The programs are VERY easy to teach. Make sure you join the yahoo group for the I See Sam books (called Beginning Reading Instruction). There is a wealth of information there. The Apples and Bears is scripted so you just read from the teacher's book. Sorry I can't be more help with math. The BEST thing we did for math was let 12dd get a "job" scooping poop where we board our horses. She gets $1/week but has learned to count money, figure out how many days to pay day, how much more money she needs, etc. This fall we will see if it carries over to her math books though. Honestly, we never did many games/activities. I just didn't have the time/desire for them. I would hold off at least a bit as many of them would have sounds/combinations she wouldn't have covered yet in the other programs.

I don't really know as I have never used Vyvance. I would call the doctor as planned. Maybe you could hold hte afternoon Adderall or try a lower dose or give it earlier?????? We use Melatonin here to help with sleep but I wouldn't want to do that if her sleep issues were directly related to a problem with a med. Keep us posted on her behavior today. One thing to watch for----esp. if she has any previous mood issues--is mania/hypomania coming on. For some kids with underlying mood disorders, stimulants can trigger mania.

On the Apples and Pears, you can reduce some of the writing easily and do some orally. Some exercises have the child trace the sounds/words, then copy them and then write them from memory--you could pick 1 or 2 of these to do with writing and then the other orally or with tiles. I also modify things and do only 1/2 of a level a day with my 11dd and likely will do only 1 page a day with my 12dd. If she can do more, we will do 1/2 level then but I would rather make good progess with minimal frustration (where she shuts down) than to push things and stop our progress. I would do Dancing Bears A but make sure to use the cursor as they direct and NOT give her tick marks or allow her to move on too fast. It is tempting to allow a few extra mistakes but like the instructions say, it really does hurt them later one. Dancing Bears is mostly 1 activity per day and each activity is only 1 page. Some days you might be able to do just 1 page (or even 1/2 page if it is a tougher drill page) where other days she might be able to do 2 pages when it is filling in the blanks or a story. I just strive for 5-10 minutes for Dancing Bears. Sorry I can't help you with the package vs. 1 at a time thing. I got mine one at a time and then when Hilsie was visiting the states last year she brought me some samples of some books as well. Math, I WISH there was a Dancing Bears or I See Sam for math. My 11dd is doing pretty good with ACE paces for math. She will be in the 4th grade ones in the fall. I do cut back on the number of problems she does each day---like if she gets the first 15 right she can skip the last 10, etc. My 12dd has been SO hard with math. We tried Math U See, Right Start, Rod and Staff, Touch Math, ACE, and others. NOTHING really worked for her. Over the summer she is showing much more skill in math--doing some adding and subtracting, etc. I bought the 1st grade ACE paces she had done to review and will go from there. Honestly, I don't know what will work, if anything, for her.

The books are VERY good for comprehension as well. The sets from Roads to Everywhere have comprehension questions in them as well. You can discuss the pictures, the why did they ............., etc. Very easy to do with the books. On the memorizing, check out the introduction sections to the Dancing Bears program where they discuss the CURSOR. This is a KEY element to their program and very helpful for the I See Sam books too. It is basically a notched 3x5 card that you move from left to right so the child has to blend the sounds to read the word. So, if the word is sat, you show the s, child says /s/, you show the a and child says /a/ and then you show the t and they say /t/---done slowly at first so they get the concept of blending but then later you do this fluently so they read the words at a normal speed. This way they have to pay attention as the word could be sat, sam, sad, sap, sacks, etc.---they can just guess from the first 2 letters. I would start with the First set of Sam books, then start Dancing Bears (or you could start them at the same time) and then after set 4 of the Sam books, start the Apples and Pears spelling. I do it this way as my kids have a lot more confidence with the spelling once they can read better. I am sure you could start it slowly earlier if you wanted. My 11dd is done with the Sam books but does 1-2 pages of Fast Track a day (she got started on this late but likes it so we keep going) and then does 1/2 level of Apples and Pears spelling a day (almost done with book B). My 12dd will re-read set 5 (ARI 3) of the Sam books this fall, do 1-2 pages of the Bear Necessities book B and then start Apples and Pears spelling--doing 1 page to 1/2 level per day. She has severe trouble with writing so we aren't pushing that a great deal. My girls aren't on my "ideal" schedule as we found the DB and A&P stuff later and the Bear Necessities is a newer program. Feel free to modify it though for your kids. If they don't have much trouble with writing they can do more with the A&P. They can cruise through the I See Sam books at the rate of 1-2 a day at first or much slower if needed. The KEY with the Sam books is not to move to set 3 until they can read the 1st 2 sets fluently without having to sound out many words. Going too fast just really sets you back in the long run. And, as weird as it seems, the 1st set of books is the HARDEST and it does get easier as you go.

