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Book recommendations ADHD, SLD's, slow processing speed, poor working memory, SPD


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So I think its time for me to get more help for my son's multiple diagnosis's. He is 6 years old, 7 in December. He has an expressive and receptive language delay, caused by CAS childhood apraxia of speech (its not global his fine and gross motor skills are not effected). He also has sensory processing disorder. Last year we had more testing done and discovered ADHD, slow processing speed and poor working memory/poor short term memory. He has SLD's in reading, writing and math. I am looking for resource and book recommendations to get started. His learning challenges are impacting his schooling a big way and I think something needs to change. I want to help equip myself so I can get him the help he needs. Thanks so much.

Edited by Stibalfamily
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Your sig isn't filled in. How old is he? My ds has apraxia, the three SLDs, and we finally stepped up to the full ASD diagnosis.

 

Is your ds currently getting speech therapy? For motor planning of speech or expressive language or both?

 

Technically apraxia is not a language delay. Like, not to nitpick, but technically apraxia is ONLY the motor planning. So if he's also showing expressive/receptive language delays, you want testing on that to pinpoint what you need to work on. For my ds, we put SO much effort into the motor planning piece and are now going back and working on the receptive/expressive language. I really like GPP (Grammar Processing Program) from Super Duper, but language is something you can just dig in on forever, mercy. Language is going to affect reading, writing, math... 

 

I think I made a post a while back where I actually listed out, with links, some of what I'm doing with ds or getting ready to do. You could find that thread if you google site search with my name. If you tell his age and what he's doing now that is/isn't working, we can give you ideas.

 

I find speech therapy materials and materials actually meant for disabilities work better than materials for the general population. I do use some carefully chosen workbooks from Carson-Dellosa, etc. I like the Ronit Bird Math. I was just going through some of the Peggy Kaye games books today, and he's finally really, really ready for them. I'm going to photocopy the pages and put them into a notebook to organize it all so we can plow through them. 

 

That, to me, is the biggest problem, cloning myself and staying organized! I get so many ideas, but it's hard to do it all or prioritize. I've already taught one dc all the way through, so I know how it *could* be. So when I work with my ds, it's just so, so obvious that he's really on a different planet. He's crazy bright. His IQ is higher than dd's and he's astonishing to work with. But that's only if he'll work with you. ;)  

 

Did they run an ASD tool? I'm not meaning to be morbid, just saying. And has he had recent language testing like the CELF or CASL? What have you been doing that is working and what isn't working?

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Your sig isn't filled in. How old is he? My ds has apraxia, the three SLDs, and we finally stepped up to the full ASD diagnosis.

 

Is your ds currently getting speech therapy? For motor planning of speech or expressive language or both?

 

Technically apraxia is not a language delay. Like, not to nitpick, but technically apraxia is ONLY the motor planning. So if he's also showing expressive/receptive language delays, you want testing on that to pinpoint what you need to work on. For my ds, we put SO much effort into the motor planning piece and are now going back and working on the receptive/expressive language. I really like GPP (Grammar Processing Program) from Super Duper, but language is something you can just dig in on forever, mercy. Language is going to affect reading, writing, math... 

 

I think I made a post a while back where I actually listed out, with links, some of what I'm doing with ds or getting ready to do. You could find that thread if you google site search with my name. If you tell his age and what he's doing now that is/isn't working, we can give you ideas.

 

I find speech therapy materials and materials actually meant for disabilities work better than materials for the general population. I do use some carefully chosen workbooks from Carson-Dellosa, etc. I like the Ronit Bird Math. I was just going through some of the Peggy Kaye games books today, and he's finally really, really ready for them. I'm going to photocopy the pages and put them into a notebook to organize it all so we can plow through them. 

 

That, to me, is the biggest problem, cloning myself and staying organized! I get so many ideas, but it's hard to do it all or prioritize. I've already taught one dc all the way through, so I know how it *could* be. So when I work with my ds, it's just so, so obvious that he's really on a different planet. He's crazy bright. His IQ is higher than dd's and he's astonishing to work with. But that's only if he'll work with you. ;)

 

Did they run an ASD tool? I'm not meaning to be morbid, just saying. And has he had recent language testing like the CELF or CASL? What have you been doing that is working and what isn't working?

His was DX with CAS by two different SLP's http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/ChildhoodApraxia/. The school and private insurance DX'd him with expressive and receptive language delay. I think there are multiple issues behind the speech. He has sorted out a lot of the speech motor planning but he still has an expressive and receptive delay. He has been in speech therapy since 2 and still receives speech therapy. His speech is not majority impacting his schooling at this point. He has tested negative for ASD through insurance (pediatric neuropsychologist) and twice by the school district (two different districts). I can say that this is not likely one of his issues.  

 

The main issues impacting his school are his inability to focus, inability to remember things short term and slow processing speed. This makes learning so hard for him. I really want to help him in these areas mostly. I just think his brain was wired wrong and I feel like we are just trying to untangle the wires to wire his brain correctly. Right now I need ideas to help us be more successful in our schooling. 

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Edited by Stibalfamily
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Well meds for the ADHD would definitely had the attention and processing speed. When you say short term memory, that's working memory. For that, I think the meds help a bit. You can also work on it directly. With my ds, I did it several ways. There's a really good game A Fist Full of Coins. It's a little pricy, but it's nicely done. Also you can do digit spans. You can do games where you give instructions and have him repeat them back and then do them. So you're working it lots of ways there, including kinesthetic. The repeating back the instructions part is very important. 

 

Wasn't Somebody Looking for DeGaetano's "Attention Good Listeners"? - The Learning Challenges Board - The Well-Trained Mind Community  This workbook is very good if he's having issues discriminating sounds. You can also use it to work on processing speed a bit by having him read the pictures rapidly, point to the pictures you name (working memory), etc. So one workbook, but you can use it lots of ways to hit multiple issues. 

