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Heathermomster

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Everything posted by Heathermomster

  1. Welcome to the boards! If you haven't done this already, maybe take your DS to either an OT or pediatric PT and have his developmental motor (prim reflexes), pincer/core strength, static/dynamic balance, visual perception, and motor planning checked. I would make typing THE priority. If motor is an issue, work on mastering speech to text software such as Dragon. For writing and word retrieval, take the time and watch the webinar given by Dr. Charles Haynes. Your child will require a ton of scaffolding in order to master the subroutines of writing, which is fine. Think in terms of where you want your child to be by high school graduation and work steadily towards that goal. DS currently takes an algebra based chemistry and types all of his chemistry work using MS Word with a free mathematics add-on. DS types everything except algebra. We use the Inspiration mindmapping iPad app and a freeware app. I hired an O-G certified reading instructor to teach DS writing for 7th and 8th grades and she used IEW. She started with a Level A thematic unit and I scribed everything. Typing or making effective use of Dragon sw will make a huge difference in your day. My DS does not have word retrieval issues. In fact, his vocab is very high so I cannot advise you in that area. I really appreciate how the Haynes webinar addresses that issue. I can't think of anything else to say about the dysgraphia. I have never came across a curriculum that specifically addresses dysgraphia. Give yourself permission to tweak, reduce questions, and eliminate busy work and fluff. Always ask yourself, "Does this comprehension question serve a good purpose?" and if the answer is "No," then drop the question.
  2. Thank-you for all the input. I was hoping to find a doctor who could write a script, evaluate if need be, and was educated enough and sensitive to mental illness, inattentive ADHD, and dyspraxia. What a pain finding someone that will see a child. Every person that I have called will only see adults. The ped is more than happy to write a script but I would prefer to work with a subject matter expert. Actually, the ped has never been helpful. When I discussed this with her last time, which was 7 years ago, she wanted me to have DS evaled with a TOVA but could not provide a name of a TOVA test provider. How am I supposed to figure that out? And while I am at it, watch me pull a rabbit out of some hard to reach place. I spoke the our ped's nurse and they are questioning the Nepsy II and the behavior surveys. So far, I have one name and they only accept cash...no insurance. What is up with that? I need to look up their addy to be sure their office isn't behind a warehouse or super market.
  3. When DS was about 7, he clapped and moved his body to memorize Bible verse. For remembering digits and words with letters like -ough, he chunks them. He also table and air wrote for spelling. To recall a procedure, he has to work the process in short periods over a period of months. It took daily work with Winston Grammar to nail parts of speech in 7th grade. We use process mnemonics for math. For add/sub math facts, DS used flashcards and manipulatives. For multiplication facts, I used methods prescribed by Ronit Bird and a laminated facts cards. Interactive Metronome might help increase digit spans. IM seems to be performed a number of ways so maybe pursue that intervention.
  4. What's the diff between a psychiatrist and psychologist? I don't care how much it costs. I need a doc that understands bi-polar disorder, ADHD, dyspraxia, and writes scripts for meds for teenagers and adults.
  5. What kind of doctor am I looking for that specializes in ADHD, bipolar disorder, can test attention, and write a prescription for meds? Thank-you, ~h
  6. No encouraging music here, I want to go dancing and drink . :001_tt2:
  7. Maybe check the text books over at the Wieser Educational site. There is also LMD's See Time Fly history books. I've only heard about those. The David MaCaulay books might be interesting.
  8. My best advice for you is to give yourself time to process. REST...Find supports through whatever your religious affiliation happens to be. Make it a priority to be alone a couple of hours per week. Meet a friend for coffee or dinner. Whatever happened, I promise you that the doctors were doing all they could to save your baby's life. Once you get through the shock and awe of this experience, I feel like you will be in a mental state to help others cope. You work hard taking your boy to therapies. You are so brave. I wish that you could see that. ETA: DH makes me crazy when we discuss our son because he totally overlooks the SLDs. With DD, DH is super because he totally overlooks the HD and helps me take care of her. His apparent unfazedness is both a blessing and a pain. DH balances my crazy.
