Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional 6th Grade Math overwhelming with dysgraphia

It's been almost a year since I was a regular visitor to the forums, and it was because we had the best year last year - a sage, experienced teacher who was willing to accommodate our son with dysgraphia, give him creative assignments like producing podcast book reports that not only accommodated his challenges but challenged his strengths.

This year he has started midschool and has had the misfortune to land a teacher with a rigid rule that a child will not use a calculator for anything and will do work in his head on specific assignments. While we can (and will if necessary) wield the old IEP if need be, I am wondering if any of you have strategies for dealing with a rigid teacher who deals with over 100 students a day and isn't very motivated to be creative with yours.

I'm also wondering if any of you have invested in private tutoring for math and whether you used a regular service or found someone with some special ed training. Any advice on this would be so useful.

My kiddo gets the concepts just fine, but when it requires mechanics such as multiplication or division, he freezes. He logically knows how to do something but just cannot get past the block - and can't memorize the tables.

Thanks ahead of time for any advice you can give.

Frankly, if you are dealing with a rule-bound, rigid teacher, I'd break out the IEP card right away. The teacher is unlikely to be flexible and bend the rules for your child, so make the accommodations part of the rules. And request a different teacher if this one shows any signs of resentment or bullying over the need for accommodations.

If your child qualifies for an IEP, and math fluency is a problem that is preventing access to the curriculum or impacting his ability to derive educational benefit from the instruction, and intensive tutoring would help with fluency, the school should provide special education services including tutoring in the IEP, as well as requiring accommodations in the classroom.

I agree with aculady. If your child has a fluency, storage/ retrieval, memory or processing disability that impairs his ability to access the curriculum and make appropriate progress without the use of accommodations including a calculator, then he should get them. Additionally, if he needs any modifications such as specialized instruction, this should be part of his IEP.

Is he currently on an IEP? Does it document the use of a calculator? If so, the accommodations are not up for debate.

Be sure that he is aware of the accommodations and help coach him about how to self advocate. It is hard for a MS student - but an important skill. Hopefully this teacher will comply - if not, I would try to move him to a more enlightened teacher.

Good luck.

Thanks for the quick replies; you all are the best.

Yes, he has an IEP in place. We looked, and the accommodations are generic enough that it doesn't specify a calculator is allowed, so the head of the special ed department is going to add an addendum to the IEP that specifies that he can use one.

The teacher's reasoning is that the kids can't use one on a specific state test that is given in the spring, so he should learn not to use one during the year. My point is that if he is spending 1 hour doing three problems because of his difficulties with doing the actual mechanics of the problem, he's not learning much of anything - except that he hates math and isn't good at it, two things I don't want him learning or believing.

I will also look into the option of getting tutoring through his IEP - hadn't considered that, so thanks for that suggestion. We'd backed off on all pull-out services during 5th grade, because his reading is now actually above grade level and he is able to keep up in the other classes such as science and history with only minor accommodations in class. He even learned to tie his shoes this summer (although bike riding is still something he's not willing to learn). Only two areas still seem to plague him at this point: his spelling remains abysmal and totally random and the math is a challenge.

When you add the calculator to the IEP, make sure the calculator, and extended time, if needed, is added as a necessary accommodation for the state test, as well. The process for that to happen may take longer than adding a classroom accommodation, but it should be feasible.

Our lovely state has rules that override any IEP written, so our head of special ed is looking into the state rules to see what we can provide within those standards.

We did download an app for the iPad that quizzes him on his multiplication facts, and the tactile process of touching the numbers has resulted in more success than we've found in the past.

This link might be helpful as they go through the process of determining accommodations for state testing.

Well, so much for riding out the year and chalking it up to experience. I received an email today where the teacher actually had the gall to say that it was really unfortunate that my son had been moved into her class. She stated that he was in the failing percentage on the state test the class took last week and actually told the class today that they were her worst class and that they did the worst on the test of any of her classes.

So now it is off to battle the administration to get him moved out of her class immediately.

I'm still furious that she'd say something like that. If any of you have had to battle a public school administration to get your child removed from a teacher, I'd love your advice.

ABQ, if you frame it as a battle, I think it will be hard to get them to switch. Schools tend to back up their own staff.

I'd first talk to the teacher; indicate that her words upset your DS, and see what she says in response. If she's apologetic and willing to apologize to your DS, that's one thing. If she's adamant, that's another. This is a form of information-gathering for you, but it also signals that you are problem-solving WITH her first, not going over her head. (This is especially important because if the principal won't move him you are stuck with her for a while.)

I would have a conversation with the principal too (even better: a concern stated in a written, dated note, of which you keep a copy, followed by a conversation). Indicate that you feel her comments were inappropriate and harmful. Ask the principal what he/she can do to make sure it doesn't happen again. If it looks like the principal doesn't want to correct the teacher, THEN ask about the possibility of placing him with a teacher who will accept his presence and support him. Again, you want to look like a collaborative problem-solver. Or they will label you as an overreacting mom.

DeeDee

DeeDee offers very important advice about approaching the issue from a problem solving collaborative standpoint. Please take her advice - including documenting your written concern. It is worth waiting a day or two to calm down, consider possible solutions and come up with a persuasive and positive approach. Think Advocacy - not emotion. (I know this is hard - but it is essential!!)

Are you in MA? I ask, because you are right about using a calculator for state tests. That said, since the state tests are not high stakes until 10th grade, I would not push for him to get this accommodation for MCAS. If he continues to do poorly on the state tests, this is evidence that you can use for better instruction. As far as using calculators in class - almost all of my clients have this accommodation once they reach middle school. If he needs a calculator to access the curriculum it should be provided, just as Kurzweil is provided for students with learning disabilities - even though they can't use it for the reading portion of the state test.

Again, breathe. Try to find some allies. Position yourself as a problem solver. You can help shape a positive outcome.