Re: [Phys-l] Unit Conversions (was Mass and Energy)

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

Well it is the law.  The law does not say any accommodations, but mandated
reasonable accommodations.  Through laws passed by our representatives we
have managed to give almost everyone the right to vote and to have equal
access to education.

Psychologists or rather psychiatrists have actually been able to
successfully treat a number of debilitating conditions, but there are still
a number which remain.  I have been advised by the one who diagnosed my
daughter that the law applied to all courses both regular and advanced.  It
is only by brandishing the law at my daughter's HS that we were able to
obtain the accommodations she needed.  This is mainly extra time.  The
university was quite OK.

With this one all important accommodation and more hard work than the
average student she will be getting her degree in chemistry, possibly with
honors.  So please do not bad mouth the psychologists who are competent and
provide accurate diagnoses.  It is precisely because of teachers who refused
to acknowledge the reality of disabilities that she nearly did not make it
at various points.

And students who have problems have to put forth much more effort than the
average student if they wish to get to the same point.  The accommodations
just make it possible.  Nobody tells you what to do when the child is having
problems.  The amount of effort and emotional involvement in raising LD
children is extremely high.  I suggest VERY STRONGLY that you read the
literature on the subject so you can understand what goes on in these
individuals and their families.

It is extremely maddening to be told by a teacher to drill your child more
when you know it won't work.  Then to be told she had to write something 100
times when you knew that she had a fine motor control problem that made
writing painful and much slower than normal.  I have had to battle with many
teachers who simply would not understand.  Incidentally I also had
difficulty, but an empathic 3rd grade teacher helped a lot.  The law is
obviously needed as I can see from your response.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> > I had totally missed one point.  By giving them accommodations, you also
> > took away some learning opportunities.  According to the law this is not
> > giving them accommodations, and is illegal.  You are not allowed to make
> > them miss important class time to get accommodations.  If this is
> > challenged, and there is a law suit, it might be lost.
>
> And does anyone wonder why I put LAWYERS at the top of my 'blame list'
> with
> the psychologists a close second?