A families experinces with dyslexia

September 2007

2007-11-14T22:06:00.001-08:00

well the RTLB returns to school and sends the assited tech application in - with the support from the principal - and two weeks later we get a laptop - a bit heavy but a working laptop!

You could have knocked me down with a feather!

it was also time for more decisions - my second son is due to start high school next year
should I send him to the same school?

my 3rd son is due to start intermediate but he finds transition hard should he go to an intermediate or to a high school that goes from year 7 - 13?

and since the local high school seems unable to organsie a simple IEP meeting without a great deal of prompting and reminding how will they cope with another student with dyslexia and with different learning needs?

should I stay with the devil I know or more on to somewhere with a more accepting and supportive culture?

my husband and I decided to apply out of zone to several schools and to find out what support is in place and ready to help a student with dyslaexia at the potentional schools. some we found were quite willing to discuse what they could offer for our boys - but some where quite vague.

so I discussed the matter with a assited principal I have developed a relationship with and she gave me some very good advice - the school has to be a good fit with the child... not the otherway round - find a school that will listen to your needs and will offer you the support your child needs.

August 2007

2007-08-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

The last couple of months have been busy, I was told while the RTLB was away there was nothing that the school could do about the assisted tech application - We need to be patient!

So After much waiting the RTLB came back from sick leave the middle of June - the assisted tech application had not been sent and she was still working on it.

Good news or Bad news her contract with the school ends on August 7th

we organised an IEP review meeting for the 25th July at 1.30pm with all the subject teachers and herself this way it could be done before she left. She would finish the Assisted tech application and have it sorted by the 25th July.

on July 25th at 12.30 she phoned me and cancelled the meeting - not enough teachers could attend - also since there had been a meet the teacher nite on the 24th and I had spoken with 3 of his 6 subject teachers that should be enough right?

please remember that at my sons school parent teacher nights are 5 minute appointments with the teacher- no privacy as there are between 6 and 8 subject teachers in a single class room all with parents with them sitting about 2m (or less) away. my discussion was focused on social development and contribution to the class not reviewing our goals for the year!

but I should be happy with that right?

I don't know if I should laugh or cry

the RTLB reorganised the meeting for the 31st July at 1.30pm and told me that the assisted tech application was approved and on its way to the school it would be there early next week.

I spoke with the Principal on the 26th July and said I was unhappy that the IEP meeting was cancelled an hour before the meeting and she agreed verbally that it wasn't kosher but the RTLB had been unwell and was doing her best. She told me on the phone that the RTLB would probably be staying longer than the 7th and a new RTLB was in the pipe line. She was going to ask the head of guidance to help the RTLB and ensure the new Meeting went ahead. I told her the good news the assisted tech applcation was accepted and sort out the laptop would be here early next week.

On the 30th July I called the RTLB to confirm the meeting for the next day - but she wasn't in - so I left a message with the office - Please tell the RTLB that I am confirming our 1.30pm meeting on Tuesday. - reply sure not a problem.

Tuesday 1.20pm I arrived at the school ready to meet the RTLB and 6 teachers

I knew being early I may have to wait - they may still have been teaching

receptionist tells me the RTLB is away Sick - oh -ok well I'm here for a meeting with the RTLB and 6 teachers - if the RTLB is sick the teachers must be waiting for me somewhere?

Maybe the head of guidance (HOG) is aware of the planned meeting?

-the short answer is NO

The receptionist calls the HOG but no reply.

I ask for the principal - alas she too is away for the day.

Her secretary - who doesn't know about my meeting with the RTLB and promises to get the Principal to call me tomorrow.

Then the Assistant Principal arrives and cant see any information about the meeting but then she doesn't have the RTLBs diary. Was she expecting me?

So I begin at the beginning the initial IEP review was cancelled by the RTLB and rescheduled to today at 1.30pm - yes she was expecting me she set up the meeting.

The AP is very sorry but there seems to have been a gap in communication - the RTLB never told the 6 subject teachers of today's meeting.

August 1st

Principal phones me and apologises that no one knew the meeting was rescheduled to the 31st

Verbally promises that the HOG and my son's drama teacher will re reschedule the IEP review this week. I called the HOG on Monday and she was busy - she promised to call me back shortly - today is Wednesday and I still have not heard from her.

Today I called group special education there hands are tied - its up to the school to complete the assisted tech application - No - The paper work has not been approved - No- there isnt a laptop being courier anywhere - your school needs to apply!

Deal with the RTLB Or the SENCO

WHAT NEXT.........

So what happened this week

2007-05-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

it took till Wednesday 9th May for me to contact the RTLB - Even though I had sent Emails and left ph messages she was very busy and obveriously over worked to the point she couldnt contact me.
the response was she was unaware that he had an internal assessment!
maybe they were short staffed? I am still waiting to hear the reason.

I also spoke with the principal and expressed my dismay she too is looking into it - but hopes it was a one off mistake that they can correct.

