When I was in 3rd grade I was tested and found out that I am dyslexic. When my brother and I moved from DC, to Maryland, his learning disability was detected before lunch. The teachers called my mother and asked did she know about this and how did he pass to the 2nd grade. She explained that she fought with DC’s school system, in spite of medical evidence and they told her that my brother was just being lazy. The next day my mother had a meeting with the teachers at our new school in Montgomery, County Maryland. After testing was completed, the results were what my mother had suspected all the time.
I was tested in the 3rd grade and my learning disability was milder than my older brothers. The school also found out that although I had a learning disability, I was also gifted in other area’s, and sent me and some of my friends to Montgomery College for a program called Middle Start. I love this program and I wish that all special needs students could participate in this program., I learned things that I still remember to this day.
Now I have a child with a slight learning disability due to a complicated pregnancy. I had state insurance, and went to a clinic for my son’s health care. I had a wonderful pediatrician by the name of Dr. Felix, he and I would talk about my son’s development and one day he told me that my son’s brain has traits of an engineer. I asked him how could he tell that? He told me that children display certain skills early, and that if most parents understood that you could position your child in a very successful direction .This also helped me to understand how my son learns. He told me that he wants to go to Stanford Law School, I have put him a school that will prepare him for what ever he wants to major in.
The majority of the inmates in jail have speech and language disabilities, that were not discovered in school. And depending on the school system, the parents might have been told the same thing that my mother was told. I feel that when school systems don’t hire qualified teachers that can detect learning issues early enough for intervention. There should also be true advocacy for parents of special needs children, so that parents are informed of all options for their children. I believe that in some cases children in low income area’s are either not tested , or overly diagnosed.
This can caused learned helplessness see (Grahams Model of 96), and other problems associated. This model can also be used to teach students a strategy of skills mastering things that are difficult. Last year, I took a Special Needs Advocacy Training Course. And it really helped me out a lot, while doing that I did a training at my son’s school with the fashion club. The majority of the students have some sort of learning disability. I asked each one of them why they liked fashion, and they all had different reason, witch means that they all have different gifts that should be explored.
I feel that children in low income area’s are robbed of a better quality of life, when they are subjected to unqualified teachers. Thus school systems should have the same employment process for all schools to insure students are given a fair chance in life.
Parents that do not have advanced education are taken advantage of by school system in regards to educational choices for there children. There should be a pro-bono education lawyer that truly speaks in the best interest of the family.
Proper testing could eliminate miss diagnoses of many students receiving special education services, and it could also be used to help them be successful in school. This may also help with the drop out rate.
Special Needs Students should be tested in other area’s to see if there are other skills are not easily shown. This could open up other educational options for the student.
If a child is having problems in school, and talks to you about it
Find out what part in the lesson is missing
Find out what other subjects they are good in
Find out how the material is being taught, to get a clear idea of how your child is processing the lesson.
If there are still problem’s write a letter to the school requesting that your child be tested for a learning disability. Put in detail what you are looking for from the test results. They have a specific time to start this process, and Hold them to it you have a right as a parent to ensure your Childs future.
My Thoughts:
The point that I am making is that Forbes magazine devoted an entire edition of there magazine for the month for successful business leaders that have learning disabilities “ Dyslexic CEO’s” This edition showed that these men are great business leaders that may or may not have finished college. But some one saw something else in them and groomed them for success. People like me often do not fit into a box by society, and our differences are put to shame. I have started to embrace my differences and not care about not being like everyone else. I had to accept that I do things differently than others, and that a regular 9 to 5 just is not me. I was built to run a business, so that I am successful and happy.
To the parents of special needs students understand this, your children are nature’s greatest miracle and there uniqueness should be celebrated and put on display, so that they can capitalize on it. After all that is why we are given gifts, to profit from them!
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