DB will move a little more slowly by only doing 5 minutes a day but I think you will gain valuable skills in that time. It might take you longer but that is OK. My 12dd's last IQ test came out at 38. She should NOT be able to read yet she is starting to read short chapter books. We still have a long ways to go but if she can get some basic reading skills down, that would be great.

DB can be used as a full reading program but I like the I See Sam books so that the child is reading BOOKS---big motivating thing here. You can use the I See Sam books all alone and then just add in the Apples and Pears Spelling after set 3 or so. Using DB with the I See Sam books just gives more practice and variety--you could do the DB drill for 5-10 minutes at one time and then later in the day (or earlier) do the Sam books. I think you will get far. You might not get there very fast with a special needs child but you will get there. My 12dd is now reading short chapter books. It has taken us several years to get to this point, but the daily 10-15 minutes 1-2 times a day has really paid off. Obviously if your child can do 15 minutes twice a day, great, if not, 5-10 minutes of real good work is better than 45 minutes of frustration and doing work that doesn't make sense to them. I found that many other phonics programs teach the short a sound and then suddenly expect the child to apply that sound to ALL short a words. Well, here that didn't happen. My girls needed more time to process that and apply it. The I See Sam books move slow enough so that they can apply what they know to just a few new words, not 10 or more per story that they might not see again for weeks.

The I See Sam books have been around since the late 60s and early 70s---back when there weren't so many kids not learning to read in the public schools. They fell by the wayside when "whole language" became the "in" thing. The are NOT whole language at all. They are a very carefully structured phonics program. It does have a difference sequence though than most programs. They teach the ee (long e sound) in the first book. This allows them to teach see as a decodable word and not a "sight" word. They keep b and d and p and q far apart in the instruction. The books also use words that look very close like Mit and Mat, them and then, sit/sat/set in the same sentences or same page so that the child MUST say the sounds and read the word--not just guess by the shape of the word--or first and last letter. The pictures are really cute but they do NOT tell the story---no reading the pictures here. Again, the child must actually blend the sounds into the words to read the books. Each new word is used at least 5 times in the story and then used in the next several stories as well. They only introduce a few new words or sounds in each book (and some books have none or only 1) so that the child doesn't have too much thrown at them. For kids with no reading difficulties, they can just whiz through the program. My almost 5 year old nephew did the first 26 books in a few weeks. Kids with LDs or other struggles might take a few days for each book. My own 12dd took WEEKS to master each book and learn the sounds and blending. It has taken her several years to get to set 6 of the books. She though has a cognitive impairment and other LDs. If you are intersted, email me (click by my name) and I can send you some samples to see. The program is in the public domain now as the copyright expired back in the 1970s. You can join the free yahoo group to learn even more about the program, get more resources--coloring pages, charts for recording each book as it is read, etc. http://www.piperbooks.co.uk is another site (this one from England) that has the books. You wouldn't order from here but it has a lot of information on the program as well. I also like the program as it has the kids READING books, not just doing worksheets, etc. Most kids would learn to read a new book every day or every few days which gives them a huge sense of accomplishment. The program will go from K-mid 3rd grade level. You can buy the sets as you need them and they have great resell value. I sound very much like a commercial here but I am a special ed. teacher by training, the homeschooling mom of 3 special needs kids, and this is the ONLY program that got my girls reading. Seeing my child that was never supposed to be able to read now picking up easy chapter books and reading has won me over.