 

Anything by DeGaetano is really good. I have a bunch of her books.

 

Is there language testing like the CELF or CASL in his reports? You might look, because it will give you areas to target. There should be scores there for vocabulary, expressive language, receptive language, etc. You might have breakdowns that show inferences, etc. Also look in any testing on reading comprehension. For my ds, vocabulary is a strength, so we don't need to work on that. His scores are low in expressive and receptive, so that's where we put our work. So the language testing scores can give you some sense of what to pursue. For us, GPP was really helpful for overall language. The Grammar Processing Program | Product Info Super Duper sells a lot of other really great things too. They have sections for apraxia, language, etc. etc. Anything you go through there and think he'd benefit from will probably be worth doing. The MagneTalk boards are really good.

 

I'll see if I can find that other language thread where I posted links. I really went crazy. I recently had some narrative language testing done on my ds, and he has issues there. I've been doing some working with sequencing, but we need to do more. I find things and then I show them to the SLP to get more ways to use them. So for instance I have a Flip and Fold book of WH Questions, which is fine, but she had MORE ways to use it. So it's an expensive upfront purchase, but then we can use it more ways. 

 

For my ds, the language issues seem to underlie everything. If you can't communicate how you feel, then you have behaviors. If you can't sequence and make choices, then you walk around bored and can't make things happen for yourself. If you give commands because you can't ask questions, then you come across wrong and offend people and can't make friends. Like literally, to make friends and have conversations, you're supposed to ask questions, which he struggles to do!!! So for us, all the eggs are in the language basket right now. A year ago the behaviors were so significant, we had to focus more on behavior and compliance. So I think you're wise to think about what is holding him back most and what you want to work on most, like what might be pivotal and open up some other things. For us right now, the advice of the behaviorist is to work on asking questions, work on language, work on self-regulation.

 

How old is he? Are any of his school things going well? We're pretty off the grid with my ds. I've got him a state study using kiddie lit, some Peggy Kaye games books, Ronit Bird math, that kind of thing. He does well with workbooks I print from various publishers (Carson-Dellosa, Evan Moor, Teacher Created). I print the workbooks because I can give him just one page at a time. We use a lot of STRUCTURE. Structure is a standard recommendation, whether it's ADHD, ASD, whatever. So a plan, clear expectations. That doesn't mean it has to be top down and doesn't negate choice. It could be top down, all your choice, or it could be collaborative, whatever. It just means there's enough structure, a framework, that he knows what the plan is and what the expectations are.

 

The 360Thinking people have really great stuff for ADHD and attention span issues and chunking. My ds doesn't really have that issue. He has amazing attention, if he decides to work with you, lol. My dd, totally different. She has straight ADHD-inattentive, and for her chunking is good. With my ds, we use structure. So I put the expected work in folders, and I alternate preferred and less preferred, all in a stack. That way it's all very clear what the plan is and what we're trying to get done. Structure, breaks, alternating lighter/easier and harder, these are all really good strategies.

 

Does he like to play games? Games are really great for building working memory, and they can help break up less preferred things and be motivating. Family Pasttimes makes games that are cooperative and that typically only take 10-15 minutes to play a round. Clumsy Thief is really popular with my ds right now. Any games by Timberdoodle are great. But again, the *reason* we play them so much is to build working memory. Anything where he has to hold his thoughts or have a plan or strategy while he's collecting cards and playing is really building that working memory.

 

Heathermomster has shared metronome work instructions. I've done some with my ds, and it's exceptionally hard for him. It made a HUGE difference for my dd, so it's definitely something to play around with. Cost is right, free.

 

Ronit Bird is awesome for math SLD. Barton for reading SLD. I also like the Spotlight on Reading comprehension series from I think it was Evan Moor. There are four books (compare/contrast, cause/effect, etc.). I've been doing a couple sequencing workbooks with him and have more I want to get for sequencing from Lakeshore Learning. Everything there is on sale 20% right now.

 

I'll try to find you that link.

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Resources for reading comprehension ASD - The Learning Challenges Board - The Well-Trained Mind Community

 

Ok, I found the list. It's post #23. And I think with that you can see why I'm focused on language, because for my ds it's behind everything, all the issues. You're always looking for what is pivotal, what you can work on that will unlock other things. I think your issues like attention and working memory are definitely pivotal right now! Those are great things to work on. 

 

Just as a total rabbit trail, I hear you on the school evals. My ds has an IEP, because he needs it for our state disability scholarship program. We've been through that till we're blue in the face, evaling, updating, etc. We get good money with it and it pays for services, but it's definitely a time-consuming process. And it's kind of a catch-22, because I'm one mom. I can't be a whole IEP team, kwim? So for some things, I'm going to use services, and for some I'm going to prioritize and stagger things. 

 

That's why I was asking what he's doing now and what is working for him and what isn't. Everyone just has their starting point. Like if your ds' starting point is very different from my ds', in spite of similar labels, then my list won't fit. The ideas will, like looking for pivotal things that can make other things go better. My ds enjoys TOPS science. He really enjoys anything we can do TOGETHER. He really enjoys games and interaction. He likes anything that makes him think, and he gets really frustrated if the material is too hard. So for him, I'm always looking for things that have teeny tiny steps. He needs help with sequencing, so any new task can require lots of instruction over a period of time. I'm hoping to make him a memory work notebook with velcro and visuals. We'd like to try Awana with him, but I don't know how it will go. Anything where he gets frustrated, and he shuts down or refuses to go. 

 

So it's definitely good to roll with the personality of your student and his bent and what he likes to work with...

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