My Son is highly intelligent and passed the assessment with a merit without the reader writer the concern I have is his mark could have been an excellence

he is falling into a new trap - so long as I pass its ok - the expectation of doing excellent work is not being recognised or supported -
from the teachers and the staff who say well look he did OK but what if he had failed? would he get to re-sit it?
so many unanswered questions and lack of communication continues

All we want is the best for our adolescent so he wont be disadvantaged doing his NCEA level one.

But his high school has continually dragged out what should be a simple process and made it into our families HELL

Next year my second son with dyslexia also is due to go to Onehunga High and we are seriously looking into catholic schools even though we are not Catholic
just to avoid another 5 years of battles over the needs of our sons. my eldest doesn't want to change schools he has friends and relationships with teachers that he likes
I still dont know what is the right move for US their Dad and I feel forced out of the school over this issue of simply providing what has already been agreed or keeping us informed- COMMUNICATION - in the digital age phone calls, emails or even a note in the mail should be do able.

This month according to the MARCH IEP meeting I should be receiving a brief email update hopefully in the week of the 21st (as parent teacher night is the following week) I wanted a clear idea of problem areas academically for each subject and an update of where he is in each standard to date what is coming up for the rest of the term deadlines etc- MY fingers are crossed that I will get this so that when I met the teachers the following week we can talk about how to work out the problems and support him best.

The parent teacher meetings are only 5minutes in length due to the number of students in the school (hence the email first)

I have always supported the local schools from primary to secondary and believed that we the families who go to our local schools provide a balance where we can work together for the best interests of our communities.

parent choice about schools is elitist and unfair, families choose where to live so thats where you send your kids to school. I know its more than that but the Keep It Simple, Stupid(KISS) essence is simple to apply.

I WANT KISS principals applied to this whole mess but instead I get muddy waters

New zealand students and children deserve better I encourage you all to make a submission to the ministry of education before the 25th MAY

DFNZ invites submissions at submission@dfnz.org.nz from members and education stakeholders. Lets create movement instead of stagnation!

latest update

2007-05-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Well I have been very patient with my high school sons school
I have attended a meeting with most of his subject teachers and felt very positive that they are going to response correctly to his needs. he was to have a reader writer for all assessment tasks.
6 weeks on and I have had no further contact with the school and life is moving forward - My son has begun to be completing the internal assessment part of NCEA level 1 in several subjects and I have only just learned that he hasn't had a reader writer for any assessments so far! So on Thursday morning i tried to contact the RTLB to see what has happened and how this will effect his overall all marks - but she has not returned my ph call or my email.

So back into the fray of school politics I must return to sort out what again i have been promised and the school again has failed to deliver.

I am applying to several different out of zone high schools for my second son who will be entering secondary school next year but I fear we may be stuck with the local high school unless we move - which is also up for discussion in my home. Its hard when we have lived here for 8 years and i don't want to physically move just because of a hidden agenda at this school.

With a new Board of trustees maybe i should be pursing them again or maybe the principal? - oh well what will the next week bring

THE ON GOING HIGH SCHOOL IEP

2007-03-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

My sons NCEA internal science assessment begins in 2 weeks;
so far the school has only let me speak with his drama and math teachers but the RTLB has set up a meting on Wednesday 14th March for his science teacher.

I keep being told that she is incredibly busy with over 900 pupils at his high school; and there needs are as important or more important than my sons. - while i completely understand that she isn't hired to just look after one persons needs but I find it daunting that I am given one set of promises that keep changing and altering - Is it unfair to expect a person to be held to one's word?

the IEP will be written by Xmas turned into being written on 16th February
we will have meetings with the remaining teachers by mid march turns into
well i have spoken with the English teacher and you can meet the science teacher on 14th March - but the other teachers are too busy! - so when will those meetings happen? - well they are busy i don't know when - but i can ask them - great!

no promises no demands - I just want action but i don't understand why action is so hard to have happen at high school - high school teachers who have a degree in a subject then a 1 year teachers course where they have 14 weeks practical teaching experience in the classroom.

Curriculum courses allow them to specialise in areas of interest and qualifications including art, performing arts (drama, dance, music), social sciences (history, geography, social studies), economics and accounting, Te Reo Mäori, English, media studies, classical studies, international languages, mathematics and statistics, science (biology, chemistry, physics) environmental science, physical education and health, and technology.

Some curriculum areas can be completed as a special topic, e.g. horticulture.

Which all sounds very good but where dose it say they will have training in how to teach kids with special needs? and how much emphasis is placed on working with parents as part of a team there to support the individual student?

I don't expect teachers to be experts in everything - that would be unfair but when you have a class full of teenagers with a variety of different backgrounds and abilities - and teachers compare or grade those students work - i thought they should all be capable of using the information at hand to provide a fair grade.

seems logical

but in the case of kids with learning disabilities and dyslexia surely teachers need an IEP to fairly and equally judge those students?

From my experience with my sons high school and other high school examples i have come across they just don't want to know about IEP's; its just too much work - it means they can't compare one student to the next in quite the same way; they have to stop and re-evaluate how they mark students work.

the Ministry of education is pushing the team up web site and team up philosophy on TV and in the media - but form my perspective the high schools are not ready for it.

