Has anyone used both for comparison? Recently used one or the other? I had high hopes to start Algebra this year for 8th but I don't think we've reached the goal. We've just finished up all of the Key To Fractions books and he retained very well but still no decimals (although he has some skills - like where to put them when adding/subtracting/division and most multiplication) and no work on percents, negative numbers (other than his experience working through Hands On Equations last summer). Trying to decide between BJU Fundamentals or PreAlgebra to have him ready for Algebra next year -- unless he just takes off sometime during the year and needs Algebra. he's a RB/VSL learner so needs a lot of variety and time to master. He gets lost with too much text or story lines (his imagination gets the best of him). He gets bogged down if there are too many problems. I've got MUS on the shelf but he doesn't enjoy that style of learning and shuts down quickly. I'm familiar with BJU but haven't used the middle grade levels. I enjoy the teaching part but trying to figure out which one would shore up and cement the foundation before Algebra and challenge his critical thinking skills. He loves HOA and did really well but doesn't have a strong enough hold on the basics - just yet to move into Algebra.

Oops got the title wrong - not math relief (but I believe there is a program by that name) the one my DS used is called http://www.systemath.com/the-program.html. No, wait a minute, he used this one but he used another one based out of California. Hmmmm... must go search the curriculum box. I have not lost my mind or had a senior moment ;-) it is called mathrelief.com -- we used the last part of the program to cover Alg 2 subjects and the systematic math for Algebra 1 topics if I recall. He was definitely my guinea pig when it came to high school math but it was also during this time period that we discovered he was severely hearing impaired. Go figure. I was searching on the Cathy Duffy website and she now has a much more user friendly site with a lot of new stuff I have not seen before so perhaps there are some gems on her list.

I've graduated two thus far - 1 graduated CC (hearing impaired) and 1 has 1 more semester (dyslexia/aversion to math). Oldest we used BJU and MUS in the high school years and a year of Math Relief (or something like that). Placed into Calculus at the CC. DD did Algebra 1 (Fresh Approach) MUS (Algebra I/II) and Geometry. She, too, placed into Calculus although she didn't need that high level math for her teaching degree. I only used one curriculum at a time but focused on mastery. It was important to teach to their strength - both needed lots of white space, some lecture with a face. My dd does well with audio but only for a short span of time. What worked was the amount of practice problems and the ability to stay on the topic a bit longer or move forward as needed. Now my middle child, who struggles the most with dyslexia, MUS has been the answer and if I introduced two different programs he'd shut down. Just very overwhelming. Your dd is old enough to work through a discussion on what works for her - what happens when she begins to struggle. When you used the other curriculum and hit the wall there must have been something that was holding her back. Have you ever tried something more in story format (unless she's dyslexic)? I also wonder if she'd excel in geometry and give Algebra a breather - maybe her brain operates better with 3D type lessons? Evaluations are good - especially if she has college plans. If help is needed at the college level you'll need the paperwork/documentation in place. If you have a slight idea of where she might attend check their website and see if they offer a placement test for math. You could definitely get a feel for what is needed to be prepared. As for college math - what I noticed was a big shift to word problems - so at some point that would be something to work on which something like Life of Fred might help. I think what is missing from some math programs is Logic - not necessarily more problems. Some kids really learn math in a different way than what we were exposed to back in the day. ;-)

Have you figured out her learning method strengths? Some kids need mastery and some spiral. When I see that you used HOA and then went to TT - that is a big difference in learning style. You went from more hands-on and a short interactive video (super short) to a computer screen that introduces one small piece and about 5 or 6 problems for practice. HOA really isn't an algebra program but more of a way to train the brain to understand the concepts of Algebra - balancing both sides of the equation. The Keys to Algebra are to teach the main skills but is not complete and may not have enough practice for her to truly master the topic. Which math programs have you used over the years? Did you switch a lot? Does your dd prefer a lot of white space on the page? Do lessons stick with more of a hands-on approach? Was she strong in the skills needed for Algebra - fractions and division. You might look at MUS and they do have placement tests. They offer lots of white space and lots of problems to master the skills over many days. Many like CLE and maybe taking the placement tests could pinpoint some areas that may need fixed. MUS is mastery vs CLE is spiral which is something to consider when deciding on a program.

