IEP Didn't Help

by Mom of Teen

"My daughter, Danielle, who is now a freshman in high school, is a moderate special needs child who is followed by an IEP. When Danielle was in fifth grade, the amount of homework she was bringing home every night was enormous. She would sit and cry because she had so much to do. Even though she had an aide in the classroom for science, social studies and math, and she was in the resource room for reading, she still had piles of work to do in each class. Her IEP was written for modifications and no one was modifying the work. The principal suggested I bring home a copy of each of her schoolbooks so she would not have to carry them back and forth to school. The two of us would sit down and do the work together as that was the only way we could get it all done. Danielle was also taking an online class to help with her delayed reading skills. The following year was a little better as we had a new principal, but it took him a while to understand what was happening. The special education teacher helped me to help the teachers understand that modification meant they were supposed to change the work to suit the student in accordance with her IEP program. We struggled with that all through middle school, but high school has been much better so far. Danielle is getting all her work done in class and is able to participate in sports now. Everything is much better at home as well."