How do I catch up in math classes?

Do the LD classes today help students?

• do the LD classes today teach students to work With their difficulties, or just dumb down their work?when I was in school I was in LD classes. They didn't really help me just made me feel stupid. that was over 17 years ago and I still struggle with this feeling now my son is having the same trouble I was and they want to test him for LD he reads on a 9th grade level in the fourth grade and has A's and B's in all classes except for math we are working with him trying to help him catch up on math hes like only on a 3rd grade level. so are classes better now or still just the same? please help

• Answer:

  I am a special ed teacher and I am afraid that I know what you mean. 20 years ago it was a common belief that kids with LD were not quite as "swift" as their peers. In an effort to make school less difficult, many professionals insulted your intelligence and dumbed down your learning. I apologize for all of us who really didn't know better. Today we do know better and most, but not all, programs do a much better job of helping kids get what they need. You will have to pay good attention, though, and make sure you demand what your child needs. If his school has Response to Intervention (RtI) services, they should only give him help for the math things he is behind in. That is a good way to do it. If they just stick him in a special ed class, that is not as good. Because schools are cutting services now, you will have to be especially watchful. The parents who pay attention and maybe raise a stink, are the ones who get the best help for their kids. Sad but true. If you can afford it, some of the tutoring programs out there really do help. Again, public schools can't do it all for all kids, no matter how hard we try. Here is a website that may help you. http://www.ldonline.org/