I can't agree more with Tiramisu's advice or feedback. Hearing-related issues suck the energy out of a person so fast. It is invisible and people just don't have the patience - workmates, schoolmates, and sometimes even family. It is hard! My ds is hearing impaired and with that came issues with CAPD. He just finished CC - slow and steady and is working now to save money up to finish up the last two years of college. Issues that he dealt with in the college lecture hall have been much easier to deal with versus the issues he deals with in the workplace. Trial and error for what works best. Make sure a list of accommodations has more on it versus less - easier to not use something versus trying to get it added later. The CAPD audiologist should provide a letter with a list of accommodations and start with those. My ds used an FM system in his college lecture hall and sometimes it helped and sometimes, well, not so much. The one professor wore the speaker around his neck and didn't clip it up on a shirt pocket so it hung near his stomach and my ds was overly distracted from all the stomach noises! I think in the beginning you really need to encourage your child to try the accommodations and see what works. The point is to be successful in the classroom versus what looks cool or is acceptable to those around the student. I think young people are much more understanding to one another and their differences but I understand, too, the need to feel the same as one another versus different. It takes some time to feel confident in dealing with the struggle to process language and sounds in a hearing world. My ds found note outlines provided by the professors was definitely key in helping him keep track during lectures. Sitting in the front row helped. Speaking with the professor before the courses started helped by explaining to them not to put their backs to him. Note takers was not what he thought it would be. The student had to approach a fellow student and ask if they'd provide notes to him (using copy/tracing paper). Definitely hard to gauge if you were selecting a good note taker or one that attended class on a regular basis, etc. That option was quickly dropped to the bottom of the list. My ds started out slow at college - just 12 credits each semester. It was exhausting. It wasn't until his last semester that he took 15 but he progressed over time and got stronger. Some accommodations he used in the beginning were dropped over time. It just takes time, a lot of time, to get strong in finding ways to overcome the deficits and make things work for them in this hearing world. If nothing else, just be that listening ear.

Zulilly has had some great items for teachers/classrooms - especially some very encouraging wall art - just something special as she starts out on her adventure. My dd is a future teacher (2 years to go) and a Kindergarten teacher that she shadowed advised her to start early collecting books, toys, games, puzzles because school systems just don't provide that much any more and on rainy days you need things to keep them busy. We've started a collection of all sorts of goodies and I figure if she doesn't use them they'll be great for grandchildren waaay down the line. ;-) Also classic read-alouds in big colorful picture book style might be nice for circle time?

I've found great success after trying everything else under the sun with Spelling You See. I might recommend that you use it as written as you might see even more improvement. Those common words are practiced a lot throughout the various passages. My ds had a problem with "then" and "people" and those words were used week after week and now he's doing great. My ds had previously worked with All About Spelling but all the rules, letter jail, etc. was just too much. Lists of words out of context didn't make any connections in my ds' brain. I know many people believe in word patterns/families and actually some of that is integrated in the SYS but just not very obvious. Not sure which level you used but it sounds like it was on track for where your child is in spelling - just don't be tempted to move too fast. Spelling is a long, challenging process for these learners and takes a lot of patience and repetition. I think of it a lot like a math program and if you do a lot of switching you make big gaps in their learning. Slow and steady tends to produce the best results with retention.

I've not had any success in trying to improve processing speeds through movement or brain type exercises but my ds has a severe hearing impairment which impairs him further so not a lot of help. What I do have experience with is the progress and success at the college level. My ds graduated from CC last month and I do understand the compensation issues because that is pretty much what delayed my ds' hearing impairment diagnosis. These kiddos are smart cookies. What accommodations was he given at the college? I know you want to fix it and have him ready to go by the next semester but it may or may not work out that way. Our brains are wonderful things but sometimes, despite our best intentions, it doesn't cooperate and we need more assistance. Perhaps putting in place more foundation in the form of accommodations may be key in keeping him going forward at the college level? There may be more that can be done but I'm unsure of what he's had available to him thus far.

