asta
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Posts posted by asta
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Honestly?
I'd go through the back door. I'd start with a referral to an ophthalmologist (not an optometrist).
An ophthalmologist can immediately identify and record that your child is misinterpreting letters and words, as well as note how long it takes for your child to take a standard test. He or she will also write a "back brief" to your pediatrician (if he is doing his job correctly).
Once you have THAT report, you have a baseline from which to request an evaluation for why your kid isn't seeing/processing correctly. The next step would probably be a neurological exam (nothing scary, just some finger to nose stuff and walking across the floor heel to toe and on tippy toes type of stuff) to check for physical issues and then a kid level neuro-psych exam (that would inevitably be last, as it is the most expensive). A neurologist usually prescribes a neuro-psych exam.
The neuro-psych exam (kid level) is where they have the kid do patterns with blocks and pictures, play memory games, check for processing by asking different types of questions, ask questions that tell the doc about the baseline health of the person's psyche, etc.
All of the ICD codes are very basic and are in your pediatrician's "code bible".
asta
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My "quirky" kid cannot stand having to seek out his information on a page. He wants to be able to simply read the data (no side bars, no stupid, distracting graphics, etc.) and perhaps have a map to tie it all together (he is 14).
He can't stand "squeaky" paper, nor does he like reading off of the computer. If he "gets" the concept, he wants to be DONE with the concept - he is not a "busy work" kind of kid. He will stonewall me before he will do 20 problems in a set for the sake of doing them.
That said, this is what has worked for us:
Analytical Grammar. They now have a "junior" program, but we didn't use it. Nor did we do the "8 weeks on, then rest with just weekly tune-ups" program. We simply powered through all 3 levels. It worked well. It is extremely structured, methodical, and logical. Best of all, it is black ink on white paper - NON glossy.
Systematic Mathematics. This math program is a series of DVDs of an actual math teacher working at a chalkboard in front of students being videotaped. He teaches "old math" very methodically and logically. There is no rote memorization involved; everything is simply explained in a manner that connects math to the world around us. There is a "data disc" of .pdf files that comes with the program to print out daily problem sets (never more than 10-20, large type). It includes answers and tests.
Trisms. I believe this all-in-one History/Literature/Writing program is a natural fit for the ASD child. Because it offers an array of subject matter for any given time period, it is more likely that one of them will catch the eye/obsession of an ASD kid. I learned more about my kid doing the middle school "History Makers" (and I did it verrryy loosely) than I think he learned doing the curriculum. I simply hadn't realized the breadth of his interests. You know how it is, you hear about Lego enough...
Science, it depends. What level are you looking for? At the elementary and middle school level, I really believe that science should be all about exploration of the world around them. If they hone in on one particular subject, then run with it. At the high school level, it comes down to a particular learning style. My son dislikes biology, but loves botany, so his biology text is heavy on the plant world (though still a standard biology text). He has put his foot down on dissection (it's not an animal rights thing, he is just icked out about it), so I've purchased DigitalFrog software. Chemistrywill be more fun. We're still deciding on Physics, but the National Weather Service has a great Meteorology course.
I have failed miserably with formal art instruction. I try to catch museums here and there, and listen to decent music. I also do my best to teach him "cultural" knowledge. It sounds strange, but I really think it is important that he understand all of the little pop culture references in American society, like bits and pieces of the Wizard of Oz, Casa Blanca, Monty Python, (old, original) MTV references, Star Trek even. These are weird bits that the people he will eventually work for will have grown up with. Standing there staring at people as if THEY are from Mars won't help him. Understanding the joke, will. (The new phone books are here! The new phone books are here!)
Oh, and I make him do sport. He has two left feet, and I make him do it anyway. It turns out that he is a great soccer goalie and can swim a mean backstroke.
asta
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My personal favorite:
Mix a couple of cans of crabmeat with your favorite cocktail sauce. Dump into a fine mesh strainer to get the "wet" off. Put in a bowl.
Whip some cream cheese until it's pliable. Dollop it onto good crackers leaving a divot in the middle (or squeeze it with a frosting tube if you're feeling artful).
Plop some of the cocktail sauce-y crabmeat on top of the cream cheesed cracker.
