Is there free tutoring for my 5th grader?

5th grader with difficulties!?

• My son is a 5th grader and he is in a special day class he's been in Special Ed classes since he has been in 2nd grade he has difficulties all the time doing his homework and understanding it on his own. He will not do his homework or pay attention when my husband or I try to help him he gets all frustrated and very angry and cries and says he doesn't know. I have tryed a tutoring program and it was really expensive,My son graduates next Monday and he will be getting ready for middle school and regular Ed classes, I just don't want him to think that when he is in sixth grade its more of a harder challenge and he gives up on school! What can I do to help him? Any advise out there or someone that has dealed with the same situation? Thanks

• Answer:

  Ever heard the saying "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting"? This applies to your situation. You need to find another way to work with your son on his homework issues. You don't say whether you've talked with your child's teachers about the problems you're having. This would be a place to start, if you haven't already talked to the teacher. I assume that your school district has some kind of counselor available for consultation. If you haven't gone to this person for assistance, then you need to. This is a resource that is available to you at no cost, so by all means avail yourself of it. If you have consulted the school counselor and have not found the advice offered useful, then I would recommend that you try another counselor or therapist. For a low-cost or ability-to-pay counselor, you might call the community mental health office, if you have such a thing; or ask the school counselor to give you a referal; or call the nearest college or university that offers a graduate or certificate program in counseling or therapy, and ask if they can give you a referral. You don't say what kind of problem your son has that resulted in his placement in Special Ed. I would suggest you see if there is an advocacy group for kids with his kind of problem-- Examples are groups that assist parents with dyslexic children (http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/local.html, http://dailystrength.org/support/Developmental_Learning_Disorders/Dyslexia/?gclid=CNXWjfzFxYwCFQEBYQod5FLpXg ), children with ADHD (http://www.adhdsupportcompany.com/Default.asp?, http://www.chadd.org/AM/CustomPages/home/CHADD_Home.htm?CFID=3795108&CFTOKEN=74206670&jsessionid=f230442471181066602093). While I'm sure that there are times when you feel like you're the only person in the world who had the problems you've been having, that's unlikely to be true, and support and advocacy groups are great places to find assistance, emotional support, and to learn from the experiences of others. If there's a local support group for parents with kids in special ed, I would suggest you try attending a couple of meetings to see if this might be helpful. If nothing else, it could help you to know and interact with other parents who are having the same problems. FWIW, it sounds as if your son is having a frustration reaction and as if he's stressed out. Counterproductive as it may seem, you may want to stop pushing him as hard as you have been. Once you get to the point where he's crying and and upset, no amount of pressure you bring to bear on him is going to help him get over his problems-- you cannot make someone who is emotionally overwrought study or learn effectively. My brother was dyslexic and was in Special Ed classes. It was really hard for him, and really hard for my parents to understand what his problems and limits were so they didn't push him beyond those limits. They had to accept that there were some subjects he just was not going to excell in, and try to find the things he did do well and work on those areas. Please go see a counselor or therapist or contact an advocacy group for help. Don't keep doing what you're doing, or you (and your son) will keep getting what you're getting.