High school help

My son is in 9th grade and recently diagnosed with ADD. He does great mostly in school except for English. He struggles with reading comprehension and writing. He cannot write a paragraph and now in high school they are expected to write 5 paragraph essays He has always struggled but because he is smart he has been able to get by without much problems. It is now catching up with him in high school. The problem is he doesn't like to ask for help in English and rather skip the essay questions. The school wont test him as I requested because he's not 2 grade levels behind. His 504 only gives him extra time accommodations not help with writing/ reading. I feel like I am going to have to pay for a tutor or have him tested outside of the school because I don't know how else to get him help. I need to also get him to ask for help without me getting involved and emailing the teacher. Any advice would be appreciated.

[erickson336]

You might want to consider going to a Educational Psychologist. He/she will do a comprehensive evaluation; testing and assessment of your child's skill levels , areas of strengths and weaknesses. They can provide a action plan with specific goals and recommendations to address your child's learning style and needs. This way you are not going down a rabbit hole, they get your son the right support . Some even do "tutoring" based on what the see. This way you are addressing the actual underlying weakness not just the symptom. Goggle- Steps to help your child bridge skill gaps.

Also try the book How to double your child's grade in school by Eugene Schwartz. He address simple techniques for reading and writing and ADHD.

[Hidden in reply to erickson336]

Thanks for your reply. After a stressful English midterm this week and a few emails to his teacher and guidance counselor they agreed to test him in reading comprehension. I'm happy about that. I had also inquired about tutors and waiting to hear back. Thanks for the book recommendation. I will definitely look into. With two male teenagers, one 9th grade ADD one 7th ADHD, PDD diagnoses, dealing with school can be so frustrating. Thanks for your help.