Re: school grading question

March 6, 2011

In my son's IEP there is an accomodation that allows him extra time on any

assignment if he needs it. There were many times that I sent in notes telling

the teachers that my son needed extra time to ocmplete the homework. Plus I

always worked out a way with each teacher to determine what assignments I could

expect my son to bring home. He was very much like your son in that he had an

assignment book but didn't seem to have enough time to write down his homework

assignments. His school used school notes to post hw assignments but not all

teachers posted on it. My son's in hs now and the teachers use edline to post

assignments. He's now advocating for himself if he needs extra time for homework

assignments. My son only seemed to need the extra time when he had forgotten the

assignment or if we had a lot of after school appointments that day.

Caroline

>

> Hi everyone,

> I need some information from those of you whose children go to public

> schools and have IEPs. My 12 year old ds is my Aspie, and he is in 6th grade

> at a Catholic middle school (the school is preK-8, and he has been there

> since Kindergarten). To make a long story short, although his Asperger's is

> fairly mild, he struggles a great deal with attention and organization

> issues (along with the usual language, sensory, and social issues). The

> school's discipline policy includes infractions for not turning in homework

> assignments on time, and detention when 3 infractions are accumulated. He

has

> the private school equivalent of an IEP, and they are actually very

> supportive of Connor in most ways. I had them include in his " IEP " that he

could

> receive infractions for missing work (to call his and my attention to the

> omission), but that he would not serve detentions, as I believed that to be

> unfairly punishing him for his disability.

>

> They readily agreed to that. However, the school policy is also that work

> turned in late be deducted in grade. This was not much of an issue last

> semester, but this semester he is missing many more assignments, is unaware

> of projects, and his grades are suffering in several classes because of the

> deductions simply for work being turned in late. I have addressed that

> some of the school supports that were in place last semester have gotten lax,

> and we are shoring up his support and homework supervision at home again as

> well. He has been struggling with more and more anxiety over the past few

> years, and although it flared at the start of the school year, it improved

> second quarter, but is worsening again now, due to the stress.

>

> Again, we are re-emphasizing the school's job in providing organizational

> support, as well as our own. My question regards is it fair to deduct from

> his grade for work being turned in late. To me that also seems to be

> punishing him for a disability. I think his report card should reflect his

> organizational challenges (under " work habits, or something), but his grades

> in science and social studies should be reflections of his performance in

> science and social studies, not his organizational issues.

>

> Do your IEPs include how late work is handled, and are kids in public

> schools receiving grade deductions for late work? Is this an individual

school

> thing, or is there a consensus in how this is handled, and how it is

> handled as the kids move into high school?

>

> Thanks for any info!

>

> Peggy

>

> He got his official diagnosis just before 3rd grade, but had special needs

> well before (early childhood special ed preschool for language, sensory,

> and behavior issues). Since third grade he has had the private school

> equivalent of an IEP, but the school's resources are limited (ie no

> PT/OT/resource room). Thankfully, his Asperger's is mild, and his needs have

been

> reasonably accommodated (extended time on standardized tests, preferential

> seating, extra support from the teacher, etc).No formal adaptations made in

K-2

> grades, although the teachers were good about respecting his sensory

> needs.

>

> The transition into the middle school part of the school has been

> challenging. We met with all of his teachers and the learning consultants

before

> the school year started, and outlined what we believed to be the

> accommodations needed for him to be successful. His main issues tend to be

with

> attention and organization. He has been given extra copies of textbooks to

have

> at home, and homework assignments are posted online. They also stress the

> use of an assignment notebook (beginning in 2nd grade), although he is not

> able to write things down quickly enough for that to be of much use. He

> also has a couple of buddies that he can call for clarification of homework

> assignments when needed.

>

March 7, 2011

Hi,

I think that wherever your kid is going to school, as a kid ages, their IEP's or "helps" have to change.

I don't think that any child with organizational problems should be docked because they can't organize or remember to bring things to the classroom, get things out of their bag, bring things home to do, etc.

If they are forgetting, misplacing or whatever, then the school isn't doing their job to provide the right supports.

We actually left a small parochial school that didn't feel that reminding him or helping him put things into his bag/take out of his bag was necessary. They felt this enabled him. Like it was something that he had to learn the "hard way" or something. Sigh.

I remember during the last 2 weeks we were there, if Ian forgot a pencil, they didn't let him go get another one because they said that he forgot too often. What?

I'd definitely talk with them and explain that if he had an IEP (public schools), having a "homework notebook" or reminder notebook, help with loading up his backpack at the end of the day as well as making sure all his stuff is OUT of his backpack in the morn is done by them. It sounds like they have been good with you and your child. I hope they continue.

Like I said, if the teachers made sure that the work made it to class, or that the homework for that night made it home to you, he'd probably be doing much better, right? Then,,,,they should do it. Bottom line.

What kid wouldn't bring their stuff if they remembered to, ya know? What kid would honestly do their work but not turn it in? They need to help him.