They are divine.
asta
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Why do some of them say:
Education Anarchist
but some of them say
Educational Anarchist
is that intentional or an accident?
asta
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There are good discussions regarding IEPs and advocating for your kid's needs at the RettDevil forums, and just about anything you ever wanted to know about living on the spectrum (including a parent's board) over at WrongPlanet.
asta
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So... I take it this book is American history, not "here we are, displaced Europeans" history.
Does this book go into the history of native peoples (different native American tribes, their migrations and subsequent forced placements onto reservations), the spread of the colonists and the "settling" of the N. American continent?
What time period does this book cover?
asta
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American Government, James Q. Wilson and John J. Dilulio, Jr., 10th ed. I'm actually hoping to get the newly released 11th edition if I can find enough reasonably-priced for the class. Though I'll use it over a short year (September - mid-April), this book is used by many high schools in a semester course. It's a college text that we're using to prepare for the AP exam. Looks like it covers the gamut. We'll add in some current events and at least one field trip to hear oral arugments.
HTH,
Lisa
The Houghton-Mifflin (sp) site offers an e-book for around $60. Personally, I like actual books, but it is an option.
Actually, if I had a spare $500, I swear one of those Kindle things from Amazon would be a boon for homeschooling expenses.
asta
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How is it set up?
Is it sort of a secular apologetics? (sorry, didn't know how else to write that) With a "what does this all mean for the world" kind of bent?
Or is it simply a type of encyclopedia wherein the text says "When Paul said ______, it has been interpreted by scholars to mean ________, with variations among faiths A, B, C, D".
Does it have questions/lessons at the end of each lesson/chapter? If so, are they open ended, or are they "firm", with answers in the back of the book?
Since this is a textbook that requires the use of a bible, does it matter which version of the bible is used? (King James, Catholic, etc.)
What is your opinion on the "secularity" of this textbook? Meaning, how well have the authors done in treating the bible as a historical document rather than a rulebook for religious dogma?
Thanks,
asta
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I'm interested in hearing about this also.
asta
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Thank you for posting this.
I have a child who was diagnosed (then undiagnosed) with Asperger's. So something is going on with him. Here is what I know. His teachers in K and 1st did him no favors by being so accepting and nice about his issues. He needed someone to tell him he was being annoying. He needed to be hit over the head with the point that his teachers and classmates were unhappy with his behavior.
I am very clear with my son about how his behavior affects me and others. I don't mince words. I am not "nice." He has been home since second grade and his behavior has improved about a million fold (though it took several years).
Frankly, I think the teacher might have been on to something. I wonder if/how the kid's behavior would have changed if he had gone back to the classroom.
Just my $0.02.
Neurobiology doesn't change simply because one is bullied.
Autistic children don't develop the ability to comfortably maintain eye contact due to adults repeatedly grabbing their chin and saying LOOK AT ME! ASD children learn to focus on a person's nose, or a spot between a person's eyebrows. Staring into the eyes of a non-family member is very violating to many autistics.
The desire to kick, chew, crumple, or otherwise "stim" also doesn't change due to bullying, restraining, or repeated instructions to "do something else - or else". Stimming is the autistic brain's response to neurologic overload; as in, the lights are too bright (or the fluorescents are humming), the room is too loud, the carpet smells, the pencils are squeaky, the chair is missing a foot... ASD people cannot simply do a quick assessment of these items and pass them by - each item is enough to send the brain into a spiral.
So what helps? Age. Patience. Kindness. Learning new tools. And even then, that assumes a person is on the (poorly named) "higher" end of the spectrum. ASD kids on the high end of the IQ scale have been known to simply "fake it", meaning that they simply mimic the behaviors of those around them, even though those behaviors do not come naturally. It (obviously) gets harder as one moves down the scale.
It is unreasonable to have expected any 5 year old child (being formally diagnosed ASD is irrelevant) to have a discussion about group behavioral theory in front of a classroom full of children. To expect an ASD child to have one is simply ridiculous; if he was shutting down while sitting alone at his desk, he most certainly would not be able to confront his entire class.
