I am writing this in hopes of trying to get some sort of understanding as to why I seem to be having difficulties getting information and appropriate assistance for my daughter.

When my daughter was in first grade, I was in a doctor’s office and read in a news magazine about children with difficulties sitting still, easily distracted, and impulsive. This sounded very much like my daughter. I discussed this with her teacher, and the school counselor. Eventually, we met with a doctor, and she was evaluated and diagnosed with having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. From that time, I have made it a passion of mine to read any and all information that I can to find as much information as I can on this disorder.

To my understanding, the effects of this disorder on Amy, is that she is frequently distracted from her work; she has difficulties staying still in her seat; she tends to talk, hum, or sing to herself, unaware that others can hear her. She has difficulties staying on task, and she is very disorganized, and tends to be very messy with her desk, locker, backpack, and all other aspects of her belongings.

To my understanding, the effects on Amy socially is that she is frequently excluded by classmates, as well as mocked and made fun of, because of her differences. Teachers often take her actions as disobedience or defiance, and as such, tends to be reprimanded, and scolded in front of other students only adding for her difficulties with fellow students.

In August, 1998, I requested that Amy be tested for possible learning difficulties, aside from her ADHD. She had been having difficulties for her entire academic life with her writing, and in 5th grade, she was given a 504 Educational Plan, where her organization skills and her writing difficulties were addressed as well as difficulties she had with her ADHD. In January, 1999, Amy was officially diagnosed as having what I was told was a “Written Language Disorder”.

I was told by the school's Site Coordinator that a written language disorder was disorder of written expression. That it is a difficulty putting “thoughts and ideas down on paper in a logical order and with detail to grammar, mechanics, an sense of the sentences or paragraphs. I was told that Amy did not have a disorder that is known as Dysgraphia, which is a difficulty in the act of writing itself.

Doing further research, on ways to help Amy, I found several different sources that contradicted Mr. Rolofson’s statement. According to Margaret J. Kay, Ed.D, N.C.S.P., R.C.E., D.A.B.P.S., the term Dysgraphia has customarily been used to refer to a disorder of written language expression in childhood. Dysgraphia due to a defect in understanding of space is associated with poor legible spontaneously written text, preserved spelling, poorly legible copying of written text, and normal finger tapping speed.

According to the Council for Learning Disabilities of Overland Park, Kansas, problems in written language usually manifest themselves in the areas of handwriting, spelling, sentence structure, vocabulary usage, volume produced, and organization of ideas on paper.

Dr. David Furr, PhD in Special Education, and clinical psychologist, states that “Written Language Disorder and Dysgraphia are one in the same. What it means is that the student has great difficulty with writing.” He continues saying, “Many years ago, Dysgraphia was used just to describe people who had problems in forming the shape of letters (penmanship). Dys= problem graphia= writing. Written language disorder was only used to describe people who have problems organizing their thoughts on paper and/or writing in general. Now, dysgraphia refers to either one, because they usually are found in the same people, meaning if you have one you most likely have the other.”

According to Larry B. Silver, MD, children and adolescents with this ‘written language’ disability have slow and poor handwriting.

The effects of this disorder on Amy, is that her handwriting is frequently difficult to read, especially if she has to write quickly. It takes her a while to put her thoughts, be it words, or mathematical, into written form. She is frequently told to write things down better, writing and rewriting things several times. She is frequently bringing her work home to finish, and spends hours doing homework almost every night. She has many incomplete assignments, since several teachers refuse to accept incomplete work, but cannot see fit to allow her more time to do her work or to reduce the amount of writing demanded of Amy. As a result, she tends to get an 0 grade for incomplete work.

The effects of this disability on Amy socially, is that it makes her stand out someone who’s writing can’t be read, she is made fun of by her peers for not having completed assignments. This causes Amy to withdraw and shy away from other students, who might make fun of her.

Because of her Disabilities Amy has had several difficulties Academically, both with teachers and with fellow students.

