When we were considering homeschooling, I'd find research results, general information, and resources on the Internet and print them off to put with my DH's mail. He wouldn't have gone looking for the info his self, but he would read whatever I'd hand him. Once he understood the pros and cons, and had an opportunity to realize that kids can really accelerate when homeschooled, it helped him make the decision for it when the time came to pull our guys out of public school. For my boys, besides remediating dyslexia and other LD issues, one of the biggest 2E benefits was the ability to keep them at home as they accelerated into college work. My guys had finished their freshman years of college before they got out of high school. I would not have wanted to send them off to college at 16 or 17 because I don't think they were mature enough to withstand the peer pressure of the college crowd at that age. By time they graduated from homeschool high school, they had the freshman year of college behind them, which meant they were taking classes with mostly sophomores and juniors in college. By that time, many of the freshman antics have been left behind. ;-) We found so many benefits to homeschooling a child with LD issues or who is 2E that I ended up writing a book to share them with other potential homeschoolers.. Being at home lets you uniquely address each of the 2E issues without barriers to academic advancement. ;-)

I have options for free online learning for general content (science, history) as well as reading, spelling, and math listed at: http://learningabledkids.com/multi_sensory_training/free-multisensory-curriculum-online.htm Some of those programs might be of interest or help, particularly the Watch, Know, Learn. Hope you get some good answers from the neuropsych!

Other than agreeing with everyone that seeing a COVD doc and addressing that physical issue first is the next best step, the main thing I would suggest is diving into an intensive reading program as recommended. Since the intervention should be explicit, intensive and sequential, Lexia Learning's reading program would be a good option.. Logic of English is good too. Until his reading decoding is fluent and easy, it will be difficult for him to focus on the meaning of things he reads, particularly with the ADHD too. With the reading comprehension, ADHD can have a significant impact, especially when added to the reading decoding difficulties. So, you might want to consider just focusing on addressing the vision issues and put into place an explicit, intensive and sequential reading program for now. Given that you know he has ADHD, and you prefer not to medicate, what measures are you taking to help him focus during schoolwork? We opted NOT to medicate when my DS was younger. I wrote an article on my website based upon what our neuropsych told us and what we did to help our DS focus. You can find it at: http://learningabledkids.com/learning_disability_ld/adhd_medication_alternatives.htm if you need any ideas. It's a lot to digest and figure out, so just take your time and take it at a pace that allows you to swallow without choking. ;-)

AWESOME!! INDEED, CELEBRATE, and enjoy the music. Many things were major issues for my DS when he was young, but he has outgrown virtually all of them and it IS a relief. HUGS! and CONGRATULATIONS! :party: :party:

Did the evaluator test for all areas of executive functioning-planning, sequencing, organizing? Did she evaluate for both memory and recall issues, verbal processing issues, etc.? There are a lot of neurological-cognitive processes that can play into poor spelling and how you help your child will depend upon the root cause. A lot of times the executive functions can impact getting written words on paper because it takes a lot of mental planning and sequencing to organize what you want to say in your mind, figure out precisely which letters to write when, and then place everything in an organized fashion on the paper. If Stealth dyslexia has been ruled out, with no evidence whatsoever of a phonemic awareness deficit, and/or no working memory issues--I would suspect executive function issues. Without a comprehensive neuropsych profile, it's hard to say though. Working on cognitive enhancement to strengthen the executive functions could be a good place to start.

