suggestions?

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Inclusion suggestion for our meeting tomorrow (all they could fit us in

for was 7:30, with school starting at 8, so I'm writing up my comments

and passing them out to save time, LOL)

is fully included in 4th grade with 1:1 aide, pulled for RSP

(math, writing, reading comprehension), and speech. Team includes a

district inclusion specialist, who is supposed to make modifications as

needed. She does do modifications on science and social studies

worksheets, and tests IF THE TEACHER ASKS HER! Teacher is young and

energetic, but is a poor communicator with us. Projects (for example,

the CA map project... huge) are sent home without any modifications, and

I am either left to modify as I see fit, track everyone down to ask them

to modify, and am always left feeling like " you want special favors for

? " when I ask for things to be modified.

BIG PROBLEM: Reading Olympics. Students (over about 7 weeks) had to

read and write book reports on 1000 pages for a gold medal, 800 pages

for a silver medal, and 600 pages for a bronze medal. Anyone thinking

" this is nuts for my child with DS.... how will we modify this to make

it reasonable? " Well, the teacher thought it was " doable " and allowed

me to make an easier book report form for (she gave me some,

but they were unsuitable.... all required drawing as part of it, and

HATES drawing... teacher said, well, then do something else).

So, I talk to the inclusion specialist, and say " is a

fantiastic reader, it's one of her greatest strengths, she should be

recognized along with her peers at the awards ceremony, how will we do

this? " After all, there are few occasions that kids with disabilities

can stand up and get gold medals, so I really wanted her to get the

chance.... what did she have to do? The book reports were the hard

part, but we talked and the inclusion specialist thought that reading

half the amount would be great. I apparently misunderstood, thinking

that if you needed 1000 pages plus book reports to get a gold medal,

than would need to read and write on 500. So, I was surprised

at the awards ceremony when she received the bronze, which she earned

unmodified, by reading over 600 pages.

Now was thrilled to death with her medal, and we were

incredibly proud, but the bottom line was (as per the response to my

voice mail, immediately following the awards) the teacher " didn't modify

this for any of her students with learning disabilties, and this was

certainly doable for to read 1000 pages [of chapter books]...

and she did let me modify the book report form. " Now mind you, this

form included " Main Characters, Setting, Plot " amongst other things, so

it wasn't like I put " Book title " and had her turn it in! The problem

is not the medal, but rather the attitude of " she got what she deserved,

as compared to her peers " ... once again, forgetting the " I " in IEP.

How can I prevent these " I can't modify it, it won't be fair to the

other students " problems, which is what this primarily is. I am going

to try tomorrow to convey that for these big huge assignments, that we

need to figure out what needs to do to get an " A " , showing she

did her best work, rather than telling me enthusiastically... " Wow, she

got a C- as compared to her peers.... way to go! " Yes, we are thrilled

when she can " keep up " with her peers, but she needs to feel good about

how she's doing... she has looked on her neighbor's papers since 2nd

grade at their scores, so she does notice!

Thanks,

, mom to (12), (9 DS), and Sammy (8)