Well, that is what I did (am doing). My 11dd did Fast Track (which is like Dancing Bears A and B in one book). 12dd did Bear Necessities A and is now on the B level. We didn't do things in EXACTLY the order listed below as when I started all of this, they didn't have Bear Necessities as this is a newer program. You can always email Hilsie (the author of these programs) and see what she says. How is your child doing with the I See Sam books? If they are moving along nicely, then reg. Dancing Bears would likely be OK. If they are really struggling or needing more review then you might want to look at Bear Necessities. The nice thing is that you can see each of these online and even have your child try a few pages of each and see what is the better fit. You could do Dancing Bears and Apples and Pears together but my kids seemed to do better when they were reading a bit better before starting A&P--then again they have handwriting delays (mild CP) and I didn't want to push that too much, too early. Dancing Bears can be done in 5-10 minutes a day. Even if you only do 1 page a day, you will still be making nice progress. If you can do more, great. We often do 1/2 level of A&P a day which takes 5-10 minutes, sometimes a bit more. Again our progress is not quite as fast but we are making steady gains every day. Hilsie (the lady that wrote A&P, Dancing Bears, etc) likes to see a kid be successful for 10-15 minutes a day rather than struggle and not learn for 60 minutes a day. For kids that really struggle, slow and steady wins the race.

http://www.soundfoundationsbooks.co.uk/ Then click on the US flag and you should see the books listed on the side. Then you can click by each book to see the entire program in PDF format. My IDEAL would be: I See Sam sets 1 and 2 Then start Dancing Bears A (or Bear Necessities if the child is really struggling) After set 4 of the I See Sam Books (also called ARI 2) I would start Apples and Pears Spelling. You then continue through the I See Sam books--at least the first 6 sets, some kids never need the last 2 sets. Go through the Dancing Bears program as well. Do the Apples and Pears program as well. Likely you would finish the I See Sam books while still doing the other 2, then finish up the Dancing Bears and only have the Apples and Pears left.

http://www.roadstoeverywhere.com/3RsPlusRead.html or http://www.iseesam.com This program is my favorite for getting kids reading. It uses sets of Little Books that move along slowly. The first link above has a yahoo group you can join for lots of extra help, print outs, etc. Then once the kids are through the first 3 sets or so, I like to start Apples and Pears Spelling.

Sounds like it could work, esp. if you are willing to get him from preschool. 4 year olds can be a great deal of fun. Can you do a 1-2 week trial and see how that works? What would you/the mom do in case of illness--either his or your kids?

That would be tough. I am not looking forward to that day. My girls' gelding is 30 years old (best vet guess). Right now he is going strong but we know the day will come.

Well, I have only used the Dancing Bears. It takes 10-15 minutes a day and is very easy for the teacher to use. The complete program is on line so you can see it from the introduction through the end of the program. I think it is great for drills and getting kids blending. I would though suggest using it along with http://www.iseesam.com for reading practice. I use these together and then add in the Apples and Pears spelling which is really great.

I TOTALLY understand. People say, "oh, yeah, that is what 2 year olds do" until they spent 1 hour with my daughter and were EXHAUSTED. The behaviors might be the same but the intensity and the frequency are what push you over the edge. I agree with the ideas of following up on food allergies, etc. I would also push for a developmental pediatrician ASAP. Some of what you say really fits with pediatric onset bipolar as well. At this age though it can be really tough to tease out all of the issues and then to complicate things---often these kids have multiple issues so it isn't just one thing. Print out what you posted and give to your ped. and to the developmental ped. A peds. psychiatrist might also be in order but it is hard to get into them with a child so young---although they will treat them as young as 18 months old in some cases. If possible, keep a behavioral chart on her daily to see if there are any patterns to this or food triggers, etc. The more information you have, the better.

I would see a peds neurologist first. IF they find something medical, your insurance will pay for the physical therapy, occupational therapy, etc. but if you just "go it on your own" the insurance might not cover it. I have 2 thoughts---just from experience--not any medical training. CP--yes, it could be a mild hypotonic CP. If it is, insurance would pay for OT, PT, etc. but there is no real cure. It might also get you a handicapped sticker to use if needed, a wheelchair for long distances---zoos, museums, Disney, etc. Mitochondrial disorder---this is the powerhouse of each cell and if there is a mutation there they don't work as well which means lower energy. There is no cure for this but there are supplements that can be taken that can be very helpful. My girls take CoQ 10, Carnitor, Omega 3s, B-100, etc. per their neurologist. Testing is done by a blood test and it can be hereditary.

Sounds great. How often will the doctor/therapist see him? I think at this point, very close monitoring would be helpful. I know many here shy away from meds but I have seen the benefits of them here.

Thanks. I watched the 1 hour demo/infomercial of the program. It sounds interesting and my girls both want to try it. It is another $45-50 for the 2nd girl so I have to talk to dh before I decide to buy. I understand the need to wait for a group purchase but yet I wonder how long after they purchse on Aug. 25 I would get my stuff.

