Help me find a professional in my area

[julikins]

Hi all, this is the first time I've posted on this forum, have been around on the other forums for a few years.  

 

We've always struggled with my 9yo ds with school, but it seems to be getting progressively worse not better.  In the last year or two he has developed stuttering at the end of his words/phrases.  He needs constant supervision while doing school or he doesn't stay on task.  He isn't lazy, he's very sweet.  He's not defiant, but there are times he does deceive us.  He'll think of ways to make it look like he did what we asked or he'll just say he's done, when he isn't.  I have to check everything he does to make sure.  

 

Anyway, there are lots of issues, that's just a tip of the iceberg.  I have talked to the pediatrician, he recommended first to do vision therapy which has helped tremendously with his school stamina. He can read for so much longer than he used to.  He's less stressed out, doesn't cry as much.  But there are still so many issues that concern me.  

 

So, after reading on here, I believe I should see a neuropsych or a developmental pediatrician, or get him evaluated for LD's or some sort of sensory processing issue.  How do I figure this out?  We're missionaries overseas, and we move back to Brazil in less than 6 months. I'd like some direction, how to help him on my own, maybe get some therapy done before we return.  So where do I start?

 

By the way, we live in the St. Louis/St. Charles area of Missouri.  Thanks!

 

[OneStepAtATime]

Have you tried doing an internet search?  Or asking your pediatrician?

 

What about this place?

http://wuphysicians.wustl.edu/dept.aspx?pageID=26&ID=4

 

HTH some...I don't live anywhere near you so I can't make a specific recommendation based on past experience but hopefully someone else can...

 

Good luck!

[Tokyomarie]

I just posted this in another thread today:

 

One place you could check is the provider list on the International Dyslexia Association's website. Click on the "Find a Provider" tab. If there isn't an evaluator listed for your area, you could try contacting someone who is listed as a tutor, academic therapist, or SLP to see who they would recommend in your area. 

 

I think it's great that your pediatrician suggested vision therapy, because many pediatricians don't see value in it. But as you are finding out, VT may bring a lot of improvement but it's often not the whole story. Try checking the list above. You can also try asking your pediatrician since he/she seems to be cued into local resources. 

[PeterPan]

Well you definitely need to get hopping, because it's going to take you the full 6 months to find the psych, get the evals, and get the results.  Since you said stuttering, I'd be looking at a speech eval.  Get a good SLP who has experience with stuttering.  And keep right on going (don't stop, don't delay) and get a move on getting a good neuropsych eval.  I'll just throw my random observation (since I, unfortunately don't remember ANYthing of your other posts) and suggest that there could be ADHD involved.  Sometimes the low processing speed causes the stuttering.  So you've got sort of multiple strands there.  If you also suspect dyslexia, then by all means follow up on Marie's suggestion to find a psych who's good at dyslexia.  Anyone seeing a lot of dyslexia is seeing a lot of adhd, as they are kissing cousins.  That person is going to have a waiting list of 1-4 months or more, so that's why I'm saying this is the time to move on it and not delay.  It may feel nuts for a while, but move aggressively on getting lots of evals.  

 

So what is making  you suspect sensory issues?  When there's adhd, absolutely there can be sensory as well.  So then look for a good OT.  There are tons of OTs and I find them sort of hard to sift through.  You have some that aren't so much into sensory but do a lot with BalavisX and things for brain integration (l/r) and that can be helpful.  Then you have the ones who are very into sensory.  At the high end of that you have the SIPT-certified people.  I just posted the link in another thread.  And there are people who are good with sensory who aren't SIPT-certified.  If they're working with a lot of ASD, they're dealing with a lot of sensory.  The ASD referral lists for your community are a good resource, even when you aren't dealing with ASD.  

 

As far as the behavior, if I could suggest, I'd figure out what's going on physically before you assume too much.  Sometimes it's an immature response to a situation they aren't really able to handle.  I suggest LOTS OF STRUCTURE.  That means accountability and following through on your part.  Just check the work immediately, and if it isn't right say OOPS and have him fix it.  Defiance is a problem, but when you're getting more like evasion, covering tracks, etc. etc., I think I'd cover that till you find out what's going on.  Smooth it over with lots of structure and checks to help him accomplish what he doesn't seem to be able to accomplish on his own.

