Expert: Dr Billy Levin - 5/11/2009

Question
When our grandson was four,I took him to an "at risk" testing at one of the elementary schools in town. He tested
"at risk" however, the teacher in charge of the program said he would not get in the special classes because they already had too many children. His kindergarten teacher wanted to hold him back, but my daughter and I didn't want him held back in kindergarten, so my husband and I paid a tutor (who was a teacher in the same district) to work with him one on one for an hour a week through the rest of kindergarten, that summer and all of first grade. In first grade, he began having problems and his teacher began punishing him by keeping in him during recess and lunch/recess and putting him in detention or sending him to the principal when he could not complete his classwork. At this time, his pediatrician sent us to a developmental pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis, MO., where he was examined, tested, evaluated and diagnosed as having ADHD and a possible developmental problem. When I told his first grade teacher this, she remarked that she did not not believe in ADHD and said it was just immaturity. When he was kept inside for groundhog's day when the rest of the class went out for a short time as a special treat. He had to stay in the classroom alone.  After this incident which was like the final straw, we contacted the principal and asked for a meeting. The principal phoned me and asked what the problem was and when I told her, she began putting our grandson down and had me crying on the phone.  At the meeting in her office,my husband and I were there along with our daughter and our grown son (who was held back in second grade and wanted to tell what a bad experience it was for him and how he hid his book in his coat when he was on the playgound so his friends would not see his second grade book. We did not find this out until after he was grown. The developmental pediatrician had faxed his evauation, tests, and diagnosis to the principal before the meeting and the principal said to us, "We don't always go along with what the doctors' say." And then she remarked, "You don't seem to understand that we want the things we are doing to him to hurt him as this is the way we are going to get him to do better."  His I.Q. of 82 or 84 was among the copies of the tests the developmental pediatrician had faxed to the principal and she told us that this was just barely in the normal range and then said to us, "He's not going to be setting the world on fire!  He's going to have to work and struggle just to make it in life." A man from the board office in charge of the Title 1 reading program had came in place of the superintendent and he commented something to the effect of  It's for sure, we're not dealing with an "Einstein" here.
of "We're certainly not dealing with an "Einstein" here. At the meeting, I was upset with his teacher and spoke hateful to her and to the principal because his teacher had not let him go out on groundhog's day with the rest of the children and for many other things, but I only brought up the one. Nothing was accomplished at the meeting and he was held back in first grade and his next first grade teacher treated him much the same way. I so wish I had been knowledgeable of the special ed laws that were in place at the time because instead of getting the help he should have gotten, he was punished and held back. He continued to have problems until in fifth grade when he was finally tested and began getting some help.  In high school, he was in  special ed classes, excpet for his shop courses which he did really good in and P.E. He hated being in special ed classes and didnt want anyone who was not in these classes to know about it. Our grown son told me that they had put him in special ed classes, he would have quit high school. So, I know there is a stigma attached to the special ed classes. His grandfather worked hours with him on homework all through elementary school and high school to help him make it through. I have heard our grandson was eligible for Section something under the special ed laws, but the schools here do not give this kind of help. Who was responsible for our grandson not getting the help he needed at the time he needed it?  Was it the principal in first grade who said they didn't always go along with what the doctors' said?  Was it his first grade teacher who didn't believe in ADHD. Instead of giving our grandson the help he needed, the principal went along with the first grade teacher. After our grandson  graduated from high school, I phoned to get a copy of all of his school records and the lady who worked in the records department at the board office told me that they only had our grandson's records from second grade on up.  What happened to his kindergarden and two years in first grade records when all of this was going on?? Would appreciate your thoughts.

Answer
Firstly I feel very strongly your grandson has been given a raw deal whatever his problem is. If he was diagnosed by a doctor  as having ADHD, the school was duty bound to accept his opinion. Only an ignorant teacher would state she does not believe in ADHD and only an even more ignorant principe would suggest  he does not always agree with a doctor on medical matters.  
If  your grandson does have ADHD, he was bullied and tormented by a teacher for something he might have inherited. Totally unacceptable. He should have been placed on spesific medication to make him more teachable, especially with his low IQ. Thereafter be given the benefit of remediatiion in the hope he will be able to cope. If not, he would be transferred to a school who cater for these problems. Perhaps the doctor might have been a little more assertive in his actions if he was sure of his diagnosis.
 Lastly it is possible for the child to take legal action if it can be shown there was neglect on the part of his school.
I hope I have not been too outspoken!