herekittykitty
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Posts posted by herekittykitty
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We've done both, so I'll try to share our experience.
My DS7 was having reading trouble, and after a little online research, I suspected he could be dyslexic. The hard part is what you've noticed - that symptoms of multiple things overlap. Dyslexia can look a lot like a vision problem and Irlen Syndrome has many of the same symptoms too.
What I would suggest is pursue as many of the evaluations that you can afford, and then make some decisions. We were able to get an Irlen evaluation for less than $100. Their evaluator said DS did in fact have Irlen Syndrome, and recommended a goldenrod (orange) overlay. DS used these for awhile, but we didn't see any improvement in his reading. Our plan was to perhaps do lenses if it helped, but it really didn't.
For vision therapy, you should definitely get an evaluation by a developmental optometrist. We did, and it turns out DS had pretty hefty convergence insufficiency (eyes not converging on things appropriately). A colored overlay is not going to fix that - but vision therapy has helped a lot.
I do know a few people whose children have benefited greatly from colored Irlen overlays and lenses - it just didn't work for mine. But I would go ahead and have your child screened - it is certainly a simpler and less time consuming intervention than vision therapy - which is pretty brutal for most kids, including mine. Vision therapy can also be quite expensive if you don't have insurance coverage.
Bottom line is - get the evaluations. See what they say. Do research on both and follow your instincts about what you believe is best for your child. Good luck and HTH!
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I think a second opinion is a great idea. This is your child, and so much of this is subjective, so I'd definitely seek out someone else.
Also, it sounds like you are not totally on board with what the psychiatrist's recommendation, and your opinion counts! I wouldn't go forward with the med until you feel more comfortable.
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Personally I would give more weight to a private evaluation than one provided by the school psychologist. I have also had both for my son. The private psychologist has no agenda and can be totally neutral, whereas the school psychologist may be dealing with other factors that affect where your child is placed. I would agree that often children have to be quite far behind/below standards in order to qualify for what they need. Also, at our school, the school psychologist does not diagnose - they collect data to determine if a child is discrepant from his/her peers in a certain area/s.
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I think there is some great information on this thread! I also suspected my 7 yo was dyslexic at age 7, and it is not to early to find out for sure. If you can swing the finances, I would also recommend getting a neuropsych eval and an eval by a developmental optometrist. Those will get you a lot of information about your child's strengths and weaknesses.
I see that others have suggested Barton and related programs. Don't rule out the Davis method. I pretty much feel like a lone ranger on here using it, but it has been great for my child. What I love most is that it truly teaches reading using a dyslexic's strengths, instead of their weaknesses (phonics).
Also, my favorite books on dyslexia and related issues:
The Gift of Dyslexia by Ron Davis
The Dyslexic Advantage by the Eides
Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World by Freed
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I think a lot of "regular" curricula can be adapted to be more visual spatial as yo implement it.
Two things that come to mind are to get some plastilina clay - it never dries out and you can find it at most art stores. Let your child self create concepts whenever possible. You can use this for math concepts, letters/words, really anything.
Also consider looking at the book Right Brained Children in a Left Brained World. It talks about ADD, but even if your child doesn't have ADD, there are whole sections about the best techniques for teaching to a visual spatial child. One thing the author stresses is to encourage and prompt your child to make mental picture of what he or she is learning. This really teaches them to use their strengths.
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I also think you did a great job with that list. It will be very helpful to anyone who evaluates him.
He sounds really sensory seeking to me - all the banging, crashing, not feeling pain as much as others etc.
I also think doing some research about specialized diets, supplements would be beneficial. It sounds like his body is off and that can produce a lot of these symptoms. I don't think many mainstream doctors buy into that, but I've read enough here and elsewhere to believe that they often work for the kinds of things you are describing. It's not easy. You'll have to do a ton of research and take charge of it yourself. Where I live there is a natural health clinic with a few DAN doctors that specialize in this. You could also look at the biology of behavior by Dianne Craft, and think about doing a high EPA omega if you aren't already.
Those are my thoughts. Good luck and hang in there.
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Fascinating! To me it sounds like part of a larger pattern of thinking in imagery/pictures rather than words.