 

I hope you can get those evals.  Keep posting here if you get to feeling crazy or need help sorting them out.  It's hard deciding who to use.  I've been picking people for my ds, and I drive myself crazy.  I'd just encourage you to find someone who seems appropriate and get it going.  

[PeterPan]

http://www.wpspublish.com/store/Training/TherapistIndex

 

I'm not saying these are the only good OTs, but they're sure a place to start.  These are OTs who are SIPT-certified.  I always have a terrible time finding the link on the WP site, so here it is.  You can also look for therapists who do Interactive Metronome, neuronet, balavisx, or other things you think might help him.  Happily, it is becoming easier to implement a lot of these therapies at home.  The main thing is to get the evals done before you leave the country.

[julikins]

Wow, guys, thanks.  I do already feel overwhelmed thinking about all of this; it's like learning a new language, with different vocabulary and all that goes with that.  Part of the delay has been convincing my husband that it will be beneficial.  My son is exactly like my husband and my husband never got any testing or treatment.  I almost wish I could do the testing for my husband too:).  But he's learned to overcome through lots of hard work, but he felt like a failure through most of school.  I don't want our son to have those same disheartening experiences.  I want to be the supportive mom that will help him succeed and be his best.  His father is a good example of what can be accomplished through hard work and determination and knowing who you are in Christ.  He completed seminary, is an ordained pastor, a wonderful preacher, learned a foreign language (Portuguese--which is not one of the easier languages) at 37 and now preaches and ministers in a foreign country.  He's a wonderful, kind man and our son takes after him.  Anyway, can you tell I love these guys? 

 

Funny you should suggest structure.  If you knew what our last 6 months have been like, you'd say "no wonder" it's all coming out now stronger than ever before.  We've traveled 17,000 miles through 27 states and 2 provinces and haven't had a place of our own, living out of suitcases.  Somehow we've tried to keep doing school, many times in the hotel or at a grandparents house.  It's been difficult for all of us, but even harder for him.  I'm in the last month of pregnancy and we are done traveling for a good while, several months at least.  My goal has been structure for all of us, but especially for him.  I sit right across the table from him while he does school.  (Sometimes he's under the table, but that's okay, he likes to read quietly there or whatever.)  I'm more available here to him than I've ever been and I pray that it will be a big help to him.  I'm having to change my teaching/tutoring style and expectations.  It's an education for myself as well.  And his little two year old sister is learning she can't interrupt him.  Now, I hope that I can get the newborn little guy on a good schedule so that we can keep up "life" in a way that is functional for all of us.  Sorry, I'm rambling, but it's all such a big conundrum of chaos that we're trying to make sense out of and help him have stability in the midst of all of this craziness.  Ugh...  I think I need to breathe.

 

Anyway, I'll check out the places you suggested...and I'll post what I figure out.  Thanks for your encouragement.

[PeterPan]

That's a hard thing when one of the parents seems to be pretty similar to the child.  There's the *assumption* that the child will have *only* what the parent has and that the fact that the parent got through it to his satisfaction means the child will too.  Unfortunately, you have genes from two people, not one, and things change along the way.  My dd's sensory issues, for instance, are MUCH more problematic than mine.  She got the low tone, etc. from me, but her version in her body is the inverse (over-sensitive) and gives her a lot of problems.  Her developmental vision problems were worse than mine and affected more areas.  So you just can't guess and say yes the child will be fine because the dad was.

 

Also, use the line that YOU AS THE TEACHER NEED THIS INFO.  He went to school with teachers who had been through multiple classes on psychology and how to handle these situations.  You've had NONE of that training.  You NEED the information the psych will give you to teach him properly.

 

I let someone talk me out of evals when my dd was young and didn't get her eval'd until she was 12.  HUGE mistake.  We suffered needlessly for so long.  If you're going overseas, it's going to be hard to get the evals if you get there and change your mind.  With my ds I'm NOT making the mistake I made 10 years ago.  I put down my foot and said I HAVE to have the info.  So that's what I suggest you do.  You're the teacher and he's not.  If he were trying to teach these kids, HE'D be the one pulling his hair out and asking for help.  So don't be bashful.  Be confident in the rightness of your cause and go for it!!  :)