Yes, this situation angers me. For all of the "progressive" talk in education circles, "differently thinking" children are still being pigeon-holed instead of directed towards their potential. It is sad, and it hasn't changed since 1944 when Hans Asperger first came out with his diagnosis.
asta
/rant
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If you have no evidence of physical strain, and OTC pain killers aren't touching it, I would think about a kidney stone.
asta
(JMO)
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One thing to consider is that, while you may have done nothing wrong, and you may not have shared anything with that woman that would be considered inappropriate, the woman may have interpreted/internalized something you said in a manner that is threatening to her.
Here is an example: You are a single mom. You expressed the circumstances that led to your singlehood. You also expressed your fears about raising your child (what would happen if you lost your job, who would take care of him/her were you to become critically ill/die, etc.)
If the woman you are expressing these things to has any fears at all - warranted or unwarranted about her own marriage or ability to support her own child, hearing your story could set off a type of panic attack (fight or flight).
If this woman acknowledges her fears, then she may be willing to talk about them, but not necessarily to you. If she doesn't, then she isn't going to talk to anyone (don't acknowledge it, and it can't come true; it is a classic denial mechanism).
In reality, none of us really knows other people. For all you know, she is this guy's second wife, and she is afraid of becoming an ex-wife. Or maybe he is a second husband, and she is carrying some guilt. Or, simply, the whole situation is just one she avoids because "out of sight, out of mind"; she may figure if she only deals with "happily married" people, that is how she will remain. People are pretty complex, psychology is weird.
I'd ask the pastor for a different pairing - this one has more angles than is necessary for what you need right now.
asta
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Where are your fine arts? How about phys ed?
I always forget to put in arts instruction because my kid plays an instrument. Every so often I kind of wing a book of sculpture at him... :)
He does do organized sport, though...
asta
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If your friend is uncomfortable about building her own program (some people are), there are programs like Trisms, which is completely secular, and includes all history and literature (but one has to add lab science and mathematics) or Kolbe, which includes everything, but isn't secular per se (it has a religion course, but the religion isn't woven throughout the curriculum at the HS level), but allows for "substitutions" within their program.
In a program such as Trisms, a new homeschooler would be responsible for finding a math program, a lab science, and seeking out additional texts (any readings needed for the lessons are included in the package) as well as doing paperwork.
In a program such as Kolbe, the same person would need to find a suitable substitute for the religion component (eg: instead of the Catholic magisterium Kolbe offers, the person would need to offer their child philosophy books or "religions of the world" books) to make up the hours. Other wise, the paperwork, etc. would be taken care of.
IIRC correctly, Sonlight is adaptable from 10th grade on, but their 9th grade curriculum is completely religious.
I mention these because, in my experience, first time homeschoolers (especially high school) are usually fearful of straying too far from "the box". Your friend, of course, may be much more adventuresome.
asta
ETA: I just saw that you said 7-8th -- I thought you said 9th. Eh. Maybe some of the info is helpful anyway.
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I would recommend putting it into a pitcher, though. They package it in the funkiest shaped jugs I have ever seen (they are almost square, with a really wide, squat opening), and it is nearly impossible to pour from them without spilling.
asta
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I really enjoy this convention; much more so than the GHEA one, as it offers secular as well as religious curriculum. My favorite part is that there are small, independent vendors as well as large ones, so I have been able to discover quirky curricula, games and ideas for my kid.
There is always a used book store within the convention (in addition to the "book swap"), and the goodie bag at the door is not bad. Be sure to bring a rolling cart, water, and lunch, as the snack bar is overpriced and the food is... convention food.
Saturday morning is always packed beyond recognition. Friday afternoon is usually good. Though, last year, the vendors said Friday afternoon was packed and Saturday afternoon was all open... who knows what will happen with gas the way it is.
If you see it on Friday and you want it - buy it! Vendors run out of stuff at this conference (I don't know why). They'll ship you one once they get home, but if you want it *now* (as in, if you were planning on it), just get it. Toting it around ends up being worth it if it's gone at the end of the day.
asta
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You know, this just sounds tooo over-the-top to be believable, IMHO.
"Let's all tell Alex why we hate him?" Come on. I just can't see a teacher, even a BAAAAD teacher, doing this, saying this, letting this situation unfold.
There has to be more to the story. But again, that's just my first impression.
