Attention Span and learning problems ?

[Madison]

Hi,
I was wondering did anybody else go through the feeling that the school connects attention problem and learning disorder as the SAME THING. I KNOW my child has a learning disorder. I know the only time she has a attention problem is when the MATERIAL is TOO HARD!! Why has the school, teacher and evaluation teacher have brought up the comments of attention span only a dozen times!! The question of "Oh, is she on any medication?" I say "NO!" I don't even want to get in the topic of "She's NOT on meds and WON'T ever be on meds and you'll have to deal with this learning problem via...WITHOUT MEDS!" It's like they don't really want to help her if I'm not willing to explore the possiblitities of meds. I get this cold feeling when I express to them "I don't have a bit of problem with attention span at home and she's very GOOD at home it's only when doing homework that is difficult for her to understand is where the problem lies and spelling and memorzation." I don't believe every child that has a LD has a automatic attention span problem and everything can be solved if that attention span is corrected. I didn't like the comment about when the social development part was completed I ASKED FOR COPIES...They stumbled around and made the comment...."Oh...well...nobody has ever asked for copies before." Then they came back and said "The copy machine was broken." I said "Well, no problem I can go make copies and bring them back to you." They said "Oh...we can find another one that works." They finally did. She said "Well...you know this is confidentional (sp?) I'm her MOTHER and who in the HECK do they think I would be sharing this information with??!! They are STILL shoving down my throat the comments of attention span. She said "Now the teacher will fill out a form too and so will the school physicolgist and that person will want to rule out attention span too." I just wonder WHAT THEY ARE LEADING UP TOO? Ok...If a child has a attention span problem WHAT DOES THIS SOLVE?? I think I'm telling them "Well, if you see a attention span problem then she needs to be in special ed class for all her classes so she can get that one on one with that teacher." They've not done a THING for her and I told them about this in Sept! It's now beginning of Jan and they are now going through the process of the BIG TESTING. TALK ABOUT TAKING FOREVER TO RECEIVE SOME EXTRA HELP. Sorry..didn't mean to go on and on...Just tics me OFF that I'm getting a cold response. Give me some comments! Take care..Madison

[ohmama]

Madison,
I'm afraid I understand only too well what you are dealing with. My boys decided they didn't want to be home schooled anymore and want to enroll in regular school. I don't know what to do as they refuse to be taught at home. I know what's in store for me in the school system. It's the aggravation that you are dealing with right now. I've been there, done that, hate it.

I was told my boy had a learning disability and they could not teach him to read. When I took him out of school and taught him at home he learned to read just fine. So, now they say he doesn't have a learning disability but he does have an attention problem. I know I will have to fight for him in school. I can't help resenting it though. He has so many problems the school system can't deal with. Now I have to learn about 504's and IEP's and all the xyz's.

You hang in there, it is good you are a fighter.

[AustinsMom]

My ds has ADHD and LD, and I'm just now going through the "accomodations" issue with my sons school. We are in a catholic school--chosen for the structure and the strong phonetic based instruction, since we are not catholic. When I first started the process they referred me to the special education coordinator, and as she reeled off rule after rule to me, she made the process sound exceedingly difficult. So I cultivated the teacher and the principal, paid for my own eval to stay out of the public school time warp, and have good accomodations in place starting Jan. 5 (fingers crossed that it works.)

So what I learned is what it sounds like you are learning too. Don't accept the first answer as the one and only answer, ask and then reask questions--it seems like the answers change sometimes and maybe you can find the answer you want; keep at it till you get what you think your child needs. It seems like each situation is so different and dependent on the good will of the school personnel involved, that we may not be able to provide each other specific answers to help, but I can offer encouragement. You sound like you are doing the right things, and know what you want for your child. Hang in there!

[Madison]

Hi Omama and Austinsmom,
Thanks so much for your comments. It means alot there's other parents going through this process. They make it HARD for a parent to seek out help for their child! I was AFRAID if she didn't get some kind of special ed help she would FAIL 2nd grade or forsure 3rd grade. That's when the pressure is ON! I didn't want troubles with her teacher next year and wanted the teacher to understand she has learning problems. I wish I had a magic wand to make her smarter and there wasn't such STRUGGLES with material from school and class. I'm wore out going over and over tests and stuff she has to memorize for tests!! It's like she's got a big test that week and she's NEVER SEEN THE MATERIAL in her life!!!!!!!! She had a BIG grammer test and I said "What's a noun?" She had NO IDEA what I was talking about?! She knew NOTHING about any of the material. We worked on it all day Sunday and Monday morning and she brought home a D on it. I went through every piece of the material and made mock tests for her and still a "D" was the best she could do. It just tears me apart to have the "Well, let them handle it attuditude because I KNOW what will happen...she'll FAIL a grade and SUMMER SCHOOL to boot!" I don't think I could handle doing another grade again at this point. School wants to do ALOT of TALK and spinning their wheels but bottom line is they can't offer anymore help with school than what they are already doing. I PRAY her being able to go to special ed class will HELP WITH HER GRADES and homework!! Right now were keeping up with homework but next year will be VERY hard! It's very DEPRESSING to her and me when she brings home a ton of D's and F's!! School ISN'T teaching when that happens!! They AREN'T to bring home alot of poor grades like that and the school is to get any child extra help when grades look like that! Well, didn't mean to ramble on...sorry!! Thanks and keep me POSTED on your process!! I'm learning from your experences too! (o: Take care...much love, Madison

