an add for a tutor at a nearby college? I know that a lot of college students that are studying to be teachers,and working on their "teaching credential" are required to work with children and/or tutor for a certain amount of hours. Well it was just an idea, hope you find what you need.