I need child development info on a 13 year old

[BlueTaelon]

dd13, 14 in Aug has a normal IQ but is functionally 6 years 4 months over all according to the developmental testing she just had. (was dx'd with Autism a couple weeks ago after a lot of head banging years and not being able to get testing due to insurance) I need to meet with the Developmental disabilities lady at the end of the week and she wants me to have goals in mind for dd to reach over the next year. Problem is, if I didn't realize she was THAT far behind then I obviously don't know anything about child development. I knew dd7 was more mature then her in a snarky kinda way but to find out its actually true... Her skills range from 2YO to 10YO but over all its a young 6YO.

 

I need to find something that lists specific skills she should have by this age, actually it would be helpful from say age 7 on up so I can see skills as they progress. The DD lady didn't think she would be able to get anything for me until Friday when we actually meet which means I don't have time to actually think about her goals.

 

That said, I have been on the phone a lot the past week and it was been wonderful to meet people who understand the issues were dealing with and I'm not just a crappy, lazy mother with an undutiful daughter and that there is a ton of help out there now that we have a dx.

[MomatHWTK]

Try these as a start:

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/pages/Stages-of-Adolescence.aspx

http://brightfutures.aap.org/pdfs/Guidelines_PDF/18-Adolescence.pdf

 

HTH

 

 

 

[geodob]

I must say that I'm concerned with the idea of taking her skills range from a 2 YO to a 10 YO, and then forming an average of a 6 YO ?

Where this idea of an average, has no real meaning.

But then as you write that her IQ is normal.

This makes me wonder if this 6 YO score, is a test of 'adaptive functioning'?

Where it is important to make a distinction between IQ and adaptive functioning.

[BlueTaelon]

I must say that I'm concerned with the idea of taking her skills range from a 2 YO to a 10 YO, and then forming an average of a 6 YO ?

Where this idea of an average, has no real meaning.

But then as you write that her IQ is normal.

This makes me wonder if this 6 YO score, is a test of 'adaptive functioning'?

Where it is important to make a distinction between IQ and adaptive functioning.

 

Sorry, this is all new to me and no one has even explained the report to me. The age is from the SIB-R which is the scale of independent behavior - revised. It tells me a bunch of different areas and the year and month she's able to do things like 5 years 8 months for Dressing. Her Broad Independence score was 6 years 4 months which I think is kinda of an average of everything and whats cited as her functioning level.

 

ok, I googled adaptive functioning and yep, thats what I'm talking about. From what I understand this will all get explained to me along with further testing once we pick an agency to work with but for now I'm kinda floundering and being asked to make decisions when I don't even know the options. I asked for a menu of services so I could at least be making calls and finding out options but no such luck. I'm still trying to understand how someone would have normal intelligence and not function like it. I get if there was something like CP that physically prevented it but I'm having trouble understanding it as it applies to our situation.

[Lecka]

It is hard to understand.  

 

It happens with autism, though.

 

I think of it this way ----- there are a lot of skills we need in life.  Some of them are described by IQ testing.  If those skills are weak, that will be reflected in the IQ score.

 

However ---- there are other skills that can be weak, that are not covered by IQ testing.  Those skills can be low while other skills can be high.

 

In general ---- people do not have low skills in these other areas, so you don't really think about it too much.  It is skills that are usually just "there," people usually just pick them up, they are not considered hard in general.

 

But -- if that is the skill that is difficult, that is the skill that is difficult.  It doesn't really matter that it is an area not included in IQ testing.  It doesn't really matter that it is in an area that is considered so "easy" that most people "just pick it up."  

 

If those are problem areas then those are problem areas.  

 

So iow -- there are things besides intelligence and physical disability that can impact functioning.  

 

It is hard to say just what those are (specifically -- I know to some extent for my son) ---- but they are real things, too.  

 

 

 

 

 

[geodob]

While we have normal intelligence, as measured by IQ.

We have another realm of thinking, termed as 'inference', and being able to read what is inferred by a situation.?

Where we modify our behaviour to suit what is inferred by a situation. 

Which happens at we term as an 'intuitive level'.

So that as we walk into a room full of people, we intuitively read situation and context, and behave appropriately.

Adapt our functioning.

 

But if we are unable to intuitively read what is inferred by a situation ?

Then without this reading, their is no guide to how to adapt functioning, to suit the situtation?

But if this doesn't occur at an intuitive level?

Then a cognitive approach needs to be used to analyse a situation, and identify how to adapt behavior.

 

Though in terms pf specific skills and goals?

This really needs to be looked at as a 'scaffolded process/?

Where a foundation is established, and then built upon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lots of boys]

Hi, I am following this thread. My youngest ds has Autism and is turning 6 soon. He is very intelligent but his self help skills are so behind (still can't dress himself at all, can't brush his teeth etc.). I worry all the time about this so will be interested in the advice you get here.

[Lecka]

My son does the ABLLS and I am very pleased with it.  The same company has AFLS that is for functional living skills. 

 

We do not do the ABLLS on our own, our insurance pays for therapists.  We do not do AFLS separately.  But it might be something to look at. 

 

My son used to not have physical imitation skills (the ability to watch someone do something and then copy it) but he has improved a lot in that area. 

 

Where things are too difficult for him to copy, it helps if we do hand-over-hand so that he can "learn by doing" the motor skills he is going to do. 

 

We also do "back chaining" where we begin a process and he does the last step.  Then he does the last two steps.  Then he does the last 3 steps. 

 

We also do "task analysis" where we do things the same way every time, in certain steps, and we can talk about the steps and we can have pictures of each step. 

 

We have also tried to make certain things more comfortable for him if it seems like he may be having a sensory response (like -- he does better sitting on the bathroom counter than standing while he brushes his teeth -- I am not sure if this is sensory or just easier -- but anyway it does work better). 

 

But there are books just about task analysis and daily living skills.  It was nothing I would have figured out on my own, but reading about it it makes sense, how to break things down into manageable parts.   

 

If he happens to have weak physical imitation skills, then it has helped here to work on them.  That is like -- starting at: "do this" clap your hands, and see if he can clap his hands when you have clapped and ask him to copy you.  My son started unable to do that, but now he can copy a sequence of actions.  The ABLLS has a list of imitation skills to work on, going from easier to harder -- that is something he does.