laptop issued by dept.

littlemis

While my child has been given one of these in Primary,as she is dyslexic does it go with my child into Secondary??I know she is recommended to be retested before she goes into Secondary.I don't know if she will be put forward by the school, as it was also recommended that she get resource teaching, but is getting none.???Would anyone be able to enlighten me the this matter please????

byhookorbycrook

Yes, she can keep the laptop for secondary.
If a psychologist recommends support it would be learning support and not resource for a child with dyslexia. However DES guideline state that only children on or under the 10th percentile in tests like the Drumcondra or Micra get support.

Most school psychologists feel that a child with dyslexia needs to be reassessed before secondary - the results of the micra/Drumcondra for 6th are enough.

It's up to the secondary school to decide if a child needs a spelling or grammar waiver or a reader for junior cert and it's in their power to grant it for the junior cert. A student DOES need an up to date educational assessement for a spelling/grammar waiver or reader for Leaving cert, but it has to be less than two years old ,ie done in 5th yr.

I would suggest you visit all the secondary schools in your area and then decide which one is best able to meet your child's needs.

littlemis

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Yes, she can keep the laptop for secondary.
If a psychologist recommends support it would be learning support and not resource for a child with dyslexia. However DES guideline state that only children on or under the 10th percentile in tests like the Drumcondra or Micra get support.

Most school psychologists feel that a child with dyslexia needs to be reassessed before secondary - the results of the micra/Drumcondra for 6th are enough.

It's up to the secondary school to decide if a child needs a spelling or grammar waiver or a reader for junior cert and it's in their power to grant it for the junior cert. A student DOES need an up to date educational assessement for a spelling/grammar waiver or reader for Leaving cert, but it has to be less than two years old ,ie done in 5th yr.

I would suggest you visit all the secondary schools in your area and then decide which one is best able to meet your child's needs.

Thank you for your reply.However on the report it states most clearly that the recommendations are that she gets Resource teaching:in respect of her specific learning disability in accordance with the general allocation model....Exemption from all languages except English....Assistive technology:she should be assessed for the most suitable software and hardware for her particular needs....{now all I know about this is that we went into school one evening was shown a laptop and told the child would use it all the time,it gets used 1 day a week to do number shark and to do sentences ....An IEP made up and finally to be Reassessed before attending Secondary.....It was the NEPS test that was carried out.

Julieho

The traditional idea was that 'Resource' teaching was 1:1, whereas 'Learning Support' was seen as being support in a (small) group setting. The terms should no longer exist and both should be under the same heading as S.E.T. (Special Education Teaching).

Outside professionals often make unrealistic and impractical recommendations in their reports, which do not take into account, the resources and needs within a school. As principal of a school, it is infuriating to read recommendations that many people put in reports, which the school cannot possibly implement.

For example
(1) A school of 300/400 pupils is normally entitled to 2 or 3 NEPS assessments per year. Yet, I have had it stated on up to 15 reports that the school will provide a NEPS assessment, when it is clear that the school overall can only provide 2 or 3!

(2) The school has a limited number of hours granted to it for 'General Allocation'. These hours are intended to serve ALL of the children who would have come under the 'High Incidence' difficulties, of which specific learning disability is one. The school may have 20/30 hours per week to offer, depending on the size of the school. Yet, reports like those you have mentioned, can be misleading at primary level, as there is unlikely to be a facility to offer 1:1 'resource' teaching, given that many others will probably have pressing needs also.

At secondary level, specific learning disability does qualify for extra support and she can get various exemptions and wavers when it comes to exams. I would be concerned about assistive technology and this is an area you would need to have clarified. As it stands, in the present climate, a report from an Occupational Therapist is needed with each application for a laptop. A recommendation from a psychologist will NOT do.

I hope this is of some help.

byhookorbycrook

General allocation model is learning support, dyslexia is seen as a high incidence learning difficulty so does not get resource teaching.

Even if a psychologist recommends something,the school can only provide within the parameters of the DES guidlines,so as I said, if her scores are above the 10th percentile she does not legally have to be given learning support.The school has to prioritise how its allocation is used, so a child on the 5th percentile will get priority over your child.I agree with JulieHo about psychols making outlandish recommendations,I know of a child in another Gaescoil where the psychol said they should be exempt from Irish (in the Gaelscoil!!!)

