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by **puffik** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:55 am

Due to circumstances beyond our control (and these are apparently the talk of Cyprus) wee need to find an alternative English language school to Red Dragon in Limassol for our 5 y/o twins, (grade 1), one of whom is sometimes of a type described as "twice exceptional" or "2E" as she in effect has two main issues affecting her , namely an a-normal intelligence level (that creates one set of problems in the class room for both our girl as well as the teacher) and a possibly related diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, a condition falling within the scope of ASD, which creates a second set.

The key requirements are that this must be a main-stream school, albeit English Curriculumm - Private, not a special school, as we are seeking to keep her in as normal an educational system as is possible, and we are advised that putting her in a special school, eg New Hope, would be detrimental, if we are have any hope of her leading a self supporting reasonably normal life. It should have some sort of special educational needs capability, preferably with staff with some sort of training in SEN, with an ability to deliver differtianted content according to ability not age, including taking into account asynchronous development, and in a manner that is appropriate to her condition.

Heritage, Foley's, Grammer School, etc., in LImassol are full.

Any ideas apprecaited.

by **Sotos** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 2:23 am

puffik wrote:Heritage, Foley's, Grammer School, etc., in LImassol are full.

You want to enroll them now? School year starts in September and 1st grade is for 6y/o olds... that is how it is for public schools at least. I am not sure what "2E" is exactly, but if there is some learning disability then maybe they could have private lessons from some specialist this year to get a head start and enroll for the 1st grade in September?

by **Sotos** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 2:34 am

Do you know if the schools you mention offer the "differtianted content according to ability not age" that you want? To me it sounds like a very difficult thing to do in a regular school where courses are standardized for each grade. The most I would expect from regular schools would be to offer additional schooling to those who have difficulty to keep up with the level of their grade. If your daughter will not be able to keep up even with additional private lessons then a special school would probably be more appropriate.

by **puffik** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 7:02 am

Dear Sotos

It is not a case of her keeping up with the school but the school keeping up with her - she had taught her self to read by 3.5, while most children in her class are on Oxford Reading Tree level 2 or 3 she has just about completed level 13 which is intended for 9/10 year olds: while most children are copying sentences and asking how to write "Happy Birthday" she put togther a short story with 5 or 6 pages with 3 or 4 scentences on.

Significantly above average children have special needs too, just like those significantly below average intelligence.

by **Sotos** » Wed Nov 23, 2011 9:04 am

puffik wrote:Dear Sotos

It is not a case of her keeping up with the school but the school keeping up with her - she had taught her self to read by 3.5, while most children in her class are on Oxford Reading Tree level 2 or 3 she has just about completed level 13 which is intended for 9/10 year olds: while most children are copying sentences and asking how to write "Happy Birthday" she put togther a short story with 5 or 6 pages with 3 or 4 scentences on.

Significantly above average children have special needs too, just like those significantly below average intelligence.

I didn't say anything about her intelligence. What I understood from your first post is that she has some learning disabilities. Did I get that wrong? In any case what you are asking "ability to deliver differtianted content according to ability not age" I doubt that is something available in any main-stream school in Cyprus.

by **puffik** » Sat Nov 26, 2011 12:31 am

Dear Sotos

Thanks for your comments but if you had read my first post fully you should have appraciated that as I expalined 2E or twice exceptional means a child has two sets of behaviours for different problems, which require special educational needs, and where you made asumptions about my daughter not keeping up and needing private lessons to get a head start, and when both girls are already in Grade 1 depite being only 5.5 or so.

There is in fact a private English curriculm school in Larnaca which offers both a gifted and talented program and a program for children with apergers and we are in talks with them.