Is this test for anything other than proving to the state your child has achieved learning this past year? I use the CAT test here in VA to show progress. Some of my kids are dyslexic so I read the stuff that needs read all in a monotone voice and I don't follow the time restraints. I know that what they are fully capable of doing or not and overall the tests come out exactly as I'd expect them to. My dysgraphic/dyslexic uses a lot of scrap paper and no pressure about the timing - I had never thought of giving him a calculator. Obviously you are working with your child and you know what she is capable of doing and I'm not sure it is worth the hassle of stressing her out and perhaps risking the state to become involved and make life miserable. This is just a form of showing progress that your child made for the academic year. I wouldn't worry and hand her the calculator and call it done.

We've had great success with MUS Geometry - watch the video he gives on the reason why he saves proofs until later in the year. And my oldest ds worked through MUS PreCalc so you might try that, too. If he likes the story-base style of learning I wonder if the Beast Academy books for the higher level would work? I might suggest that you look at your college's website and see if they have any samples of the placement tests that he'd have to take. Sometimes there is enough detail that will tell you what skills he might need to work on to be prepared for the exam and avoid having to take any developmental math courses to place into a required college course. Our CC actually had a link to online short lectures/practice work to prep for the exam. Other ideas for math might be some type of business or financial math course instead of the typical math courses - just depends on your ds' goals at the college level.

Check the college website - forms are usually there and you might be able to print out and take the Dr/testing appointments and save some time/money. There is usually a form that your dd can fill in that specifies who can have access to the medical information and all she has to do is put your name (or parents names) on there and you are fine. Some schools will require a recent (within 3 years) evaluation when submitting in any disability requirements requests but it probably depends on the school. My ds has a severe hearing impairment that wasn't going to change to the positive in his lifetime and the school still required a recent hearing evaluation but once done, Audiologist provided detailed list of required accommodations and the school accepted - put those requirements into the Memorandum of Accommodation (MOA) and nary a problem. It is better to get a list of accommodations that probably has more than may actually be needed because it can be time consuming to go back to Dr. offices and get letters updated/changed, etc. The Disability office sometimes even suggests accommodations that the Dr. didn't. My ds started out with a long list of stuff but over time found what worked best for him - and sometimes things worked better in different classes vs others over the years.

I pick units in BJU to work on because my little fellow masters something completely but needs time to input into his brain on his own. He gets bored with math quickly unless it is challenging. I only recommended the MUS based on the dyslexia/dysgraphia. I've never held my dyslexic kiddo back in MUS (my middle child) because he hadn't fully mastered the factors. He used a chart for awhile but now is strong on his own. I'd keep up with the dreambox/games. If she liked LOF do more Fred. Maybe do the subtracting book for Fred and then work on BA. I have found that I have to teach in units and pull stuff for various resources to keep him moving forward and challenged. We did the RS Fractions (something that I've been trying to help him master this year) and he enjoyed the games and the visual part but wasn't making other connections. I did some units from 2 different levels of BJU (just the workbooks) and now, finally, he's getting in with Key to Fractions books. Go figure! Motivation has been key - he wants to do the math older brother is doing but realized he needed the skills to do it. Don't forget library books all about math, too. And simple card games. My ds also enjoyed McRuffy math which is spiral but I didn't stick with it because it was only up to grade 4 at the time. I also use logic sets of blocks from Timberdoodle to grow that spatial gift. :-)

