[dpadilla89]

well, i posted it in the ADD section but no one looked at it and theres more people in this thread..sooo yeahhh..

i was diagnosed with multiple learning disabilities in 4th grade. always in special education classes for math and study hall with an extra teacher to help me. Anyways, i have been in these classes ever since the fourth grade and had an IEP done also. In 8th grade i was diagnosed with ADD. I was put on Adderall and Strattera and different times, Strattera helped me but i had a problem with my liver, so that wasnt good. So, i am off ADD meds now but, i was put in special education classes for ALL classes. i then was getting excellent grades throughout the whole year because my teachers in my public school where they would give me the answers and let me slide all the time. I still did good, actually all A's but it wasnt worth it considering i did not learn literally a thing in school in middle and high school. So anyways, i decided to transfer my high school to a daytime theraputic school in nj due to my depression, cutting, bulima, bipolar, BPD, and stuff like that. ALTHOUGH they did NOT have special education classes for me. I'm still in the high school but i am struggling every single day. Everyone has faith in me, but i just cannot handle it at all. I know it as a fact. Anyways, i had an IEP done last year before i went away to a different school and i ended up doing some testing along with it too. The testing showed up that i was delayed in all subjects and areas of learning, auditorial, comprehension, etc. EVERYTHING. lol. it also said that i was equvalent to an elementary student, not high school student at all. Nowhere near it. Soo, i was looking at my IEP again last night and it said my reading comprehension level was at a grade level of 2.3. My social studies skills were at a level of 4.5. Life just sucks, because, realizing reality really makes you wonder am i really high school and eventually college material?? I'm not. im such a loser. grr. Anyway, so i dont know wheather or not to stay in my theraputic school because there are no classes made for me that they have. ALL regular education. But either way, i havent learned ANYTHING, literally in my other public high school either. grr....its so depressing, i dont have a proper education whatsoever!! I'm in the tenth grade now, and i'm 16 years old and still have the same struggles i did when i was in fourth grade, they havent really never improoved. Its just so depressing knowing that im not gona have a profession that i enjoy because my knowlege wasnt REAL, it wasnt instructed to me properly, i have an IQ of an elementary student, still do too. ughhh...idk what to do, should i stay in my theraputic school for the therapy?? I DESPERTALY NEED IT. or should i just transfer to another private high school to give me the proper education, if there is ANY. Which i have checked out and there is practically NONE. this sucks. idk what to do, i need help on making this descion, because of course i can never make descions on my own. You know that saying, your a child at heart? I guess im a child in thought....

Feedback would be good...

[SleepsWithButterFlies]

I am sorry nobody posted .the reason I didn't is because I do not know antything about these disorders and so I skip that area...but I hope you find someone to help you in here or there..sorry I could not be of support but I am sending hugs and good wishes for some replies

Take to the guidance couselor at your present school. The fact that you have an IEP status means that no matter what united States school you attend that school is responsible for tutoring and other special eduacation aids that can help you recieve what you need. You can also contact your schools district office they over see all the schools in your area. By law you have the right to cassette (voice) record or video tape record your classes, have a tutor, and in some cases an aid attend your classes with you so that they know the matial they are helping you with, (By help they are teaching you not giving you the answers.). Your schools guidance counselor can set these things up for you.

I did post to you. I wish you the best.

[January]

Please print your post and take it to your guidance counselor. Tell her/him your concerns. Ask to be retested. Also see if they have tutors who can work with you on an individual basis.

Your writing, grammar and syntax are certainly not those of an early grade schooler. I think you are on a much higher level than you realize. I can certainly see you having a profession.

Do not give up!

Hugs,

Jan

[eskielover]

I too am not very fimiliar with learning issues. From reading your post, it sure doesn't sound like an elementary school level person who is writing about the concerns you have. It sounds like something is wrong somewhere in the system (not with you).

I hope that your parents would do you a favor & go to a specialist not in the schools you are going to, but somewhere where there are professionals that are extremely educated in learning disorders & other issues that are related. You do realize that in the past, the people who were considered to be geniouses like Einstein, etc, had learning disorders which weren't even known about in those times, but even though they couldn't function in real life, there were things that they were genious in.....& could way outdo anyone else.

Just because you have problems doesn't mean that there isn't something that you will be outstanding in.....it is just a matter of finding what that is without giving up.

Don't give up on yourself just because you are having a hard time right now.......the chances of you being one an awsome genious is always there & never give up of trying to find out what your passion in your life is.

With the right help & the right support, you can be more than anyone could ever believe, so never stop believing in yourself.....& lever let your parents give up either. You are valuable & there will come the time when it all falls into place.

Keep going & keep trying to find the things you are good at & enjoy.....there is nothing that can ever stop you from being a success........like I have told others in my real time life, the only thing that stops you is you.........so don't let you stop yourself.