[Sorka]

Madison,
have you been to see the parent advocate tutorial at www.tourettesyndrome.net ? It is terrific.. Oh Mama you will want to go see it too!
It is a great step by step proceedure on how to go about getting accomodations for your child. It explains 504s IEPs and the like.
I urge you to check it out! And of course keep coming here to vent, and ask plenty of questions!

[ohmama]

Thanks Sorka, I will check this out.

Can anyone give me some ideas on what requests can or should be made for 504 accomodations?

What can they do to help with attention issues? How would I put that in a request form? Or can I request he be given a seperate area away from distractions so he can use this when he is feeling too anxious or hyper? Is this reasonable in a crowded class? What if they say no? Do I need an advocate or legal representation for this process?

[Madison]

Thanks Sorka I'll SURE check out that website!

Omama,
I've been through a LITTLE of classroom accomadations just by talking to the teacher. She was for ANYTHING that would help her to do BETTER on TESTS. They separated her and even had her do tests in the hallway and had a high school teacher there so my child could ask questions on words she couldn't read in the classroom but they DIDN'T keep up with it. She only did that a couple of times then it was BACK to the same old ways agains taking tests, etc. in class with other students. Her grades were the SAME! I TRULY believe Attention Span has NOTHING to do with a learning disorder!! No matter HOW much attention a child gives a teacher or DOESN'T give a teacher that LEARNING DISORDER has to be addressed and NOT confuse it with the so called "They aren't paying attention so their NOT learning." That's TOTALLY untrue because too many kids are HALF listening to the teacher or instructions and still do very WELL on tests or classroom papers. It's the learning disorder that is solely holding my child back. She's NOT able to soak in her head instructions nor MEMORZATION for tests because even ONE on ONE here at home she STRUGGLES with remembering material for tests and I have her COMPLETE ATTENTION. Her first grade teacher thought she wasn't listening and all it took was for her to pay BETTER attention and she would do much better in class but that doesn't happen with a LD child. Then she corrected her statement and said 'Well, maybe your RIGHT about the attention span and it's DEEPER on a LD disorder." When a parent does the ONE on ONE and they still see that child is struggling it's a good sign it's got nothing to do with attention span.
There's a boy in my childs class. EXTREMELY HYPER can't sit still, doesn't want to do homework, doesn't comply with classroom proceedures and his grades are only hurting becasue he doesn't turn in any of his work. His mother and the baby sitter for him say "He's as smart as a whip and can read ANYTHING in front of him and math he's extremely strong!" He's not in any help classes and the school doesn't worry one bit about him and put it to hyperness and he'll out grow that behavior. He has NO WORRIES about being held back. See I've found out no matter HOW WILD AND HYPER a child is in class if they are SMART there is NO problem with passing them on to the next grade! Teacher talked a little about it but didn't tell me the students name but EVERYBODY knows the child they are talking about! Those kids will out grow that hyperness but the LD child will fight this for a life time and I truly don't believe repeating a grade or summer school helps much at all. My sister in law has been going through the same thing with her child and has been doing the meds for 3yrs with her child and STILL that child has to do summer school EVERY YEAR and her grades are BARELY passing. I told her "Get her OFF those meds for awhile if your not really seeing improvements." Why do meds if she's going to be the same with or without them? Their school system she tested average so they WON'T allow her child in special ed classes for extra help. They said "she doesn't need it but grades tell otherwise." Her mother and father POUR OVER the school material like I do at home with my child!! My child tested NORMAL range with a touch low in reading 88% but there still going to get her into special ed class if all possible. One thing I learned from sister in law is "After doing summer school it was impossible to get her child to go back to school in Aug." I DON'T want my child to go through that!! Everything I've read about summer school or holding a child back another year in school DOESN'T help them!! At the evaluation I expressed my feelings about that.