What use do you hope the laptop will be to her?To type work etc? I ask, because I have seen children who were poor typists or too self concious to use a laptop in class. Why is she doing numbershark if her difficulty is literacy?When you say sentences, is it something like acceleread/accelwrite?Is it in the learning support room that she does this?What are her IEP targets?

littlemis

To be very honest with you,I don't understand the report myself.it seems to contradict its self I think in places.I would love someone to read it and then write a report in parent terms,if that makes sense.I asked a teacher to do that and she told me my girl had 2 percentile.only once did i see that written for word reading the standard score was 69.and in the summary section it it said to be 0-2 percentile.....However when it lists the Achievement Scales, Category, Standard Scores ,Percentile it goes as follows word reading=exceptionally low=69= percentile= 6 ......Spelling= low=74=6 percentile......Reading comp=low=78=<6 percentile.......Numerical operations=low=73=6 percentile...

Now as for her IEP Target it is to be reviewed 31/3/11...Target= Using laptop=she will write a story of 30 words independently using spell check for accuracy.Strategy=practice for writing in day to day activities and homework.Typing program will be used with laptop.Typing out hand written work.Partaking in computer based "chat" with class...This is just part of it.there is a piece on tables and its strategies and also on display of verbal reasoning and expressive skills etc......As I say I find it all very confusing and this is just my daughters report....I have another one for my son and apparently he is in a worse situation his scores,cat and centile are W/R=68=ex/l=2....Pseudoword Decoding=67=ex/l=1....Spell=70=ex/l=2...R/C=66=ex/l=1 and finally Numeral Operations=56=ex/low=0.2....I am lost,confused and upset,as I did everything to bring the problems to the teachers attention since they were in juniors no they are not twins,I wasn't new to having a child and my method of homework help was the same with all so as I was seeing problems arise I was addressing them....with the class teacher and support teacher who said his hands were tied till the teacher approached him....Anyway NONE of that is now Relevant...I just want to know if anyone can advise on what if anything else other than the home support I am giving them.I do not want Secondary School drop out because they find the work hard....

byhookorbycrook

Are they attending the dyslexia Ireland workshops?Worth checking to see if there is one locally. I think you need to meet with the support teacher and discuss your concerns.

littlemis

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Are they attending the dyslexia Ireland workshops?Worth checking to see if there is one locally. I think you need to meet with the support teacher and discuss your concerns.

No she is not I will look into that,thanks....My son has not got one or even the resource teaching recommended either.The Support teacher since he has had them back in 1st class has always and still tells me they are brilliant, and he is very pleased with them and their progress,they have both repeated a class and are now in 3rd and 4th class.however the report states different and no later than Monday at a meeting he said they are both working well and improving.

savina10

Not sure if this will help but... dyslexia will never go away - there is no cure and over-training the child can lead to a lot of frustration so be patient. Remember to keep it fun. At home you can try the Murphy reading programme which is on youtube. It gives achievable targets for the child.The book is about 20e.This programme starts with what the child already knows and builds it up.

Also try to focus on the concept of multiple intelligence. There is a good version on the birmingham learning grid (google this), it will give you a good idea what her strengths are and you can focus on these.Sports will help to keep her self-esteem up.

Learning spellings with movement, singing and visualisation can help and it doesn't cost anything.

littlemis

savina10 wrote: »

Not sure if this will help but... dyslexia will never go away - there is no cure and over-training the child can lead to a lot of frustration so be patient. Remember to keep it fun. At home you can try the Murphy reading programme which is on youtube. It gives achievable targets for the child.The book is about 20e.This programme starts with what the child already knows and builds it up.

Also try to focus on the concept of multiple intelligence. There is a good version on the birmingham learning grid (google this), it will give you a good idea what her strengths are and you can focus on these.Sports will help to keep her self-esteem up.

Learning spellings with movement, singing and visualisation can help and it doesn't cost anything.

Okay thank you for your help...But to be perfectly honest with you I have her at a level I am happy with, while still working with her at a pace she is happy with which is all good. I will look into the youtube one and google the other,thanks....Now any advise on what I can do to help my son as he is going to be going into Secondary in two years and I don't want to loose him academically any more than I have already...Can Anyone Please advise.......