16 year old just diagnosed with LD. Where do I go from here?

[cseitter]

My DS was tested today for ADD (he has been on meds for ADD for a LONG time but started to say he wasn't ADD so I had him tested again). But he also has anxiety and has been having a truly difficult time learning at home. I thought it was me, or the curriculum, ADD, anything. We went to see his psychologist about the ADD and in talking with her we thought maybe he had an LD as well. He was in PS up until 8th grade with an IEP so I thought they would have caught that.

 

He had the ADD portion of the test (part covered by insurance) today and if there were any signs of LD we would discuss the educational testing (not covered by insurance and $150 an hour) then. She called before he even left the office today (I had conflicting appts and couldn't go with him) and told me that the testing showed he has definite signs of LD and she needs to do the educational portion to tell us more. I am sure he is LD in math but she is testing for reading and writing too. He is having the educational portion done next Tuesday and we have the results meeting for this week’s test and the educational next Wed.

 

So with all that said, where do I go from here? I am a researcher at heart and an avid reader. Give me some websites and some books to read!

 

Am I going to need to change curriculum? I fear his LD is more than just math as he has trouble remembering what he reads and has trouble writing a coherent sentence. Where do you get curriculum for LD or do you modify the curriculum you are already using. ADD I know, LD I don't have a clue. Help me please. :)

 

[Tokyomarie]

Welcome! A number of us are working with teens, so hopefully you'll get some good comments.

 

It would be good to wait until you get the results from the educational testing before doing too much reading. Those results will help you know what to read about. Do you know what tests the psychologist will be doing? They will typically do an IQ (usually WISC-IV) and an individual achievement test (usually Woodcock Johnson- WJIII- or the WIAT-III). Hopefully, they'll do some measures of reading which include fluency and phonemic awareness to determine whether there is a reading disability- dyslexia or otherwise. Is this person a neuropyschologist, ie someone who would also be qualified to do testing of various other aspects of memory, problme solving, visual/motor integration, etc.? What you want to come away with is some idea of what your son's strengths and weaknesses are as a learner. This will help you know how to make curriculum changes, if necessary.

 

Between now and your meeting, it would be good to take stock of all your son's subjects and curriculum. Make a list of what's working well and what isn't. If something isn't working, write down some detail as to where the glitches seem to be so you can ask questions about how you might change the curriculum or method to best match what the psychologist sees as strengths on the testing.

 

Since he is 16yo, and it's time to be thinking about what comes after high school, be prepared to ask questions about how to best approach planning for post-high school life.

[cseitter]

She is a clinical psychologist and licensed as a school psychologist. I don't know which tests she is giving. I know 1 is the woodcock johnson but other than that I don't know.

 

Really I didn't think he was LD I thought his issue was the ADD and anxiety. He refused to take ADD meds for a while and couldn't get any work done. Now it is still a struggle so I am not sure what is working for us!

[Mom22ns]

Am I going to need to change curriculum? I fear his LD is more than just math as he has trouble remembering what he reads and has trouble writing a coherent sentence. Where do you get curriculum for LD or do you modify the curriculum you are already using. ADD I know, LD I don't have a clue. Help me please. :)

 

You don't need LD curriculum. LD just means that it is harder for him to learn some things than it is for others. You probably already knew that. You only need to change curriculum if what you are using isn't working. Teaching a high schooler, I use typical high school curriculum. I do alter my presentation or ds's required output at times to work around his LDs. Until you know what learning issues he has, I don't think anyone can give you more advice on what might work for him.

 

Sorry, I don't know any websites to help you research. If you already know ADD and just want to research for the possible LDs, you're going to have to wait until you find out what they are :).

[PeterPan]

Actually, the best thing you can do right now is stop reading and start writing. That's the advice that was given me, and it was right-on. You need to start writing every single thing you've been seeing, everything that has been frustrating you. Go through every subject area and every aspect of life. Formulate questions about all those things. It's going to take you a while, and the longer you think the more questions you'll have. Think past, present, and FUTURE. Ask what ifs, why it was happening, and what can be done about it.

 

It will take you a while to generate those pages of questions. I had 4 pages of questions like that when we did our eval. She's going to do a parent follow-up session, and you want that all written out and ready to go so you can milk your time with her. I left spaces between the questions so I could write the psychs ANSWERS. :)

 

That's what I would do. Like the others said, you're reading in the dark right now. Funnel that energy productively by getting retrospective and formulating questions for the psych. The most common complaint we hear on here is that people left with a bunch of numbers and no clue what to DO about it. Formulate those questions and pick that lady's brain!

 

If you want to read, I would read Dyslexic Advantage. Dyslexia and adhd used to be lumped together diagnostically. Some of the things the Eides see about how people think and brain structure might give you insight on him. You'll have time to read beyond that, once you get the proper labels. I'm guessing there are going to be some things that surprise you.