Category: learning disabilities.

I am the single mother of six children, including a 10-year-old daughter who is unable to read due to unknown learning disability. I cannot get the local school district I am currently in to test beyond the basics for establishing a learning disability to qualify for services within the school. My dilemma is that now I am faced with moving and would like to find a better and more caring special education program that will attempt to determine the best way to help her succeed--whether through traditional learning techniques or alternative methods. I am looking for information on rankings of schools from the parental perspective regarding the best special education department to cope with the needs of a child with reading disability. I am unable to find easy comparisons of central New York schools, specifically Tompkins and Cortland counties. All too often the school seems to put more emphasis on enabling my child to simply get through the year, regardless of progress. I wish to find a school that will help my daughter actually find an alternative learning style to cope with an undiagnosed disability that inhibits her reading beyond a kindergarten level. She is now being promoted to fourth grade and is not advancing mentally at all. If anyone knows of a resource out there for this, please let me know.--ND