Success?

[mary]

Do you know anyone who has succeeded in getting the school system to recognize this as a legitimate learning disability? I know my son has it. He is in the 6th grade and although his grades have been falling over the last couple of years in math, now that he is into algebra he is failing miserably.
I asked for him to be tested earlier this year and was refused because he has not failed yet. But I did not know what i wanted him tested for, so I will be trying again, prepared this time, but I fear I may get laughed out of the school. Especially since his teachers think he can perform the work, he just chooses not to.
Thank you

[ellyodd]

Yes, some schools recognize this as a legitimate learning disability. Most of them just don’t know what to do about it. And, the schools that don’t want to believe that this problem is real, just don’t know any better. You can give them literature, links to websites etc., and keep doing it until they understand you.

As for being tested, i think you should get your son tested now. For your own money. Because, it will take time to make your son’s school understand.

But that is just my opinion – maybe it is better waiting.

Where in the world do you live? Contact your country’s Learning Disability Association, and ask them about anything you want to know about. They will probably not know a lot about dyscalculia, but they do have knowledge when it comes to finding out how to get your son’s school and the teachers to understand that this is real, and that he deserves help.

No child fakes this, and the ones who rarely does, has a mental problem or another problem of some sort, and that would be recognized if the child was tested for learning disabilities.

I don’t know who’s good at dyscalculia tests all around the world yet. I would think that people at another forum I use maybe could help - ldonline.com/ has forums at forums.ldonline.org/index.php - and there is a forum for parents with learning disabilities. A lot of “experts” answer parents questions there, you should try them

Not failing does not mean that there is not a problem. If he feels like there is a problem, there is! That he hasn’t failed just means that there is a chance that it is not a learning disability or that it is “mild”. If it’s not a learning disability, he just needs extra help. If it is, he needs special help.

Just ask if i said anything confusing

[Lucere]

Thanks to the Americans w/Disabilities Act, and the foresight of 10 Boston University Students, students at college level, as well as grade schoolers can now get tested for dyscalculia, and given accomodations for it in U.S. schools: www.dyscalculia.org/assist.html

It's still a difficult call, though -- and you're right, most students would rather just be able to do the math, than have to go through the tedious testing, and then writing letters, and asking for accomodation.

L.