Can you mainstream a child with dyslexia?

amother

Ecru

Wed, Aug 12 2015, 9:16 pm

Ok my title isn't great; I know you CAN mainstream a child with dyslexia. I guess my real question is, can a child learn to read fluently even if they're in a regular classroom? If so, what other services / therapies / programs etc. can be used?

DS 7 gets speech therapy and SETSS (special ed) a few times a week, but I am growing concerned that (1) these interventions are not intensive enough to really deal with the reading problem, and (2) that the therapists are not trained specifically in dealing with reading issues. The SETSS group includes 6 other boys, each with different learning problems and IEPs; yet, there's only 1 teacher who spends her one hour per day working with all of them together.

But, it seems like my only other option would be to send him to a special-ed school. There are no yeshivos with special ed programs remotely near where we live, and I hear they cost a fortune and it's questionable whether the Board of Ed will pay, or even pay for just half.

I'm wondering if anyone knows whether there are any other options or services out there.
TIA!

seeker

Wed, Aug 12 2015, 10:18 pm

Ugh, no SETSS group should have 6 kids with different needs! The school is shortchanging the kids big time here. I don't even get why because the maximum pay rate is for 5 kids, so if it's about money they'd do smaller groups.

Some parents in this type of situation have hired a lawyer to convince the DOE that the child needs the SETSS individually and that qualified providers are only willing to do it at a higher rate. They get the IEP changed to 1:1 SETSS (sometimes specifying a reading specialist) and then get approved for an enhanced rate so the qualified providers are willing to take the case.

As a SETSS provider and friends with other SETSS providers, sometimes we'd be willing to see a child individually at the lower rate just out of the goodness of our hearts if the child really needs it and we happen to have the time anyway - e.g. we're in the same school doing a few groups in a row and there is an empty period when we don't have a group and not worth our time to go to a different school for just that one period. So I'll just do the period with the individual because they need it and really that's what we're all about! But that can't be done for everyone, logistically.

If you can get 1:1 SETSS with a provider who's worth their salt, and the child does not have other barriers (such as emotional/behavioral problems) then that should be enough to address the child's dyslexia so they can stay in the regular school with accommodations as needed.

amother

Ecru

Wed, Aug 12 2015, 10:56 pm

seeker wrote:

Wow, thanks for this, Seeker!!

You've given me a path: I need to change his IEP to 1:1, and try to get a SETSS provider who specializes in reading. But first, it sounds like I need to speak with an attorney. Okay, I guess that's still cheaper in the long-run than a special-ed school.

As far as I know, there's right now only 1 SETSS provider in the school, and she doesn't have specific training in evidence-based reading programs.

Do you know how that would work? How do you get the DOE to send another provider to the school?

Thanks again!

seeker

Wed, Aug 12 2015, 11:42 pm

If you are in a non-public school, the DOE does not send providers to the school. Non-public schools have the option of whether to provide "related services" or whether to leave it up to the parent. You as the parent have every right to find your own SETSS provider (and you very well might find one even at the regular rate, there aren't enough higher-paying jobs available to keep all the providers busy... but sometimes you get what you pay for) and you can either negotiate with the school to allow them to provide services within the school, or you can get the services at home (but it's harder to find a good provider in after-school hours. Lots of demand but that's when anyone with a family wants to stay home anyway.) If the school has only one provider in the school, maybe they would be willing to take in another. There are also agencies that can help with placement.

I find it hard to believe that the school's provider doesn't have ANY knowledge of evidence-based reading programs. Of course there are various levels of additional training that can go very far, but in order to be a SETSS provider you need a special ed degree and I can't imagine a special ed degree program that doesn't have a course requirement in reading instruction that would be mostly evidence-based. My master's degree gave me a good enough working knowledge of several reading programs that even though I haven't gone through the full specialization course in any of them I feel well-enough equipped to pick up the teacher's guide and materials for any of them and apply the evidence-based principles (e.g. OG, Wilson, and others) I may not have "reading specialist" on a certificate but I don't think any of my students with reading problems lost out by having me as their provider. I've also had various coworkers who seemed to do great work without an official title. But of course YMMV.

amother

Ecru

Thu, Aug 13 2015, 12:32 am

seeker wrote:

Thank you so much again, Seeker for your long and detailed response!

I have a feeling you're right; the SETSS provider most likely does have some training. I like her a lot; if I could get him 1:1 and with a special provision for reading, I'm pretty sure she'd work with me, if she has the time in her schedule.

