Believe in Your Child

As a mom, I've heard my share of comments from the professionals who have worked with my daughter. Many were based on biased thinking and were not easy to hear. As hard as it was to hear people say these things, I'm thankful they did. Why? It motivated me! 

During one of my daughter's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings, a teacher said, “Your daughter is incapable of academic learning.” I was so frustrated. My daughter has a cognitive disability but is still capable of learning. Is she an academic scholar? No, but she can learn! 

When I saw they didn't have faith in my child, I knew I had to do something. I hired a tutor. It was the best decision I ever made. The tutor helped my daughter with her reading.

In just one month, she went from being described as a “non-reader” to reading individual words and sentences. She also understood what she was reading. I always knew she could do it! Was it on grade level? No. It was on her level. Was it a phonics-based program? No. It was a program tailored to her learning style. 

With proof my daughter could learn, I knew change was needed at school. The phonics-based program wasn't working. My daughter needed a sight-based reading program, and the teachers would benefit from the training.

I scheduled a meeting with the superintendent. During our meeting, I gave him a copy of my daughter’s progress reports from the tutor. I also gave him the IEP minutes, with the statement mentioned above. 

The reports included information from the school team and the tutor. He expressed concern. When the meeting ended, he asked if he could meet my daughter and talk with the staff. I agreed. 

A week later, I received a follow-up call from the superintendent. He met my daughter and talked with the staff. He shared what he had observed. He then asked what I wanted to happen next. 

I told him what I thought was needed, and he agreed with my suggestions. The district hired an inclusion specialist to work with the staff for the year. They also purchased the reading program my daughter was using with the tutor. Success! 

Learn more about Getting the Right Services for your child’s education and Advocacy on the NLT website.