No Child Left Behind? Please... Leave Mine!

It's 8:30 AM on the first day of school. I wave to the school bus as it drives away, just as I have for the past 4 years. I pick up my keys, my purse and my briefcase and I kiss my son goodbye and tell him to have a good day. This year, our family has joined the ranks of homeschoolers.

My son is a very intelligent kid who happens to be dyslexic and according to all the psychologists tests, also has ADD. In 1st Grade, when he began displaying symptoms of dyslexia, I didn't panic. I was diagnosed with Dyslexia in 1st grade and went on to become a very good speller and an English major in college. I am living proof that Dyslexia is not a life-sentence. With extra phonics training, speech therapy and some very understanding teachers, I became a successful student. But, that was then....

What I didn't count on is what has changed in the world of Education. When I noticed that my son was having difficulty in 1st Grade, I immediately called his Principal and asked if the school was capable of doing a dyslexia screening. I was told that yes, they could do a screening, but that there is a process that needed to be put in place first. And so it began....

In order for my son to receive any help or modifications, we had to form an "Intervention Team" to discuss what issues he was having and to form a plan. I sat through several meeting with the team and listened to teachers talk about how he simply does not pay attention. I listened to teachers talk about how he talks in class and doesn't give a solid effort in learning to read. I listened to teachers and professionals explain that they didn't think that dyslexia was an issue, but rather that he probably has ADHD. Despite my protests of, "He's in 1st GRADE!", they continued to express their very strong opinions that he was showing signs of ADD. From research and experience, I can tell you, he was displaying classic signs of dyslexia (ie: every time he encountered specific words, it was as if it were the first time, he could not tie his shoes, he got motion sickness looking at words on a page).