When you have your meeting make sure they know HOW much of your childs homework your doing TOGETHER!! If you see yourself doing more than a hour of homework with them I would get something in place that ALL HOMEWORK be done in the Special Ed class!! They can set up IEP'S or whatever anyway you want it! I've heard of parents slashing through alot of homework and adjusting what is done at home on their own and sending a note attached saying "TOO MUCH please complete at school." I'm NOT going to spend hours next year on school material!

Tell them if you don't like summer school. They will address that. Tell them your options on holding a child back if your in agreement or not?

They asked me "What do I want to see done?" I said "I want to see C's or better is ALL POSSIBLE and the school won't hear a word from me if most of her grades are at least C's." I don't feel this is asking too much!

They said "All tests or whatever can be read to my child one on one if that is all that is needed." Sometimes this would work but it's deeper than that on most of it.

Anything that you see that HELPS your child at home talk to the classroom teacher. She'll help in that area.

SORRY TO RAMBLE ON SO.....Take care...much love, Madison

[Madison]

Oh Mama,
One more thing...The social development part that is done one on one with that person asked the SAME questions at the AMEN CLINIC "finding out if your child is ADD/ADHD or otherwise." They had me check off was my child 0-doesn't apply 1-sometimes 2-often 3-always something like that. There was about 60 questions. Can't remember but it was just like that questionaire you posted from the Amen Clinic. They have the classroom teacher fill one out too on their opinions about your child and then the school phycologist fills one out too. The first question at the very top was "Is your child taking any medications?" Just thought you might want to know?? Take care...madison

[savvymom1]

Hi Madison. Yes, the testing process can seem to take forever. I first asked to have my oldest tested in 4th or 5th grade for math learning disabiliities and no one at school thought she needed or qualified for it (this included classroom teachers and resource and guidance teachers). Her grades and achievemant test scores were too high. Still she struggled and cried over some subjects. I believed her when she said she just couldn't "get it".

Finally in 6th grade the school agreed to test her but the results were not finalized or reported to me until the middle of 7th grade!! Of course, mom knows best and it turns out she has both a math and reading learning disability. Now at last she is getting resource help (which even she knew she needed and wanted). Her grades have improved to As and Bs again due to some extra help from her resource teachers and her self confidence is soaring!

I feel for you and understand that the teachers often forget that learning disabilities are real! My daughter and I can go over and over info for tests and the next day she totally forgets the info or zones out. Math is the worst where she forgets the formulas to solve equations. Now the teacher is finally allowing her to have her formula notes with her during tests and she is doing so much better! She can ususally solve the problems if she has the formula there handy.

Please hang in there! You are on the right track for your child. Keep on top of things and the school will listen. Often times the principal is a good place to start if you are getting no where with teachers. Your child deserves the help she needs and the school must give it. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Madison]

Hello Savvymom1,
Thanks for the encouragement! I just keeping thinking from year to year HOW in the HECK will she make it from grade to grade!? She remembers NOTHING the beginning of each year. Seems like over summer break everything is FORGOTTEN and it takes from Aug-Nov or even later for her to have it back into her head while the class is progressing ON! It's like she's learning OLD and NEW at the same time! Ugggggg!!! I feel NOBODY is going through the same thing as my child from year to year! My oldest which is in 4th does very well at school. It's hard at times but he's SMART thankgoodness! I don't think I could cope with TWO going through the same thing!! All of my girls teachers would say "Oh, I feel for you with having two in school and THANKGOODNESS your oldest is BRIGHT!" I don't know how to comment on lines like that. Just shaking my head in agreement. Does anybody else HATE to pick up their kid from class because I can bet my BOOTS it ends up in a LONG talk from the teacher over material my child didn't understand or POOR grades on WHATEVER tests/papers!? I can't get her from class without being held up by the teacher over her grades or performance in the class!!!! It's like I want to know but hate to hear what's going to be said! I walk out feeling like.....UGGGG!! Then we have the talk about what she's doing or not doing all the way home. I felt good going to get her and then there's THAT! I'm lucky to have a friend that there child went through the same thing in school. She was the one that said "Get her evaluated and see where she stands and see if the school can help her out so school won't be such a struggle." Her child is doing very well with the resource classes and material is adjusted for his ablitity. I'm going to need that REALLY soon with her. I think here after Christmas there going to see a real SLOW down on what material my child can remember. Savvy...I'm GLAD your child is doing well with the resource classes. I just only HOPE it will work out the same for my child. They STILL have done NOTHING for her in anyway to receive help. It's TERRIBLE the wait! I'll be LUCKY to see something happen by the end of this year. I think all they want to do is "Hold them back a year." Right now she's not failing but it's CLOSE!! Well, going to close..Much love! Madison