Ok 1 (hopefully!) final question, re the bolded: Is there a reason the school wouldn't want to take in another provider? Does it hurt or affect the school in any way to have more providers?

amother

Ecru

Thu, Aug 13 2015, 12:34 am

Butterfly07 wrote:

From experience, a school geared to deal with Dyslexia would work wonders for your child! (yes there is the non frum aspect involved) I am pretty sure the state helps $ with learning disabilities. If you choose to go with a tutor, use a certified agency who can vouch that there tutors have gone thru training. Dyslexia is a different way of learning & teaching Smile

Good luck & continue research!

I wish I could send him to a special school like this so badly, I could cry.

Another reason for Seeker to go start one! (as per her other thread) Very Happy

seeker

Thu, Aug 13 2015, 12:49 am

Did you consider Ohr Halimud, Pathways, or one of the other Jewish schools that have sprouted up for kids with special needs? I don't know enough about them personally to say if they would be a good fit for you, but their claim is what you're looking for.

It does not hurt the school to take in more providers, but sometimes there are constraints such as space (how many areas are available for private pull-out sessions, and how many therapists are already competing for them - many schools have therapy sessions going on in corners of hallways and stairwells and whatever, it's not ideal for anyone when that happens but I guess if the kids need the therapies what can you do?!) or sometimes they just don't want to be bothered with different people coming in, asking for scheduling, communications, etc. Most schools, as you'd expect, are happy to have someone offering to help their students at no cost to them, but you know there are always the few cranky people who probably are in the wrong field and just see any request as a hassle. So that's why I made it an "if." Just realize that you're asking them a favor - they stand to gain from it almost as much as you do, but it will be more work for them, especially because you won't be the only one asking - once they open the floodgates they could start to have massive coordination headaches. One school I worked in had one of their teachers take it on as an extra part-time job to coordinate interviewing providers (frum schools want quality control of who's coming in, naturally), matching the right providers and kids, grouping or ungrouping as appropriate, scheduling, paperwork, etc. Another school I worked in left it pretty much to the individuals (they did screen who came in) and imagine in a class of 20 kids you have a handful getting SETSS, speech, OT, and any combination of the above, and since nobody from the school was coordinating it this could all be with different providers - now imagine EACH of us different providers having to somehow corner the teacher in her "spare" time to figure out when we could work with our kid that would work with the class schedule and not interfere with a different therapist who got there first - poor teacher!

So I wouldn't say it "hurts" them but it's definitely something they think twice about!

seeker

Thu, Aug 13 2015, 11:05 am

You're very welcome. It's an easy way to try to help!
I suspect that if the teacher complained every time the SETSS wanted to pull the boys out, that probably means they never worked out a good schedule and/or understanding of what would be with the class material the boys missed. A little planning and coordination, which is definitely easier said than done, saves a lot of aggravation. Few things are worse than a kid who's stressed out because the teacher doesn't know how to work around holes in the schedule - it can generally work one of two ways: Either the students are not responsible at all for what they miss (e.g. student is in desperate need of extra reading time. Decision is made to completely skip social studies for the year in favor of extra reading. They'll eventually figure out how society works, maybe in some later grade after they already mastered reading.) or the SETSS teacher covers everything that the teacher covers during the same time (e.g. student needs most help in math. SETSS pulls out during math class and follows same basic curriculum as the teacher in a modified way. They check in every week or so to make sure they're pacing appropriately.) Problems most often crop up when the classroom teacher has a hard time sticking to their own schedule - it's easier in the older grades when these kids go to one math class and those kids go to another. But in the younger grades sometimes the teachers are used to thinking that because they are with the same kids all day/morning/afternoon anyway they can be more flexible, and then it gets aggravating when kids are missing the wrong things.

amother

Ecru

Thu, Aug 27 2015, 11:20 pm

Seeker, this makes a lot of sense. I just came back now to the thread and saw that I missed your last post.

I just spoke with the SETSS provider, and she said she never heard of SETSS being given 1:1, but possibly it's called something else? Just wondering if you've heard of anything else it may be called? (She also agreed completely, and said that most of the other boys in the group are there because they're struggling with math! So 1:1 would definitely be much better)

Also, you wrote above about getting the IEP changed to 1:1 and with an enhanced pay rate. Just wanted to clarify, Do you think that request, for the enhanced pay rate, should be made at the same time the request is made to change the IEP? And would that pay rate be specified on the new IEP?

I really appreciate the time you've taken for me in this thread.