Grady Gram

Happy Saturday Everyone! Today I went on a walk with my brother Cyrus, my uncle Emil, and my dad Calvin. It was a nice walk also because it was warm out. I am sore from that walk today, but thank god I got to eat a cookie my dad made today!

Making progress and seeing success

Today was a great day in our family. Grady got her middle school acceptance letter. And she was accepted by her 1st choice. 

This may not mean much to anyone who lives outside of NYC, but as a resident of our great city, the public school middle school process is on par with the college application process. It is long, arduous and full of highs & lows. 

Grady has always been hardworking, determined and goal-orientated, but she's always struggled in school. She had a private tutor since 3rd grade, after-school homework help, test prep and tons of online help and still struggled. No matter how hard she worked, she always fell short on something. It was so frustrating to see your child work so hard and then be disappointed by the results. This is a kid who has NEVER been late for school and only missed 1 day since kindergarten, so it wasn't as if she wasn't turning up and ready to work.

After exhausting every resource possible, we had Grady tested to determine if she had any learning difficulties. The test was administered at the Cornell Child Development Center at New York Presbyterian Hospital. After testing her cognitive and developmental skills, Grady was diagnosed with a learning difference. While some parents may not welcome this news, we were so happy to finally have a name to what she was experiencing and excited by what we could do to help her learn in a way that benefited her most. We proceeded to get Grady an IEP, an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

An IEP defines the individualized objectives of a child who has been found with a disability, as defined by federal regulations. The IEP is intended to help children reach educational goals more easily than they otherwise would. In all cases the IEP must be tailored to the individual student's needs as identified by the IEP evaluation process, and must especially help teachers and related service providers understand the student's disability and how the disability affects the learning process. The IEP describes how the student learns, how the student best demonstrates that learning and what teachers and service providers will do to help the student learn more effectively. Developing an IEP requires assessing students in all areas related to the known disabilities, simultaneously considering ability to access the general curriculum, considering how the disability affects the student’s learning, forming goals and objectives that correspond to the needs of the student, and choosing a placement in the least restrictive environment possible for the student.

In 4th grade, Grady began her IEP, in a general education, mainstream classes with two teachers. One teacher handles the general education while another teacher gives specialized assistance when needed. Otherwise, Grady interacts and participate in the class activities with everyone else. Grady gets extra test time, can have the questions read to her and can test in a separate room, with others who need a more specialized plan. As she was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Grady also began take Concerta, which is a prescription product, approved for the treatment of (ADD) as part of a total treatment program that may include counseling or other therapies. Concerta, coupled with the IEP and the two-teacher classroom, made such a difference in her learning that it was shocking. We always knew that she was smart; we just had to help her find a way to tap into that smartness. 4th grade was a huge success for her. 

She continued her success in 5th grade, working with her strengths and improving on her weaknesses. She participates in group discussions, something she never felt comfortable enough to do, had loads of friends (sometimes too many), and is even a mediator in her school. A mediator is an elected position, in which 5th graders help others in the class navigate their disputes or disagreements. She has made strides to last a lifetime.

I tip my hat off to Grady and wish her continued success, strength in her struggles and much love. May 6th grade continue to nurture her love of learning.