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I haven't had a tutor for my son, but hopefully it's okay if I chime in. I would probably have similar thoughts about her comments, especially the one she said in front of him. That said, I would probably give it more time - several more sessions - to see how it goes. If you continue to get a bad vibe, I wouldn't ignore it. I'd find someone else.
I think part of being a good teacher/tutor is knowing your stuff about what you are teaching, but another big chunk is relating well with parents. Some people are excellent at teaching/tutoring but not great at the parent relationship stuff. For me the biggest thing would be how does my child relate to and feel about her. A good relationship will foster learning, so if he really doesn't like her (after giving it a bit more time), that would also be a deal breaker for me.
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I have a picture thinker and I would recommend Math U See or Right Start Math, as they both rely on manipulatives that allow you to easily see the math concepts. Word problems are great too because there can be a story in there.
With reading, a really powerful technique for comprehension is to encourage him to make a picture of what is happening in his mind. If he is the one reading, have him do it at punctuation points or paragraph breaks. You can have him do the same thing if you are reading aloud. After awhile you won't have to do it anymore because it will become habit.
Picture thinkers have very strong visualization skills and can hold and manipulate images in their minds very well. I would just encourage him to use this strength and make mental pictures whenever possible. For example, when you get into spelling, use colored letters and encourage him to see those along with an image in his mind.
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I also wouldn't be keen on giving unsolicited opinions about a diagnosis. If you are going to speak with the parents at all, I would speak about only things you have observed or they have directly reported to you. I would not use any diagnostic labels. I would begin by asking if they are looking for information or support regarding their child. I also think it is a touchy situation. They may know more than you think. On the other hand if they are really floundering you might have a chance to really help them. Again I would just avoid any diagnostic labels.
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I have noticed people occasionally mentioned giving caffeine to help with attention issues. If you've tried it, how did/does it work for you? How much do you give? Does it seem to help with inattention without hyperactivity?
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Because of the sudden nature I would also be alarmed. I would be pursuing more medical evaluations, like a CT scan or MRI or something - to make sure nothing is going on. If that's all clear, then I'd start thinking learning issues.
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My DS7 has a dysgraphia diagnoses and is currently in VT for convergence insufficiency. We are doing Dianne Craft's writing 8 exercise. I also have him to occasional "copywork" on Bright Lines paper (http://www.brightlinespaper.com). My version of copywork is that I write the sentence on the paper in sharpie marker, and he copies it directly below. I also have him dictate writing to me, and I type it. We do a little FLL 1-2 sometimes too, without the actual writing. Next year I would like to try Winning With Writing.
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Oh and we were doing Omegas. I bought Carlsons liquid and MorEpa, both of which were taken for a bit and rejected for poor taste. Sigh. I really wanted something with the high EPA:DHA ratio. Was thinking of trying those coromega packets and it seems like people like that taste.
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My ds with speech problems does that. Did the np give *any* diagnosis then that could explain it? With adhd they'll look away because they're thinking. I've wondered if my ds will end up with an adhd label at some point, but I don't know.
Not really. He ended up with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia and ADD. I specifically asked about Aspergers/PDD - which was hard to do - but I just want to know and face things. He said no, but that DS just seems rather awkward. I do think he looks around while thinking. He is not off in his own world either - he is studying the environment. He notices every and any change, no matter how small, and will ask questions and make comments about those things.
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Thank you all for your input. I'm not really sure what we'll do, probably just keep an eye on it. Since he already had the neuropsych eval, I don't think we'll do another eval for awhile. Between that, the Davis Dyslexia program and vision therapy, it's just been a lot of $ - unfortunately we had no insurance coverage for any of those. He is a bit of a anxious child/worrier and does look away when nervous. I can think of only one thing that looks like a stim - he likes to hold his favorite blanket to his face and sort of repetitively bounce it when he's upset. It's only at home though. Maybe it's a combo of a lot of things - mild Aspergers traits, visual issues, attention issues, a smidge of anxiety. I do agree that practice might help a lot. Haven't really done that.
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Does anyone else's DC have poor eye contact, but no ASD diagnosis? I'm asking because right now this is the case for DS7. He is quite reciprocal with conversation with others, but rarely makes good eye contact. His eyes are constantly scanning, looking around, taking things in. He is incredibly interested in the world. I think he can read expressions quite well - if he actually looks at the person. But because he doesn't, he can miss their cues.
