creekmom
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Posts posted by creekmom
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Has this happened to anyone else? I got a call that my daughter signed up for ACT test prep materials - we could preview for 30 days and return if we didn't like if for a full refund ($216.32). Materials received were not quality materials, customer service now seems shady, checked BBB and found they have an F rating and it's difficult to get refunded, etc. I'm kicking myself for falling for it. Website seemed so legit. I've already called my credit card company and changed card number (apparently they charge your card in the future). Plan to dispute it if I don't receive money back. So frustrated! I did try to load disc on computer but it didn't work. Now I'm wondering if I just downloaded spyware. ARGHHH!! Any advice?
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Thank you! I'm not sure if we should buy him a laptop or ipad to help with high school next year. I guess maybe the ipad since it has apps? I'll look into Kami and OCR now. Are either of you in support groups for kids with slow processing? I'd love to do more research and talk with other parents who have kids with this learning challenge!
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I'm wondering if there is technology to help ds with low processing speed to complete worksheets (ones with questions that require answers several sentences long). Is there an app that can scan worksheets so he can type his answers to turn in instead of writing them by hand?
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7 hours ago, 1shortmomto4 said:
I don't understand - if he has a formal evaluation - written documentation - then why on earth does he have to wait to fail to prove he needs accommodations to succeed? It is all fine and dandy that teachers will accommodate unofficially but there seems to be something amiss with this process. If you have a child say, with a hearing disability, and it is documented, you don't wait until the child fails before you provide an interpreter, note taker, etc. Those supports are set up from day one.
It doesn't make sense to me either. She made it sound like more of a formality, though. We can put pretty much any modification in place that we need to, it just won't be "official".
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On 6/24/2018 at 12:48 AM, Storygirl said:
On a personal note, I was very distraught over enrolling my kids in school, after having homeschooled them from the beginning. But things had reached a state where change was needed, and we needed to give school a try.
I thought that DS would have a really hard time learning. That he would tune out and not absorb the material. That he would fall behind. That he would have trouble participating. (These things are not just because of the low processing speed; he is a complex kid). I was worried that he would not learn as well in school as he did while homeschooling.
And, you know what? School has turned out to be a very good environment for him, overall. We have had to advocate for him to get certain types of help. He does have some of the problems that we feared, but he has also grown and has adapted, and he enjoys being at school. Does he like the work? No. But the daily structure and the social environment have been very good for him.
So I know you may be nervous about your son entering school in the fall, but it may end up being a great experience for him. For you, it may sometimes be frustrating and nerve racking, as you advocate for him. Honestly, just expect that, so you won't be taken by surprise. I hope it turns out well for all of you!
This gives me a lot of hope - thank you! I've been waking up in the middle of the night in a panic thinking that I haven't prepared him well for public high school, but it's definitely time for him to have a new teacher. He's really sick of the one he's had since preschool, LOL! His older sister will be a senior, and she's doing really well and loves the school/teachers, etc. I really hope he has a good experience. Thanks for all your help!
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4 hours ago, PeterPan said:
You're right, I was confusing you with someone else! What they're telling you is typical, and there are a few ways to push it. If you have a behavior like that anxiety where he's refusing to use all public bathrooms, that's a known gig across settings. Did you get a full psych eval? And did you make a WRITTEN REQUEST to the ps for them to begin evals to identify whether a disability exists? They do not have to write the IEP/504, but they DO have to do evals and follow the legal timeline. Is he currently enrolled or still legally a homeschooler? You have the FEDERAL RIGHT to evals and the federal right to begin the eval process.
In our state, the dept of ed keeps the IEP process timeline, all the legal docs, everything on their site so you can see them. In our state the eval doc is called an ETR, so you have the federal right to request the evals. What they're saying is they want to observe a grading period first. You can push back against this if your documentation is strong enough. Is this severe anxiety about using the bathroom in public places DOCUMENTED? You push back, and you say no, his anxiety is documented as occurring at church and co-op and concerts and the park and EVERYWHERE we go and it is NOT ACCEPTABLE not to eval and have a plan in place. It is his federal right to have his disability with anxiety recognized.
