Nicole Andrusiak was a perfectly average child attending Gill Elementary School in Farmington, Michigan – one of the top readers in first grade but otherwise an average student according to most of her teachers.
But in second grade, Nicole’s mother, Michelle Andrusiak, began noticing problems with her writing. Spelling tests were particularly baffling. She and Nicole would study the words for up to five days at home, and Nicole would still fail the test.
“We tried all kinds of special needs activities,” said Michelle. “We would make up songs, write words several times. Nothing worked. I didn’t see her advance no matter how much work I did with her at home.”
Learning with Disabilities
Teachers suggested a reading recovery program. Though Nicole was in the program throughout the second grade, Michelle didn’t notice much improvement in her abilities. What sort of special education in schools might she have needed?
As writing became a more integral part of Nicole’s curriculum, the problem became even more pronounced. “Nicole spoke well, but when she wrote she would throw in incorrect words. If she wrote a story about a bicycle, she’d throw in a staircase where it didn’t make sense,” said Michelle.
Michelle continued to mention the problem to teachers and received similar answers each time: don’t worry; she’s just an average student. Then Nicole entered fourth grade, with Lynn Gumas as her teacher.
It didn’t take Gumas long to recognize the same symptoms Michelle had seen. “You can tell when a kid is trying,” she said. “Nicole could verbalize the answers. The thoughts were there, but when she wrote them down, they came out as gobbledygook.”
Uncrossing the Wires
After discussing the problem with other teachers and the school principal, Gumas suggested Nicole take some standardized tests to determine whether she might have a learning disability, which would entitle her to special education services mandated by the state of Michigan. The law requires that a child score at least two grade levels below his or her actual grade to receive special education.
Nicole met the requirements for the program and was diagnosed as having a word processing and sequencing disability. Gumas describes it as having the right words, but not being able to find them at the appropriate times. “She was taking information in and the wires were getting crossed,” she said. “She couldn’t put the information back out correctly.”
From fourth to fifth grade, Nicole worked with special education teacher Fran Zakalik on strategies for “uncrossing the wires,” so to speak. She made arrangements to meet with Zakalik twice each week during the school day, and Zakalik employed some very unusual techniques to help Nicole better process words. These included teaching Nicole a series of sounds, instead of letters, to recognize words.
While Nicole was still learning to overcome her challenges, Gumas made special provisions such as sending tests home and allowing Michelle to ask the questions aloud and write down the answers as Nicole verbalized them.
Better than Average!
In May of fifth grade, Nicole graduated from the program. She’s now in sixth grade at Power Middle school and back to being an average student – perhaps even above average.
“Our situation has entirely changed,” said Michelle. “Last semester, she got all As, and I don’t even help her with her homework anymore.”