preview

Children With Asperger Syndrome And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Good Essays

In Austin, Texas the Fuller family found themselves facing a major obstacle. Fifth grader, Jade Fuller was a sweet and energetic child who was also diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Jade’s family first noticed something different about her when she was six years old and couldn’t read a single word. Alarmed, the family sought special education. For the next 4-5 years the Fuller family would be battling their Texan school district for adequate education that Jade would be denied of. After years of frustration and lack of service, the Fuller family relocated to State College. Their new school district promised Jade and her family that they wouldn’t “let her fall through the cracks” (quote). Jade is …show more content…

The policy stated that “no more than 8.5 percent of students in each school district should get special education services” (quote). This was something that was done very quietly, and not many people knew about it. This incredibly low benchmark prevented thousands of children, including Jade, from appropriate education (quote). Another important factor in regards to Jade’s case was the Texan school system’s decision to put her in Response to Intervention. Jade was to receive “one-on-one reading instruction for 30 minutes daily” (quote). This was not enough to get Jade back at her grade level in regards to reading and writing. Furthermore, as the school year came to a close, her family learned that the school had “failed to provide Jade with RTI services” (quote). The person in charge of this program had left the school and no one had informed her family. Jade’s family had tried multiple schools in the Austin area, and not a single school was able to provide Jade with an education or any hope. Positivity finally came through when Jade and her family packed their bags and moved to Pennsylvania. At her new school, with an IEP in place and “[w]ith the intensive focus on decoding words, Jade made a year’s worth of growth in reading in her first semester” (quote), Jade could finally be put at ease. With persistence from her family and help from a new school district, Jade was going to let loose the fabulous student she always had inside her.
In the classroom I work with

Get Access