As far as IEP's handling late work. As long as the homework was listed in his homework log and it made it into his backpack and home, then if it's late (not done), he takes the hit. If my son and the teacher didn't write it down and/or the work didn't make it to his bag, he isn't docked for it. They've tried over the years.

He's come home saying that he'll have to serve a "recess detention" tomorrow for some work not done. If it wasn't written down, I send a note saying that it wasn't written down and that he shouldn't have to serve it (nicely). I always get a call or email with them agreeing and being okay with him not doing it. Since my son has been in HS, we had him take a study hall as an elective so that if there's work to do, he can usually get it done there.

He hasn't had late stuff yet, thank God. But, he lost an English portfolio with ALL of his stuff for a big paper. Sigh. But, we worked it all out and since the teacher knew he was working on it like he was supposed to, he had to simply hand in his final. Sigh.

He's also lost a few homework planners. Which meant that he never wrote down when tests were. Once I realized it and talked with his teachers, they started telling the SPED guy and sending an email to me about when there was a test coming up.

So,.....I think aside from all the problems that encompass a kid with AS, making sure he wasn't docked for having no organizational skills was never really a problem.

Sorry for the long book.

Good luck.

Robin

From: jpamart@... <jpamart@...>Subject: ( ) school grading questionAspergers Treatment Date: Sunday, March 6, 2011, 12:39 PM

Hi everyone,

I need some information from those of you whose children go to public schools and have IEPs. My 12 year old ds is my Aspie, and he is in 6th grade at a Catholic middle school (the school is preK-8, and he has been there since Kindergarten). To make a long story short, although his Asperger's is fairly mild, he struggles a great deal with attention and organization issues (along with the usual language, sensory, and social issues). The school's discipline policy includes infractions for not turning in homework assignments on time, and detention when 3 infractions are accumulated. He has the private school equivalent of an IEP, and they are actually very supportive of Connor in most ways. I had them include in his "IEP" that he could receive infractions for missing work (to call his and my attention to the omission), but that he would not serve detentions, as I believed that to be unfairly

punishing him for his disability.

They readily agreed to that. However, the school policy is also that work turned in late be deducted in grade. This was not much of an issue last semester, but this semester he is missing many more assignments, is unaware of projects, and his grades are suffering in several classes because of the deductions simply for work being turned in late. I have addressed that some of the school supports that were in place last semester have gotten lax, and we are shoring up his support and homework supervision at home again as well. He has been struggling with more and more anxiety over the past few years, and although it flared at the start of the school year, it improved second quarter, but is worsening again now, due to the stress.

Again, we are re-emphasizing the school's job in providing organizational support, as well as our own. My question regards is it fair to deduct from his grade for work being turned in late. To me that also seems to be punishing him for a disability. I think his report card should reflect his organizational challenges (under "work habits, or something), but his grades in science and social studies should be reflections of his performance in science and social studies, not his organizational issues.

Do your IEPs include how late work is handled, and are kids in public schools receiving grade deductions for late work? Is this an individual school thing, or is there a consensus in how this is handled, and how it is handled as the kids move into high school?

Thanks for any info!

Peggy

He got his official diagnosis just before 3rd grade, but had special needs well before (early childhood special ed preschool for language, sensory, and behavior issues). Since third grade he has had the private school equivalent of an IEP, but the school's resources are limited (ie no PT/OT/resource room). Thankfully, his Asperger's is mild, and his needs have been reasonably accommodated (extended time on standardized tests, preferential seating, extra support from the teacher, etc).No formal adaptations made in K-2 grades, although the teachers were good about respecting his sensory needs.

The transition into the middle school part of the school has been challenging. We met with all of his teachers and the learning consultants before the school year started, and outlined what we believed to be the accommodations needed for him to be successful. His main issues tend to be with attention and organization. He has been given extra copies of textbooks to have at home, and homework assignments are posted online. They also stress the use of an assignment notebook (beginning in 2nd grade), although he is not able to write things down quickly enough for that to be of much use. He also has a couple of buddies that he can call for clarification of homework assignments when needed.

March 7, 2011

If school gets too frustrating some kids won't want to go at all

like my daughter. Our daughter is graded only for the work

she turns in. The school will let her re take tests if

need be, she does all projects and reports in school not

at home at all. When she missed a lot of work due to

anxiety the school gave her an incomplete and she made up

a small portion 2 times a week during recess.

She goes to a private school but even when she was in public

school they did whatever they could to help her stay

motivated and in school.

In special needs schools like my daughters and in the public

school special ed program there was an asterik or something

in her records that these are special ed grades.

My daughter takes the state exams and those reflect her knowledge

to some extent better than her grades.

I think it is fair to grade on what the child does in school,

if he tests well on state tests that will be great.

If he tests below average on state tests than you have

to figure out how to make the school day work better

for him, maybe extra help during the school day at school.

I hope this helps. If he could do better I would expect

you wouldn't even ask us about this. If this is the best

he can do than praise that.

Pam

and have IEPs. My 12 year old ds is my Aspie, and he is in 6th grade