January 30, 2013

Dyslexia.  I have worked with kids for years, all kinds of kids, tons of kids with ADD, ADHD, Autism, Down syndrome, kids with emotional problems that were so bad they couldn't function.  I owned a child development center and the one thing I loved was being with the kids.  Not so much the adults, but the kids.  I remember one day in the classroom, I had four classrooms and a kitchen, the rain was falling how it does in the summer.  It smelled good.  I opened the windows and we all sat and watched the rain while the classical music played.  My children were smart, they were four getting ready to turn five and go to school.  Already sounding out words, reading the beginning readers, mastering puzzles with 50 pieces, science projects and social studies.  We always had fun together.  They knew the classroom rules and on this day it just flowed and I got to just spend time with them enjoying them.  ADD kids are some of the smartest kids around.  I always had my share of the ones the other daycares didn't want to deal with.  How stupid, they were so smart you just had to provide projects that peaked their interest. 

My grandson came in with a stuttering problem and of course being grandma's he didn't listen to the other teachers very well.  I really have no idea how he turned out as well adjusted and even tempered as he is, I'd like to take the credit but that'd be a joke.  He stuttered quite a bit for several years and then it seemed as though he got control of it.  However, as I began working with him on his reading I noticed a glitch.  I couldn't pinpoint it but I knew that the processing from the page to the brain was having a hard time coming out.  We talked to his first grade teacher, she said no I don't see it.  We talked to the special education teacher and he said no, his scores aren't low enough he's functioning.  Finally, at the end of the year his teacher wanted to retain him, he wasn't reading at grade level, she just assumed he was slow, I said no something's wrong.  I told my daughter get him assessed.  She thought she requested it but she did only verbally not in writing.  Summer came and went with tutoring for him to improve reading skills.  Now second grade, I'm still reading with him, he's still struggling, I told my daughter again, I know he's dyslexic he needs to be assessed.  His second grade teacher wants him on medication because he asks too many questions, she thinks he's ADD (ridiculous) but doesn't see the dyslexic problem.  I wanted to kill her, my grandson didn't want on the medications, but Mary did it to help him focus in the classroom, reading did not improve.  The medicine made him not want to eat, but he didn't ask questions so the teacher was happy. 

Finally, he wouldn't take the medication any more and the teacher made a comment in front of the other kids "I can see you're not on your medications"  well, that was it.  He wasn't going to take anything anymore.  And his reading didn't improve.  Finally one day as a reward, the teachers decided to give the kids a movie if the kids had good scores on their tests, the ones who scored high on reading got popcorn.  He didn't.  He came home and made excuses for the popcorn being given to the other kids "that's okay mom I got to watch the movie"  that was it.  Game over.  Bitch gonna die.

Jesus meeting with the principal, we explained everything and the need for him to be assessed for his reading problem.  Finally, our friend Mr. Albanez walks through the principal's door to ask  what we are doing.  He's a friend, so he sits down, he listens, he goes to the computer and looks Xander up.  Well his test scores in math are at a 90% for the second grade, for reading 47% but good enough to be considered average.  We said no something's wrong.  I begged him Mr. Albanez just spend 5 minutes listening to him read, you'll see it I promise you will.  He did and He did.

Funny thing my grandson had seen a commercial on the disney channel a year ago and said mom what's dyslexia? She asked why and then described it.  He said mom that's me I have that.  He diagnosed himself correctly a year ago and it has taken until today to get the referral and an assessment.  My grandson's case of dyslexia is mild and he has learned to compensate for it in a way that allowed the teachers (if they paid attention at all) to miss it.  But it's there and it upsets him when he can't read like the other kids. 

Mr. Albanez said I've never seen a kid like this he's  compensated for this in such a way you couldn't tell unless you were looking for it.  He's sharp.  He said he called the psychologist who looked at his scores and said, he doesn't need an assessment his scores are fine.  Finally, Mr. Albanez said "No he's just that smart, it's there". 

Finally, he'll get some effective strategies to help him get where he needs to be and I can't wait to watch him soar.  As for his current teacher, she's been advised to conduct herself in a professional manner without prejudice and we still have one more conversation with the superintendent's office.