I don't know what to do anymore!! HELP!

[Michele in NC]

I have two boys who both have learning problems. My goal is to figure out what's wrong with my older son first (since he is older). So, I had someone test him last week. She used the Woodcock-Johnson III. His scores are all pretty low (math, reading & writing). It really breaks my heart because he is my most sensitive child. He is 12yo (will be 13yo in May) and is only reading on a late 2nd grade/early 3rd grade level. He knows how far *behind* he is. I hate to even use that word because we homeschool, and I know that *behind* is not even relevant. Anyway, what's my next step? If someone can help me with these scores, it would help. Just tell me what to post (AE, Easy to Diff, RPI, PR, SS or GE).

 

Thanks!

Michele

[Ottakee]

It is hard to see these types of test scores. My 13dd would test in the 2nd grade range for reading and lower for math and writing.

 

Did she give you an overall "IQ" score? Were there a lot of differences in the scores or were they all about the same? Any signs of a clear learning disability or just slow learning across the board?

[Michele in NC]

It is hard to see these types of test scores. My 13dd would test in the 2nd grade range for reading and lower for math and writing.

 

Did she give you an overall "IQ" score? Were there a lot of differences in the scores or were they all about the same? Any signs of a clear learning disability or just slow learning across the board?

 

No, she didn't give him an IQ test, just the WJIII. I guess it would help me to get his IQ checked. Would I be able to tell if he has a learning disability if he took an IQ test?

[Ottakee]

An IQ test might give you more information on exactly what you are dealing with. With LDs, the kids have a normal/high IQ but struggle in one or more areas. With a slow learner, they have a lower IQ but their test scores (while low) are where they would be expected give the IQ.

[Laurie4b]

I have two boys who both have learning problems. My goal is to figure out what's wrong with my older son first (since he is older). So, I had someone test him last week. She used the Woodcock-Johnson III. His scores are all pretty low (math, reading & writing). It really breaks my heart because he is my most sensitive child. He is 12yo (will be 13yo in May) and is only reading on a late 2nd grade/early 3rd grade level. He knows how far *behind* he is. I hate to even use that word because we homeschool, and I know that *behind* is not even relevant. Anyway, what's my next step? If someone can help me with these scores, it would help. Just tell me what to post (AE, Easy to Diff, RPI, PR, SS or GE).

 

Thanks!

Michele

 

AE is age equivalent

Easy to Diff is an instructional range, given in grade level, I believe. The lower end will be easy; the higher end difficult (for eg if it said 2.4-4.5, things at the 2nd grade, 2nd month level would be easy; stuff at the 4th grade 5th month level would be difficult) Can't even remember what RPI is--just ignore it. PR is percentile ranking. SS is standard score, GE is grade equivalent.

 

The scores to pay the most attention to are percentile ranking and standard score. A standard score of 90-109 is average.

 

I would pursue additional testing based on how far behind he is. As you've notd, homeschooling doesn't keep kids from knowing that they are behind. Once you have a better overall understanding of his issues, you can proceed to choosing the best strategies for educating him.

 

You will want an IQ test at minimum in addition to the WJ-III that you already have. Once the test administrator has those scores, she can decide what other testing makes the most sense.

[Mom22ns]

:iagree:

With the others who say start with an IQ score. It will give you more information. Now that you know how far "behind" he is. The next step is to figure out why. You want to know if there are areas that are holding him back or if he is struggling across the board. The IQ test will tell you that. Once you have that information, then you may still need more information :001_smile: Hang in there. This can be a long process by you are on the right road. Again, once you find what areas are a problem, you will want to know why. Your tester should be able to help steer you in the right direction. There could be some therapies that could dramatically improve his learning. For example vision therapy if he isn't visually processing information, the list of options is long.

 

Knowledge is power here. The more you learn the more specifically you can address what is causing his learning delays.

[Michele in NC]

Okay, I will definitely get an IQ test done. Thanks for the responses!

 

Michele

[LizzyBee]

Michelle, I had 2 of my kids evaluated at the Psychoeducational Clinic at NCSU. Their EdPsych was Sasha Fradin, and she was fabulous. The tests were very thorough and the reports were very detailed. She didn't just do a standard series of tests; if she saw a weakness on one test, she did additional testing related to that weakness. She also met with me without the kids before and after the testing, for about 3 hours each time. The fees are less than the typical private practitioner charges. Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll be happy to try to answer them.

 

If you haven't already, you might want to join the GIFTSNC yahoo group. If your kids are struggling with reading, the Heart of Reading yahoo group is really good.

