Does It Benefit Kids With Learning Disabilities to Be Retained?

Failure of Retention

• The National Association of School Psychologists has made a recent statement that retention is ̶0;an ineffective and possibly harmful intervention,̶1; because it fails to effectively address the individual behavioral or academic problems of the student being retained. According to the NASP, academic studies have shown that student achievement actually declines within two to three years of retention. Additionally, students who are retained are more likely to continue experiencing problems in school and eventually more likely to drop out of high school. The NASP recommends targeted accommodations for students with academic and/or behavioral problems over retention.

Implementing Appropriate Accommodations for Learning Disabilities

• If you already know that your child has a learning disability, then you have probably met with a school psychologist and teachers to implement some appropriate accommodations to help her succeed. If retention has been recommended for your child, do some further research on the subject and meet with teachers and support staff again. Ask how accommodations have been implemented so far, why retention is being recommended, and what alternative accommodations you could make for your child together. Often, the problems at hand are better targeted with modifications to an Individual Education Plan that can be implemented in the next grade as well. The National Center for Learning Disabilities recommends that you prepare some ideas for alternative accommodations ahead of time and suggest them at the meeting.

Seeking Further Resources

• Sadly, poor education policy including the No Child Left Behind act has led to a rise in retention for children who do not meet standards for state and national standardized testing, regardless of their individual needs. If your child̵7;s school is more concerned about test scores than the individual problems of your child, and it refuses to consider alternatives to retention, it may be a good idea to look for a school that will focus on your child's individual needs. There may be a school in your area that has more personnel available to accommodate individual children or a more progressive school with teachers who can help your child succeed in his grade level. If changing schools is not an option, look for back up options in the form of another school psychologist or a learning professional who can help your child receive better accommodations.

Alternatives to Retention

• There are many alternatives to retention. Consider becoming further involved in your child̵7;s education as a parent. Children who are struggling in school may need an individualized behavior management program, reading intervention or enrollment in tutoring or extended summer academic programs. If the root problem is social, emotional or behavioral, ask for more information about school-centered mental health programs or counseling that could help your child. With the support of teachers, school psychologists and school staff, you should be able to develop an alternative that will be much more successful than retention.