Does he need exceptional education?

Question

well i have a brother who is 11. not trying to be funny, i think he does need some help. when he first started school they told my mom he needed it but, she refused b/.c she didnt want him to get laughed it. it takes him hours to finish assignments w/ constant help and its hard for him to pass open book test. he has a speach problem(has a studder) and took speech class in kindergarten. he walks around yelling things that doesnt make since.

Answer 1

Every child deserves an exceptional education...  and it does seem that he would benefit greatly from some additional help.  Schools have come a long way with remedial help...  it doesn't carry the same stigma that it did years ago.  I know that at my sons school, every child attends remedial classes, just that different groups work on different things while they are there so it isn't like one or two kids are being pulled aside.  Also, it seems as though your brother may need to be tested for other behavioral and learning disabilities considering that he has a hard time staying focused and working independently.  Alot of times stutters occur from stress in children and if he is having a hard time focusing on his school work and keeping up with his peers, that could be causing enough stress to stutter.  I think that there are more than just educational issues here and that your mother owes it to your brother to get to the bottom of his behavioral/learning disabilities.

Answer 2

encourage your mother to contact the pediatrician to rule out medical causes and to speak with the teacher & principal.  the child is old enough to have some choice in his life.   perhaps, his behavior is intentional.

Answer 3

To start with, every kid needs exceptional education to become the most they can be.  It's just that some hit "normal" without it easier than others.

He should be seeing a speech therapist for the stutter, and that is often provided for free by public schools.  If he took a class in kindergarten and he still has difficulties, he should start the process again.

Running around yelling things that don't make sense is something almost all kids do, especially rambunctious kids.

He could probably use some extra tutoring or help, but as long as he is passing normal classes, he doesn't need to be separated out during the school day.

It wouldn't hurt for him to take a test for certain learning differences (like dyslexia).  These differences don't actually make him incapable of learning just as much as other kids learn, but kids who have them require different techniques.  A lot of the time, learning new ways of how to learn or how to study or how to take notes is all that it takes.  

Most schools will provide these tests for free if a difficulty is suspected with a child.  They'll test and give special classes or provide resources for the parent.  If your mom is worried about him being laughed at, point out that as soon as he is out of public school, it will cost him real money to get this done, and he will have missed out on learning over all of those years.  Most kids with these sorts of differences aren't teased any more than they would be otherwise.  Kids will tease other kids regardless of what that kid is or does--they'll always find something.  Besides, he gets the last laugh this way--he can overcome this difference and become successful.