 

If you want to do some reading, my favorite book is The Mislabeled Child. It was written by 2 medical doctors who homeschooled their kids for a couple of years because of their learning differences. They have a website at http://www.mislabeledchild.com.

 

If you suspect dyslexia, my favorite website for that is http://www.dys-add.com. A great website about right brained learners is http://www.visualspatial.com.

[Michele in NC]

Michelle, I had 2 of my kids evaluated at the Psychoeducational Clinic at NCSU. Their EdPsych was Sasha Fradin, and she was fabulous. The tests were very thorough and the reports were very detailed. She didn't just do a standard series of tests; if she saw a weakness on one test, she did additional testing related to that weakness. She also met with me without the kids before and after the testing, for about 3 hours each time. The fees are less than the typical private practitioner charges. Let me know if you have any questions, and I'll be happy to try to answer them.

 

If you haven't already, you might want to join the GIFTSNC yahoo group. If your kids are struggling with reading, the Heart of Reading yahoo group is really good.

 

If you want to do some reading, my favorite book is The Mislabeled Child. It was written by 2 medical doctors who homeschooled their kids for a couple of years because of their learning differences. They have a website at www.mislabeledchild.com.

 

If you suspect dyslexia, my favorite website for that is www.dys-add.com. A great website about right brained learners is www.visualspatial.com.

 

Thanks, Lizzy! Would you mind telling me what all of that testing cost you?

 

Michele

[LizzyBee]

Thanks, Lizzy! Would you mind telling me what all of that testing cost you?

 

Michele

 

I'll PM you.

[AngieW in Texas]

I think you should get the CTOPP test done in addition to an IQ test.

 

I was able to get my dd tested at the ps without any difficulties, but not all school districts are accommodating that way.

 

Before using the ps for testing, you should check out hsing laws in your state. I know that in some states, having your child identified by the ps as having LDs can impact your ability to hs. It isn't a problem in Texas.

 

The ps tested my dd at the start of 2nd grade and again at the end of 4th grade. They'll test her again at the end of 7th or the start of 8th. There's no charge for testing from the ps, but they aren't good at telling you what the scores mean. For that, I posted my dd's scores on several email loops and got feedback that really helped me figure out what my dd needed to learn to read.

[LizzyBee]

I didn't think to mention testing through the ps. In NC, the schools will test homeschoolers, but they won't provide services beyond very limited periodic consultations and that sort of thing. A friend of mine went the ps route, and the process was very frustrating, but in the end she got some good information and the price was right (free). You have to submit a request in writing and the school has to complete the testing within 90 days. (I'm not sure how the 90 day window is affected by summer break.) You can call your local school to ask who to submit the request to. I can't remember if it will be someone within the local school or not.

 

My friend's son was 12 yo and not yet reading due to severe dyslexia, and they did not pressure her to put him in school - simply told her what accomodations and remediation would be available if she chose to put him in school. In the end, she decided to put him in school because she felt like she'd tried everything she knew to do and was not succeeding.

 

At NCSU, if your kids are struggling with reading, the CTOPP is one of the tests they will give.

[songbirdie]

I'm sure you've already done this but just in case. . .you can evaluate their vision for free by going to Walmart vision center and having them stand back from the chart and see if they can read the smallest line. If they can't, get an eye appointment. Our nephew was VERY far behind in reading and math until they realized that he desperately needed glasses! Once he could SEE, they were able to remediate him without alot of difficulty, it just took some time.:)

[Michele in NC]

I'm sure you've already done this but just in case. . .you can evaluate their vision for free by going to Walmart vision center and having them stand back from the chart and see if they can read the smallest line. If they can't, get an eye appointment. Our nephew was VERY far behind in reading and math until they realized that he desperately needed glasses! Once he could SEE, they were able to remediate him without alot of difficulty, it just took some time.:)

 

Actually, he's been wearing glasses for several years now. :)

[Dobela]

Have you been to the covd.org website yet? If not, take a look at the signs and symptoms on the right (click on it for a list). My son has had his vision checked every year for the last 3 years. No one ever checked his tracking and perception like the developmental optometrist did. It was a completely different exam and now I can't recommend it enough. Combining that with the other testing can help provide a much clearer picture of his strengths and weaknesses.

[Michele in NC]

Have you been to the covd.org website yet? If not, take a look at the signs and symptoms on the right (click on it for a list). My son has had his vision checked every year for the last 3 years. No one ever checked his tracking and perception like the developmental optometrist did. It was a completely different exam and now I can't recommend it enough. Combining that with the other testing can help provide a much clearer picture of his strengths and weaknesses.

 

Thanks for posting. He has none of those symptoms. :)