There have been documented several instances where teachers have been upset with Amy’s lack of organization skills, even to the point on March 3, 1999 one of Amy's teachers commented that Amy didn’t bring her work to study hall, and had also forgotten a pencil; and on March 11, 1999 another teacher took Amy aside for the entire class to clean out her locker. There is some confusion as to what was said during this time, but my impression was that she was reprimanded harshly for having alot of papers in her locker. There are also documented instances where she has had comments on assignments that it is “unreadable” or “very messy” and “not acceptable”.

There have been many different instances of times where Amy worked during school hours, and then came and worked hours at home, only to not finish her assignments. Many times when assignments were not finished by the next day, she would not be allowed to turn in her homework because it was incomplete, or would be given a 0 on unfinished work, and not allowed to finish it. According to her Daily Assignment sheet, on March 1,1999 Amy had several assignments to complete, and was unable to get it all accomplished. On March 2, 1999 I attached a note asking if there was any way to help Amy reduce the amount of work she was bringing home. She spent 3 and a half hours after school doing homework and still was not able to complete her work. On the Daily Assignment sheet for March 4, 1999 There was a note from her math teacher about Amy not turning in any assignments for 2 days. When questioned about it, Amy said the teacher wouldn’t accept it, because it wasn’t finished.

Over that long weekend, Amy managed to do a solid 8 hours of nothing but homework. At this time, I also attached a note asking for some sort of relief for Amy from having so much homework, and if there was any way it could be reduced in any way. I also stated that Amy was starting to give up on herself, and she is realizing the futility of trying. On March 8th, 1999 Amy was given an F for not completing a map assignment she was given the day before to finish.

After going over the IEP, on March 10, 1999 and giving Amy 2 days allowed to do her work, on her Daily Assignment sheet for March 22,1999, she had 3 different classes stating work was due the next day. After spending one and a half hours and 7th hour strategies class, Amy still didn’t finish her homework, and on her March 23, 1999 Daily assignment sheet, it states that she got a zero for the work not completed in Social studies. There was a question about some notes in math, and I asked if that wasn’t covered by the IEP, and on the March 25, 1999 Daily assignment sheet, the teacher wrote that he was having Amy rewrite those notes, but not an answer to my question, but apparently something was said to Amy. At this, another note was written by me as to the question of if board notes were not covered under Amy’s IEP.

Amy has also commented that different students have had a difficult time reading Amy’s papers during peer grading, and this embarrasses Amy.

Amy’s difficulties Socially with the teachers are on shaky grounds right now. It has been stated several times that if Amy would just try harder, or if she just wanted to do this or that she could get it done quickly. Several times I have heard “Amy can do this or that one day, but takes forever the next.” Because this is typical with ADHDers, it is not reasonable she should be held in low opinion for this. During the IEP meetings, and in the IEP itself, her ADHD behaviors are causing a great deal of difficulty for the teachers. It has been said that the teachers are constantly calling her attention back to task, or that she is talking to herself, or she is fidgeting, and the like. It is clear from talking to the teachers that this is causing great problems in the classroom, and it is having a negative impression on Amy. Any time that I have tried to ask about Amy’s difficulties, or explain why Amy is having difficulty in this area or that, it is met with being told that they have gone to college to learn these things. I may not have a college education, but I do stay informed, to the best of my ability of matters concerning my children.

Amy is exhibiting signs of stress, and is spending at least 8 hours a week doing homework, despite having special Ed study hall in the mornings, and Strategies class for 7th hour. She is becoming more and more shy, and withdrawn from her peer group. Her already weak social skills are degrading even further. She is starting to get prank phone calls from different classmates, who ask for her, then hang up in her ear. These things are adding to the already tense situation that has been developing.

In conclusion, it is my understanding that Amy’s difficulties with ADHD and Written Language Disorder are causing her academic difficulties with her teachers, and her peer group alike. It is also causing her a great deal of social difficulties with both teachers and peers alike. Her academic needs are still not being met, and she is still having great difficulty meeting her academic responsibilities, despite the fact that she has high intelligence. I am having difficulty getting answers to my questions about my daughter’s IEP, and the comments that are being made are not totally accurate according to current knowledge about these disorders.