Will the frustration ever end? | Autism PDD

My son did Lindamood Bell for a 6week program, His reading jumped one grade level in 6 weeks. It was the only method we tried that really made a difference, Sadly my son does not have the patience to study for hours at a time after School, it is meltdown city and lead us to depression, both him and me. He also has dysgraphoria  (spelling) he can not write well enough to read the words. DD is 12 and in 6th grade. She has MAJOR comprehension difficulties, both with written directions and oral. Her reading comp is probably about 3 years behind. It has taken years of her coming home with 20% on tests to figure out what works. You may want to try these if you haven't already. Now, the sped case manager types up a study guide for her and some other kids w/IEP's. The study guide is limited to the material that is on the test and worded very similar to the test. We go over it for a couple hours before the test. It also helps if we can get the study guide days before a test/quiz as that gives us extra time. We go over the study guide over and over and over until she can answer everything, both orally and in writing. This has helped immensely. Of course, we still have issues if a quiz/test has questions asked differently or questions where she has to make an inference as she is really impaired in that area. We still have problems with quizzes/tests in Language Arts as she can decode fine but can't comprehend or infer. Some of her work is modified--oftentimes textbook series provide modified tests which are more straightforward. There is also an aide in the classroom that can assist with explaining questions, and she has tests given in the resource room as it is a lot quieter and less distracting. All of this is in her IEP. It still can get very frustrating, though...I spend hours outside of school with her trying to re-teach stuff. My next mission is to get remediation re the comprehension difficulties. I would love to have Lindamood Bell along with explict vocabulary instruction and I think that will be my next battle as her triennial review is coming up. We also have textbooks at home and I try to push for them providing a summary of what will be tested before the chapter starts so we can review continually.Teacher training is REQUIRED under law. You can get training for each teacher/therapist who shows through action that he or she does not understand autism and the issues it presents.  Call and IEP Meeting and bring up this issue.  Have written into the IEP the ways each teacher/therapist must approach your son's learning.  THe IEP is not going to like this. But you can tell them that progress and meeting standards is the aim of an IEP and that is not occurring without better methods and better training.  If might be that the placement is incorrect and that your child needs a more restrictive environment. OR it could be that he needs more supports in the current environment.  Clearly, leaving things as they are is not the answer.  Pursue this until you get the answer.  If necessary, involve and advocate.Oh I would have gone nuts too.

My son had a teacher last year who had skimmed that Jesse had an IEP but I knew he didn't really read it. Jesse was in his class during their reading and spelling time (Jesse gets this in Resource because he will always need a spellchecker for life.) This teacher had Jesse take the tests for Busy work.

Jesse brought home papers and one of which was a SPelling test he took and every SINGLE word was misspelled and had a RED mark on each. At the top of the test was a huge frowning smilie. I called the next morning to speak with his Resource teacher as well as the school social worker. Both spoke with the Gen. Ed teacher regarding his grading on "Busy work" given to Jesse.

He ended up calling me and made his apologies. I think he meant it. I told him that I don't mind his giving Jesse busy work or even homework but when he grades things to never show disapointment with a frown. Kids like Jesse take it hard and they are already hard enough on themselves. The next time he came home with a Spelling paper and again they were all checked wrong but at the top was a smiling smilie with the words GOOD TRY JESSE!!

I talked to our school about trying to implement a program for all kids with IEP's. Its a kind of Hand off thing that they started this year because of what happened to Jesse and I am sure other kids. Now the Resource teacher actually MEETS with the new Gen. Ed teacher to implement them not only on the IEP but on the kid as an indvidual. This year has gone very smoothly I think because of the time that went into making sure that the transition from one grade to the next went better for kids like Jess.

Interesting about the verbal testing, thanks for sharing that Loki.

Yes, this teacher and I'm quite certain all of the others do not get it. I'm so sick of them looking at me and nodding and saying they understand and then pull crap like this. This teacher, as well as all of his other teachers have been in 4 meetings with me so far this year. 4! 3 teachers even went to a 2 day conference with me and reported back to the rest. Every time I think surely now they understand, boom...something like this happens. They don't get it because they don't want to get it. It is as simple and sickening as that.

BTW, still haven't heard back from anyone.

We got verbal testing written into my sons IEP, and guess what, his scores went up. I think you need an IEP meeting with this Teacher in attendance. How frustrating for you and your son. I made copy's of my sons work without verbal testing and after, verbal testing to prove to them it really  made a difference. I would not let this go without a meeting with Teacher. The Teacher does not get it! I sure hope that things get better for Zach this year.   Hugs.

Zach brought home a Science test yesterday where he got only one question right. On the way home he said he had to tell me something that I might be upset about. He tells me about the test, I told him of course I wasn't upset, we would look at it when we got home and see where he struggled.

So I look at this test and I swear I about blew a gasket but had to hold it in. The teacher (who has been TOLD about autism and was at the IEP meeting where the topic of comprehension and understanding was a main focus) writes in red pen at the bottom of the test  in big letters "You did not read the directions or listen to my instructions."

It absolutely took everything I had not to send him an email in red, 36 pt font that said "You did not read his IEP or listen to any of my instructions about my son and how autism affects him!"

So, I waited until this morning and sent him an email and cc the sp ed teacher. I nicely explained I was concerned with the way this was handled and that he does read the directions and does listen to instructions but does not process written or verbal language the correct way all the time.

I am just beyond frustrated by all of these teacher who just do not GET our kids!

I haven't heard anything back from either of them yet. Still waiting on a call back from the director of sp ed too (since yesterday morning). I need to talk to her about the lack of time there is in his day to do any social skills training. This year has been a nightmare from day 1.

Venting feels good, feel free to add your own LOL
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