He had a neuropsych eval last winter and I specifically asked the psychologist about Aspergers or PDD-NOS, but he didn't think so - and remarked even it he did it would be very mild. I guess I'm just wondering if poor eye contact is usually associated with just ASD or if it's also related to dyslexia and ADD - which he is diagnosed with. He struggles with visual attention and is in vision therapy right now.
I think deep down and I am wondering if Aspergers or PDD really do fit? I asked his OT what she thought too - just because she also works with quite a few kids on the spectrum either, and she also didn't think so. He does not have obsessive interests. He does tend to be a poor judge of social relationships - ie will refer to people as his really good friends or a best friend who he doesn't know very well. He will often describe playing "with" someone when it's really more like playing along side them. He is highly verbal and loves word related jokes, puns. He is very emotionally sensitive and shows a lot of empathy for other people and animals. He seems to like other kids well enough and they seem to like him, but it's like making those closer bonds is hard. He seems to play well with his younger sister's friends (age 5).
Any thoughts on any of this?
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Ours is about $100/session and we are doing 32 of them. No insurance coverage. We can swing it, but the cost sure stinks. I do think it's worth it if your child needs it. My son sees double a lot due to convergence insufficiency, and because of that he suppresses one eye a lot try to get rid of the second image he sees. Clearly that needs addressing! Good luck whatever you decide. I can't remember but I swear someone recommended a book on the SN board that had good exercises you can do at home. Also try the web site eyecanlearn.com. Definitely not as good as a professional vision therapist IMO but much better than nothing.
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Thank you! I signed and forwarded it to our friends and family as well.
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Those conversations are so hard! I've had quite a few like that with my DS7. What has helped was just to educate him about himself and his amazing mind. We talk about what a right brain learner is, what dyslexia is, and how different is not inferior/wrong. We talked a lot about why public school was not going well for him - that they just don't teach the way he learns. He came up with a great analogy - he said that public school was dog school and he is a cat. Homeschool is cat school, LOL. I would just keep reinforcing that there are lots of other kids like her out there and there is nothing wrong with who she is!
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I think that is very minimal feedback. I would contact her and get some more feedback, then you can make some judgments about her progress. That just isn't much to go on IMO.
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Sorry I did not respond to your questions sooner. Much of the program is outlined in The Gift of Dyslexia by Ron Davis. Essentially he theorizes that some dyslexics think three dimensionally in pictures, not words/text. They learn at an early age to think in this three dimensional fashion, and when they encounter written letters and numbers, this thinking style causes disorientation. Self-creating the letters out of clay is a way for the brain to process these symbols as three-dimensional objects, instead of the usual printed way. Here is a video that may also help explain:
It's a very unique program. We thought a lot about doing a traditional phonemic awareness program but decided on this because our son sounded exactly like the book, we liked the idea of a program that built on our son's strengths, and to be very honest I just felt instinctively it was right.
In terms of getting a dyslexia diagnosis, first grade is not too young. That's when DS was diagnosed. A psychologist did a neuropsychological evaluation that included intelligence and achievement tests and he made the diagnosis. Others may be able to say who made their diagnosis. Also some professionals may use say learning disability or reading disability or another term in place of dyslexia.
Dsylexia and curriculum choices
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I have a 7yo dyslexic son. Just wanted to offer a little support and say you are doing great in trying to figure out what is best for your child!
What I would suggest is to pursue as many evaluations as you can afford. They will give you lots of information about how best to work with your child. The eval by a developmental optometrist would by high on my list - since it sounds like vision is a big problem. I hear you about the cost - it is $$. If you can swing it, a neuropsych eval is invaluable.
I would also encourage you to read everything you can get your hands on about dyslexia to see if you think it fits your child. That's what I did. We did have my 7 yo evaluated, but turns out my assessment was right on. Unless you need the official eval to qualify for services somewhere, do know that you can help your child without that.
Please also consider the Davis Dyslexia method in addition to the Orton Gillingham and phonics methods already suggested. The Davis method is very different and not based on phonics at all. I think people shy away from it for that reason, but it can be wonderful for the right child. It has been wonderful for my son - and my aging father, who did the same program and just read his first novel! If you haven't already I'd encourage you to check out Ron Davis's book "The Gift of Dyslexia."