My son has just recently turned 17 and has been expelled from high school in Northern Virginia due to a drug possesion charge/first offender. He had stopped ADD medication in 6th grade because they were not working to help him read or focus and they made him dopey.

When I went to the board hearing I had to tell them that for 5 years my son had not been retested or evaluated for any other accomodations. For two years I would plead for additional Dyslexia testing for him and was told that it was not done. His diagnosis and IEP were based on ADD and Other learning disorder, originally done in 3rd grade.  

I started to do my own research and realized there were alot of other strategies that can be used for dyslexia in classroom that were never suggested to me at IEP reviews. 

Now that my son has been turning to drugs, borrowed ADD patches, Concerta and Marijuana, which believe me I am not condoning, but  its possibly manifested out of his of frustration of trying to do Algebra and reading History Textbooks without the proper interventions.

Finally he is being re-tested. But do you think it is for Dyslexia? I doubt it.

Since we are not able to afford a private school, what is the answer for us. you would think that our tax dollars would support sending some of the Special ed teachers to Dyslexia trainings.  I am sure there are other students out there that need more help.

if you have any suggestions for me, please respond.