  9. For what it is worth, I think that pulling your DD from the classroom is an excellent choice while you pursue the anxiety side of things. Many parents overlook what you are dealing with. I wish you and your family all of the best. DS is diagnosed with dyscalculia. As a result, I have across many unhappy adults with maths disability over the Internet. While speaking with adult friends, I discovered two lady friends with maths disability that have shared their math stories with me. I have noted some of the issues adults describe as they look back on their childhood with maths disability/anxiety and would like to share that feedback. I have noted that several adult dyscalculiacs are upset with their parents for not seeking a diagnosis for their math impairment. The adults would have preferred a name to their struggles. For many, the dyscalculia diagnosis as an adult is cathartic. With the diagnosis comes self understanding and acceptance. The diagnosis for a child affords the child more time and opportunity for helps, remediation, and acceptance. Remediation is expensive and difficult for adults. Many adult dyscalculiacs are upset with their parents for not seeking appropriate helps for their math impairment. Appropriate helps does not mean hiring a college kid to teach their child more of the same math strategies. Drill and kill is not always a sound teaching strategy. A Mathnasium tutor may not be suitable unless the tutor has training and experience working with the maths impaired. Dyscalculiacs require explicit instruction using novel techniques and patience. Depending upon the severity of the issue, the student may never get past fractions. The tutor needs to be able to assess where the math breakdown is occurring and step back to fill in gaps and work on subitizing skills for a long time. Tutors need too be patient. Tutors cannot rush learning and reasonably expect long term understanding. Many of these students will struggle with multiple SLDs, working memory and/or processing speed deficits. Teaching math can be frustrating, and students don't like to be the cause of the tutor's frustration. Children act as a barometer to the adults around them. Words NT people use may accidentally reinforce the negative feelings the student has about themselves. Those with maths disability don't like hearing about how the math is easy when they can't do the math. Math anxiety is real and it must be dealt with sooner rather than later. A child with math anxiety is experiencing a fight or flight response every time they are expected to be performing math work. The brain cannot function logically during a fight or flight response. The heart rate elevates and the emotion center of the brain takes over. It is simply not reasonable to expect a child to perform well at math when they are in the throws of an emotional episode. Meds, deep breathing, and mindfulness exercises may be required. My words are not directed so much towards the OP. I have just run across so many unhappy adults dealing with maths disability and anxiety. Maths impairment is seriously not understood and the bane of my son's existence. Stepping off my high-horse and exiting stage right.
  10. I have read the same thing about the wii games but we have never tried that. Honestly, DS improved noticeably after about 10 sessions with a pediatric PT. They worked on cross body movements and static/dynamic balance exercises. DS also completed exercises using an elastic band. BIL is dyspraxic. I suspected something similar with DS but did not get it confirmed until he was 14 years old. The pediatric PT described DS as low tone with DCD.
  11. Words for when you lose? Disappointed, but willing to try again. I just realized that I have not played a normal game of Uno or Qwirkle in 13 years. My kids have no clue how to keep score.
  12. If this is a public charter, can't you put in a written request to have your child tested for a math SLD?
  13. Uhh, stomach pains and migraines from math? I would ask the principal to make unexpected visits into the classroom to discover what exactly is happening. I would also quietly speak to other parents and discover if any other children are suffering from the math teaching. I question what is actually happening between your child and that teacher. Is he putting her on the spot? Is he calling her out when she struggles? Is he embarrassing her? Does his tone change when he speaks to her in front of the class? Is he fine or does your DD have a maths SLD? DS had a Latin teacher that singled him out once per week and was mean as h(*&(*. One afternoon, DS came home hysterical with the tears. I picked up the phone and made a few phone calls. Students had complained to their parents about the gal and the way she spoke to my DS, but no one told me. I blew up and the teacher retired early.
  14. I cannot imagine an OT that works with kids, has any experience at all, and had never heard of dysgraphia, but alas, I digress... A year ago, son's dysgraphia became the SLD of Written Expression, which affects sequencing of thought for sentence and paragraph formation. There is also Develomental Coordination Disorder that affects the motor skills and planning of handwriting. We have given up handwriting practice because it became pointless. When he handwrites now, I hand DS a Penagain pencil or he types his work. DS is currently typing all chemistry math work using a Word add-on. If you go the OT route, they should evaluate his vestibular, motor planning, visual perception, pincer/core strength, developmental motor, and handedness. The eval will direct them where to focus their efforts. IM may benefit your DS. You could also look for a pediatric PT and have your DS evaluated. A good PT could identify DCD, which is precisely what happened with DS last fall.
