Susie is a grade 6 student who, like many students, will be going to a new school next year for Grade 7. However, Susie is reading and writing at a grade 4 level. She has always been a contentious child but no matter how much time she spends on her work or how neat it is, she never seems to receive marks that reflect her efforts. Reading and writing are a struggle, and math is painful. Her parents are puzzled by her inability to express her thoughts in writing as her verbal communication skills are excellent. Homework and class work completion are a nightmare. Susie cannot seem to remember the lessons from one minute to the next and this has both the school and her parents baffled. The situation is beginning to take its toll on Susie’s self esteem. Her Mom is afraid that time is running out and that her daughter will not be up to the challenge of high school in two years.

After reviewing all of Susie’s school records, it became clear that she has been struggling in school since kindergarten, but failed to be identified within the system as a child that needed extra support. Parent Advocates 4 Struggling Students Inc. (PASS) was able to provide Susie’s parents with a timeline chart detailing when the “red flags” started to appear in Susie’s academic performance and how, over time, they have led to her severe learning weaknesses and her fear of failing grade 6.

PASS was also able to provide her parents with a step by step plan that would “fast track” getting Susie “identified” within the school system, so that she could receive the extra support and services she needed to be a successful learner. PASS referred Susie’s parents to various experts who pinpointed Susie’s learning weaknesses. After reviewing their reports, PASS wrote a comprehensive Needs Statement for Susie’s parents. This document “drove” Susie’s identification, her Individual Education Plan (IEP), and her need for “assistive technology” in each subject.

Today, Susie has a personal laptop that she takes from class to class, with her own printer, scanner and software to help her get organized and write down her thoughts. This technology will be Susie’s lifeline in high school and will allow her to access her grade level curriculum so that she can be a successful learner. At school, Susie’s IEP calls for her to spend one period twice a week in math remediation; one-on-one with the school’s special education resource teacher. This instructional time will directly impact her weak math skills, building a stronger foundation of understanding while supporting her current grade level math.

A wide variety of accommodations are now in place to make school far less stressful and a lot more relaxing for Susie and her parents.