I'm hoping the wonderful hive mind here can help me brainstorm. My DD - about to turn 12 - has just about every possible LD. She is in her 4th year at a special Ed school and this year (6th grade) is also doing our district's one day per week TAG program. I was happy about this opportunity because it would both give her time with gifted peers - and away from special Ed peers - and would help to show where the holes in her AT program are. And yes, it has most definitely done that. So now I need help figuring out the next stage of our AT journey.
As part of the TAG program DD has to do a year long project on a topic of her choice. Since DH (an art professor) is on sabbatical we coordinated it so that her topic would dovetail nicely with the trip we were planning as part of the sabbatical. It worked beautifully. Because DD was able to gain first hand experience researching her topic the TAG teacher suggested she keep a video diary of the sites she saw on the trip in case there would be a way to include it in her final project. This also worked beautifully. Kudos to the TAG teacher for the suggestion.
So while watching DD make a diary entry it dawned on me that THIS is exactly what she needs as part of her AT program. Due to the dyslexia and dysgraphia it will be very difficult for her to write traditional term papers. She has been doing PowerPoint presentations for a few years but I think wants - and is ready - to try something a bit more sophisticated. She knows how to record her entries and as part of an IEP review I am asking that her AT program be restructured so she can learn the rest - downloading the videos, merging them, editing, creating a final project, etc. (Under her current IEP all AT was listed under accommodations rather than goals and objectives so the OT's working with her at TAG are refusing to help her with AT solutions. Don't even get me started on that...)
She has also gotten into her head that she would like to go to film school - which I think is a great goal. She is *constantly* writing scripts and coming up with ideas for movies.
So what I need to know - has anyone gone this route with their 2E kiddos? Have any of your dyslexic/dysgraphic kids done movies in lieu of written projects? What do I have to make sure to include in the IEP? From a technical perspective what do I need to have included in goals and objectives so DD develops the needed skills to complete these projects independently?
Since her birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks does anyone have any recommendations for basic movie making equipment? She has a cell phone, an iPad and a basic digital camera. Tangible items, software or apps to recommend?
Does this sound like a crazy idea? Or could it really be a good solution for tapping her intellect and creativity while working around her deficits?