They do not know the meaning of co-operation and communication with parents.

with school board of trustees elections looming I think we should all be asking all the board nominees
what will you be doing to ensure that all teachers/ staff at your school are communicating effectively and working toward inclusive education practice?

what professional practice or in service training will the board be working for or organising?

will special needs training be provided for all teachers at this school - or will it be an optional extra?

what is the schools priorities going to be?

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK

2007-03-09T20:15:00.000-08:00

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS WEEK II
Dyslexia is Real
23- 29 April, 2007

The Trustees of the Dyslexia Foundation of NZ are very pleased to bring this announcement to your attention as we move into planning and media coveragefor this exciting new initiative.We appreciate that the announcement of Dyslexia Awareness Week is somewhatshort notice, however the high level of public and media interest andinteraction around the dyslexia cause means that the time is now to really"turn up the volume" for dyslexia.It would be wonderful to have your support and involvement as Members of theDFNZ during this week.For information about Dyslexia Awareness Week and the activities planned, please visit: www.dyslexiafoundation.org.nz/dyslexiaweek

YOUR INVITATION:We would like to invite you to participate in some way during this week ofactivities that will show dyslexia is real !Our focus during this Week is to raise the awareness of dyslexia and thelack of recognition of this way of thinking in all communities around NZ.This is a fantastic opportunity to focus your organization, families,clients and customers, on the dyslexia cause.On the special new webpage set up for Dyslexia Awareness Week, we willfeature all the activities planned by Members for this time.

JOIN IN NOW - and get involved in Dyslexia Awareness Week.To have your activity or event listed on this website, please email the details to: info@dfnz.org.nz

HERE'S SOME IDEAS ON HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:Your support and involvement in Dyslexia Awareness Week will make all the difference - as a DFNZ initiative, it would be wonderful if you could get behind this Week of activities.Here's some ideas on how you, your family, school or organization could beinvolved
SEND an email to your friends, families, clients, customers,suppliers, and others about Dyslexia Awareness Week and what we are hopingto achieve.

PUBLISH a notice in your School Newsletter about the Dyslexia Foundation and the Dyslexia Awareness Week. List the DFNZ website for yourfamilies... www.dyslexiafoundation.org.nz

SEND a Letter to Your MP:This week is an ideal time to speak or write to your local MP calling forrecognition for dyslexia.

SEND A LETTER TO the Minister of Education:Take the opportunity this Week to have your say and write to or email theHon Steve Mahary, Minister of Education.

0900 DYSLEXIA FUNDRAISING PHONE NUMBERThe Trustees are pleased to announce that we now have 0900 DYSLEXIA (090039753) as our fundraising phone number.We hope that this phone number will attract many callers during DyslexiaAwareness Week - this is a $20 donation that is paid through the donor's Telecom phone account.You will see our 0900 DYSLEXIA phone number logo featured on the AwarenessWeek webpage and in many other places.We look forward to hearing from you soon with your activities and ideas for Dyslexia Awareness Week .

Keep your eye on the DFNZ website for more information and Members activities for Dyslexia Awareness Week.
Thank you for your support in anticipation,The Trustees Dyslexia Foundation of NZ

what is there beyond danks davis tutoring?

2007-02-23T22:24:00.000-08:00

Auckland Educationalist Professor Tom Nicholson, believes direct teaching of the 44 letter-sound combinations in English can help most dyslexics.
Nicholson is on 09 443 9685, t.nicholson@massey.ac.nz.

The IEP

2007-02-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

On the 16th February we had a meeting at my eldest high school to write the IEP
present was myself, the RTLB, the head of guidance, his drama and maths teachers
noticeably absent - the other 4 teachers and Dean.

we went through each point on the IEP and discussed how we could work in partnership to ensure that he is well supported at school and at home.

at the conclusion of the meeting I wanted to know when I could meet with the remaining subject teachers to discuss the points and find out how best to support him in those subjects - Surprise - they explained that teachers are too busy to meet with me and they did not understand what benefit I would have from meeting with them.

I was surprised to say the least - I pointed out in the hour long meeting I had learned many ways in which i could support him for example in regards to maths - ensuring he completes all working and shows each step.
In drama encouraging him to take part in stage challenge - either on stage or in production side. - i had never heard of the smoke free stage challenge till then.

I wonder what other small points like that i could get from a meeting with his other teachers?

I sent another letter to phil goff (my MP) and have given him an update and expressed my disappointment that I still have to meet with the remaining 4 teachers.

Are all high schools so hard to deal with?

how have other parents dealt with the red tape?

it is exciting we are moving forward and making progress- even if its baby steps.

but who is the real winner here - Of course its my son - teachers now have on record he has a learning disability -dyslexia and he will have a reader/writer for exams.