I was thinking almost the same as Elizabeth on the Beast Academy but I've had no experience with CLE so I would go with MUS. I would also do a search on visual spatial/right brain learners and see if your dd fits in to some of those descriptions. My youngest is a lot like your dd but he is not dyslexic/dysgraphic but he has hated to write anything on paper until just recently. MUS does have nice clean pages and after you work through the DVD lesson and perhaps the problems on the first worksheet she would be able to work through a couple of days on her own. I'm always hesitant to send a young child or one with LDs off on their own to figure out how to do something because if they figure it out wrong it seems to take forever to undo that lesson but that is just me. I've used BA with my youngest and it is a joy and a respite from regular math work. I found that my ds could do much more advanced conceptual work but he was slower in computation but he has greatly improved. I read somewhere that until the student really uses those skills in PreAlg/Algebra it doesn't make a lot of connections in their minds. I'm working through a final pass of fractions with my youngest and his brother sits across the table doing Algebra and it was fractions. I was able to point out why he needed to know how to do what he was doing so that he'd be able to do what big brother was working on at the time. I've had a lot of success with BJU math taught by me without a whole lot of the extras in the TM. I've also found that taking time for math games (for example, Allowance) practices the math skills without the drudge of a drill (I'm not a fan of drills). I guess comparing MUS and CLE is comparing a mastery program to a spiral program. In MUS you work through one concept each day/week and then keep building through whereas in a spiral program you work on a small piece of a skill along with reviewing old lessons and gradually adding in new stuff along the way. I thought RS was a spiral program - and if she retained well (minus the quick recall of facts) perhaps CLE is the way to go. Just a few rambling thoughts.

I read this thread earlier and just had a hard time understanding something: Why do you feel the school your ds is currently attending is over compensating? Your ds has LD issues and they are meeting his needs in helping him learn and achieve which he is doing wonderfully, so I'm just not understanding but I guess it is hard to understand because I don't know what the LD issues are. It sounds like he is doing so well but with the added pressure of a new environment, removing accommodations that may be the key as to why he's doing so well, studying throughout the summer to prepare for higher level work just seem like a high risk to take. I understand about the friend issue but there are many options to help in that area but academic success - without accommodations or taking away accommodations for the sake of admittance to a school - what are your ds' long term goals? What does the physician/neuro/specialist have to recommend about removing/forgoing tools that have been in place to help him achieve? Really trying to understand here...

I understand where you are coming from - I'm a law enforcement wife with a husband that worked the craziest longest unpredictable days off schedule going! I homeschooled 4 kiddos (two have now graduated) and all of them have some type of learning disability or challenge and one is severely hearing impaired. My word there were days! Trust me - spring has sprung, the weather is changing and if you didn't have the homeschool slump in January it is probably hitting about now. That brick and mortar school looks soooo attractive as an option and maybe it is but I think I'm reading that you are just overwhelmed but trust me - it is just a season and usually what seems like a long season is really short. What I'd give to be back in those days...I digress. You might use 1, maybe 2, DVD online courses but I'd only use for the 12 and 10 year old. If you like BJU then perhaps their reading course? Those are really well done and are challenging. I actually used a grade lower because of the dyslexia issues but it was great preparation for future literature skills needed in the upper grades and college. Those videos take about 45 minutes to work through the lesson and then there is an assignment to work through. That would buy you some time to work with the littles on important reading and math skills that take the most time. Are you combing the kids in any courses? Teaching history or science together? These are the ones that you usually work together as a group - which MFW might be an excellent choice. It is scheduled so you don't have to be scrambling. You can use the history and science portion and use either items that are working to cover math/English/phonics/etc. Another option is WinterPromise but just use the history. I tend to work from the top down so I'd work on getting your 12 year old stronger on working independently. It takes some time but it does happen. I've always felt that I had more time later to help the youngers and I did but I was running out of time getting the older ones ready for college. What I learned was my youngest was learning through osmosis and now I work hard on finding something he didn't already learn from just listening in over the years. A curriculum that is designed to teach independence is Heart of Dakota. The goal of HOD is for the student to become independent and it is somewhat unit-study like each week. It might be something to consider. It helps keep you accountable because you just open that guide and work through the boxes. And I'd look at Timberdoodle (their catalog has some awesome stuff!). They now have curriculum sets which might work but what they really have that would help are educational activities (hands-on) logic, puzzles, building, science, etc. sets that little ones could be doing while you are working with older ones. Keep their hands busy. Also those $1.00 crafts at Michaels are an inexpensive way to help with creative minds, too. And finally Amanda Bennett offers unit studies and if you sign up for her website you get emails with $5.00 specials all the time. You can make them as long or as short as you like. These would be fun things to do with the kids - maybe everybody 10 and down and help your 12 old grow towards independence and make his/her own path using something else (Notgrass maybe?)? I guess the more I've written the more I think I'd lean towards helping your oldest become independent (make that the goal for the year) and group the rest together and then the following year work on the next oldest. Rome wasn't built in a day, right? Just a few quick rambling thoughts

