In AL (or at the time, 16 years ago) it was 1.0 SD, but you also had to be below average. In the auditory processing test, she was 1 SD below on competing ear, but the other two auditory process tests withing that umbrella test, she was above avg, so the auditory processing test was considered non-qualifying for services, which at that time they had no ‘remedial’ - there were just supportive things that could be done in the classroom.
Parents just have to network and ‘fight the fight’ for their kids.
The ‘problem’ i.e. blocking more services speech therapist actually lives in my neighborhood right down the street from me and next door to a friend of mine. She did a good job with DD with once a week one-on-one services for 1/2 hour each session. They want to put the child in with two other students, but I would not be able to sit in and then reinforce the techniques used (due to privacy of the other two children). Our public schools were redistricted, so I asked for an evaluation so I could use different professionals - and it turns out the classroom period of 6 weeks observation, the second grade teacher in our Catholic school found that doing all the accommodations for DD had eliminated the need for additional services. Our Catholic school first grade teacher was very pro on the additional evaluation; she also had a son that needed additional early services from the school district their home was located in.
When DD was in 7th grade, the language arts teacher was new and inexperienced, and due to some difficulty DD had in that class, our Catholic school remedial teacher helped process a re-evaluation with DD’s school work and her entire case evaluated - our public school district has two psychometrists (both PhD) - one had done a lot of the testing at DD age 4/5; the newer psychometrist was the chair of the review meeting on DD, and our Catholic school remedial teacher was also there. It was nice to hear that DD was making the academic process one would hope for, and that the teacher issue was due to new/inexperienced teacher and not DD having continued speech/language issues. That could go back to the school via the remedial teacher. I just had to intervene when needed to protect DD. DD’s confidence and self esteem was also at stake.
Parents on this thread are aware what it takes within their school system and state on re-evaluations, IEP, etc. Just keep communicating with other parents, because the public school system is going to share as little as they have to in many situations.
What a GREAT thread! Thanks for starting this! My current issue with my soon to be 18 year old son concerns getting his drivers license. He is diagnosed with fetal alcohol syndrome, developmental delays, and mild autism. His reading & math abilities are roughly at the 3/4 grade level. That being said, he is very good physically and problem solving. He rides a 4 wheeler around our farm and can even back it up with a two wheeled trailer hitched to the back of it - into a tight spot I might add. That being said, I am scared to death to even think about letting him get his license. He has severe (and I mean severe!) ADHD and I am afraid something would distract him while driving. I did agree to pick up the learners permit book. I figured that if he was motivated and could manage to read through it and learn the material well enough to pass the knowledge portion of the test then perhaps I should consider the possibility. So my question is actually two-fold - What are your thoughts about getting a licens? AND What are your thoughts about having the MVA give him modifications for the knowledge portion? I’m not sure what modifications they make, but his counselor from rehabilitative services thought the MVA makes some, but she wasn’t sure what they were. Thanks for any insights!
Davemame, ask yourself, if someone else was asking about their son, who had the abilities of your son, would you want that person on the road when you were driving? Do you want that person next to you when you’re commuting, or driving into town?
^That’s the problem. I think if he were someone else’s son, I would think he would be safe behind the wheel. BUT, he’s not someone else’s son. He’s mine. My husband and I are responsible for him and because we have seen the occasional time when he reacts inappropriately (ie if someone hmmmm… flips him the bird for not moving fast enough at a light that turns green for example :P) I’m against it. I’m kind of thinking about the possibility of keeping him on a permit type of thing - if that’s even possible. That way my husband or I would be with him. We have let him drive on our small farm and he is capable of the physical part - it’s just all the stuff that can happen that you can’t plan for that scares me.
@Davenmame I don’t see any harm in letting your son get his permit and seeing what happens. It is ok no matter how it turns out. All we can do is one step at a time and try. One step at a time is all that is necessary. Sometimes a step back or sideways is appropriate.
@itsjustschool I will try to send you a PM in the next day or two. I am only on for a minute right now and need time to collect my thoughts for you.
Hoping for help from the hive mind here: Fang Jr has been working successfully at his warehouse job for a year and a half. He now wants a job that has more intellectual challenge, which is great because that’s what I was hoping for when he took this job. But he has little idea what such a job would be, and little idea how to search for one, and I don’t either. How do we find someone (a career counselor, maybe) to help us with this search? The person would have to understand disabled kids- Fang Jr, who has Aspergers, is so very spiky in his abilities and deficits. He’s not a square peg for a round hole: he’s more like a twenty-pointed star for a round hole.
