Finnella
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Posts posted by Finnella
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My DH didn't believe in ADD either when I finally insisted on taking our younger son to the doctor and asking for an evaluation. Plus he thought medicating a kid was horrible and had declared he'd never do that. He also thought ADD was mostly about lazy parenting.
Now, five years later, both DS and DH have been diagnosed with ADD and both of them are taking medication for it. And around three years ago, the psychologist added Aspergers to the diagnoses. (That's most likely from me and my side of the family.)
I've done lots of reading and research, putting the choicest bits in front of my husband, who has yet to read anything about either ADD or Aspergers. It was a slow process of education.
I remember hearing an NPR story years ago about a project that used functional MRIs to show a difference in brain function between people with ADD and people without it. So there's a difference in brain wiring. Unfortunately, I don't know any details to help you track it down.
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My DS is an Aspie too. He's been diagnosed for a few years, but we've only been homeschooling for about a year and a half.
We'll be starting 8th grade in a couple of weeks.
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I've heard this given as the reason why some people switch to SCD/GAPS. GF is not low-carb enough for some individuals because it still allows many starches, sweets, etc.
One of the big thing I've noticed in many GF cookbooks is a big focus on sugars. As in, you're deprived of gluten, but look at all the sugar you can eat.
So far, sugar is the most problematic food for my DS. The less sugar, the better he functions. I haven't heard other people comment on this, but it's been a big discovery for us. We're only now trying a GF diet for him. (I'm already GF.)
And btw, I did have an initial surge in energy when I first went GF which then went away. Of course, I have fibromyalgia and lots of other stuff wrong with me, so who knows what that was about. But eating gluten really upsets my stomach, so I'm still GF.
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My son's anxiety really spiked last fall. It's so hard. You can make it till tomorrow.
:grouphug:
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I know I should ask this on the IEW yahoo group but wanted to ask those of you here with kids who struggle. I am pretty sure I will do Level B with my son this fall but I know they recommend not using a grammar program (workbook, etc.) in addition to it. Do you think that for kids who need to be taught explicitly (as in how they teach the writing) that it is enough? Or do they need more systematic instruction in grammar?
They have a talk on their site about not using a grammar program but I know it is not particularly aimed at kids who have learning issues.
Thanks.
I'm just starting on IEW, but the philosophy seems to be that intensive grammar study is best done by studying a foreign language. There are some documents aimed directly at SN kids on the yahoo group site, but I don't remember if they discuss the grammar angle.
From following the discussions on the yahoo group, it's clear that many of the kids using IEW are also using a separate grammar curriculum. And Fix It is very popular for kids who need practice in actually applying grammar, which is the most useful grammar instruction.
We did R&S 5 last year because my DS had never had any grammar instruction. (He was in ps until part way through 6th grade.) I had been planning to continue with R&S 6 this year, but I think I'm going to start him on Latin instead along with IEW. He's got a good grasp of basic grammar now. What he needs is practice actually using it, which he'll supposedly get during the editing process with IEW.
So I think it may depend on how much or little grammar your child knows. If your son doesn't know much and needs explicit instruction, you may need a grammar program. Since I probably didn't resolve this, asking the yahoo group is a great idea.
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I need to qualify my vote for Discovery of Deduction. We used its prequel, the Art of Argument last year. It worked very well, and my DS recently used lots of what he learned to discuss a magazine article. (And this was without my prompting.)
He'll be in 8th grade next year, and I already have Discovery of Deduction to continue his logic studies.
Based on what you say about your son, I doubt he'd get much out of Art of Argument, and I haven't read anything to indicate that you have to do that before moving to Discovery.
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I'm seriously looking into IEW for my 13 yo. I haven't tried it yet, so I can't offer anything definite.
They do have a yahoo group, IEWfamilies. In addition to being able to ask questions, they have lots of files posted, including some information on using the program with SN kids. Because the program is pretty expensive, I've already joined the group to study the curriculum more.
There is a catalog on the site that has a proposed progression chart, based on the year you start the program. It would recommend SWI-B or one of the theme books.
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We didn't figure this problem out until our son was already 12. We should have had a clue earlier because I found out I was addicted to sugar a few years earlier. (I never believed it was possible until I went through withdrawal.)
Anyway, we do not keep it in the house. It's too much of a problem for my younger son and for me. And going off sugar has helped my DS so much: fewer migraines, better mood, virtually no wild swings of blood sugar.
We have friends who also have a child on the spectrum. Their son is so addicted that they have to lock up the pantry in order to have plain sugar for their coffee. (I shudder to think of it, but I'd do that as a kid.) Our son tried that for a while, but after he was on a very low sugar, generally low carb diet for a couple of months, he stopped.
