The candy bar and soda, along with the thought of his favourite foods for dinner followed by ice cream for dessert, plus the talk he'd had with his dad, all seemed to cheer Jack up as Mr Gibson began to talk about school work and problems Jack was clearly having. Jack got embarrassed and ashamed when Mr Gibson talked about homework that hadn't been done or completed and missed assignments Jack either hadn't done or hadn't completed. Aaron had thought Jack had always done all his homework and hadn't realised Jack been telling a lie when he said his homework had been finished or he didn't have any on some nights. He knew that Jack knew that lying was wrong and that Jack had been taught to always tell the truth. Jack just wanted to disappear and not be there when his dad found out he'd been telling him lies. He feared his dad would be angry or mad at him for lying to him. Aaron was shocked to find out Jack had been lying about his home work being done or not having homework and, whilst he was angry, he was also more concerned and worried than anything else, especially knowing the situation now. He just sat with his head down staring at his feet and hands and just wanted to run out of there.
"Jack, buddy? You told me or Aunt Jess each time that you'd finished the homework or didn't have any when Mr Gibson gave you these assignments. Why did you lie to us buddy? I promise I won't be angry at you."
"I'm sorry dad. I just couldn't do it and so kinda gave up on trying. The assignments I just didn't completely understand so I knew I couldn't do them anyway. I didn't want you or Aunt Jess to know I couldn't do the homework or assignments so I felt I had to lie to you. I'm sorry. I know lying is wrong and bad and you taught me to always tell the truth. But if I'd said I hadn't finished or had the assignment, I'd have just been trying to do the work when I knew I couldn't do it and plus you and Aunt Jess would have found out the truth that I couldn't do the work and was struggling with the school work, even back then. I'm sorry dad. I know when we get home, I'll have to face probably grounding and removal of something good. Whatever punishment you think of won't be half as bad as how I'm feeling right now. I feel so bad dad and I hate myself for having to lie to you and Aunt Jess. I'm sorry."
Jack was near tears and Aaron felt so bad for him and just so sorry he hadn't realised Jack was having so many problems with his school work and struggling so much.
"It's okay buddy. I just wish you felt like you hadn't had to lie to us and had said something sooner. If you'd said something to me or Aunt Jess, we could have helped you with the work, we'd have realised then you were finding the school work difficult and put more of an effort into helping you then instead of letting it get this far. I should have realised Jack that you were having problems and struggling so much. I'm the one who should be sorry, not you. I'm so sorry buddy that I didn't realise and notice and that you felt you couldn't tell me anything."
"I'm sorry dad. I felt I was letting you down and I was ashamed I was finding it so hard and I couldn't do it."
"You'd never be able to let me down buddy. You weren't letting me down by being unable to do the work and you shouldn't feel ashamed and sad just because the work is hard."
"But it's like, I dunno, it's like what I read doesn't make sense, like I can't spell words, word problems in math are too hard to understand, I have trouble remembering stuff I'm supposed to learn and read, when I do write, sometimes I know what I'm writing but I get words and spellings mixed up without meaning to so I write doesn't make sense to Mr Gibson, sometimes reading is just hard. And reading a block of text, then having to write about something in it is too hard. Plus I don't want to read aloud in class as some words and text are hard to read and I don't want the others to know I'm having trouble reading the words. I don't want them to make fun of me and I don't wanna stand out, dad. I want to read it, I want to understand it, I want to do the work. I'm trying my best but since I started fifth grade, everything's just got too hard and been getting harder and more difficult to the point where I just don't want to do the work because I can't and it's too hard and difficult and I'm just too stupid."
"Oh buddy, I'm so sorry. I didn't realise or notice you were having so many problems. You should have said something sooner. Your not stupid, buddy. I know you can do it. You just need some extra help."
"Jack, would you mind waiting outside a minute whilst I talk to your dad alone?"
"It's okay buddy, everything's gonna be okay, I promise."
Jack, still with his head hung, walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Mr Gibson waited until Jack had closed the door before speaking.
"Mr Hotchner, I'm sure you've heard of something called dyslexia? Just I think Jack may have it. It can appear at any age and doesn't have to be apparent until now or even up to when someone's in high school or even when their an adult. But from what I've noticed in Jack's school work and all the struggles he's had, plus what he's just told us and my experience of over 15 years teaching fifth grade, I do think Jack has a form of dyslexia. And if you'd be okay with it, I'd like to have our school psychologist assess him and get him referred for a specialist to formally diagnose him so we as the school can get him the help he needs to succeed."
"But he's never had problems reading up til he was in the fourth grade, he was even reading at a fourth grade level when he was tested in first grade."