I’m assuming that any career counselor is going to advise him to go back to school and take the one course he needs to finish his AA. Trouble is, requirements change, so it might now be two courses. Still, I’d like to see him get the degree.
@Cardinal Fang, sorry that I came into this thread late. I’m not sure of the age of your son or where you are located. However, in Maryland, our son is eligible for Department of Rehabilitative Services. This includes counseling and placement for job/job training. They have programs available for people of various types of disabilities & abilities ranging from greeters to mechanics to plumbers to dishwashers, etc. They also work with companies so they are trained to work with their new employee and prepared for handling various scenarios that come with his/her disabilities. All this being said, we haven’t ventured down this road yet. We are hoping to do so this summer for a short internship.
@davenmame I think the learner permit, because if supervision sees driving is not appropriate, at least you have tried to his maximum abilities. And if it is not working out, cancelling the driver permit. However if you feel a high percentage of chance that cannot handle learner permit, not worth the emotional drainage and potential serious disappointment.
I think if having the learner permit, and if doing well, should be what is used for a long time.
@davenmame -
Lots of us have children who have taken more than one try to get through the permit test and/or driver’s test.
I think the worst case scenario is that he could pass his driver’s test but not realize that there is lots that he hasn’t yet mastered, go out on the road with too much confidence, and end up in a situation that could be very, very bad for other people as well as himself.
Or, he could become a licensed driver and take months or years before he goes out solo.
But, the first step is to get a physician to sign off on a permit application, so this is something you will need to go over with your pediatrician.
CF - Is there any reason why Fang Jr is resistant to going back to take one or two courses while still working at the warehouse part-time, or why this might be a bad idea? Is he hesitant to get boxed into a corner and use up resources before he knows what he wants to do, or afraid of not passing the class?
That would be a beginning and at least take away one barrier to job entry. He could add additional certifications as needed on top of the AA degree.
It might be a good idea for Fang Jr to take one or two courses while working part-time. But we’d also like a plan about what he’d do with the AA degree once he got it. And his last couple of experiences with college courses have been disasters, not all of his making.
A friend said that she could see Fang Jr as an accountant. I was talking it over with Mr. Fang, and realized I don’t actually know what accountants do. Mr. Fang said without thinking, “There are rules, and the accountant has to decide which one to apply. I’m not sure that would be a good fit for Fang Jr.” But then we realized, that would be a fantastic fit for Fang Jr. But, I dunno, it would mean a lot more schooling, and he has had such a checkered college career so far. If he was on board, I think he could be successful, but he’d really have to be willing to commit.
Just curious, Fang, do you think an online program might work for Fang, Jr? I know it worked great for 2 out of 3 of my kids - BUT the one it didn’t work for was the one with disabilities. His disabilities though are quite different than Fang, Jr. Just a thought.
With an AA he could find community in an accounting department as an accounts payable clerk or an accounts receivable clerk (AP or AR). He could also work for a large aerospace company as a Project Controls Analyst (PCA), basically tracking schedule and budget for large projects and reporting metrics such as cost performance index (spend rate versus progress), schedule performance index (actual progress compared to planned), cash flow, etc. for projects [*note to Earned Value experts- I am not being precise here, just giving a concept].
Getting into that environment may give the support and motivation for Fang Jr. to take classes to complete a BA (and maybe a CPA), at a pace that is palatable for both him and the employer. He would need 20 more classes for the degree, I suppose (5 per semester for 4 semesters), so it could take him 5 years or more, but it would be great forward progress.
An AA in liberal arts is pretty general and not really very applied. Is his AA going to be in a specialty?
I think he’d enjoy accounting more. I envision the ideal program for him as being low-ish on persnickety stuff, and high on what he’d need for a career as a white-collar financial criminal. Not that he’s going to lead a life of crime— far from it, as he’s honest as the day is long. But this is a kid who can’t see a rule without wanting to exploit it, which is why he’s a semi-pro Magic player.
That being said, I am scared to death to even think about letting him get his license. He has severe (and I mean severe!) ADHD and I am afraid something would distract him while driving. I did agree to pick up the learners permit book. I figured that if he was motivated and could manage to read through it and learn the material well enough to pass the knowledge portion of the test then perhaps I should consider the possibility. So my question is actually two-fold - What are your thoughts about getting a licens? AND What are your thoughts about having the MVA give him modifications for the knowledge portion? I’m not sure what modifications they make, but his counselor from rehabilitative services thought the MVA makes some, but she wasn’t sure what they were. Thanks for any insights!
His disabilities though are quite different than Fang, Jr. Just a thought.