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You’ve just received a call from your child's teacher. As your
blood pounds in your ears, you hear her explain how she has
noticed your child having difficulty with some academic subject
in school. Your child is not understanding math or reading the
way the other children do. So she would like your permission to
proceed with testing to find out what exactly is causing the
problem.
So what do you do next?
The first thing is, Don't panic. This referral for testing
simply means that she's asking for your permission to find out
whether a learning disability is evident, or, if not, how she
can help your child. She wants to know 1) how your child learns
best, 2) where the child's learning strengths are, and 3) where
his learning weakeness lie. This does NOT mean she thinks your
child is stupid or that you are a bad parent. She sees that your
child does very well in many areas of learning, but there are
one or two areas that are really just not "clicking". When your
child is referred, it’s always a good idea to meet with the
teacher in person. Arrange to sit down and talk with the teacher
to discover specifically why she has recommended an evaluation.
What is she seeing that causes concern? Can she show you some
samples of your child's work that illustrate the problem? It's a
good idea to include the special education teacher in the
meeting as well. She will be able to further clarify why these
indicators are cause for concern. She can also explain the
referral and evaluation process to you. One indication that
there is a problem might be that the child gets very good grades
in math, but his reading achievement is below average for his
age or grade. He is not reading at the same level that most of
the other students of his age are reading at. There is a big
difference between his learning in math and his learning in
reading. If he is old enough, there may be standardized test
scores that also show a huge difference. Ask the teacher to show
you that information. You may have noticed other indications at
home, but thought they were just "kid things". If you ask your
child to do 2 or 3 things in a row, does he forget much of your
instruction? When you ask him a question, does he have
difficulty expressing the answer? Are his room, his book bag, or
his locker always disorganized, making it difficult for him to
find things? Does he lose his assignment book or his homework
frequently? Does he have trouble socially? Does he have trouble
paying attention? What does the teacher see at school? Ask her.
Realize that when you talk about these things with the teacher,
it does not mean that you are complaining about your child, or
that you think he is "bad". What you’re really doing is
discussing the facts of what is actually going on, or not going
on, with his learning. You‘re trying to help him. You’re acting
in his best interest. Don’t hesitate to ask questions about
anything you don't understand. The teachers will not think you
are stupid or inadequate. The area of Learning Disabilities can
be very confusing and overwhelming to anyone, and it is best
that you understand what is going on right from the beginning.
That way you can make an intelligent decision regarding your
child's future. It is important to find out what will happen
once you give permission to have your child tested. The special
education teacher will be able to explain the referral and
testing process to you. Use her as a resource to answer any
questions you might have and explain anything you don’t
understand. That way you can be informed and help your child
through the process as well. Know your child’s rights from the
beginning. When the process begins, you will be sent a copy of
your child’s rights. If you don’t understand them, or if you
suspect that a right is being compromised, don’t hesitate to
speak to the special education teacher, the principal, or the
special education director.
These are things you can do to help your child and yourself
through the referral process. They are all part of being
informed so you can advocate for your child, and so you can make
sure he receives the best services possible in order for him to
have a successful, happy, productive future. Remember, it’s in
your hands! For more plain talk about learning disabilities,
please visit us at www.ldperspectives.com.
About Author :
Sandy Gauvin is a retired educator who has seen learning
disabilities from many perspectives - as the parent of a
daughter with learning disabilities, as the teacher of children
with learning disabilities, and as an advocate for others who
have diagnosed and unrecognized learning disabilities. Sandy
shares her wisdom and her resources at www.LDPerspectives.com
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