  15. There are moms on the board who used technology three years earlier than we did. I don't deal with spectrum or anxiety issues at all. The school kept underplaying the dysgraphia and I listened. We were bitten in 5th grade when son's new principal and Bible/history teacher decided they would not accommodate the handwriting. By the time we went up the chain and actually received the accommodations from the Head Master, I was too upset to keep DS enrolled. I brought DS home and taught him to type. Math...Well, math was not a super big issue until 5th grade. He learned the add and subtraction facts to 20 by the end of 2nd grade. He knew about 80% of his multiplication facts in 5th grade but was slow. Division and fractional work were affected by his lack of multiplication fluency. While DS was home, I realized that something had to be done, so I researched and discovered RB. I combined a bunch of info with the RB methods and DS mastered the multiplication and division facts. DS was like a phoenix, and our relationship changed in a weird, positive way. His 5th grade SAT-10 scores jumped between 2-4 grade levels across all subjects in addition to 3-4 PHS scores. Yeah, I know that doesn't mean anything, but it was a big deal to us at the time. Overall, the experience convinced me that I could effectively homeschool because I was not convinced prior to that. However, DS likes the classroom, so we sent him back for 6th grade. He is home now but takes classes in and out of the home. Only two women IRL felt that we should homeschool.
  16. Don't be defensive because that advice doesn't make sense. I cannot physically sit and cover Bible and the 3Rs in one hour nor do I want to. Add in science/history/art/music practice, and we go way over one hour of school per grade.
  17. Months prior to the first NP visit, DS was tested by Scottish Rite and identified as dyslexic. At that time, I walked around with a pit in my stomach and did not sleep for a couple of nights. During that time, I wasted no time and secured a reading tutor for the following school year. Like, I started on a Tuesday and knew by Friday that he would be working with a tutor. I was able to sleep better then. We already listened to audio books, watched documentaries, and were active with hands-on activities. We never dreaded the first NP visit because it never occurred to us to be bothered. Son's school requested the NP report and we were blessed to use an outstanding NP. When DS received diagnosis for multiple SLDs, we'd never heard of them. We knew that DS was bright, just not HOW bright. With the SLDs identified, I read about them and tried to connect with other parents. I also spoke with educators and started networking. To this day, I have never met a student IRL with son's mix, and the ones that are close to his SLD mix do not get accommodated as my son. Outside of the WTM, we fly solo for the most part. We never took the dysgraphia/dyscalculia SLDs seriously until 5th grade when they could no longer be ignored. I wound up homeschooling half of 5th grade at that time.
  18. She did, and there are a handful in Memphis, TN. I was hoping to find some feedback here. :D
  19. GVG, this makes me cry. You have worked so HARD!!! Hang in there. :grouphug: :grouphug:
  20. The foreign language entrance requirement of the two unis that DS is looking at require 1 year of a foreign language. We are attempting Spanish I this school year. At the same time, my DD is using Song School Spanish so that I have both children in the same language and listening together. If Spanish is a bust, we will go the Latin I route and a friend has offered to teach him next year. With two years of high school Spanish, I took several programming classes in college and never attended another Spanish class. With that stated, the University of Alabama has a New College, where the student meets with a counselor and develops a rigorous course of study. Many pre-med and pre-law students go the New College route, so I expect we will consider that possibility as college draws near to bypass the traditional language requirements. A very good friend of mine is dyslexic and loves ASL. A local church used to meet up and teach beginning ASL for free. There is also a local group that specifically teaches more advanced ASL. I have no idea whether the colleges and universities would accept ASL. Maybe call the schools that your child is interested in.
  21. A friend of mine from the MS Delta needs to find a good COVD. She is willing to travel to Memphis, Nashville, and Birmingham. Please contact me directly if you know any good COVDs in those areas. Thank-you and Blessings, ~h
  22. DS wore a combo analog/digital watch for about two years before he mastered reading an analog watch. Now, he only wears an analog watch. Days and months were never a problem. I have a laminated classroom type calendar kit with that info hanging in the office/school room. http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/p-40516-boho-birds-calendar.aspx?gclid=CjwKEAjwrpGuBRCkqeXpn-rt5hsSJAC9rxrPeYG62BIsy5eXXJWYr47HngSzEIinVCIEcAOpowNG5xoCIyHw_wcB
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