I will persit in being his advocate and fight for his right to accessable education but I dont understand why it has to be so easy at one school and so hard in another?

begining of the new school year

2007-02-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

All my 4 children are back at school!
the hoildays are over and now the organisation begins all over again.

my year 11 son's school has called on tuesday to set up an IEP meeting on Thursday or Friday. Promise one kept - they contacted the week of the 12th febuary. The meeting will happen tommorow and present will be the head of guidence, the RTLB and me along with maybe a teacher or two (if they can make it). I must admit that doesnt sound optomistic but I will go in with no presumptions and try to make this work.

My year 8 son's new teacher is yet to return my message but it is still only day 6 - I must follow that up next week if I havent heard back.

My year 6 sons teacher seems on to it and nice, He has just had a full reassessment which will give us a good indication of his current levels- I am quite excited by that prospect.

my Year 4 daughter's new teacher is the crown jelew in the bunch she is perfect - just what a parent wants- She believes in holistic and inclusive teaching and finding the indiviuals strenghts and weaknesses
and working to support or improve the individual.

But cost wise without school donations it has been incredibly hard
I cant belive how quickly i spent $1000.00 in shoes, stationery, clothes, uniforms, school bags and new lunch boxes (For some not all).

we are yet to get back to the right sleep/wake up routines but working on it.

bye for now
Adele

Letter from MP

2007-02-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

back on the 9th of January I contacted my Local MP regarding the Lack of IEP for my son and the whole way the school has handel our case.

His intial response was to talk with the BOT again which i did, but yesterday I recieved his Offical response by letter - he has written to the school and to the minister of education.

asking for an update from them on my case!

He also promises to get back to me once he has there responses.

Its a sad state of affairs when one must go to their MP to get answers! or action!

I whole hearted encourage every parent with a child with dyslexia, or other learning disability who is being put off by there school or told to wait one more term or one more month to activly follow up with the teacher, the dean, the principle, the RTLB or who ever is delaying the support your child needs and to contact their MP if all else fails.

the best piece of advice we should all remeber
Trust you gut insticts and dont give up till you have action!

Bye for now

preparing to go back to school after the summer hoildays

2007-01-28T20:55:00.000-08:00

I really wish I had been told about dyslexia when my first baby was born if I had only know what I know now about dyslexia earlier - here is some of the key points all parents should know but often we don't especially with our first babies.

While reading is the primary problem, of dyslexia it can and often does also include difficulties with:

Writing
Spelling
Listening
Speaking
Math

A person with dyslexia is someone whose problem in reading is not the result of emotional problems, lack of motivation, poor teaching, being dumb or lazy, or vision or hearing deficits. Dyslexia is a persistent, lifelong condition. There's no cure for it, but there are ways to learn new skills to deal with it and be successful.

Although kids with dyslexia have language processing and learning difficulties in common, the symptoms and severity can be quite different. I have 3 children with dyslexia and all 3 have different needs and different problems even though they are all similar.

Kids learn some academic skills at a level lower than others their same age and intellectual peers, but they can do other things quite well. They may be talented in the arts, skilled in technology, or adept with spatial relationships. These strengths and talents need to be encouraged and reinforced.

What Should parents Look For?

Most kids have problems in school at one time or another. Ask yourself has your child shown these characteristics to a greater degree than normal over a extend period of time and in different environments, e.g., school, home, child care.

Ages 6-11

Has difficulty pronouncing words, may reverse or substitute parts of words.
Has difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions

Doesn't hear fine differences in words; e.g., writes "pin" for "pen".

Has problems stating thoughts in an organized way

Confuses the order of letters in words

Doesn't recognize words previously learned

Spells a word several different ways; doesn't recognize the correct version

Has poor reading comprehension

has high verbal comprehension

Ages 12-adult

Has difficulty remembering what he just read

Has difficulty concentrating when reading or writing

Is unable to tell important information from unimportant details

Spells poorly; misspelling is not phonetic

Has problems taking notes accurately (avoids writing notes at all)

Has difficulty organizing and completing written projects

What if I Suspect My Child Has Dyslexia?

Prepare to talk with your child's teacher about the problems you've observed at home and learn how your child is doing in the classroom.
There are many techniques that may help your child succeed, either by gaining new skills or by using bypass strategies.

look into options the school can offer including reading recovery in year two, rainbow reading or banatynne multi sensory programme.

get your child an assessment by the teacher or RTLB through the school or an educational psychologist.
If the school is reluctant to act contact
SPELD http://www.speld.org.nz/ or
DANKS DAVIS http://www.danksdavisdyslexia.com/

to get further advice or support.
don't forget to check out http://www.teamup.co.nz/default.htm
they also offer advice on how you can help your child and the process to follow if you are concerned about your child's progress.

they offer the following good advice on steps to meet your child's needs

What is involved
There are four key steps involved in meeting your child’s special education needs:
Assessment
Developing an Individual Education Programme(IEP)
Accessing services
Working in partnership

Step 1 - Assessment
It is important that your child’s learning needs are assessed so that the most suitable programme and support can be developed. Assessment is largely the responsibility of the class teacher and school staff, and specialists from appropriate agencies. Wherever possible, the child should be involved fully in the assessment process. This may include noting their aspirations and goals for planning purposes. This information will form the basis for the Individual Education Programme (IEP) for your child.

