Jo, I PMed you a couple of times within the last couple of weeks. did you receive them by any chance? Thanks, Valerie(TX)

I really enjoyed reading the whole article. Just my $0.02 worth. :blushing:

nt

;)

when dd needed a photo ID for a church trip to Mexico, and our state DMV was too slow to get it back by our deadline. We created our own school ID online, complete with our school name and motto, a mascot logo, the principal's signature, her class and year, and her picture. It was a lot of fun making it, and her friends liked her unique ID! Customer service was fantastic, and total cost was less than $10. :thumbup1: http://www.fullidentity.com

My responses: 1) There may not be connections to other things. Every dyslexic is different, and dyslexia may or may not come coupled with other disorders. My ds1 had/has great fine motor skills, but there has been debate whether he is dysgraphic or not. He prints legibly, but writing takes up so much of his brain power that, at least functionally, he *is* dysgraphic. He also has disorder of written expression. Personally, I think it is not *just* written expression, he has a hard time expressing himself verbally when he is under pressure as well, although he has a fantastic vocab, and people compliment him all the time for his conversational skills. However, I have also seen him stand there and let himself get blamed for all kinds of things because he can't pull together the thoughts to enumerate and express x, y, and z. I've also watched him have a hard time telling us why he should do X, when he clearly wants to, and we want him to as well. Sigh! I know another poster mentioned several kinds of dyslexia, and there is some debate between different camps precisely what dyslexia is. I would encourage you to read Shaywitz' book. It gives the clinical definition, which relates most precisely to difficulty accessing and retrieving information from the language centers of the brain. My MIL was told she had "auditory dyslexia", and I understand that someone could call it that, because she had sometimes reproducing words when she was speaking. Parmesan was always "par-mee-zee-uhn", remoulade sauce was "rommelard", etc. She had no trouble reading, but was not great at spelling. I digress....my point is to agree that there may not be OT or ST or vision issues associated, although there are for some. (None in our case.) 2) What I just mentioned above notwithstanding, I'll look into it from the dysgraphia standpoint the next time we pursue testing if ds2 is not making more progress in writing. Our HMO will not cover any therapies for LDs, but if he could come in through OT for that....??? 3) :iagree: The earlier you are able to start remediation for him, the better. Language therapy will strengthen the "language wiring" in the brain if one can catch kids while they are young. (Pardon me for writing non-professionally; I don't want to write something that sounds professional when I can't remember exact terms and might confuse things if I tried. ;) ) Hopefully something here will help!

Thanks!

first, check also with SMU. They were in the process of setting up a testing center a couple of years ago, as the waiting list here in the DFW area for Scottish Rite and the few educational diagnosticians was so long. Ds1 waited 6 mo for the private diagnostician and ds2 about 4 mo for Scottish Rite, and that was on a cancelation, otherwise it would have been 6-7 months. SMU has a training program for academic language therapists, so the testing center is a natural extension of that. At the time, I heard that they were trying to bring the price in at around $650. I'm sure that has gone up. Howd'ya like to plan a vacation to Dallas? :lol: If you pursue the possibility of testing through them, I'd ask to see several sample reports that correspond with kids in your child's age range. I'm sure they can provide copies with names blacked out. We have a three-generation track record, that we know about, w/ dyslexia. Dh was one of the first kids remediated with Orton Gillingham methods in the mid-sixties; he was his language therapist's master thesis case. :coolgleamA: We are homeschoolers b/c dh was bound and determined that his kids would get the intervention they needed early, and they wouldn't have to be harassed and devastated emotionally by their learning differences. Ds1 (18yo) has to work terribly hard and long, but never had to deal with what dh endured even from his family members. Sigh! I taught ds1 through several phonics programs before he went from reading 2nd grade level material to reading at 6.6 in the beginning of 4th grade. It was about a two month turnaround. He plateaued there again, and we had him tested in 8th grade. He had learned to read well enough and compensated so well in other areas that we did not recognize that he was dyslexic, although I knew that he struggled with handwriting and with spelling. (Dh's LT, who is still teaching small groups, did an informal eval on him in 5th grade, and she did not think he was.) However, when ds2 was in second grade and *really* struggling with reading--just *not* able to progress to anything past short-vowel, one-syllable words--I started reading about dyslexia again. One chapter in particular in Sally Shaywitz's new book "Overcoming Dyslexia" really reminded me of ds1. So within the space of two month's time after the evals, I suddenly had, not one, but two diagnosed dyslexics that I was homeschooling and taking to language therapy daily. Ds1 finished his program in 9 months, due to the massive amount of phonics we had done in the early grades. Ds2 took 2.5 years. That's our journey. Very best wishes on yours!