In our state, disabilities are on a tier system for the funding the school gets, and anxiety is a higher tier than speech disorders (tier 1) and a higher tier than learning disabilities (tier 2). The odds of him getting an IEP for ADHD are low, and ADHD falls under OHI-other (other health impairment other). They typically 504 it. But anxiety, that's another ball of wax. That's tier 3, a big deal! You prove that and prove that you already have documentation. Take in a lawyer. That's totally unacceptable that he should go any period of time AT ALL with that disability not identified when you have requested the evals and have documentation of it being a consistent problem across multiple settings that has needed accommodations. THAT is a big deal. The ADHD, note taking, that stuff isn't a big deal. Not being able to use the bathroom is a big deal.
You need to get an advocate and get your ducks in order. It's ok for them to say wait on SLDs or wait on ADHD, I get that. It's NOT ok to say that about something that is known to occur in multiple settings where he could have serious health problems as a consequence of their failure to intervene. That is not acceptable. In our journey with my ds I used a parent advocate (free, worthless), a pro bono lawyer (somewhat helpful but no teeth), and then I consulted with a high end, HIGH END lawyer from several hours away who beat their butts in a court case a few years ago. That changed everything.
So decide what is serious. Taking notes, things the teacher can modify, not serious. Kidney infections, being sick, extreme stress, that's serious stuff. Fight that hard and don't take crap. You have the federal right to have his disabilities identified. They're going to blow you off to the extent you let them. You can be easy to work with. Say that you're happy to begin evals now and AMEND his IEP/504 after the school year to add things that could not be demonstrated concluded on now, but that they MUST eval now for things that are medical issues that occur across settings that you have clearly documented that will affect his safety from day 1. Don't budge on that.
I really appreciate your advice! Not sure how they can help him with the bathroom situation. I think it's more OCD than anxiety (he hates germs, dirty bathrooms, etc.). He had a psych evaluation when the OCD issues first made an appearance several years ago. I need to set up another appointment before he starts school so I have documentation. Thank you so much for taking the time to write out the information I need!
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On 6/22/2018 at 6:31 AM, Pawz4me said:
DS19 uses a LiveScribe pen and finds it very useful. His processing speed is in the fifth percentile but the main drivers of his need for the LiveScribe are his terrible handwriting and difficulty looking up from his notes to a board and back again (visual/spatial issues). He has recommendations for several accommodations (longer testing time in a quiet room, etc.) but he's never had need of those. I suspect the areas he's gifted in compensate well for his low processing speed. I can't wrap my mind around a lot of this stuff, so I could be wrong about that but it's my guess. Anyway, academically so far the low processing speed hasn't seemed to be much of a problem at all for him. Socially--yes, I think it's more of an issue.
Our public high schools here are on the semester system. Four classes per semester, no study halls. And most math classes don't have an assigned number of problems that must be completed for homework. The homework is considered practice and the students are allowed to choose how many problems they do.
My son's handwriting looks like a 2nd grader's (not messy, but large with lots of space between letters). Does your son ever use a laptop for notes instead of the pen?
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On 6/21/2018 at 10:32 PM, Pen said:
How many subjects per term and how many classes per day?
If possible try for a transition year where he has relatively light load as he adjusts. And try to have only one class other than math and English with significant homework demands if the school gives home work. I’d suggest having a class or two that might tend to be good for meeting and interacting with other students—art for example. Drama if it would not be a time drain to memorize lines. And PE perhaps could be gotten out of the way
You can ask for reduced number of math (etc) problems—but if he needs those problems to learn how to do them, it won’t be a real gain in his life to do so. Going over some math over summer or starting on the book they’ll use so he goes in ahead might be helpful.
A great deal deal depends on what he is willing to do. For example, My ds (who just finished 9th in ps ) would rather get an F than stand out as “different” with accommodations. Emotional and peer relationships can be difficult at this age.
For technology, a cell phone that can photograph notes on board could be very helpful. Especially for math, a laptop won’t help much unless he is a wiz at typing numbers and symbols if algebra and even harder if he has geometry with drawings. Also a good cell phone may have decent speech to text function that could help with writing papers, and a sound recorder.
Audio books could help for English and classes with book reading if he is a good auditory learner
How is his executive functioning? Ability to keep track of things?
Thank you for the suggestions! Executive functioning skills are poor. I plan on reading "Smart but Scattered Teens" this summer and hope that will give us some ideas.
