Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Need some help with accomodations

My dd10 is having trouble with writing at school. She's always been an exceptionally bad speller and her writing is sloppy, but as she's gotten older, her writing quantity has declined too. She used to write several-page stories, but this year, she's not writing much. In the past, she wrote mostly about experiences she'd had or about her life, but now she has to write non-fiction, persuasive letters, and responses to what she's read.

She says that writing hurts her hand, it's distracting to write in the classroom, she can't think of what to write, and she can't spell the words she wants to use. She's been using a keyboard in the classroom, but she can't spell well enough to use the spell checker effectively and she doesn't type very fast.

I had her tested recently. Her FSIQ is 131, with VCI 142, PRI 119, WMI 107, and PSI 126. On the WIAT, her highest score is math problem solving (136) and her lowest are sentence composition and essay composition (both 78. The tester gave her a diagnosis of dyslexia. We have a family history of dyslexia & dysgraphia.

The school is willing to give her a 504 plan, but I don't even know what accomodations to ask for. I know she needs a keyboard, but she needs more than just that. A spelling checker isn't enough. The school says she doesn't need an IEP because she's not failing. I may have to hire a lawyer and fight that opinion, but I need a better handle on what kind of help she needs.

I need some opinions, experiences, whatever you've got. I'm at a loss of where to go next.

Thanks.

Keet, search back through Polarbear's posts. Polar is a fount of information about dysgraphia-- which sounds likely in your DD's case.

Did your tester even consider dysgraphia? It's weird that they missed it.

DeeDee

Thanks, I'll check Polar Bear's posts.

I don't think the tester missed dysgraphia. I think dyslexia is an umbrella that includes dysgraphia. I think you can have dysgraphia without dyslexia but not the other way around.

No, dyslexia and dysgraphia are separate disorders, although they occur together frequently. You can have dyslexia without dysgraphia, dysgraphia without dyslexia, or both.

The symptoms you describe do sound more like dysgraphia than dyslexia, but she could easily have both.

keet, I could have almost written your post (less the dyslexia diagnosis & my DD has a lower processing speed). Just a word of encouragement & to tell you to keep at the advocacy. It took us 4 years to get the right combination of testing and a 504 for "other disability", which we all know is dysgraphia but no one will use these words in an official diagnosis.

What was the key for us, not in a diagnosis, but in getting accommodations, was an OT evaluation with a 6th percentile on a Beery VMI. (Visual Perception was 91st percentile and Gross Motor was also a 91st percentile.) The OT gave us a list of accommodations to work from, which were helpful. What we have ended up with for our now 8th grader includes extended time, computer usage, teacher providing a copy of power point or other notes when presented to the class on computer, no orally administered tests with written response (other than spelling) without giving a hard copy of the questions (ran into this in geometry of all places), and not counting spelling on homework or 1st drafts.

Good luck!

You have to be failing to get an IEP?

Puffin, I don't know about the OP's state but in our state (CO) Dyslexia only qualifies for an IEP if the child is below state standards and is failing to make adequate progress towards them.

keet, I'm sorry - I just saw this post for the first time today. I don't have time to post info about accommodations at the moment, but will come back later and make some suggestions.


We have an IEP for our dysgraphic ds, and he's never been considered to be "failing" and he's always scored "proficient" on state testing in the area of his disability and "advanced" in every other subject - but he was in fact several grade levels behind in ability to generate written expression. They key to getting an IEP is two-fold: first, your child should need *individualized instruction* - this is different than needing accommodations. For a theoretical child who is dysgraphic but not in any other way challenged, an IEP usually isn't necessary because once they have the appropriate accommodations in place they will be able to show their knowledge and participate fully in whatever classroom they are in (regular, gifted, etc). If your child has fallen behind in some area of written expression due to dysgraphia, has an additional challenge impacting written expression, or needs instruction in an area that coincides with dysgraphia (spelling for instance), he/she will need extra instruction and usually the best way to guarantee that happens in school is through an IEP.

Second key to getting an IEP - when you're in a school district that isn't terribly disability-friendly or is stretched already with an overwhelming number of children needing services, the majority of the work and research and advocating typically falls on the parent and it takes a lot of work - note, that doesn't mean it can't be accomplished, just takes a lot of work as a parent.

I'll be back later with our experiences with accommodations

Best wishes,

polarbear

I need to come up with a list of accommodations for her 504 plan. DD wants a scribe, but I know the district will not allow that. I'm sure we can get a word processer and spell check; however, dd doesn't spell well enough to get close enough to the right word or to choose it. I've asked for an assistive tech evaluation, but nobody in the school system (including the 504 coordinator) seems to know what kinds of software asssistive tech has available. I'm hoping whoever does the evaluation knows what he's doing. We have tried the voice recognition software that is in Windows, but it's pretty frustrating for her.

I don't want to ask for more time to complete work because dd's teacher says she's always the first one done and she refuses to review her work. I think she needs reduced volume of work.

other things I think would be helpful:

-Do not count spelling off for spelling except on spelling tests.
-Copies of notes provided

Any other ideas?

I can help you with some of the accommodations we have for my DS7:

-For each major assessment (tests) and for local/district assessments: Schedule extended time (up to time and half), provide opportunities for breaks and movement, provide a scribe for multiple written sentences, assignments and tests and allow oral responses;

- allow additional time(up to time and half)to complete written work;

- provide access to spelling resources;

- adapt homework to allow for reduced writing expectations

- Allow oral response for math fact fluency assessments

And we have the scribing SDI. My advocate is big on the iPad. I have to admit it looks like some good stuff, like the 'audionote app' and the mental note app' look fabulous for people like our LOs. Here is a video on both

Good luck!