This assessment will be done over time and it will probably be based on one or more of the following:

Observation in different settings for example, the classroom or playground. Interviews and discussions with your child, and with those closely involved with him or her
Formal, standardised tests
A curriculum-based assessment
Assessment of their learning environment
Assessment of how they learn, for example, do they work better when instructions are written, not oral
A review of records of your child’s activities, including school attendance
Self-assessment
A portfolio of your child’s work.

Step 2 - Developing an Individual Education Programme (IEP)
An individual education programme is developed in a meeting between you, your child’s teacher, your child (if they wish to attend) and specialists as appropriate. The aim is to set short and long-term goals together for your child that will show their learning progress overtime. It is also to identify:

Teaching practices that will help your child to learn
Changes that need to be made to the way the curriculum is taught, and to resources and materials
Any additional or specialised equipment your child may need
The best way to provide personal care, where required
How you can support the learning programme at home
Timeframes, responsibilities, and ways to monitor and evaluate your child's progress towards reaching goals.
The IEP should be reviewed at least twice a year in a meeting with you, and the same support team who developed the plan. You will be given a copy of the revised programme after each meeting.

Step 3 - Accessing services
Schools should have the information on all the Special Education services available.
You can also call the Special Education Information Line free on 0800 622 222.

If you are concerned about your child’s learning at school you should talk to your child’s classroom or form teacher, or the school principal. These people can assess your child’s needs, discuss what the school can provide and if there is a need to bring in other services.

If you have talked with these people and you still feel concerned, you can talk to a local Special Education service manager, your local Ministry of Education office or your National Operations student support manager.

Step 4 - Working in partnership
Special education is about the people who are close to your child jointly making the decisions on how their needs should be met. This means taking the time to build a close working relationship with your school – particularly your child’s teachers – so you can decide together on the best approaches and learning programmes.

What makes a successful partnership?

The partnership with your school will work best when everybody:

Accepts responsibility for meeting the special education needs of your child
Has a view on how these needs should be met and works together to find the answer Works with others in ways that concentrate on your child, not the personalities involved or the relationships
Presents their views openly, sensitively and honestly
Shares the responsibility for making decisions
Seeks to achieve the best outcome for your child
Deals with problems as they arise.

If your child receives individual support, it is a good idea to have a notebook that travels between school and home with your child. Issues and day-to-day events can be recorded to let everyone know what is happening in your child’s life. This could include family events, things that are coming up at school, meeting dates, food likes and dislikes, how the child slept last night and medication details. Other ideas include setting up a regular 10 - 15 minute meeting or phone call each fortnight or month with the school's special education needs coordinator, teacher or principal to discuss progress.

Talk to school staff and work out something that suits you both.

It is important that everybody in the partnership is fully aware of the roles and responsibilities of the school and of you as parents.

Working in partnership - the role of the school the school’s management responsibility is to:

Welcome and enrol your child as they would all other students
Provide a safe place for learning
Establish a comprehensive special education policy with clear priorities based on the National Education Guidelines, which include the National Education Goals, the Foundation Curriculum Policy Statements, the National Curriculum Statements and the National Administration Guidelines, and the Special Education Policy guidelines
Provide programmes and teaching resources for students with special education needs through special education resourcing and school operational funding.
Support teachers and other staff in their professional development in such areas as assessing and evaluating progress
Inform parents or caregivers about the special education services available and how these can be accessed
Work with you, specialists and other agencies to assess your child’s learning strengths and needs
Develop, where appropriate, an Individual Education Programme (IEP) for your child, and review it at least twice a year in a meeting with you, your child’s teacher and specialists as needed
Provide and oversee staff to teach students with special education needs for each school day. For example, a student should not be sent home because a staff member, such as a teacher aide, is absent
Provide frequent reports of your child’s progress
Regularly report, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of learning programmes
Ensure staff are appropriately trained and work professionally at all times.
It is important for everyone to recognise your child is just as much a part of the school as any other child.

Working in partnership - your role as a parent or caregiver your responsibility as parent or caregiver is to:

Ensure your child is enrolled and regularly attends school until they turn at least 16 years old
Let the school know if your child will not be attending school on a particular day. This is particularly important where the school operates a monitoring system to ensure students arrive at school safely
Inform the school ahead of time if you need to take your child out of school for a special reason, such as a medical appointment
Work with your school to identify your child’s needs, develop appropriate programmes and to monitor their progress
Provide the school with essential information such as particular medical, dietary, exercise or personal care requirements for your child, and where to reach you in an emergency
Communicate to resolve problems as they emerge and to share ideas about what is working well
Take part in the development of Individual Education Programmes (IEPs), goal-setting, specific learning programmes and follow-up activities at home.

BE Prepared for the school to be reluctant to recognise dyslexia, Why? in NZ the MOE does not officially recognise dyslexia!