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On 6/21/2018 at 5:59 PM, PeterPan said:
Just to answer for Creekmom, she's been subbing. Surely she's aware of the IEP process. A bunch of us have done it here, so we're all like hit the stick, do this! Definitely, definitely, defintely do this.
Are they on some kind of block system?? Why are they not doing a study hall for kids who need it? There's no way in the WORLD it's appropriate for him to be in 7-8 classes a day. That's just asking for burnout and depression, no matter how smart he is. What we saw with my dd, going from the uber quiet of home to the noise of a standard setting (university) was that things came to a head that weren't issues at home. She has issues with noise that weren't prominent at home but were HUGE in a larger setting. There's a lot of stress of just dealing with people and bustle and the EF strain and conversations and organization.
Can you play hardball and just enroll him part-time? Like force their hand on decreasing the load. He could go half days, which chops their funding, motivating them to make a better plan. If he wants access to sports, might be enough.
I think you might have me confused with someone else - I've never subbed. I was a teacher for several years before I quit to homeschool, so I'm aware of the IEP. I was told we can't get the ball rolling (officially) until he's in class and there's evidence of struggle (see post above). His school has 6 classes per day - 2 of those will be computer gaming classes which I think he'll love. I do think we could enroll him part time, but the school is half an hour away (and I'm still homeschooling our youngest).
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On 6/21/2018 at 5:19 PM, Storygirl said:
You didn't answer whether the school is evaluating him for an IEP. I hope the answer is yes. Have you started that process? If not, don't wait for the beginning of the school year but request evaluations now, because it takes a long time. Does he have other learning disabilities or ADHD?
DS14 has a super low processing speed. Less than one percent. Many of the things listed already in this thread are in his IEP. Have you been talking to someone in the special education department, or just someone from the school office?
The reason that I ask is that it is unbelievable to me that there are no study halls allowed. Kids in our area on IEPs have intervention study halls, for example. Whoever is answering your questions may be giving you a standard response, instead of telling you what is offered to kids who have IEPs. Does your school have something other than a study hall time? For example, our sons' middle school calls it "advisory" period, but it really is mostly a study hall.
ETA: By "unbelievable" I don't mean that I don't believe YOU. I mean that the school has to be providing something like a study hall for those kids who need one to be able to "access their education" with help from an IEP.
I met with his counselor after we received his test scores back (which included some modifications for his classes next year). I was told that his test results were just one of the requirements for the IEP. Apparently, there also has to be evidence of him struggling in the class setting, which we don't have since he was homeschooled. So we can't get the ball officially rolling until he starts school. I was really concerned when she told me that, but she did say the teachers would allow modifications for him from day 1, they just wouldn't be "official". My older 2 kids both had her as a counselor, and she has been helpful and easy to work with, so that helps ease my worry a little (but they didn't have learning challenges). I'm curious what methods/apps/tech etc. have helped your son the most? He also has ADHD, OCD and anxiety. (He refuses to use public bathrooms, so that's also fueling my anxiety for next year!!)
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Thank you for the suggestions! His high school doesn't allow study hall, so that's not an option, unfortunately. I will look into the metronome work - excited to try it!
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My ds is going to public high school next year (freshman) after being homeschooled through 8th grade. Test results showed his processing speed is in the 3rd percentile. I've spoken with his counselor who said his teachers will work with him as far as letting him have a laptop in class to take notes and extra time for tests, etc. Are there any apps or other technology that might help him with these learning challenges? He is taking adderall which is extremely helpful, and he can do the work - just at a much slower speed than other kids his age. Feeling overwhelming anxiety right now, and any advice would be greatly appreciated!!
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I really think Christians feel a sense of humility when they say, "...but by the grace of God, I (survived, avoided such and such, etc.)." I know when I believed, it felt like the appropriate thing to say when I narrowly escaped something tragic. But now that I'm not convinced that God exists, this phrase REALLY bothers me.
A student who would have been sitting in a desk that had bullet holes (Florida high school shooting) happened to leave school early that day. The students who sit on both sides of her were killed. When interviewed, she said, "But by the grace of God, I left school early that day." What about the students who died? Where was God's grace for them? How can we claim that God is the reason we survive tragedy and others don't? Am I the only one who sees this claim as arrogant? "God actually intervened in this situation to save ME. I must be special. God must have a purpose for MY life - the others ...well, not so much?" How about not claiming a higher power stepped in unless everyone survived? It's SO incredibly hurtful for people to hear those words whose loved ones didn't "make the cut" for God's grace. Why don't we just call it the only thing we know it is - luck.
