“It takes a village to raise a child.” African proverb
Is your child struggling with staying on task and completing assignments? Do you have to constantly remind them of assignment due dates? Have you thought that maybe your child needs accommodations to get his/her work done?
As a parent, it can be very stressful to watch a child struggle with their schoolwork and not know where to go for help, especially if there’s the possibility of the child having a learning disability.
When a parent is contacted by their child’s school because the teacher realizes there is a learning struggle, it is the beginning of a process that can take several weeks to months to get interventions in place and/or testing for the child. This process can then lead to meetings where the appropriate accommodations or modifications are put into place for a child if it’s determined he/she qualifies for a specific program.
There are several types of accommodations or modifications available for students who qualify, either through a 504 Plan or IEP. A 504 Plan requires a medical diagnosis and takes up to two weeks to schedule. An IEP requires a referral from a parent, psychologist, teacher, or doctor and could take up to six months to implement. Some examples of accommodations available for students include:
- Typing all answers or answering orally
- Frequent breaks
- Extended time on tests or classroom assignments
- Front row seating in the classroom
- Small group or one-on-one testing
NOTE: There is an exhaustive list you can find on the internet depending on a diagnosis and what is shown to be a need.
At Dynamis Learning, we believe in a team approach because it takes a village. The key to success is for parents to be prepared for an initial meeting (whether that be SST, RTI, 504 or IEP) and have a firm grasp on the content that will be provided during that meeting. Parents also need to know their rights going into 504 and IEP meetings, and they should gather as much information as possible about their child starting with the person who sees them the most….the teachers. Parents can acquire information from teachers and tutors to obtain academic details about their child.
In today’s current educational climate, parents should be aware of the level of burnout among personnel in public and private schools, resulting in counselors and administrators being overloaded with additional duties. That, along with the fact that there’s a lot that parents don’t know when it comes to navigating the system, can mean that kids are in jeopardy of falling between the cracks. If a parent suspects that their child needs extra assistance, we suggest contacting us to have a conversation about what is showing up for your child. Helen Panos, our owner, can then guide you on the correct path to academic success.
Sometimes it takes bringing an advocate on board who understands the system to expedite the process. Drawing on her experience as a teacher and 504 chair, Helen equips parents with the information and resources needed to successfully engage in advocating for students in the school system. Here’s just one example, and there are many more, of how Dynamis Learning has successfully advocated for a child:
The parent of a kindergartener reached out about getting help with test-taking strategies so that the child could get into the gifted program. The student had already taken a mental abilities test called the COGAT, and he did not do well on it. After working with the child, Helen realized what their strengths were in terms of testing; she focused on nonverbal types of questions. Staying in constant communication with the parent and the child’s teacher to know what type of tests would be given, Helen continued to prepare the student on test-taking strategies and planned for the best time for the child to take the gifted program tests. Not long after taking the test, the student made it into the gifted program and has been doing very well ever since.
At Dynamis Learning, we have a 4-pronged approach that you can read about in our Advocacy Brochure. We are constantly hearing from parents that they are not getting the support they need from schools, public or private. We have decades of experience in education, and we recognize that parents are looking for solutions they are not getting from their school.
Click HERE to download the FREE Advocacy Brochure and Checklist that explains what an advocate is and what they can do for families. There are many options that many parents are not aware of and/or they’re not sure of the questions to ask. We are here to help families bridge that gap between their school and their child’s education. Reach out for a FREE conversation by contacting Helen Panos at helen@dynamislearningacademy.com or at 770-282-9931.
“It takes a village to raise a child.” African proverb
Is your child struggling with staying on task and completing assignments? Do you have to constantly remind them of assignment due dates? Have you thought that maybe your child needs accommodations to get his/her work done?
As a parent, it can be very stressful to watch a child struggle with their schoolwork and not know where to go for help, especially if there’s the possibility of the child having a learning disability.
When a parent is contacted by their child’s school because the teacher realizes there is a learning struggle, it is the beginning of a process that can take several weeks to months to get interventions in place and/or testing for the child. This process can then lead to meetings where the appropriate accommodations or modifications are put into place for a child if it’s determined he/she qualifies for a specific program.
There are several types of accommodations or modifications available for students who qualify, either through a 504 Plan or IEP. A 504 Plan requires a medical diagnosis and takes up to two weeks to schedule. An IEP requires a referral from a parent, psychologist, teacher, or doctor and could take up to six months to implement. Some examples of accommodations available for students include:
- Typing all answers or answering orally
- Frequent breaks
- Extended time on tests or classroom assignments
- Front row seating in the classroom
- Small group or one-on-one testing
NOTE: There is an exhaustive list you can find on the internet depending on a diagnosis and what is shown to be a need.
At Dynamis Learning, we believe in a team approach because it takes a village. The key to success is for parents to be prepared for an initial meeting (whether that be SST, RTI, 504 or IEP) and have a firm grasp on the content that will be provided during that meeting. Parents also need to know their rights going into 504 and IEP meetings, and they should gather as much information as possible about their child starting with the person who sees them the most….the teachers. Parents can acquire information from teachers and tutors to obtain academic details about their child.
In today’s current educational climate, parents should be aware of the level of burnout among personnel in public and private schools, resulting in counselors and administrators being overloaded with additional duties. That, along with the fact that there’s a lot that parents don’t know when it comes to navigating the system, can mean that kids are in jeopardy of falling between the cracks. If a parent suspects that their child needs extra assistance, we suggest contacting us to have a conversation about what is showing up for your child. Helen Panos, our owner, can then guide you on the correct path to academic success.
Sometimes it takes bringing an advocate on board who understands the system to expedite the process. Drawing on her experience as a teacher and 504 chair, Helen equips parents with the information and resources needed to successfully engage in advocating for students in the school system. Here’s just one example, and there are many more, of how Dynamis Learning has successfully advocated for a child:
The parent of a kindergartener reached out about getting help with test-taking strategies so that the child could get into the gifted program. The student had already taken a mental abilities test called the COGAT, and he did not do well on it. After working with the child, Helen realized what their strengths were in terms of testing; she focused on nonverbal types of questions. Staying in constant communication with the parent and the child’s teacher to know what type of tests would be given, Helen continued to prepare the student on test-taking strategies and planned for the best time for the child to take the gifted program tests. Not long after taking the test, the student made it into the gifted program and has been doing very well ever since.
At Dynamis Learning, we have a 4-pronged approach that you can read about in our Advocacy Brochure. We are constantly hearing from parents that they are not getting the support they need from schools, public or private. We have decades of experience in education, and we recognize that parents are looking for solutions they are not getting from their school.
Click HERE to download the FREE Advocacy Brochure and Checklist that explains what an advocate is and what they can do for families. There are many options that many parents are not aware of and/or they’re not sure of the questions to ask. We are here to help families bridge that gap between their school and their child’s education. Reach out for a FREE conversation by contacting Helen Panos at helen@dynamislearningacademy.com or at 770-282-9931.