Re: Schools and Lyme - IEP/504s

[Guest guest]

Have you seen the slaw web site? http://www.wrightslaw.com/

Jen

Lymie parents w 5yo Lymie/Aspie

On 10/6/2010 1:25 PM, juliafwagner@... wrote:

>

> Hello All - In reviewing recent posts on teens and Lyme... I realized

> that

> you might be able to help with our current challenge. Our 3 kids were

> very sick with Lyme starting in 2004, diagnosed in 2006. While we have

> made

> great progress, and they are functioning " normally " in school as of last

> year, we are still battling the illnesses, and had a full battery of

> neurocognitive testing done late last school year.

>

> We found huge increases in both of our elementary kids (grade 4 and

> 3), but

> severe dysfunctions still, especially in the areas of visual memory,

> visual processing, processing speed, and executive functioning/focus,

> very

> typical issues with neuro-lyme and the coinfections they have.

>

> We are getting ready to meet with our school to set up an IEP, and have a

> meeting with a lawyer first. My question is this -- what kinds of

> accommodations have you gotten from your schools that have helped? our

> psychologist has recommended providing more time for them in tests,

> and in other

> activities, as well as for assignments/projects. This is major - in both

> classes, they do these " timed " math rotations, and their score is

> based on how

> many they complete in the time period - they both do dismally in

> these, and

> yet if you give them time their accuracy is very good. There is a lot of

> focus in their class on whether they are in the " addition club " ,

> " subtraction

> club " and this makes them feel very bad about their performance --

> this is

> for a kid that has a top 2% IQ. He has also recommended support for

> planning and organization, providing them with written instructions

> when they are

> being asked to copy things down off the smartboard/chalkboard - which is

> also a problem - many times my daughter comes home with only half of her

> assignment copied down - she just doesn't have the time (visual

> processing,

> and even handwriting is hard for her). There is some discussion of

> allowing

> them a quiet place to take their tests, to minimize distractions etc.

>

> I would like to know what has really worked for your kids... and any

> other

> advice regarding working with the schools... our school was pretty good

> when they were very sick, but we have a new principal and a guidance

> counselor

> that started giving off very negative vibes when we asked for the

> teachers

> to fill out forms last spring as part of their testing -- I want to be

> prepared. Thanks!!! - Wagner, _montcolyme@...

> <mailto:_montcolyme%40aol.com>_

> (mailto:montcolyme@... <mailto:montcolyme%40aol.com>)

>