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Thank you so much everyone.
Creekmom, great info! Thank you.
I will look into this. Did your Dr prescribe the 14 day regime/topical testosterone?
Thank you the warnings, too. All info helps me.
-Rebecca
I take the testosterone and estradiol daily - the prometrium is 14 days per month.
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I went through early menopause at 37. Not fun, but thankfully, we were finished having children. There is no breast cancer in my family, but the women are thin and prone to osteoporosis. Neurological issues are also in my family - Alzheimers and Parkinsons. My dr. put me on hormone replacement therapy, which I've been on for 10 years without any issues. Apparently, the estrogen I'm getting is far less than what my body would normally be making at my age. I take estradiol and prometrium (14 days per month) and topical testosterone. I LOVE HRT!!!! I feel normal again. I get a mammogram every year and try to eat healthy and exercise. Feel free to pm me with any questions you have. It surprises me that your HRT is so expensive. We do have insurance, but the estradiol I get at Sams Club is very cheap. Prometrium is not expensive either. - Not sure how much they would be with your insurance, but it would be worth shopping around.
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I'm also not overweight at 47 (5 ft 5" and 120 lbs), but I struggled with a bloated stomach for a long time. Part of the cause is probably menopause. The change in hormones will cause you to store fat in your belly more than other parts of your body (upper thighs). My stomach has been flat for about 5 months since I cut out everything white - sugar, bread, ice cream and pasta. It was difficult bc I adored those foods, but I honestly feel so much better that I'll never go back. I still eat pasta, it's just made from green lentils instead of wheat. I use stevia and blueberries to sweeten my plain Greek yogurt (can't give up Greek yogurt yet!). I exercised regularly, but it wasn't until I changed my diet that my belly fat went away. Also, fat around your stomach is inflammatory and more dangerous to your health than fat in other places (Google dangerous visceral fat). Definitely worth your time and effort to change your diet if necessary to reduce the fat around your stomach.
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I can relate - my oldest 2 kids (son and daughter) went to public hs after being homeschooled K-8th.
Some tips:
1. You want him to be in the accelerated classes. I was concerned that advanced geometry would be too difficult for dd with the whole transition to new school anxiety, but after the first day of class, she told me, "Mom, the kids in class talk the entire time the teacher's talking. They really don't care about class or the teacher. They're so rude, and I can't hear what the teacher's saying." I switched her out immediately, and she was fine in the advanced course. She had to take World Civ when all the other advanced kids were taking an AP psych class (bc she was hsed and didn't have teacher approval for the AP class). She was miserable. Teacher was always in a bad mood bc other kids in class were obnoxious. All that to say, the accel. classes aren't much more difficult and the quality of kids/learning in the higher classes is worth it.
2. Check to see if your school has a gay student alliance club. They are very supportive. I agree with your son - you might be surprised how much more open and accepting this generation of kids is compared to our generation. My husband teaches at local middle school, and he's always talking about how nice kids are these days. ** Very encouraging, and we live in south in very conservative school district.
3. Before first day, take him to school and walk with him through his schedule. This was very helpful for my kids to know where classes were located and how day would "work".
4. Have him practice combination lock for locker.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Please pm me if you have any specific questions. It has been a good experience for both kids!
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I've found this book incredibly helpful:
The Practicing Happiness Workbook: How Mindfulness Can Free You from the Four Psychological Traps That Keep You Stressed, Anxious, and Depressed Paperback – April 1, 2014
by Ruth Baer PhD (Author), Mark Williams PhD (Foreword)She teaches mindfulness, which is a very powerful tool to help you out of depression. I stopped taking antidepressants at the end of March this year (after being on them for 5 years). I don't think I could have done it without the techniques I learned in this book.-
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I'm always so impressed with (and grateful for) Lori D.'s posts because she provides organized links to previous threads with lots of pertinent information about the topic. I'm wondering if she might be willing to provide her master list of organized threads by topic?! For those of you who aren't familiar with her posts, I copied and pasted one below that was in a thread about writing and literature. Incredible!! :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say thank you so much for all your help on the WTM forums!!
