WWYD - DS / school question

[pinkmomagain]

If he is bringing home unfinished classwork and not moving through written work fast enough due to his anxiety/ocd then yes it is affecting his academic performance.

[bisous]

If he is bringing home unfinished classwork and not moving through written work fast enough due to his anxiety/ocd then yes it is affecting his academic performance.

Great point. But again, I would strive to clarify that academic performance does not need to be tied to 504 accommodations.

[MamaKath]

http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/sec504.index.htm
http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/iep.index.htm

Good info to educate yourself about 504 plans and IEP's.

I hear you on HIGH taxes! Where I am any town around that is pretty good is similar in expectations, I would need to move out of state to see a change. It is very typical to find a rigorous academic schedule in K here, similar to what was 1st grade. This is more pronounced with common core and the tools being utilized to qualify the teacher's performance. Getting some further professionals on your side is imperative! We had dc tested privately by an educational psychologist in NYC who works primarily in the public schools, but also does private testing. Her report was key to getting our dc the services needed, especially since she had lots of experience wording the reports for a public school system (we actually had 2 drs in two different districts say it was the best they had seen, including the ones they write).

Have you formally requested he be tested for an IEP? You can do that at any time, just has to be put in writing. Was the meeting just to touch base with the school? Definitely monitor his behavior at home, keep a journal or log (even just on a calendar), and keep working with the school to create the best environment for him this year.

[sste]

Wow, our K I thought was intense but there was ALOT of time for recess (2x daily) gym (daily) and special (daily) plus lunch and snack. So the actual academic time while intense was not all that much.

1. I agree about 504 -- I thought it was all defined under the law as what affects school "functioning" not straight academic achievement
2. We have had our private psychologist work with the teacher to explain DS's anxiety, suggest modifications etc. Again, it all goes better if you get it in a 504 or IEP but we did find it helpful to have an "expert" on our side. Otherwise all these schools do is stack the meeting with their teacher and staff experts who have all coordinated in advance to say the same thing, which is that everything is fine
3. Does your school/state offer partial homeschooling where you could have him do a half day and then take him out?
4. Our issues are different as we are dealing with a likely dyslexia diagnosis but in general private schools we found to be very upfront and unequivocal that they weren't interested in dealing with differences. There is *one* general private school in our area that has discreetly and historically served students with special emotional needs and also offers specially trained reading tutors, that is the only private we would consider unless we went to a private school for kids with dyslexia, again not at issue for you.
5. My recent experience was that it took an act of congress to get our DS's class changed! His first grade teacher actually left him alone in the classroom to complete work (he has dysgraphia and writes slowly) while the rest of the class went to special, this happened at least twice. We had to show up at a meeting with our psychologist AND child advocate in tow and basically threaten to go to the superintendent. And I will say the class switch is terribly, terribly disruptive so I think it is only for true outlier cases - - if what you are describing is a "curriculum" and teacher objectives issue any new teacher will be towing that line too.

I really think your best course is a 504 and heavily using your outside psychologist as well as building a nice r'ship with the school psychologist/social worker.