Wrightslaw - FAPE - How can I get the school to provide an appropriate program for my child with a reading disorder?
When my child entered special education, he was in the 2nd grade. His reading grade level was 1.3. He is now in the 5th grade. After 30 months of special education, his reading grade level is 2.3.
Since he entered special education, he has fallen further behind.
I have done a great deal of research about the components an appropriate reading program for learning disabled children. I requested that the school use a program that is structured, systematic, sequential, repetitive and phonologically based.
The school insists that Paul’s strengths are “reading in context” and “employing a variety of different strategies to decode words” (i.e. picture cues, context cues). Despite test scores that show that Paul has not made progress with their method, the school team continues to use it.
Our special education supervisor attended the last IEP meeting because I refused to sign the IEP. She said our school district recently purchased the Wilson Reading System to use in resource classes in our district. Wilson is a great system – it’s based on the Orton-Gillingham principles of remediating dyslexic children.
I was encouraged
by this - until I discovered that Paul's teacher has not had any training in how to use the Wilson program.
The
IEP says Paul will receive 45 minutes of “pull out instruction” a day.
His teacher says she will only use the Wilson Reading System twice a week.
On the other three days, she will put him in a group where she will teach“alternate reading strategies.”
When I asked that Paul receive Wilson Reading System instruction five
days a week, the principal said they were “trying to meet me half way.”
She said I was “not entitled to dictate the method they chose to use to
remediate my son.”
I requested additional time to review the IEP and did not sign it. We agreed to meet again in two weeks. Should I sign the IEP and be grateful for two days of Wilson? I am tired of fighting with them. I feel like giving up but my son is too important.
* * * * *
* * *
You’re
right – your son is too important. You can’t give up.
From your
description, it sounds like your son has a reading disorder (dyslexia). After 2.5 years
of special education, he made 1.0 year of progress in reading. The fact
that he made so little progress is evidence that the reading method that is being
used is not appropriate.
Unfortunately,
school
culture
often prevents school staff from realizing that sometimes, parents
really do know what their children need. Teachers who need training in
research based programs often do not get support from their
administrators so they do not get the training they need.
Your Game Plan
Get a Private Sector Evaluation
To get your son the help he needs, you need to have an independent expert
evaluate your child. The evaluator should attend the IEP meeting to explain
that your child needs a reading program that is “structured, systematic,
sequential, repetitive and phonologically based,” and needs to be taught
be a teacher who is trained in this method. Most IEP teams give outside
experts credit for knowing what children need.
Your independent expert should be a child psychologist or educational
diagnostician who specializes in reading disorders. To find an expert
who understands the educational needs of children with dyslexia and other
language learning disabilities, go to our Reading
Library and scroll down to the Database
of Service Providers.
Strategy:
Use No Child Left Behind
You
can use the No Child Left Behind Act to support your position. The law
requires school districts and schools to use "effective research based
reading remediation programs so all children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade." (emphasis added)
NCLB authorizes funds "to provide assistance to State educational
agencies and local educational agencies in establishing reading programs
for students in kindergarten through grade 3 that are based on scientifically
based reading research, to ensure that every student can read at grade
level or above no later than the end of grade 3." (20 U.S.C.§ 6361)"
(page 73, Wrightslaw:
No Child Left Behind)
Print several copies of 4
Great Definitions about Reading in No Child Left Behind and provide them to members of your child's IEP team.
Strategy: Use IDEA 2004
Read 10 Tips: How to Use IDEA 2004 to Improve Your Child's Special Education by parent attorney Wayne Steedman.
Wayne explains how IDEA 2004 creates a higher standard for a free,
appropriate public education and how parents can use NCLB to obtain a
better IEP for their children.
Learn how to include research based methodology in the IEP and ensure
how to that the IEP goals are comprehensive, specific -- and
measurable. Wayne advises you about pitfalls to avoid and offers advice
about how you can resolve disputes without resorting to a due process
hearing - and what you should do if you cannot resolve your dispute.
IDEA 2004 places schools under increased pressure to use educational
programs that work, i.e., that have a track record of success. “What
works” for dyslexic children are research-based reading programs based
on Orton-Gillingham principles. Learn more about research-based instruction.
Strategy: Dealing with Resistance
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
Unfortunately,
your experience with the resistant teacher is not unusual. The teacher
may not know how to implement any other reading program or method. If
this is the problem, you need to know this.
Write a polite letter that documents the resistance you encountered
from the teacher and your attempts to resolve the problems. When you
put your concerns in writing, it is more likely that administrators
will realize that they have a serious problem on their hands and will take steps to deal
with the problem.
Wrightslaw:
From Emotions to Advocacy has sample letters that you can
adopt to your circumstances.
Recommended
Reading
We asked attorneys, educators, and advocates
to recommend their favorite books for the Advocacy Bookstore.
Here are some recommended books about reading, dyslexia and learning disabilities:
Straight Talk About Reading: How Parents Can Make a Difference During the Early Years by Susan Hall, Louisa Moats, and Reid Lyon
Parenting a Struggling Reader by Susan Hall and Louisa Moats
Overcoming
Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Overcoming Reading
Problems at Any Level by M.D. Sally Shaywitz (Author)
Speech
to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers by Louisa Cook Moats
Dyslexia: Theory & Practice of Remedial Instruction by Diana Brewster Clark and Johanna Kellogg Uhry
The
Dyslexic Scholar by Kathleen Nosek.
You will
find more good books about education in the Research Based Instruction section of our bookstore.