Now that I've been through all this, I do think you have to stop cold turkey and get rid of everything in the house. After a detox, maybe you have some minimally processed sweets occasionally. It depends on how sensitive to sugar everyone is. We help moderate the sweets by not bringing home any large quantities.
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My older has ADHD-inattentive. She acts like she is in a fog, daydreamer, hypoactive/slow moving prefers sedetary activities and is easily confused. She does not like large group activities they overwhelm her. She is VERY cautious.
My son is a lot like this. He has trouble following multi-step instructions and is horribly disorganized. He has poor impulse control, but I think that's often true of anyone with any ADHD.
Our pediatrician believes he was also hyperactive when he was an infant/toddler though she didn't send us to get an official diagnosis until he'd grown out of that piece, if that's possible. He was a non-stop wild man when he was little. He never slept and was so hard to manage we stopped taking him out in public between the ages of 18 months and 3 1/2 years, except to venues like parks where an insanely high energy level was ok. (He even tried to swing from our dining room chandelier.) Those symptoms were entirely gone several years before the referral for official diagnosis, which happened in third grade.
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I think you got some really good advice, so I'm not giving any.
Having been a Sunday school teacher when there was an undiagnosed SN child in the group, I know it can be hard from that perspective. There was a lot of hostility towards that child because so many parents assumed he was a spoiled brat. As I got to know his mother, I learned that the parents were well aware their son had problems but a lack of money and no medical insurance meant they rarely made progress towards helping him. I wish I'd known any way to help them beyond being more patient with their son.
Now I have a son with SNs, and I can't take him to our youth group. My older son dropped out after witnessing bullying, racism, and other horrid behavior. I can't possibly send my younger son into that situation.
So I do think it's great you're trying to learn and doing what you can to incorporate this girl into the youth group. I can't get the attention of anyone at the church, and the group isn't even suitable for children without special needs.
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We did a can of Coke each morning for a while. So that's 12 ounces. It didn't help my son enough, so he's on medication now.
My husband has the same diagnosis. He and several of his co-workers self-medicate with caffeine. I don't think they're paying attention to how much, except to drink lots.
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the title says it all.
we have tired GUANFACINE - ORAL (Tenex) and may go back, but it seemed to sedate him a great deal (falling asleep at 3 pm and staying asleep till 10, going back to bed by 11 and so on).
Anything else?
My DS has been on Straterra for a few years, and it's been very helpful. We haven't had problems with side effects. My kid's biggest problem is with inattention, and he's prone to anxiety. That's the kind of kid that Straterra targets because it doesn't aggravate anxiety the way the stimulant meds. can. It definitely didn't sedate him.
Now if your child's problem is more slanted to hyperactivity, I have no idea if it would be suitable.
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You need the whole level one kit to teach it. The TM goes into detail on the method. There is also a set of flash cards and other manipulatives that come in the set.
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Thank you all!!! I appreciate the advice and support so much!
I talked with a nurse at the doctor's office today, and we are going to try Concerta. I won't be able to start her on it until next week because they are going to have to mail me the script. Apparently it's a med that can't be called in, and it was too late for me to go by and get it.
Maybe this will be the one!
Some of the ADHD meds are considered controlled substances, hence the restrictions on how the prescription can be communicated.
Good luck with the new medication. Our first medication attempt was a total disaster, but the second one helped my DS a great deal.
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The first book is a teacher's book. It has the answers on the left side, and
a copy of the student worksheet on the right...for photocopying.
The Student workbook is just that, no answers, just student sheets.
Thanks for clearing that up. While I could probably do it without the answers, I've found it's so much easier for me to have an answer key/TM. :001_smile:
So that's what I'll choose if/when I do the Daily Grams. It's looking as if your recommendation of doing them over the summer is going to be more doable than adding them to the school year.
This is so frustrating because he's learned so much in this area. I know some of the problems result from his LDs, but there is also laziness at work. Trying to figure out just how much of this is due to laziness has been difficult. :banghead: I've had better luck in other subjects, e. g. math.
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The first book you linked is the one DS, 12 ADHD'er used this past school year. It helped him a lot, but he still needs work so we are trying Linguisystem's products this year.
Unfortunately, R&S and IEW were not a good fit for him.
I'll admit that I'm trying IEW out of desperation. I did a thread on it a few months ago. Doing the writing section of R&S was torture, writing prompts weren't helpful, WWE isn't working for us.
