This morning I met with the "team" at Alex's school to discuss his test results. He tested "delayed" in many categories on the cognitive non-verbal test and had many below average scores on the Behavioral /Social Skills test. On his communication test his core language score was 48 below the mean of 100.
Of course a lot of this was blamed on his one year of English language and they don't want to hastily label him with a learning disability BUT the good news is.....he does qualify for help with speech!! (He slurs his s, z, and s blends)
Of course sweet speech teacher is worried about making him feel self conscious but I'm not backing down from this one. If he qualifies for help then he's getting help!! He can get over being self conscious. I mentioned how hard he is to understand and his teacher backed me up on that and the speech teacher said she'd work on that too-that she didn't notice him being hard to understand. Well, when you sitting face to face with no distractions, noise and outside influence Alex is much easier to understand but in a class room setting or with a house full of children he doesn't speak loud or clear enough to be understood.
I then brought up his retention. How we work on a subject-like vowels-over and over and then revisit it days later and he can't remember what a vowel is. The teacher backed me on this one with math problems. The school counselor agreed to take him and work on something-I wish I could remember the exact phrase she used-something about making goals and seeing if he can build upon that or if he forgets to evaluate further his retention ability.
All in all he's going to receive 30 minutes a week with the speech therapist, and 20 minutes four days a week with the counselor and then he already has his 30 minutes three times a week with ESL.
I'm not sure the speech lady or counselor were impressed with me when I mentioned our Thursday discussion about Alex not feeling sorry for himself and how people feel sorry for him because he's so cute-like the ESL teacher who has yet to let me know what they work on three times a week-despite my request to email me what they're working on so I can follow up at home with him. Last I heard they were reading baby books and talking about his day.
I also talked about what we can do this summer and they've agreed to take Alex on as a "peer leader" to help with the special ed kids summer program. I volunteered Rylee as well so Alex won't think he's being singled out. This way he'll be helping special ed kids and hopefully picking up valuable concepts while he's at it. I think this will be a great boost for his self confidence and may also help him with empathy for others. I think it will be great for Rylee too and I'm really going to play it up that this is an opportunity to serve and help people. (Not that this is a secret way to teach Alex more English!)
The social worker did mention that perhaps he's not retaining information because his brain is too over-loaded. That if he's so worried about other things there is no room for math and remembering vowels. To which I told him, his brain is probably over loaded with what is fun and how he is going to have more fun. You could see the sweet counselor and speech lady look at me in horror. Like I was so very mean but then I let them know that he will push the limit on getting away with the least amount possible. He's smart. He's cute and charming and he knows it. (All along Alex's teacher is backing me up on all my arguments! Did I mention I love her?)
So I felt good about it all in all.
He's going to get some additional help. We have a plan for some help during the summer and bless Alex's heart, he has been trying harder with his handwriting since my explosion on Thursday.
Last year I was almost home from Ukraine. Looking back I see signs I didn't see before. Like how upset he got when he couldn't get through a certain level on the Game Boy. I wish he'd get upset like that when he can't figure out what a vowel is. It would make me think he care's, that he wants to learn. But most of Alex's tears of frustration are from getting caught doing something he shouldn't and the resulting fun or privilege that is taken away. Not that he feels sorry for the wrong behavior-he's just sorry he got caught! And he's not quite smart enough to not admit that. If you ask him:
Alex, are you sorry you (insert whatever ill behavior he's being reprimanded for) or are you sorry you got caught?
Sorry I got caught.
Oh, well. At least he's conquering honesty.....right?
Of course a lot of this was blamed on his one year of English language and they don't want to hastily label him with a learning disability BUT the good news is.....he does qualify for help with speech!! (He slurs his s, z, and s blends)
Of course sweet speech teacher is worried about making him feel self conscious but I'm not backing down from this one. If he qualifies for help then he's getting help!! He can get over being self conscious. I mentioned how hard he is to understand and his teacher backed me up on that and the speech teacher said she'd work on that too-that she didn't notice him being hard to understand. Well, when you sitting face to face with no distractions, noise and outside influence Alex is much easier to understand but in a class room setting or with a house full of children he doesn't speak loud or clear enough to be understood.
I then brought up his retention. How we work on a subject-like vowels-over and over and then revisit it days later and he can't remember what a vowel is. The teacher backed me on this one with math problems. The school counselor agreed to take him and work on something-I wish I could remember the exact phrase she used-something about making goals and seeing if he can build upon that or if he forgets to evaluate further his retention ability.
All in all he's going to receive 30 minutes a week with the speech therapist, and 20 minutes four days a week with the counselor and then he already has his 30 minutes three times a week with ESL.
I'm not sure the speech lady or counselor were impressed with me when I mentioned our Thursday discussion about Alex not feeling sorry for himself and how people feel sorry for him because he's so cute-like the ESL teacher who has yet to let me know what they work on three times a week-despite my request to email me what they're working on so I can follow up at home with him. Last I heard they were reading baby books and talking about his day.
I also talked about what we can do this summer and they've agreed to take Alex on as a "peer leader" to help with the special ed kids summer program. I volunteered Rylee as well so Alex won't think he's being singled out. This way he'll be helping special ed kids and hopefully picking up valuable concepts while he's at it. I think this will be a great boost for his self confidence and may also help him with empathy for others. I think it will be great for Rylee too and I'm really going to play it up that this is an opportunity to serve and help people. (Not that this is a secret way to teach Alex more English!)
The social worker did mention that perhaps he's not retaining information because his brain is too over-loaded. That if he's so worried about other things there is no room for math and remembering vowels. To which I told him, his brain is probably over loaded with what is fun and how he is going to have more fun. You could see the sweet counselor and speech lady look at me in horror. Like I was so very mean but then I let them know that he will push the limit on getting away with the least amount possible. He's smart. He's cute and charming and he knows it. (All along Alex's teacher is backing me up on all my arguments! Did I mention I love her?)
So I felt good about it all in all.
He's going to get some additional help. We have a plan for some help during the summer and bless Alex's heart, he has been trying harder with his handwriting since my explosion on Thursday.
Last year I was almost home from Ukraine. Looking back I see signs I didn't see before. Like how upset he got when he couldn't get through a certain level on the Game Boy. I wish he'd get upset like that when he can't figure out what a vowel is. It would make me think he care's, that he wants to learn. But most of Alex's tears of frustration are from getting caught doing something he shouldn't and the resulting fun or privilege that is taken away. Not that he feels sorry for the wrong behavior-he's just sorry he got caught! And he's not quite smart enough to not admit that. If you ask him:
Alex, are you sorry you (insert whatever ill behavior he's being reprimanded for) or are you sorry you got caught?
Sorry I got caught.
Oh, well. At least he's conquering honesty.....right?
http://blessedwitharichhart.blogspot.com/2009/04/april-26thday-40-stake-conference.html
4 of my blog friends said something...:
Hang in there, I'm telling you, if Alex is to watch children movies ( Kindergarten kind, he will pick up the vowels real fast....
So it sounds like he has an I.E.P. That is a great start. Keep up the good work.
p.s. kids with dyslexia have great difficulty in retention.
Micah is in speech. I would try to follow up with her often because I don't get much feedback on my issues even when I write notes. He is only 10 minutes twice a week, and he is doing better, but I am not sure whether it is speech therapy or developmental readiness. It has not been all that I hoped.
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