While reviewing her concerns to me regarding her 9-year-old daughter, a mom said to me, “They keep telling me I should go see a neurologist? What for? She doesn’t need a spinal?”
I have to admit, when the mom said that I “LOL’d.”
She was 100% correct.
Troubled by the fact that her daughter was not making any progress with reading (and spelling and writing), the mom could not contain her irritation. She had heard the neurologist recommendation a number of times and it pushed her over the edge.
“What’s that going to do?” the mom continued. “Neurologists don’t test for reading problems,” the mom rightly stated.
“I have seen my daughter struggle since kindergarten. I keep hearing the same things over and over. Here are some of the best hits….”
-“She’s so sweet.” (We know that, but she can’ read spell or write.)-“Spelling doesn’t matter – she can use spell check. “ (Really? So if I spell “gress” for “dress” that’s ok?)
-“The only thing that matters is comprehension.” (What about the fact that she reads “sinal” for “signal?”)
-“Writing is a creative process. It doesn’t matter that her sentences are not complete or are fragments.” (So, after she wrote, “Wen I was a babe win I frst wet to the puk,” is ok for “When I was a baby we first went to the park,” is acceptable?)
The mom continued.
“I knew my daughter was having trouble in kindergarten, but I kept getting pushed off? That was when I repeatedly heard how sweet she was.”
“So I kept my mouth shut and tried to not get in the way, but first grade and second grade were horrible. Where was everyone each night when my daughter was melting down being asked to read worksheets and math word problems (in second grade) that she couldn’t read?”
“By the middle of third grade, they decided to test her for special education. In April of third grade she was given an IEP. April of third grade!!!! So, that means it’s really not until fourth grade that they begin to do something!”
“In the IEP meeting I was told that she would get in-class support. In-class support??? What does that mean? So, if my kid is drowning while the other kids are swimming, they put a lifeguard in the pool. How about teaching her how to swim?”
“So, beside in-class support, I should see a neurologist. You know what that means? That’s code language for, ‘We really don’t know what to do with her, but maybe the doctor will put her on medication and call her ADHD.’”
“So what if we put her on medication? What then? Will stimulants instantly have her reading better? I don’t think so.”
I basically sat back and went for the ride.
There was very little in what the mom was saying that I thought was out of line or exaggerated.
Her frustration was understandable.
Takeaway Point
Maybe I can book this mom to go on a national speaking tour with me.
I’m ready for the ride!
Copyright, 2019 www.shutdownlearner.com
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