But it's the amount of effort she puts in relation to the results she achieves that is frustrating for us. She is also extremely self-critical and I worry about her self-esteem.
This described my DD9 at the end of first grade. I know how hard it is to watch your kid struggling. DD was exhausted when she got home from school and homework was a constant source of tears. We had DD tested the summer following first grade and learned that she is highly gifted with dyslexia and dysgraphia.
We shared the psych report with the school at the beginning of 2nd grade. DD did not qualify for an IEP but we hoped for a 504. The school was not willing to do anything. We asked for extra reading support and they said that she was not a good fit with the other second graders who were getting Orton-Gillingham instruction through school -- they said DD was further along in her skills. They did give us an overwhelming list of that we could try on our own at home. It was incredibly frustrating. We took on extra reading instruction and vision therapy on our own.
Over the course of the year, I kept in close contact with the teacher. I started pointing out that the teacher was providing informal accommodations in class, i.e. more time, desk dividers, contrast strips for reading, etc. By the end of the year, I convinced her to document what she had been doing informally in a formal 504 plan. We also asked for a reduction in the number of spelling words figuring that DD might have a better chance to learn them if she had fewer at a time. Since she does not qualify for an IEP, the school said that they were not willing/able to change curriculum requirements.
If your child has dyslexia do you find that a 504 plan with accommodations is enough? Do they get any extra support with reading or math?
This is hard to answer. We have done a lot of work outside of school. Currently, DD is in 4th grade and her 504 accommodations include extra time and the option to keyboard. She doesn't get any additional support. Having extra time, has taken a lot of pressure off of my DD. She doesn't beat herself up if she takes more time to do something. She also started keyboarding this year and likes using it. For now, she is doing okay. As she gets older and her work load increases, I'm not sure if it will continue to work. I could see her getting overwhelmed next year in fifth grade.