"Sometimes it can happen like that. The child suddenly starts having problems when the reading and work starts getting a lot harder like it does in fifth grade. Plus I think he's probably been hiding it for a while before the grade year started and has simply taught himself ways to cope and get around things so no one will notice. But there are so many ways he can be helped and with some help and support both at school and home, he can succeed to his full potential. He's already got a great support system in place at home and a great home life and I think that's what's helped til now in how well he's managed to do and hide everything. I know he's smart and can do the work. His brain is just having problems processing what he's trying to read, write and understand with the school work. But it's not his fault, it's not your fault, it just happens. There are so many people all over the country with some form of dyslexia that have done so well and achieved so much. Like the famous director Steven Spielberg, the actors Keanu Reeves, Channing Tatum, the scientist Nikola Tesla, the co founder of Apple incorporated, Steve Jobs, the TV talk show host Jay Leno, but to name a few. So just because he has dyslexia, it doesn't stop him from achieving anything, I promise. With a formal diagnosis, he can get all the help in school he needs all the way through his school career. He can be allocated extra time in tests, given extra support, given things to help him read and understand the text, including using a laptop, being allowed to use word prediction software, audio books, even down to being allowed to orally dictate his assignments into a dictation machine or using speech to text software on a laptop. We can also help by orally giving assignments and making sure he understands the assignment and homework, give him extra help in the day, including letting him do homework during recess or lunch or the end of the day and giving him help them to do the work. Even having him dictate to someone else to do the writing for homework and assignments and reports. He can get any materials he needs to help him do the work and get all the help and support and needs in school. We can help you and his aunt learn ways you can help him at home and help him with homework and assignments. With all the help and support he can get at school, here, middle and high school and even college, and all the support and help you and his aunt can give him at home, he'll have no problems succeeding and being able to do the work. I've had a few kids with dyslexia in my classes over the years. One, like Jack, didn't show problems until the fifth grade."
"So he definitely has it?"
"I'm pretty sure he does, Mr Hotchner, but only with a formal diagnosis can we be sure and after which he can get any help and support he needs. But in order for that to happen, we'll need your consent and support as his father."
"Of course, anything that might help him and if he does have it, I'd rather he get a formal diagnosis so he can all the help he needs in school. What's the process?"
"First our school psychologist will assess him and then refer him onto a specialist who will assess him and test him and formally diagnose him. After that, once it's formal, we as the school can work with you and his aunt and with Jack to put in place any help and support he needs and, at least whilst he's here in King's, you, his aunt and Jack and I, or when he moves to sixth grade, his sixth grade teacher, can have regular meetings so we can make sure he's staying on top and is getting all the help and support he needs and, if he needs anything else, it can be sorted out. The specialist will consult with his paediatrician too. But once it's formal, we can sort out anything and put in place all the help and support he needs and get him whatever he needs to help him with his work. In the meantime, in order to help his grades now, I'll let him redo any assignments and homework he wants to and hasn't done, I'll let him dictate to me, you or anyone he wants to, he can get all the help with any work he needs. He can even use a computer if needs to. I'll help him in extra sessions during lunch and after school's finished. I'll make sure he understands the work we do in class and help him without him standing out from the others. I'll do everything I can to help him and he can redo any work he wants or hasn't done but this time with a lot of help and ways to get around his problems until he can be formally diagnosed and all the help and support can be put in place for him. I'll even let him dictate assignments straight to me and give assignments orally rather than write them down. I'll let him simply talk through assignments and, as long as he understands them and gives some sort of answer that's right, I'll pass him and give him a good grade. I want him to succeed and do well and I know you do too. A formal diagnosis will take about a month but we can help him before then to get his grades back up and get all the work he needs to done and find ways around what he's having difficulties with and help him understand the work and get it done so he can pass the fifth grade and doesn't have to attend summer school. I know it may be frustrating for him now and until everything is settled and in place for him after the diagnosis but now things are clear, he can get all the help he needs with the work. Both here in school and at home."
"All that sounds so wonderful. Thank you. I really appreciate all of that and I'm so grateful your willing to put so much extra work and help into my son. Whatever can be done to help him, I'm fully behind. How soon can the diagnosis process be started in terms of the psychologist?"
"How about tomorrow? I'd like to get it all started as soon as possible so we can get him diagnosed formally and get him the help he needs as soon as possible. He'd need to meet with you and Jack and then talk to Jack alone and then talk to you alone. It'll take about an hour to an hour and a half. But, in return, I'll allow Jack to do it during class time. So would you be able to make tomorrow afternoon? I'll talk to Dr Petersen, our school psychologist tomorrow morning before class starts about Jack and then you and Jack can spend the afternoon with him. I'll even let Jack go home after you've finished with Dr Petersen. Then, after that, you, me, Dr Petersen, Jack and the principal will meet and discuss getting him referred to a specialist. The school board will pay for the diagnosis as they always do."
"Sure, I'll even take tomorrow off as personal time so I can definitely make it. I'd really appreciate that Mr Gibson and all that sounds great. I'll talk to his aunt tonight and tell her."
"It might be a good idea if she came too, as she is heavily involved in his life and takes care of him when you have to be away. Plus she's his legal guardian in your absence. So if possible, it would be good if she could make both tomorrow and the meeting with the principal too."
"Sure, I'll talk to her. I think she's got tomorrow as her day off."
"Excellent. It's so good to have the full support and backing of a parent, especially in a circumstance like Jack's in now. He'll need all the help and support at home he can get but I know he's got a great support system at home, a great dad whose fully behind him and is so supportive and loving, and a great aunt whose like a second mom to him. He's got the perfect home life really for any kid and I know he'll have all the help and support at home he needs so I'm sure he'll have no problems. You mind if I bring Jack back in and we can discuss about the dyslexia with him? I haven't mentioned anything about to him, I wanted to talk to you about it first."
"I appreciate that, sure, I'll go get him…" Aaron stood up and went to the door. Opening it, he saw Jack sitting on the floor against the wall looking bored and upset.