I read this topic yesterday but wasn't able to respond. Unfortunately it all comes down to the student -- and whether they used their accommodations and when things were going downhill did they seek out help either from the professor and if no response then the disabilities office. If the professor was not meeting her MOA requirements then it would be up to your dd to go to the disabilities office for help in getting this issue fixed before the date of no return (drop date?). If she didn't do any of this chances are she's stuck.

I don't come to this board that often but do have 2 in college - 1 with a major disability. I don't have any great suggestions regarding the scholarship stuff but I do have something to add that I'm not seeing discussed -- because your ds has LDs (I'm assuming documented) what are the school's offering to do for accommodations? I know it is the law, etc. but the bigger schools don't do a whole lot for students with LDs. Be sure that his needs will be met - without a lot of resistance. My ds' disability counselor at his CC advised him to select smaller universities because they offer more to help these students succeed. I know for us being closer to home would have been the best selection - especially that first year.

I have the Blast off to Reading workbook (the black one) and thought I'd use it to practice but I didn't find it worth the effort. My kiddo struggles with dysgraphia so more busywork writing things was just not something that was effective for him to do. Since I've not used Barton I can't comment as to whether it would conflict in what you are teaching (as in correlating the workbook pages to a Barton lesson). The workbook is pretty standard workbooky-type fill in the blank questions. I can look at see if I still have as we didn't get too far. I guess I've found that with my dyslexic I have to keep everything on the same topic - he's a mastery learner. My intention using it was to just do a quick review throughout the year to be sure he retained and if I found any weaknesses to work on them.

