My DS is gifted with a maths/reading/handwriting disorder. He's been tested by two PhD Neuropsychologists, 3.5 years apart. Both Drs. told me that DS was gifted as a result of the WISC-IV test. My son compensates so well with his disabilities that without the WISC-IV, his LDs would never be detected by lower level testing. He'd be considered low average. 2e stinks. Teachers don't want to help. They think your kid is lazy and Mom is looking for a free ride for baby. DS gets mostly A's and it's exhausting. We will start HS this Fall.

You know what? I read about WWE at the beginning levels but didn't look closely at the WWS and WWE4 samples until now. I'm not seeing any hw practice. Perhaps WWE4/WWS will work for DS. DS has legible handwriting. The issue for us is that DS doesn't really learn by copy work. The focus is always on the process of writing itself, not the information being conveyed. I picked up the HWT print for older kids booklet, so we can focus on that in the Fall. He's very good with the typing though, and we can't live without a word processor. As he thinks, he types.

Howdy All, DS is presently sitting in a regular classroom and his grades are very good and hard fought. I'm pulling DS from school for 7th grade because we are exhausted. DS has a reading/writing/math disorder and attends a private Christian school. He studies constantly and I am tired of reteaching at night. The pace is too much and the school receives no Federal funds, so they are not legally obligated to help us. He is accommodated for math (with more test taking time and carries a multiplication chart and calculator), and works with a Wilson tutor twice per week since 2nd grade. He carries an Alphasmart Dana and types many of his assignments (40 wpm) in the classroom. My family provided a printer/copier to the school for my son's use. I brought DS home 2nd semester 5th grade to teach typing and eventually used rods and other concrete manipulatives to teach DS math alongside the class text. DS hates school, but loves his lifelong friends and band. I'm looking at WWE/WWS and am wondering whether copy work will actually benefit a child with dysgraphia. Does is matter if the copy work is typed? I need any and all thoughts. Blessings, Heather

Hi there, This is my 3rd posting and I feel like I'm sticking my neck out a bit. My DS is 12 yo and was diagnosed gifted with maths/handwriting/reading disorder. A 55 point discrepancy exists between his Verbal comprehension and Processing Speed (WISC-IV)....Not certain any of this info is relevant. Anyho... DS is highly empathetic and easy going. He totally understands cause and effect. He doesn't seem to suffer in the humor department. He tells jokes and is extremely funny. I understand that some kids with LDs suffer in the friends department. DS has many friends because he uses humor so much. He's loyal and a defender too. He's been known to come to the defense of others without knowing the full story. I suppose that makes him impulsive to a degree, though I wouldn't generally label him that way. DS is extremely forgetful, messy, and doesn't manage his time well. He transposes numbers while copying. We use timers a lot. He is not diagnosed ADD, but exhibits many of the tendencies. I use the book "ADD Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life" to help us keep on track. I find the book's recommendations to be extremely helpful and easy to implement. As I understand it, all teenagers and young adults have difficulty understanding long term consequences as their brains are not fully developed. They are me-centered and ruled by their emotions until the brains develops at about age 24. A bit about dyscalculia: DS memorized Psalm 150 as a 6 yo, but still pauses to calculate 1 X 2. Dyscalculia is crazy to me. It's easy for me to look at DS and think that he's pulling my leg with math problems. I read a book called "How the Brain Learns Math" by Sousa to get a real handle on math, and the book has changed my attitude about teaching and learning considerably. I was advised by another Mom to remember the 3 Ps when dealing with my son. The 3 Ps are prayer, persistence, and perspective. I wish you peace and as you and your family choose a path. Blessings,Heather

Don't panic yet. Your local school district should be able to help you, plus you'll need to call around and speak with the private PhD Neuropsychologists in your area and learn their fees. There are some homeschoolers that never get their kids tested, especially when homeschooling up through high school graduation. They simply adjust their teaching methods. I plan to have DS tested in 10th or 11th grade to ensure he has a neuro report to receive his accommodations in college. Metric graph paper is simply graph paper with cm square boxes. I'm always pushing that paper because it helps keep my son's math work in visual order. The paper also helps him with long division. Here's a link to print your own: http://www.printfreegraphpaper.com/ Blessings,Heather

Hi there, This is my first posting to the board, and I'm diving straight in. I think that it is awesome that you are working with this child. Moving to a rods based program will likely help 10-fold. For neuro-psychology testing, be advised that insurance may not cover the costs. Testing costs in my area range from $1800-$2200. Perhaps, it is cheaper in other parts of the country. There is a book called "How the Brain Learns Mathematics" by Sousa. I read that book to help me understand my son's math difficulties and the book helped tremendously. Rods based instruction with DS has been huge in helping him to understand concepts. Try to remember that these learners generally have poor working memory and slow processing speed. While teaching, stress the underlying concept. During study, we are constantly connecting previously learned concepts with new ones. Avoid flash cards and use a metric graph paper. Blessings, Heather