Don't get me started on my elementary school experience. You would be amazed at what some teachers will "allow to unfold".
asta
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One more reason my child isn't in organized school:
A Port St. Lucie mother says her five-year-old son with special needs was voted out of his classroom by his peers at the behest of the teacher. [...]"(She) took him and stood him in front of his classmates this week, asked every single child to tell Alex why we don't like him... in his words, tell Alex why we hate him," she explains.
After having each child ridicule the boy, she says the teacher continued belittling him.
"Then they had a vote on if he deserved to stay in the class or not," says Barton.
Like a twisted reality show, Barton says in a 14-2 vote, his classmates voted the five-year-old out of the classroom.
Well. **** me. To think I thought this stuff died with my own 7th grade social studies class.
asta
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Have her take the consumer math class in the fall and the econ class in the spring.
Contrary to popular thought, econ is more behavioral thought than mathematics, but there are a lot of graphs involved, and consumer math/business math usually addresses these.
asta
(who was an economist in a former life)
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There are many people who don't believe a baby over 1 "needs" milk OR formula.
Yep.
My son weaned off of the breast at 22 months (never had formula) and never wanted cow, goat or sheep's milk.
Then, at age four or so, he decided he wanted cold cereal with cow's milk. He still wouldn't drink it from a cup (but he ate a lot of broccoli).
Now, at fourteen, he drinks gallons of it. My concession is that I only buy BHT free milk. I don't bother with the organic milk any longer because my main gripe is the hormones, and even the major dairies and grocery stores' house brands have now gone "BHT-free".
Personally, unless I were able to buy my milk from a local farmer, I'd be questioning the "organic-ness" of it anyway. Half of the organically labeled stuff I've seen lately has come from China, which isn't known for its stellar regulatory practices.
asta
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Teeth and calories.
My kid started teething at 3 months and never quit: he had all of his teeth by 12 months. My midwife had me start him on barley cereal w/breastmilk (no rice, so as not to bind him up) to raise his caloric intake, also, simply because he was so big. He wasn't even chubby - he was thin and very tall, and nursed every 2 hours like clockwork.
Fast forward to today, and he is 5'11" at fourteen. He's still slender. He still eats every couple of hours. Go figure.
asta
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My hubby was plays a wire strung Clarsach. It is played with the fingernails rather than the fingertips.
Personally, I can't even read music. I'm missing the gene.
asta
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Well, my teen is going to be hitting them both ... plus the AP Latin exam.
She's done NLE tests three times now. Currently a junior, she just took the AP Latin exam (Cicero/Catallus) and will take the SAT 2 in Latin in a couple of weeks. Next year she'll do AP Latin (Cicero/Ovid) and a fourth NLE exam.
The problem for most people is that the AP Literature exam for Latin is being discontinued after this coming school year. So, Cicero/Ovid won't be an option after May 2009. (source: LCC, Andrew Campbell)
The only AP exam for 2009-2010 will be the AP Latin: Vergil
Of course, the SAT 2 will still be an option.
asta
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Systematic Mathematics has been a lifesaver for us.
The program is a series of DVDs that you can watch on either the TV or the computer, along with one-two page lessons that you print off of a "data-disc". They are in .pdf format, so they work on any computer.
The program is an actual math teacher, "Paul" being filmed in front of a couple of students (who definitely don't always "get" what is being taught). He is writing out the problems on a chalkboard, very slowly, step by step. If you understand the concept (only one concept per lesson - yea!), you can simply turn it off and do the worksheet. Each worksheet is printed in large type and only has 10-20 problems.
This program builds incrementally, so as not to confuse students (and not to scare them, I think). My son never really realized he was "learning" things because he was never forced to memorize anything. He just now "knows" everything up to algebra (which we are starting tomorrow).
Paul's Algebra program is A-D and is equivalent to Algebra 1 & 2 at the high school level. He doesn't offer geometry, unfortunately.
Oh - it is "old math" -- as in, the type that was taught in the 1940s, etc. before the US educational system went down the tubes. My son can convert recipes, figure displacement of objects in water, covert pints to bushels, and do complex word problems. Even I can now do weird word problems - I never could before.
asta
I'm a wuss! Someone tell me how long this freakin' tetanus booster will hurt?!?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
Mine knocked me out like a steamroller. I honestly felt like I had the flu for a week.
asta