We may end up pursuing this sequence of of testing with ds2. I'll need to have him retested in a year or two. Ironicly (sp?), his testing from Scottish Rite was far less comprehensive and helpful than that from ds1's eval. Thanks again! (I need an emoticon for "digging in the bottom of my backpack to see if I have some good rep to sling your way!" :D)

it was a full battery of tests. It should have taken him 5.5-6 hours, but instead it was 7.5. The diagnostician did a pre-testing interview with dh and I, the tests, a post-test review of the findings, and wrote us up a 15 page report, which included raw, composite, and percentile scoring, a complete pyschosocial profile explaining what she had learned about ds and the way he works, confirmation that his issues were not mental or behavioral, DSM #s and diagnoses, and a very helpful list of recommendations and accomodations that he should avail himself of. All of this cost about $1200, nearly 4 years ago. It has been worth every penny. It provided the meat of the documentation that I needed for ds for the SAT accommodations he received, for the CC and now the university for the same purposes. For SAT purposes, because she had done such a thorough job, we were set up to get the few accomodations they would grudgingly give. Without that report, we would be *nowhere*. At the CC and university, they were delighted to help, and the report gave them the grounds they needed to extend their resources to ds. Note that for the SAT and his colleges, the testing must be completed within 5 years, that is what they deem current. Timing might be important to you, depending on the age of the child; we will have two round of testing with ds2. Blech! HTH

but a friend's pediatrician told her that periods usually start around the time a girl reaches 90-95 pounds. Something about that set point in body mass triggers certain things, and voila! It has been true in three or four IRL families that I know...past that, I haven't hired Zogby to do a poll. ;) I started when I was 14, but dd was much later--and it fits with the weight pattern.

I went to a bible college for two years as a music ed major (had only planned to be there one year, but loved it so much I stayed for two) then transferred to a LAC to finish a biochem degree in three more years. While, in general, there was a much more intellectual atmosphere at Wheaton--by which I mean a willingness to really examine and ponder life's questions and to make deeply-considered choices in life--in reality, for my situation, finding the time to have those conversations at W was nigh unto impossible. Because I crammed a boichemistry major (nearly a double major) into three years, I rarely had time to breathe. The ability to have really good conversations came in my last 3 semesters as I became part of a small family group of about 6 students. Because we ate most of our meals together, that gave us more time talk. Beyond that, we were all studying, living in the labs, doing research and all the intense pre-med track stuff, so there wasn't much time for deep discussions. The classes that prompted the best discussions were not the general philosophy and ethics classes but my allied healthcare class (discussing third world issues, ethics of medicine, access, etc.), anthropology, and art survey. :) Here's what I would sum up for Gwen's son-- -I believe the LAC would be a fantastic place for intellectual conversations. My experience being at and around the 4-yr. university that ds is attending (dual credit this year, freshman in the fall) is that the overwhelming focus of the university is job preparation, the work world, career readiness, internships, corporate partnerships. Yuck. I wish all college students had time to think and to explore before the full-time work world is thrust upon them. -To some extent, the availability of folks to have conversations is influenced by where they live. How many of the students at the LAC and at the large univ. will reside on/near campus? A campus made up mostly of commuters students won't have nearly the oportunities. -He will hold the key to finding whatever he wants by taking time, seeking out people, put himself in the right frame of mind. It is up to him. He can probably seek it out at either place. HTH P.S. Is there any way he could travel to the university and to the LAC before the end of the semester and simply hang out on each campus, attend several classes, shadow a student, and bunk in the most likely dorm for a couple of days?

Lori M and I have had experiences with our kids taking both CC and 4 yr univ classes. Our experience was just the opposite of Gwen's kids, in that a particular CC class was more rigorous than the comparable course at a 4 year university. I mention this to make the point that it is highly variable, and you may never know quite what you are getting. *In general*, I agree with CC being better as a bridge experience. I also agree, again in general, with the 4 yr school being better if you want to transfer courses for credit. It seems that most 4 year schools are considered to be more credible than CC. Finally, I haven't seen anyone mention that often schools accept the transfered credits but do not figure those courses' grades into the GPA at the new school. This can hurt a kid who needs the "easier" course grades to bolster a GPA. For example, if a kid is in engineering, his cousework in core curriculum can help bring up his GPA when added to the harder upper-level maths and sciences, so that he can maintain a certain GPA and renew scholarships. I realize that I just added a new level of complexity to the decision criteria, and I apologize for not making it easier! Best wishes!