I am 52 years old & when I started college, I went with an AA in Music.....very talented, but not enough to be the performer I really wanted to be, so I changed over to Computer Science for my BS. My career lasted for 15 years as an aerospace engineer & then that career fell appart. I lost my identity since for so many years I had identified myself as that aerospace engineer. It was such a traumatic loss in my life that suicide seemed like the answer even though I had gone out & bought the horse I always wanted & bought the most wonderful dog I could have ever wanted. I even showed his & got his champion title along with his odebience title. I bought another one of his breed & started breeding puppies & then bought another one that I used for visiting nursing homes. All of that still didn't fulfill my loss of identity. It took about 8 years to get out of that feeling of having lost myself & once my Migraines were under coutrol, I did realize that my passion in life was my horses & my dogs......who I know now saved my life & gave me the real meaning of love that I had never known all my life. What I am trying to say is that my confusion & learning have taken almost 53 years & now I really know how I am feeling & what I know my goals finally are.

Learning never ends....& it should never end until the day we die. There is so much in this world to learn & become educated in & things that fascinate us. Even though they may not provide the income we need at this time......we don't know what the future holds for us....& as long as we keep learning & finding out more & more things that interest us, the more chances there are for us to find the thing we will be successful at.

Keep going & don't give up.....I may not be very educated at learning disabilities, but I am good at not giving up on learning things that interest me & definitely not willing to give up on anything that I find interesting to myself....because I am what is the most important to me & what I want to know about is the most important thing to me also.

Don't get discouraged.......the right time for you will come & then your life will make the sense that you are looking for now.

Debbie

[h0kie]

What are the terms of your IEP? What accommodations are they making (or supposed to make)? Are those accommodations working? Do you just need more? Or are your current accomodations not helping? A lot of the help you can request is dependent upon the terms of your IEP, so it is important that it is as accurate as possible.

I'm mostly familiar with elementary IEPs so I'm not quite sure what a high school IEP would entail. If your IEP isn't helping you, definitely have your parents request a new IEP meeting.

Since you weren't actually "taught" in middle school it is expected that you are going to have trouble in high school. I would agree that your writing is not on a 4th grade level (I see 4th grade writing every day...you're MUCH better).

I would ask the guidance counselor to help. Of course, in my experience, guidance counselors have been about as helpful as a hole in the wall. If the counselor won't help, go to a teacher you trust and explain everything. Teachers can usually get the ball moving with the administration.

There are lots of activities you can do to build reading comprehension. Is it that the reading is so hard that getting through the words is bad enough...let alone figuring out what those words say/mean?

Let me know if I can help.

[Peanuts]

I am very sorry your having a tough time in school. First, you don't have an IQ of an elementary student, please don't put yourself down.

You really need your parents to get involved ASAP. First - that I.E.P. doesn't sound like it is structured correctly for you at all. Special Ed is not about giving a student the answers to tests but is about specialized instruction that will meet a specific goal. Every goal on an I.E.P must be measurable.

Since you have an I.E.P. - you and your parents have some options. The school's guidance dept can help, the director of special education services for your school district can help, the school pychologist can help. Often, a school district will have what is called a "parent mentor", which is a person who is knowledgable about federal and state educational procedures related to special education services. This person is often paid via federal and sometimes state grant money. Your parents should inquire if your district has a parent mentor.

Also - the state of NJ should have a regional or state wide dept or agency for special education resources and advocacy. Sometimes such agencies are aligned with your county.

Every public school system is responsible to provide a free and appropriate education to every student in their district. Often, private school or theraputic schools can work in cooperation with your public school system to administer your educational needs. So getting your IEP fixed does not necessarily mean that you have to leave the theraputic school that you are currently attending.

Getting a tutor can help a lot, although I know that they are expensive. Often, if your parents can negotiate - a tutor would rightly be provided by your school district. Afterall, they have poorly served your educational needs.

Good Luck and please don't dispair. Can your parents help??

[dpadilla89]

thanks everybody for the feedback

greatly appreachiated...although, i go to a private theraputic school where there are NO counslers or psych ppl for learning disabled, etc. So its kind of hard for me that way also.

thanks everyone,

deb

[Hopefull]

There may also be an organization that advocates on issues such as these. Dealing with the school district is a very hard thing to do. They put my dad in the back of the classroom because he couldn't read (I'd guess dyslexia). He probably has a reading level somewhat about fourth grade now.
You might try to see if there are any professionals in your area who works with learning disabilities.
As for your writing, it is better than fourth grade level. I am surprised that a theurapeutic school wouldn't be equiped for dealing with learning disabilities. That needs to be changed.
Keep learning as best you can. Try to get the help that you need. May you learn to your full potential and get a job that you can love. I am still trying to learn and find a job that I love and I'm 33.