What exactly are you seeing that is concerning? Depending on her history, Fetal Alcohol, Attachment, Autistic spectrum disorders, ADHD, or even mental illness might all be options. My 12dd was showing signs of mental illness when she came to us at not quite 8 months old. She was seeing a psychiatrist before her 2nd birthday, things were that bad. Did bio mom or dad abuse drugs/alcohol? Any family history of mental illness? Autism? Is she still having visits with them? Are the behaviors worse for several days after visits?

Well, she does sound like my 11dd with ADD. It would take us FOREVER to get through anything and she was behind in her school work/learning as she could not focus long enough to complete anything. We held off on meds for a while but now, ON the meds, she can sit down with her work (ACE Paces for most things) do what is listed on her chart, do it well, etc. all in a nice amount of time. If she MISSES her meds, it is like banging my head on that brick wall in your post. I then have her double check to make sure she took her meds, give her 30 minutes and then she is able to sit down and do her work. I don't think that meds are the first or only answer but they might be something to consider if other things don't help.

WONDERFUL post. That is part of what I was trying to say in my own post but didn't word it as well. My son's labels ahve allowed him to access some very wonderful programs that get him job training, social outings, etc. Just getting the label does NOT mean that you have to SHARE the label with others.

Even if you want to avoid labels, I think you are wise to look at his strengths and weaknesses. Work on the weak areas but really focus on the strengths. After all, none of us would be very happy spending 80% of our time on things we hate and aren't good at. Instead of football, how about individual sports? Even if they are not organized he might enjoy hiking, biking, swimming, etc. Those sports don't have a team depending on his skill level (or lack of it) to win. I LOVE the idea of horseback riding as well. That has been so good for my girls and horses don't care where you are on the social skills ladder. In other areas, I would look at scouts, lego clubs, chess clubs, or other things that follow HIS interests. Try to find something HE is good at and don't let his brothers do it too. Make it HIS thing. That can really help him. You might also want to seek out Occupational Therapy or Physical therapy to help him develop his skills. Now, sometimes a diagnosis is needed to get insurance to pay for these things. I do think though that it would be better to try to help him with these skills now at 9 than wait until he is older. I am one that does have "labels" for my kids. They actually have many, many alphabet soup lables. We don't make them WHAT our kids are but rather tools to help them get the help they need. I never let them use it as an excuse but it does help us get the proper help they need to do the best they can. As it is now, your son DOES have labels---not ones from professionals but ones from other kids and maybe adults---weird, slow, etc. We try to avoid those types of labels in our home.

I missed the non federally recognized part. Then I would say, certainly register her. The benefits, now, and in the future might be extremely helpful.

Given her other special needs, I would see about a sleep study. Twitching could be slight seizures. It also doesn't sound like she is a good sleeper and sleep issues can lead to ADHD symptoms, learning delays, etc.

How much NA is she? Some tribes only register up to 1/4th, others up to 1/32 or even 1/64th. My dh is a registered member of his tribe and the benefits have been extremely helpful---free college education has been the main one. I highly doubt the tribe would push this issue as you are a relative and Native. You might have to promise them to help her maintain her culture, etc. The one thing you don't want to do is do this all under the table type thing and then have the tribe challenge it a few years down the road---again, very unlikely they would but it could make the adoption "illegal". I know for our kids, there were things on the adoption petition that made sure that any and all tribal stuff was cleared first. The benefits though can be very helpful and I would apply for them if possible. Some of them you have to live on the reservation or close to it to qualify but for others you can live anywhere. Native American kids CAN be adopted by non relative, non Natives as well----IF the tribe approves. My friend has an adopted Eskimo daughter. They were missionaries in the village and were asked to adopt the baby. They did have to go through the tribal courts and get approval but once that was done, they were free to adopt her.

The tribe would not be able to take her away just because they are Native American and you aren't. __________________ Well, YES, they could if they really pushed it. ICWA is the Indian Child Welfare Act from 1970s or so. Native American children are to be placed with Native American homes if at all possible. Now, in this case it is a relative and she is part Native so the chances of the tribe pushing this are VERY VERY remote, but they could. The courts (usually tribal) could still leave here wit the family even if it was challenged. We adopted 3 children that were placed with use through MICWA (the Michigan agency). My 20ds is from the same tribe and band as my dh---Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa/Chippewa Indians. The girls are part Cherokee and so am I so we were called for them. All of the kids came as foster children first.