| I knew from an early age that my son had learning disabilities.Like yourself desperate for someone to sit up and take notice and let me know I wasn't going mad.My son is now 6yrs old in primary2.I went private before I was taken seriously.It was the only way.My sona has ADHD , ADD,DYSPREXIA ,POSSIBLY DYSLEXIA AND AUTISM.He is slowly maken progress.So please find the strenght to fight for your child because no-one else will,and kids can be cruel these days. ↑ |
Hi Kessy27--
I'm a special ed teacher and have worked with children with a huge variety of issues. In my professional opinion, solely based on what you've written, your son needs to see a good child psychologist. If you do not have the insurance to cover this, you, as a parent, have the right to request that your school district's special education group conduct an evaluation on him--this would be at no cost to you. During this process, you will be asked to provide a developmental history on your child. This is a scary process, but it sounds like you need to do it. Insist that it be done. There are a few very significant behaviors that would make any professional concerned, namely lighting fires. This is considered destructive behavior. He may have a learning disability, but learning disabilities alone do not involve such destructive behavior. Numerous conditions can "live" with learning disabilities. Fighting and fire lighting point toward anger. If the doctor's you've seen are GP's or pediatricians, they are only seeing a very small fraction of who your child is. They will naturally focus on physiological issues. Many are not comfortable making a referral to mental health professionals because they somehow feel that they have failed. Use what is available to you right now, which is your schools guidance professionals and the special ed professionals who can test him. I hate to use the old line " this is a cry for help", but his behaviors are just that. Don't wait. Make an appointment with your teacher and principal and tell them you are making an official "parent initiated referral." You can do this for yourself and your child. ↑ |