On a personal note one more dank davis session for my second child and he is finished what a relief he will finish before the new school term rock on up on the 7th feb!

the big question now is what is next?
I know finishing one form of support but what will we rplace it with?
I am reseraching some options and will let you kow the choices - next time.

forward movement maybe?

2007-01-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

I have just come from a meeting with my son's school
with the vice principle and the chairperson of the BOT -I wrote a letter
explaining my frustration and annoyance - My second letter to the BOT it invoked a fast response.

The outcome of the meeting is that The RTLB will write up a draft IEP
and be in contact with me the week of the 12Th February.

This wont affect my sons internal assessments as according to the vice principle No internal assessments happen pre March.

Talk about leaving a fine line!

Since course confirmation is not till 1 February and the first day of school isn't until the 7 February its hard to argue that we should have this set up earlier, so again I am waiting.

I am concerned that the high school's view of the IEP process and the MOE view seem to be quite different.

The school believes that by having a meeting with myself, the dean and the RTLB is an acceptable IEP meeting. other teachers are kept in the loop by means of a round robin process and if they want to contribute they can. (raises the questionS OF
what if they just don't see the same context of the information or if they dont keep in the loop? how do you know?)

the ministry of education recommendation of an IEP process is:

An individual education programme is developed in a meeting between you, your teenager’s teacher (or teachers), your teenager (if they wish to attend), and specialists as appropriate. The aim is to set short and long-term goals together for
your teenager that will show their learning progress overtime. It is also to identify:

* teaching practices that will help your teenager to learn
* changes that need to be made to the way the curriculum is taught, and to resources and materials
* any additional or specialised equipment your teenager may need
* the best way to provide personal care, where required
* how you can support the learning programme at home
* time frames, responsibilities and ways to monitor and evaluate your teenager's progress towards reaching goals.

The IEP
should be reviewed at least twice a year in a meeting with you, and the
same support team that developed the plan. You will be given a copy of
the revised programme after each meeting.
from http://www.teamup.co.nz/secondary/about/education/Steps+to+meeting+your+teenagers+needs.htm

The vice principle explained that high schools don't always have the
resources to implement the MOE policy but they do there best "It maybe
impractical to have all teachers at one meeting but perhaps we could do
it in 2-3 meetings?"

I explained I am happy to go in and meet with all 6 subject teachers if that's what it takes but isn't it a waste of my time doing that when one meeting would be far more effective?

Seems that I will have to put aside a lot of time for this IEP for my eldest!

The Vice principal commented "we have good [internal] communication with our teachers" did make me laugh. They have so far displayed poor communication with
our family and yet they want me to believe they have good communication
between teachers? Enough that I would trust a round robin process for
my sons IEP!

New to the high school experience (as a parent- yes) - willing to gamble with my sons academic future - NO.

I keep being told that its a bad time of year and that the RTLB has achieved
many things in a short time frame (since the end of October) But it
still leaves a sour note - Yes some things have happened.

Maybe I should be grateful of that?

I spoke with my son about the meeting and he is very immature in that he dosent see what the fuss is about, he dosent want to be treated differently, he just wants to get on with it.

A sentiment I share -I just want it sorted - I have a vision of my son being supported correctly, with achivable goals in place.

bye for now

week 4 summer school hoildays

2007-01-16T23:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was fantastic
we went to long bay as a family and went
swimming and sun bathing it was relaxing and beautiful. we came home
and set up the family tent in theback garden, then we set up a makeshift campfire and roasted marshmallows as the sun was setting... It was Davine.

my kids worked together without fighting, played like friends then ate marshmallows till they were full.

I was so relaxed, it was a great day!

I contacted my local MP he kindly referred me back to the schools BOT as its up to the individual school to ensure they are following their charter.

Today is back to reality I have not heard from the RTLB at my eldest school so I have written the Board of trustees another another letter asking formally to set up a IEP meeting for the third time in writing (I have also asked to set up an IEP verbally numerous times.

does it seem I am moving in circles?

Maybe I should go public and talk with fair go or the Press but I worry that
my child would be exposed to bullying which could just add to the
overall problem.

Anyone else experiencing problems with their child's school or are other parents out their just giving up?

week 3 of the summer school hoildays

2007-01-07T22:39:00.000-08:00

Its been a lovely week of sun shine and relaxation we have been very lazy this week all sleeping in and enjoying our own little joys for my husband and eldest 2 sons its been playing war of world craft and planning the down fall of their online enemies.

My eldest boys are typing a bit quicker if they can have an extra 30 minutes on the game. small progress at least.

my second son is on target to finish the dank Davies method soon maybe 2 -3 more sessions - fingers crossed.

looks like the high school RTLB wont be back till the 15th at the earliest so more waiting.