The post above me is an excellent foundation for preparing for college. My ds started 4 years ago and I've learned a lot and I've also seen some changes being made to the system (some I'm thinking are not that great). Before you apply to a college check out their disability department. What services do they offer and how difficult does the process look to deal with? You can get a good feel from the forms and the types of questions they ask on those forms. I learned from the my ds' disability counselor at the CC level that the bigger universities don't go out of their way to do a whole lot (despite the laws) for students with disabilities because they can attract other students to fill those seats that don't require assistance. Paperwork needs to be in tip top order. Ideally the medical provider/expert should have a letter written out that spells out all accommodations needed; if the accommodations are not listed the school won't necessarily provide (although our disability counselor added a few). it is much easier to have a longer list of accommodations and not use them than it is going back to provider, getting additional accommodations on a new letter and re-submitting for new MOAs. I did attend the meetings with DS that first year at CC. Gasp! Helicopter parenting I know but my ds wanted me there to be sure that he processed everything. This was new to both of us because he had never taken outside classes so we were unsure of how the process would work out. The counselor was very welcoming and she spoke directly with my ds and all decisions went through him. She did advise him to meet with his professors prior to the start of the course to introduce himself and provide the written MOA. They could ask questions and he was free to answer them and it allowed him the privacy because it was at the professor's office versus students standing in line waiting their turn before/after class. That first semester I waited outside these offices and twice he came and got me because he wanted me to be at the meeting (one guy was a cold fish and just wanted the piece of paper - ended up dropping that course). Basically I was there when my ds wanted me to be there and over time he got stronger and took control and after that first year he has been flying solo. I'll never forget the communications professor that looked at my ds and then at me and said "Are you sure he's signed up for the right course?" (It was for public speaking and he assumed since my ds was hearing impaired that it would be a problem.) We talked through it and the professor quickly learned that my ds had a gift for public speaking - hearing impairment is not something they see as much as other disabilities). Meeting with those professors was definitely a great start to the semesters but after the 2nd year he stopped doing it before the courses started but rather after the first class. But alas, here is where there have been changes to the system and I'd imagine this trend will begin to make its way across the states - the MOAs used to be printed on letterhead and signed. Student was provided a copy for each class that he/she is enrolled in. Well, last semester they now do everything electronically. The counselor sends the letter via internet to each professor. I can't remember if my ds saw a copy of it before it was sent. Well, one of his instructors doesn't even use the computer so never saw the MOA until he brought it up because he was having an issue in the course (professor wasn't providing something from his MOA). I think this might cause some issues is instructors knowing which students need those accommodations as it isn't always obvious. Also, we ran into the issue of subbing instructors being unaware - especially when they ended up subbing longer term. Ratemyprofessors is a great tool. It helped my ds avoid taking a course where English was not a professor's first language (he can not process well with accents). Excellent resource. You have to specific accommodations for using equipment that used to just be standard (like recording a class lecture). That is no longer allowed and unless it is written it is a no-no. And be prepared - that accommodation for a note taker - biggest disappointment! You are to go and ask a student if they will let you copy their notes (or you provide them this special carbon paper) and you hope that you've chosen a student that is a good student! My ds needed to use this accommodation but it ended up being way too stressful so he worked around that with requiring the professor to provide an outline of lectures but sheesh, talk about a violation of privacy. My dd was in a math class with a visually impaired student and he had to go around and ask people if they'd give him copies of their notes. There has got to be a better way!!! One big key factor I found is making sure they don't sign up for more courses than they can handle. Slow and steady - especially in the beginning. Just because all the kids typically sign up for 15 credits doesn't mean you should or have to do as everyone else. My ds took 12 credits and those classes in the first year were exhausting! Very exhausting! It was like running a marathon. You needed to train for that type of mental and physical input and output. His final semester is finishing up and it was the first time he took 15. A new trend that I'm seeing with my next child that is at CC is the online course environment (I'm trying to get my 3rd child ready). CCs are turning away from printed texts to online learning environments. Everything is LearnSmart. Lots of repetitive multiple choice questions. My kids have to learn more from the online environment and the in-person lectures were not necessarily flushing out necessary details in the lessons for mastery. I'm not a big fan of online. I know it seems like a no-brainer because the texts could be read aloud, etc. but screen fatigue after lecture fatigue - really takes some balancing and adjusting which is hard for many LD students. Gosh, I could ramble on .... but these were a few quick thoughts that came to mind when I read the topic.

Well I'm going to give you a suggestion that I never see - check out http://thewritefoundation.org/ I've had great success with this program. I like that it encourages them to type the lesson. It is gradual and lots of practice. It sets the student up to succeed and build confidence. I've also had a great rate of retention with EIW. I think it has a lot to do with repetition. Dyslexics (most) need wash, rinse, repeat and sometimes many times over. I've not had any luck with IEW here but I have been using Fix It grammar and it is going well, too although I found better retention using the Evan Moore edit the sentence a day (done on the white board) excellent, too. It is interesting to note that in college, if the student takes a placement test, the test is to edit a long essay so the exposure to Fix It and editing sentences (there are lots of other options) was extremely helpful to one of my two older college kiddos.

I've tried RS fractions - which you can purchase separately. It comes with cards for games, a larger chart that you put pieces on. At first it was great and all was going splendidly (now I was using this for a VSL learner not my dyslexic - which after having used I would not consider it!) and then the lessons get into the 100s chart and some how they are to make a correlation to that hundred chart for the purposes of factoring and making simplifying the fraction into its lower terms. I couldn't make the connections myself so we gave up. I've moved on to a combination of BJU and Key to Fractions. I've used MUS for my very dyslexic/short term memory challenged learner and it is the only thing that he has ever retained! I know that it just seems somewhat monotonous to spend much of the year doing fractions but for kids that need a lot of exposure, repetitive course work, then MUS is why it works and is retained. My older dd used the upper levels of MUS (another dyslexic/math phobic) and she placed high into her college math courses and went on to make As in them so MUS works despite the perceived easiness. I tend to think of selecting a math program like you select a car seat - you can buy the most expensive seat on the market, with all the bells and whistles, but if it doesn't secure tightly in your car then it is not going to do its job - keep the child safe - same with math. (or course this is back when you had to use the "locking clip" on seat belts and it wasn't so easy back then.) ;-)

