What can you do when a teacher is being insensitive to a child with a learning disability?
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Parent Answers to "What can you do when a teacher is being insensitive to a child with a learning disability?"
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It's hard to do but it can be the best thing to do - arrange a meeting with the teacher and bring your son along. If you can have an administrator there, or the school guidance counselor that would be great.
Then bite the bullet as we say and don't accuse - have a general 'discussion' about how your son is feeling in school and say you're there to 'brainstorm'. Talk about his learning differences and ask - casually - if the teacher has had other students like this and what has happened to those other students? Have they go on to be successful in school? In life?
She likely will claim not to know but the point is to have a conversation without putting the hair up on her back. The word 'brainstorm' is a good one in that it asks very little and promises this teacher nothing - you're just 'brainstorming'.
When we go to a teacher's 'higher-ups', they rarely do anything. It's unfortunately not an effective approach to the problem you're having. The 'higher-ups' at best give you lip service and on the rare occasions they do and speak with the teacher, nothing changes.
You might go so far as to pleasantly ask the teacher - what is her philosophy of teaching? She'll get quickly flustered for most teachers don't know theirs and so change the question to - what is her belief about learning differences? How does she think schools should approach such issues?
Rarely do teachers get that kind of a question from parents and she might open up to the question.
Then bite the bullet as we say and don't accuse - have a general 'discussion' about how your son is feeling in school and say you're there to 'brainstorm'. Talk about his learning differences and ask - casually - if the teacher has had other students like this and what has happened to those other students? Have they go on to be successful in school? In life?
She likely will claim not to know but the point is to have a conversation without putting the hair up on her back. The word 'brainstorm' is a good one in that it asks very little and promises this teacher nothing - you're just 'brainstorming'.
When we go to a teacher's 'higher-ups', they rarely do anything. It's unfortunately not an effective approach to the problem you're having. The 'higher-ups' at best give you lip service and on the rare occasions they do and speak with the teacher, nothing changes.
You might go so far as to pleasantly ask the teacher - what is her philosophy of teaching? She'll get quickly flustered for most teachers don't know theirs and so change the question to - what is her belief about learning differences? How does she think schools should approach such issues?
Rarely do teachers get that kind of a question from parents and she might open up to the question.
You should have been given someone's name when the IEP was signed; if your child goes to a "Resource Room" it might be that teacher...you could start by asking them.
Thanks healthy11. Yes he is in a public high school, and he does have an IEP. Who would I ask to speak to a case manager?
Hi. I have a teen with ADHD and reading and writing difficulties, too. Is your son attending a public or private school? Does your son have an IEP or 504 Accommodation Plan? If so, there should be a "case manager" who you can speak with, and that person should certainly be able to talk to the insensitive teacher. You could even request a meeting with the teacher and case manager, and perhaps even give the teacher some articles to read about your child's condition. (I refer to that as "Educating the Educators.")
I'd like to invite you to please join us in the Learning and Attention Difficulties Group at community.greatschools.net/gro
I'd like to invite you to please join us in the Learning and Attention Difficulties Group at community.greatschools.net/gro
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