I should point out that I have 3 children with dyslexia
and with my younger children with dyslexia at both a primary school and a intermediate school their respective schools have been fantastic and they have been very supportive. we have a once a term meeting with the teacher and the coordinator of special needs the Their IEP's are reviewed and continued or changed as needed. The teacher recommends things to try at home or what the main social studies topic will be for the term and gives advice on how best to support our child - standard meeting time 30-45 minutes if there are specific problems then it could go on for an hour to hour and a half - but we know before going if they want to discuss any big problems - thanks to a email or phone call before hand so we can plan the meeting lenght to fit in with work and other commitments.

my contribution has always been welcomed and I have felt valued.

THIS IS NOT HOW MY SONS HIGH SCHOOL HAS TREATED ME.

but there are good teachers and RTBL's out there unfortunately not in all schools and there is great variation from one school to the next - we should be asking the New Zealand government to have a national school wide standard. Our teachers all need to have some training in special needs especailly things like dyslexia - which effects upto ten percent of all children.

The ministry of education does have in place policy which can be found at
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?layout=document&documentid=7327&indexid=7954&indexparentid=6871

The aim of the Government's special education policy is to improve learning outcomes for all children and young people with special education needs at their local school, early childhood centre, or wherever they are educated

I have so far experienced a very patchy service that needs improvement.

MY biggest concern is what about the other kids that are out in NZ and their parents dont know what dyslexia is - what support are those kids getting? (if any) and what happens when tehy fall through the schooling systems cracks? who picks up the pieces?

bye for now
Adele

welcome to 2007

2007-01-03T00:34:00.000-08:00

Not surprising I have not heard from the high schools RTLB before the Christmas/ new year break began. plenty of promises but I am still waiting for action. I think I should send a another letter to the schools board but then again, what is the point? they will no doubt investiage it and get back to me by the end of Febuary (If I am lucky). Maybe I should contact the local MP? It does feel like we have our back against a wall.

I have investigated the options of changing schools next year for my son but the options all look bleak we live in Auckland so there are many schools that I can look at sending my child to dont get me wronge i am lucky but the schools in Auckland all have enrolment zones or critiea, my local school is the school i am having trouble with so any other state school we would be out of zone and year 11 (not a good start) then having special needs does not make us a catch for the other school.

private schools are just way beyond my budjet starting figures are at approximately $2875/ term plus uniform, course related costs and exam fees.

intergrated schools such as the catholic schools are more affordable at approx $400.00/ per term plus uniform,course related costs and exam fees. But we are not catholic and I hate to have to change my childs school because they are being unhelpful and unsupportive.

So for now i will plod on and give the RTLB a call next week...

I have begun the unpleasant task of teaching the eldest to type (i must admit it isnt going well).

We are continuing with the one hour a week Danks Davies tutoring and brain gym exercises our middle son will hopefully finish Danks Davies tutoring over the school holidays which is exciting for us all - he has made great progress over the two plus years we have be doing this.

both he and my youngest son started the tutoring at the same time but the youngest son is only mid way through the course. Partly because of the age differences and partly because the youngest son has dispaxia as well as dyslexia. but we continue on and keep having fun along the way.

I'm sure this will be relieved in many families but this year our kids got both books, and console games as presents but they have spent 80% of there day glued to games or tv or dvd 10% playing outside on their bikes or the trampoline and 10% sleeping in instead of reading the new books they recieved. I know dyslexic kids dont gravitate to books they are more active kids who cant wait to see what happens next- any sequence is thrown out the window.

whats happening Now?

2006-12-15T00:32:00.000-08:00

Whats happening now?
Well, it’s been a busy week between kids, work and study. on the dyslexia front I have 3 new exciting things to mention.1st youngest son has improved his writing by about 1.5years in less than 1 year - I know this might not sound much but fir him its a huge jump forward and his basic facts are now very good. Yippee! Progress has been made.2nd Middle son has had a fantastic reassessment and in 3 years gone from 3 years behind in most areas to being 2 years ahead in most areas' - I believe its due to him doing the danks Davies method of tutoring its been fantastic but time consuming.3rd eldest son, still having communication problems with his high school they seem to think that everything can wait till next year, next month or next week and have no sense of urgency. My son will be entering year 11 in 2007 but we still have no Individual education plan - which is the recommended process for all students with special needs from the ministry of education in NZ. I think my plea for an inclusive cooperative process has fallen on deaf ears and now Xmas is here and I am still struggling to have his needs acknowledged.

Today the eldest and middle son entered the dash for cash competition with my husband they had a great time running around the CBD with there dad collecting clues and points along the way.

Schools are out and school holidays can begin for the older two the next two starts there school holidays Wednesday next week.

Over these holidays my plan is to teach my children to type – I’ll let you know the progress.

Bye for now

the story so far

2006-12-07T21:56:00.000-08:00

Hello,

Let me start by saying through my posts and experiences I hope others will benefit from my experiences, Maybe out there is another family won't feel as alone as i did in the beginning.
Maybe my advice will help someone else.

