whereditgo, it would help us if you could give us more specific details on why he' failing - is it difficulty reading his handwriting (for either himself or the teacher), is he switching numbers or making errors when copying, is he having difficulty keeping up with homework due to large amounts of problems being assigned and running out of time, does he write slowly, does he forget to turn in assignments, is part of the grade hinged on keeping up a notebook and he's not up to par on that, is he not getting good grades on tests, etc.
He does have dysgraphia (can't read his own handwriting), although it is just now having to be diagnosed. No accommodations without a diagnosis.
Does he have a diagnosis now or are you just now pursuing one?
If he doesn't have an official diagnosis, what symptoms of dysgraphia do you see? Dysgraphia is more than just "sloppy handwriting". Please know I'm not questioning, just asking for more details that might help us give suggestions re how to proceed.
His class only gets to use a calculator for graphing, and they refuse to see the handwriting as an issue.
This is an issue that will most likely pop up at sometime, somewhere, for any student with dysgraphia. Is this the first time your ds has had this happen? Has he been in b&m schools all along? How were you able to advocate past it in the past, or is this the first time that handwriting has been an issue for him?
The main issue to Drennen is that he is being placed in a college prep algebra 3 class next year rather than the pre calculus honors class he feels he needs. The school does not see the big deal and feel as though this way they are not setting up for failure.
First, I have a question - what the heck is an Algebra 3 class? I'd look at the curriculum and be sure it's not a repeat of something he's already had (unless of course he's truly failing Algebra II).
Second, not getting to Calculus during high school isn't going to be the end of a dream of Astrophysics if that's what your ds wants to do. In fact, I'd be careful to consider what might be more of a challenge than math placement next year - i.e., what is happening now that is causing the issue in Algebra II. If your ds has dysgraphia or a different type of learning challenge or something else entirely that's causing him issues in Algebra II, just getting through Algebra II and placed into PreCal next year isn't in and of itself going to mean he won't run into the same issue again. Getting a correct diagnosis, understanding the challenge, and finding a way to accommodate successfully are going to be very important moving forward in his education, especially if he's struggling in an area that is crucial to the upper level education he's passionate about seeking. So, from that respect, at this point in the school year (if you're in the northern hemisphere
) it's possible that an Algebra repeat might not be the worse thing ever - if you can get a correct diagnosis now, work through suggestions and advice on accommodations, taking a repeat next year might give him the chance to truly learn the math in depth plus learn how to deal with the challenges of working with dysgraphia accommodations.
Drennen does not see it that way, he sees it as they are getting in the way of him pursuing his dream (PHD in Astrophysics).
My dysgraphic ds has gotten discouraged in school before - and I think when things like this happens, its important as a parent to help him put his frustration where the actual cause of it is. The staff at school isn't trying to kill his dream - they are trying (I suspect) to do what they feel is best to help him be successful. They may not have all the info they need or understand dysgraphia, so as a parent you need to understand the challenge and you need to help your ds understand it. You probably can't do that in a vacuum, you'll need a professional diagnosis and your ds, as a teen, might need input from another adult/professional/mentor/whoever. You can find info on accommodations (and consult with professionals to do so), but your ds will have to be a key part of testing accommodations, thinking through what is needed and isn't needed, and deciding how he will use them and what works for him. He'll also need to see an example from you of how to advocate for himself, and then he'll need to be able to start advocating for himself (if he does have dysgraphia or another LD).
Has anyone else been faced with this.
I have two 2e kids, one has dysgraphia and is in high school. He's had different classes at different times that were a challenge due to dysgraphia and required us to advocate as well as think through accommodations and at times try new accommodations.
Math can be tough for dysgraphic kids for several different reasons, which is why I asked for more specific details at the beginning of my reply. The good news is, the reasons why math is tough *can* be accommodated. I'll list a few of the things my ds does in my next reply, if you see something that seems similar in terms of a challenge hello might have your ds try the accommodation at home - but again, my first recommendation is to get the diagnosis and a professional's input on what's up.
Best wishes,
polarbear
ps - I mentioned "professional diagnosis" several times above - please know I wasn't specifically *not* including a diagnosis through your school. That counts too