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Well, I don't know how long it takes to do Daily Grams, but if that doesn't work out you might want to take a look at Editor in Chief by The Critical Thinking Co. That's what I used with my kids this year and it doesn't take very long to do at all. If you decide to use this, I would get the workbook rather than the software. The software was a real pain to use and very time-consuming.
Lisa
I'm very glad to know that there's an alternative to the software; I've heard some very negative reviews of the software because it's so complex. I'll add it to the list of editing possibilities.
Now I have to figure out when we're doing editing. :confused:
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Instead of in tandem, what if you had him do Daily Grams through the summer?
I know he'd have a fit because he was in ps for so long and expects the break. But I wouldn't mind; I think part of his problem is laziness to proof himself. It's a rather mild consequence for that.
I've found two versions of Daily Grams, and the site shows the identical sample pages for both. Can anyone explain that? There's Daily Grams Grade 6 and Daily Grams Grade 6 Workbook.
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My DS will be in 8th grade next year. We're finishing R&S 5 and plan to do R&S 6 next year. (We're a bit tired of R&S, but it's working and we own it.) He's done very well with the big exception of punctuation. We're also going to be starting IEW, most likely with TWSID-B.
I still have to remind him about capitalizing the first word of a sentence and putting punctuation at the end of sentences. He knows many of these rules, but he doesn't want to be bothered with applying them. He could definitely use editing practice. The punctuation chapter of R&S 5 is the only chapter where he totally flubbed the test. (I didn't tally up a grade because it would have only upset him; I test in just a few subjects to see how he's doing.)
I don't want to overwhelm him and spike his anxiety, but we can't continue with this level of punctuation. My son is an Aspie, with ADHD, and LDs in math, reading, and writing.
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.
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My son's anxiety got so much worse this school year that we started therapy again. We're seeing my therapist instead of his psychologist because the psych. is a rock star with Aspergers and stinks with anxiety. I've started keeping a list of issues to bring up at the beginning of the hour since my son will suddenly feel great once he's in the office. We're making progress; I can even leave the room some now for them to talk. Plus we've avoided adding another medication to the mix so far.
My DS has finally embraced the wonders of physical exercise to help with excess energy and mood regulation. He's also doing a workbook on Teen Anxiety. I assign him an exercise or two a week to make sure he's working on it, but at his request I don't review the material. We use a binder clip so I can go straight to the parts of the book he hasn't reached yet.
Our scheduling this spring forced us to put him on the light rail a couple of days a week to reach his theater class. (Participation in theater is a big deal for him because he's so passionate about it.) Even after his older brother took him on a few test runs, I was really worried about this. I didn't think he was ready, but he proved me wrong. We had no problems, and he loves the extra independence. This was a big boost for his self esteem, at least as big as the one he got a year ago when he finally decided to learn to ride a bike.
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One DD is diagnosed Gifted w/AS (it is different than just AS according to the specialists).
I would think it would be since someone isn't required to be Gifted in order to have an AS diagnosis. My son has the AS, the Gifted, and LDs. (I never knew that was possible.)
I'm worried about the new criteria; I'm afraid my son might be stripped of his diagnosis. I guess we're "fortunate" in the sense that we still have an ADD and 3 LD diagnoses to fall back on if he needs accommodations. It still concerns me.
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We finished B this year and started on C. All of the spellings are American English. We ordered our books from their American website.
The company I used to work for was British owned, so I would have noticed if the spelling had been British rather than American. (Our MS Office software always came installed with a default to British English spelling. Ah the good old days.)
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13 yo old Aspie here
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I know when I asked about this last spring, Tina Gilbert, who's a rep for LREG, strongly recommended that I not start LREG until after we finished R&S6. She was of the opinion that LREG wouldn't work well without a strong foundation in English grammar.
I believe she's posted quite often on LREG, possibly mostly on the Logic sub-forum. It might be helpful to do a search there.
We're finishing R&S5 this year and then moving on to 6. I'm itching to start LREG, but I'm putting it off another year.
Sick days - how do you deal with them in terms of counting time?
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
I've only been homeschooling for a year and a half, and I've been struggling with this. NC requires 180 days of schooling. Last year, we had two solid weeks of illness followed almost immediately by the death of my mother-in-law. (We had some really nasty bugs last January; DS and I got two of them back to back.)
My DS did have to make up work; I didn't just flush that much school work. But I did have to admit my DH was right about how the time should be made up. Comparing our homeschool schedule to what my older DS was doing in public high school, we still had far more productive hours.
I'm going to make sure work gets done this year, but I'm not going to stress about the attendance as much. Or high school credit hours.