Definition / benefits of a Great Books study:
- SWB's explanation of what a Great Books study is
- What are the benefits of doing a Great Books study as opposed to traditional route?
- What do you think: is the reading of fictional Great Books important?
Preparation for a Great Books study:
- Preparing our DC to read the Great Books?
- Which 20 books help prepare for reading the Great Books
- Which would be best for preparation of reading the Great Books
- How do I choose Great Books when I haven't read most of them?
Transitioning into a Great Books study:
- Where do you start with a high school boy who has never read classic lit?
- Moving away from a boxed curriculum and toward TWTM approach for lit. and history (how do you transition)- TOG vs. doing it ourselves ala WTM
How do you actually DO it:- Doing literature with my 9th grader
- Great Books question (how do you do it)- Questions about how you do literature with your homeschoolers (do you read together or solo)
- Please Share How You Do History ala WTM "Great Books"
- Does Anyone Do History and/or Literature WTM or WEM Way?- Doing WTM with a high school student who isn't ready for Rhetoric Level
- I Don't Think We Are Cut Out To For The "Great Books"
- Tell Me I Can Really Do WTM At Home For High School- How do you find the time to pre-read lit. books (so you can discuss)
Making your own Literature study:
- If you create your own high school lit.- Just reading vs. using literature guides
- Literary spoof, satire, sarcasm, anyone? (making a study on parody/satire)
- Have you ever done an "author's study"?
- Fairy Tale unit for high school
- Need ideas... classics: Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, etc.)
- Can I feel dumb here and ask about Victorian era, Pride & Prejudice and British Lit? (19th Century Female Authors study)
- Anybody know of a fantasy & science fiction course? (fantasy and sci-fi)
- Science Fiction, and, Science Fiction Unit (sci-fi)
- High Literature which is encouraging (inspiring classics)
Threads that are examples of a Great Book discussion in action:
- Sir Gawain And The Green Knight -- Need Help Please
- Jane Eyre and boys- What's Up with Wuthering Heights
Balance -- Great Books, but not going overboard:
- Life beyond the Great Books? Heresy?
Resources:
- Great Books study -- what resources are you using?
- Need a Literature Guide for any book
- So what is a good program for teaching lit. analysis
- What Do You Use To Learn About The Worldview Expressed In A Particular Book- SWB's hand-out on "What is Literary Analysis? And When to Teach It"
- SWB's audio lecture download that further fleshes out this topic
- Andrew Kern on "Teaching Literature Without Killing the Book or the Student" (scroll down, 3/4 down to free lectures from 2012)
- David Kern & Brian Phillips podcast discuss: "On Teaching Literature Without Killing It".
How to credit it on a transcript:
- How to show Great Books on a transcript
- Great Books on transcript
- Great Books and high school credits-
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Wanted to pop in and say to be sure to check if he can earn credits for homeschool high school if he does decide to go to ps later (after 9th grade). My son wanted to transfer in 10th, and we were told he wouldn't receive credits for homeschool courses unless they were from accredited online schools.
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If you're interested in saving money, you can look up student texts/ teacher texts of middle school literature books on Amazon and probably pay less than $20.00 total for both student and teacher texts of older editions. McDougal Littel, Glencoe, Prentice Hall, etc. will all have classic short stories, essays, biographies, poetry, etc. They even have interactive notebooks type workbooks with some of the stories and room on the sides for guided annotations.
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Thank you for the advice. He has been on the meds for a while, but the dosage has been adjusted a little because he is growing (14 years old). I will check my state's laws and see if he will at least let us go 3 months. Crazy how expensive it gets!!
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My son is on Adderall and Zoloft, and the pediatrician will only give us 2 months of meds at a time. I just went in and had to pay $100.00 for him to say, "So, how are you feeling? Meds working OK? Here's your new prescription." - Seriously, the appointment didn't last longer than 10 minutes. Is this normal?? Should I look for a new doctor?
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piliated woodpecker?
Very close - could be it. I know we have quite a few woodpeckers.
"Educational Testing" ACT/SAT scam? I fell for it.
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
Thank you for helping me look on the bright side! Feeling really gullible right now.