It's been a long day.... exhausting all options.
I am new and have been "surfing" for help all day long. My 8 yr old son has been struggling for some time and has finally been approved for special education services. This has been at least a two year battle for us. We has been stuggling for some time.
I am looking for an IEP advocate with expertise in 2E kids to help with our IEP process. We are located in Northern Virginia, Fairfax County Schools.
We had our son tested 1 1/2 years ago thru private testing out of desperation... knowning something was not right. He has a massive 52 point IQ spread. Also diagnosed with Inattentive ADHD, executive dysfunction, slow cognitive tempo... etc. His school wouldn't give him any resources... no help. He continued to do poorly on his report card... in reading, writing, spelling.
We insisted many times on services... We've gotten the run around for a LONG time... Finally insisted again on more testing to be done by school... Anything to get him qualified for services... We needed an advocate two years ago and all probably would have been solved... but we just weren't knowledgeable enough to even look for one...
The school did their own testing last month... that "magically" showed exactly what our previous testing showed.... Massive IQ differential of 50+ points. Perceptual Reasoning 141, Matrix Reasoning Subset 19....Processing Speed Index 91... Coding Subset 5..... amoung many other scores...
Now I am hearing the term "twice exceptional" for the first time... AHHHH... it's becoming clearer who my little guy is...
So... Mitchell is a sweet loving kid with a 50 plus point discrepency between his verbal and perceptual reasoning. In attentive ADHD... executive dysfunction. He has trouble reading, decoding, can't write... (I suspect dysgraphia, but yet to be "diagnosed"...).... Much difficulty with Processing speed, and working memory.
He qualified for the GT program thru other testing last year in Fairfax County.... but can hardly write 3 sentences... or read without great effort.
Finally the school admits he needs special education.... They want us to sign what at first glance appears to be an inadequate IEP.... I NEED HELP!!!!! ARe there people who can help serve as advocates... that can be hired? I am not an expert with his Learning Disabilites... but I know I need to be... but I can't figure this out in the next week. I have the school breathing down my need to sign an IEP... which I have NO faith is adequate for his needs.
Please kind people.... any help would be greatly appreciated...
With love,
Jennifer