Not sure where friend lives but have her check this site out: http://virginiavisiontherapycenter.com/ They are offering free vision screening on 3/29. Looks like high reviews everywhere I'm reading and I've yet to find a Doc in this particular general location to be anything but great. Moons ago I took kiddos to one in Fairfax and it was awful!!!! Thankfully we ended up with no eye issues (other than regular glasses) because the thought of regular therapy visits to that office would have been awful!!!! Also, there is a wonderful provided for CAPD in this same area and a great audiologist and ....

Never mind. I don't think my educational philosophy fits in here.

Do not take on that woulda/shoulda guilt - no no no. That doesn't help anyone - most of all your precious ds. My ds went undiagnosed for 15 years!!!!! He passed the hearing tests at birth (supposedly), the ones at every well-visit and the ones at school but his behavior and work at school was steadily regressing. They told me that he needed to take school seriously. Uh no, hindsight was that this was his coping behavior that he had developed and fine tuned over the years. What we learned was that his hearing loss was present at birth but everyone missed it. (If you have old home movies watch them and see if you see any signs.) He was our first so we trusted all the experts. They know everything, right? There was always this nagging feeling but everyone kept saying it was just him being immature, blah blah, blah. Well, he couldn't pass the hearing screening at his 15 year well visit and we were off to the ENT who had him tested with his audiologist and then the MRI and then the HA. Sadly, there was a lot of emotional damage done and to this day we're still unraveling it all BUT he's doing awesome. This kiddo, who thought life was over because his dreams were shot after this diagnosis, has slowly but steadily taken community college courses and will graduate with a B average in May. He will move on to the next learning institution. It has been a battle but so worth the fight. I'm not sure that I'd try out not using the HAs. He really hasn't had them that long. Maybe ask the ENT before doing that. Have you begun to see an improvement in his behaviors? It won't happen overnight. This takes time and there will be times of growth and regression. When there is an impairment in the body the natural response is for the person to stop maturing. The body compensates for the loss and takes up necessary resources that would have been used for the maturing process but once the problem has been identified and remedied the maturing process starts back up - slowly - and then they are off again. It takes time to catch up to his peers. Now, couple any hearing loss with other issues - maybe ADHD (the inattentiveness) and now you're dealing with a double the fun. Or through in dylsexia or APD (that you can't fully diagnose because they are unable to fully undergo the testing accurately) but some how it will really be okay. It will work out. You learn to champion for their causes and they learn from you and will be able to take over fighting for and receiving the help or assistance and finding a path in adult life that is positive and rewarding. it is just going to be one heck of a roller coaster ride and you got to hang on tight! Just wait for the teen years ;-) And the only thing I know about any fluctuation in hearing tests have been with any fluid build up or perhaps he is very wise and able to discern the tester's questions and guesses well. These little guys are very smart.

Check your library and see if you can check out the Rosetta Stone. Also watch for sales and buy year 1 for cheap. I believe there is a try and get a refund if it doesn't work out. Also, I wouldn't focus on the writing portion - just set the program to speaking and let him work through that. My ds is using Spanish and my two olders used Rosetta. I've just settled for exposure and general experience. My hearing impaired child didn't retain a thing but that was not a surprise. My dd retained some and then took Spanish 1 at CC. She worked hard, hard, hard and was 1/4 of a point off from an A and decided the effort wasn't worth it so dropped it. My middle child is now just working through the speaking/visual portion of it. He got frustrated when he was doing the written portion, too so we dropped that. If you have a child that has an interest - allow them to attempt and own it. He just might surprise you. Who knows. My dh is fluent in Spanish and he's dyslexic (which is why 3 of my kids are dyslexic) and he can speak it great but he was learning right along with my dd when they worked through the college Spanish grammar stuff!