Fair Assessment?

Teachers give grades based on student output.  It is difficult to assess the process by which students get an answer.  Math teachers want their students to "show their work".  This way a math teacher can tell if a student truly understands various math concepts.  It shows their math thinking.  In English class it is more difficult to show one's thinking unless they write it down or give a speech explaining concepts and ideas.

What happens if a student's output is flawed?

Information that is inputted into Michael generally goes in his brain just fine.  His comprehension of most concepts is intact.  Michael has a lot of difficulty with his output.  When Michael gives an answer orally, his output is affected by his articulation/speech difficulties along with dysarthria.  He also has difficulties with expressive language.  His written output is also adversely affected by his perfectionism.  There is also the whole processing issue he has because of his autism.

So how indeed can we truly assess what Michael knows?  How can we judge his output when it is dysfunctional?

Michael and Daddy (Chris) at Christmas

I remember going through grade school and middle school English classes.  Back then there was a whole menu of options to show that you had learned the material.  The kid who was good with art could choose making a diarama.  The verbal kids could give a speech.  I'll never forget the story Michael's daddy tells of passing high school English class.  They had to write a report and Chris (who is extremely dyslexic) did not want to write anything.  His spelling even today is atrocious.  (Thank God for Spell Check!)  So Chris did all of the research and gave a glorious speech that was a certain percentage of his grade.  The teacher then asked for his written report.  Chris had none.  He passed English class on his speech alone.  Probably the only kid to have ever done that.  He knowingly manipulated the system and outsmarted his teacher and everyone at Frank Cox High School.

So judging Michael on his output and giving him grades and report cards based on what the teacher sees, is kind of unfair.  Yet, I don't know what other way there is at this particular moment.  Michael can hunt and peck his letters on the keyboard, but not write all of his ideas in his head when the teacher asks to write a paragraph about his weekend.  I believe it will be crucial for Michael's future to learn Touch Typing as rapidly as possible. Hopefully we can get reading specialist to help analyze his miscues.  Hopefully his second grade teacher won't base his understanding of reading on how fluent he is.  I hope that teachers will give him different options to show what he knows instead of relying on his imperfect output.