I discovered more by accident than plan three years ago, that my then year 4 (9 year old) son had dyslexia His classroom teacher wanted to refer him for further assessment he was very good at maths but was struggling to read at a 6 year old level, his writing was also very immature for his age. She advised me that she would put in a referral for him but it would take 18 - 24 months before he would receive an assessment. I looked at going privately for the assessment and found out that I would still need to wait 3 months for an appointment and it would cost $350.00 for 2 two hour sessions.

I also had a 7year old son who displayed similar tendencies so I decided that I would get both children assessed privately. They both were diagnosed as Dyslexic.

I was very sad and embarrassed at first my children were special needs students but I came to terms with the news and began reading and exploring how to help my boys.

The boys primary school was fantastic they set up IEP's for my boys and involved me in the whole process at first I felt lost and unsure but it empowered me to keep learning more and finding ways i could work with the school and support my boys.

but last year i began to worry about

My eldest son, he has always had trouble with his handwriting but his reading is very good and above his chronological age but as he progressed into intermediate

His reports kept pulling up his handwriting and spelling began to be a problem.

I spoke with his intermediate and clearly stated he had two siblings with dyslexia and should we get a referral to the RTLB for him?

But they felt it wasn't necessary and could be developmental. So we waited – he was doing excellent in most academic areas.

At the beginning of year 9 I spoke with the dean for his year level and told her that he has 2 siblings and cousins with dyslexia

I was concerned about his handwriting and was told that she would keep an eye on Him and if she saw a problem would get in touch with us ASAP.

By the end of year 9 his report clearly showed that there was something wrong he was doing extremely well in math's and science the top but English and social studies he was barely passing.

I contacted the school but the Dean had left for end of year holidays I was advised I could only speak to her regarding this so I would need to talk with her next year – And so begins my year of hell with the High school

At the beginning of this year I spoke the dean who asked me to wait till the term one reports came out in April so we could see if there was still a problem or if it was an abnormal end of year result.

Once the reports came out I then had to wait a further two weeks to see the dean (she was very busy).Once I spoke to the dean she spent the next 2 weeks investigating weather the classroom teachers had a concern with him,

Followed by a further week of well there might be a problem but he would need to be referred to the RTLB system.So I went in and filled out the referral form – which got lost – I only found out it was lost when I contacted the dean a week later to find out how long before a assessment would happen. This was now the end of May 2006 so I went in again and filled in the form and gave it to the dean.

I contacted her at the beginning of June and asked when a referral would happen she informed me that it would not happen because my son was not considered a priority case

He was coping at school and there are worse cases that needed attention. She said if I wanted to go privately she would have no objection!

Needless to say I did go privately and still had to wait another 2 months for an assessment that showed he had learning difficulties that needed addressing! Namely dyslexia!

So when I contacted the dean again she was to busy to see me – So I contacted the principle and complained with the inaction of the dean and how our case had been handled.

The principle spent a week investigating my complaint and then we met to discuss it – only to find out he hadn't done anything because he wanted to see the assessment before he looked into it!

So the next week we met (September 2006) and he explained to me that with a school roll close to 1000 it was hard for deans to know what was happening for individual students
he explained there is limited funding for extra help, teachers aren't trained to recognize or diagnose dyslexia they are trained to teach, Sorry that it seems your son my have slipped through the cracks.

He wasn't going to punish the dean for her response because she was doing the job she had by the book.The school was without an RTLB till October due to staff changes

Parting comment In 17 years as principle at my sons school he had not met another parent with as much determination and drive – but the tone was less than sympathetic or kind

I contact the chairperson of the BOT after I had had a few days to calm down and explained I was an unhappy parent, I wrote down my complaint and some suggestions for improvements and then waited for a reply – which came within 2 weeks.

The board agreed that things could have been handled better, but it was up to the principle to sanction staff not the board and that my child's referral to the RTLB system would be a priority case once the new RTLB started at the end of October 2006.

So again I waited – once the RTLB started we discussed what would happen now – Well this is the funny bit- She saw my son, then 2 weeks later had a meeting with me

At the meeting she said that since the RTLB unit only works with kids to the end of year 10 (and there is only 4.5 weeks of term left) did I want her to see Harrison again!

I was very grumpy at that point for all the effort he had 1 session with her!

I asked that she apply for assisted tech-knowledge and see if we could get a laptop or alpha smart unit for my child to use at school (which is a recommendation in Harrison's assessment) but she informed me it's quite a lot of paperwork and effort which might all be in vain– I told her to preceded its worth trying.

Then when I asked to set up an IEP for my child the RTLB said it was a good idea she would coordinate the Head of department for English and dean and we would met on the 29^thNovember 2006. This meeting was canceled due to something urgent coming up on the RTLB's diary the meeting was rescheduled for 4^th December 2006 and we disc cussed my child's needs again. but again we left the meeting without any clear results.

I contacted the Group special education unit here in Auckland and they are now aiding me in my communication problem with my sons secondary school

All we want is the best for our child's so he wont be disadvantaged next year when he is doing his NCEA level one. as most of his subjects have an internal assessment component it is vital that He is assessed fairly and under the right criteria. But his high school has dragged out what should be a simple process and made it into our families HELL