In 2007, I was pregnant with Jack and his twin brother when his older brother, Logan, was being evaluated for his learning disability. The assessment appeared to confirm he was dyslexic. The school district initiated a “504 Plan” and encouraged us to have his attention deficit addressed by a local pediatric specialist in Lubbock. Dr. Karen Rogers turned out to be a terrific physician and the best decision I ever made. Dr. Karen Rogers played an important role for Jack and Logan after the accident. Logan was the only one who witness the attack on Jack. Logan struggled significantly after witnessing the attack. Dr. Rogers offered medical expertise to help elevate the trauma that impacted Logan at such a young age. After retaining Logan in the 2nd grade, and after witnessing Jack’s accident in 4th grade, we continued to try everything to remediate Logan’s learning deficits. We spent nearly a decade trying Sylvian Learning Center, sports camps, academic camps, tutoring, SPECT scans, neurological assessments, and medication for his attention deficit disorder. In 2016, after learning how TEA placed an 8.5% enrollment cap for children with special needs, we asked to review Logan’s academic file. We had already initiated the paperwork to have him tested by SPECO-the SSA who served his public school district. He continued to struggle with “critical thinking skills” across all subjects and was struggling in school. His academic file contained answers we didn’t know existed.
Logan’s academic file contained specific assessments (WRMT-III and GORT-4) that were administered every academic year since his 2nd grade year. We were very surprised because we were never told about the assessments nor the results of the tests. After starting him on ADHD medication, he apparently didn’t appear to be a dyslexic child. We were shocked to find how well he scored on the assessments. The school administration tried to explain how they used the test to “determine academic progress” which didn’t require our consent. As you might expect, that infuriated us as Logan’s parents. Besides the ethical responsibility, they had the moral responsibility to inform us. This finding ignited a fury within my soul as a mother. I spent many years asking the appropriate questions. I spent years begging for help so that my son was afforded the same opportunities as every other child. I realized at that moment, Jack’s Journey had led me to the answers I long sought after. At that moment, I made a solemn vow, NEVER allow someone to withhold information from me again. At the time I made that vow, I had no idea how much these tactics are practiced over many well respected public school administrations. We settled our differences with the public school district, who had stolen precious time away from my son. I made plans to move and make a new start for Logan, Jack and their siblings. I had no idea that my battle had just begun.