Yep, I think I had been reading it about a year at that time. And do you remember the nearly weekly posts, "is KHE as good as KIHOW?" And then serveral of us were able to find the green British version of KIHOW under a different name at Half Price Books. I bought and resold about 6 of them for $15--that was a real bargain for those ladies, when KIHOWs were going for well over $100 at the time. And there was nearly the same madness related to Picturesque Tales. I miss Rosemary in CO. Jill, OK I'm glad you're still here! Taz and Storm's Mom still pops in now and then (under Carmen & Co.). Mmel has been gone a couple of years, and I don't think she'll be back. MFS seems to have left us since the board change. Ree rarely posts any more but we all know how to peek in on her! :) Who else am I forgetting? Valerie

Heh, heh! Won't ever happen, at least the twiddling your thumbs part. Once you've gotten the construction done (we just finished most of the biggies), and the curtains (this summer?), and all the interior decorating that you wanted to do (???) , and the landscaping, then the second cycle begins: From our last week on only a *9* year-old house: 1) lift upstairs toilet to find out why water came through the kitchen ceiling, as there's no water on the bathroom floor. Find out plumbers had botched the original install, all but blocking the toilet drain pipe, since the rough-in didn't line up with the toilet. The plunging had apparently blown out the wax ring. Replace one wax ring, one offset flange, caulk to make sure water can't flow down into the floor again, reset toilet with grout, but leave *gaps* this time so we can tell when the wax seal fails the next time. (10 year projected lifespan) (The plumber told us the only way to fix was to cut through the kitchen ceiling--not!) 2) Fence work. I hate wooden fences, but they are mandated by the HOA. Currently jury-rigged so it won't fall over in our spring winds, but I'll have to negotiate with our neighbor to see if we can split the cost of replacing. 3) Spring weeding, round 4. Gah; do these things ever stop growing? Upcoming: roofing repairs, installing soffit vents, spraying crepe myrtles which have powdery mildew, etc. I love my house. I love my house. I love my house. :o (Really I do, and I'm *so thankful* for it after FIL's house.)

I haven't read all the other responses but I often wonder if one of my very close relatives, alias Pat, would not be a happier person without the gifts of intelligence and insightfulness. Pat is gifted in with the ability to problem-solve and with discernment, being able to see to the heart of things and see how to fix them. However, when people fall short of "being the way they should be" (and I do mean serious issues, not just petty stuff), when Pat's corporate leadership doesn't do things well or excellently, the way things really should be done instead of just getting by or checkboxing items, it frustrates Pat to no end. What "could be" stands out there mocking reality, and, at least in the corporate world, this is because others that Pat works with don't really give a fig about much and don't have the courage to strive for excellence. I know from other people who work at Pat's company that what Pat reports is indeed the case, that frustration is real, but I am convinced that Pat feels it more intensely than others do.

nt

Please post pictures, even w/o doors. Puh-leeeeze? :party: Valerie

I think you almost have to try this and get it down foolproof before you try it on a Sunday morning when you are away. I have the same "if it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all" love/hate relationship with appliances. For me, it has come down to knowing how long it takes for a piece of meat that weighs X, in Y appliance. Past that, it's a gamble. At this point, you could sear/brown your meat tonight, carmelize your onions for yummy flavor, add seasonings, and put it in your slow cooker on low overnight. That way, if it still needs more time, you can leave it on low all morning, and it should be tender-licious when you get home from church. HTH

one of the eng lit teachers has her start date as 8-25-08. That's all I know since I can't access their site right now. Thanks,

their website is down right now, and I need the information ASAP so we can work on scheduling some family vacation time. I'm intersting in having dd take a course of two. Does anyone know when the courses begin? Thanks so very much!!

Can you call her just as she's supposed to be heading out the door? So she's stressed, in a hurry, and won't notice what you are saying/not saying? Do you usually plan something with her? Can you refer to that, and ask her if you can set something up for next weekend? I'd be suspicious if we usually did x, and no one had even mentioned doing it this year. :glare: Hmm! Particularly since I would be acutely aware that this was a *big one*! I would understand if my sibling called and made other plans with me for later. hth

Nest of 3 Quote Because parents are becoming child-centered, and people in general are spoiled. Eating used to be about survival. I cannot help but think of Pilippians 3:19 when I think of how picky people are about food now: "whos god is their belly." I admit I have given in far too much to my children's pickiness. It doesn't help having grandparents near by who spoil the dickens out of them. I am seriously trying to put an end to the picky eater fleshly syndrome. I am convinced, when people are hungry enough, they will eat. It never hurt a child to go a few meals without food." You said exactly what I was thinking but you phrased in a much more eloquent and succint way.

I have heard opinions on algebra but have not used it. My dd (#2 child) used geometry. It was adequate, not stellar. Not nearly as good as what I was able to do with ds (#1) and the Heath (Larson, et al) book that is used by Chalkdust. But that would have been overkill for her, and I just didn't have the time last year. She is continuing our algebra sequence with Lial now and I'm happy again. Ds #1 took Homesat Precalc. It was a colossal waste of time. The textbook is marginal in its explanations and severely lacking in real world application problems, and the teacher on the Homesat class was extremely scatterbrained. Ds #1 has always been a very good math student, but we ended up paying for tutoring, switching pre-calc textbook, and then, finally, having him take PreCalc for dual credit this year at the state university where he plans to enroll in engineering. Now I'm confident that he'll have the necessary basis for further study. There you have it--we have *loved* their sciences, but the maths have not worked well for us. Valerie