Not only is it relatively uncommon for a public school to acknowledge dyslexia before a child has failed, they often ignore it completely unless a child is totally failing. It's a RARE school that does as Momto2Ns school did and actually acknowledges that a child can be 2E!! Yet MANY kids with disabilities are also gifted in some areas or in general, but the schools tend to focus only on the disability aspect. They put the specific language in the laws saying a child is eligible for services "even though the child has not failed or been retained in a course or grade, and is advancing from grade to grade" because of the common practice schools have of neglecting a child's educational needs until the child is so far behind that he won't catch up. GRRRRR... Don't even get me started on my soapbox!! LOL! Agreeing WHOLE-HEARTEDLY with Momto2Ns that legal action is needed when schools go as far as to let a child get THREE years behind before helping the poor kid. It's bad enough when they wait for a child to get one or two years behind, but three is really BAD--even among schools that hang on to the "failure first" mindset. Waiting due to a fall birthday is a bit different from retention. My oldest has a summer birthday and we gave him an extra year before starting Kindergarten too. That's a bit different than the school's practice of retaining an already failing child in order to let him "catch-up". If the child is already of age, already failing, and already showing signs of needing help, then waiting another year to provide that help is just silly--not to mention--proven by research to be an ineffective practice for the vast majority of kids. One of the GREAT things about homeschooling is that it serves a kid who is all over the place perfectly!! You can have him doing 7th grade science and 2nd grade reading!! We were very much in the same kind of boat. You can teach each subject where the child actually IS and move forward as fast as he is able, which is how my DS was able to finish off his freshman college requirements before he even finished high school. Looking at him in the 5th grade--as a non-reader--falling behind in everything, the school pretty much checked him off their list and gave up on him. When I was able to get him home and FEED his love for science, and really work on his reading, the school game changed dramatically. I wish ALL Learning Abled Kids could have the opportunities our kids have!!

As I read your full description, two things crossed my mind: Memory recall issues and/or executive functioning. Given your DD can perform lessons with regrouping when she knows it is, and likes that Algebra program, it would seem that she has the capability to work with the math. However the glitches, being ones that seem to occur with remembering or noticing key operations, seem like they could be a quirky memory-recall issue. You could always add a cognitive enhancement program like Brainware Safari into the mix and see if it helps over time--not a "quick fix" but could improve her memory-recall issues. Just my thoughts for what they're worth.

I used a schedule that was alternating where I had one child working on a computer program or watching a DVD while I worked with the other one. I would alternate them throughout the morning, then spend time with them together either right before or after lunch (sometimes both). We worked separately for some of the remedial one-on-one instruction either during the alternating time or in the afternoon. One of my DS was slow, slow, slow too, but once he became proficient at the core academic skills (reading, math facts, and writing), then his working speed improved.

That is actually such a WRONG thing for the school to tell you. A child does NOT have to be three grade levels behind before receiving services. You might find the article and references I put in this article (it is written about kids with dyslexia, but item #2 "Stinking Thinking" pertains directly to what the school told you. I hear it a LOT! Four Public School Practices that Equate to Educational Neglect for Kids with Dyslexia

Yes, there is quite a bit of research evidence for both Brainware Safari and Lumosity in regard to positive improvements in processing speed. You can visit http://www.mybrainware.com/safari/research and http://www.lumosity.com/hcp/research/ - Those are just the research studies posted on their own sites and there is a lot more to be found just by searching in general. I've read research through Galileo (a research hub provided by our public library). As to whether the changes are permanent, I haven't personally seen any longevity studies, but that doesn't mean there aren't any--just that I haven't specifically gone looking to see how permanent the changes are or are not. My suspicion would be that the changes would be permanent to a degree. My reasoning would be that brain plasticity is proven and undertaking cognitive exercises helps build new neural pathways. Those pathways won't evaporate overnight, so I would guess the improvements would be relatively stable at the level of achievement obtained and practiced long enough to actually build those pathways. One successful attempt won't necessarily add to the neural net, but the more a person practices, the more permanent it would seem like the connections would become. Does that make sense? It's just my logic and an interesting question! You might be able to find an answer to the question by delving into the research. If you find anything, let us know! :-D

Most often, careless errors stem from EF issues. They don't frequently stem from ocular-motor issues. A deficit in the Executive Functions result in what is called "overlooking errors." When a child makes the mistakes, if questioned, pointed out, and given an opportunity to correct, the child can often make the corrections if he doesn't have any additional underlying LDs in that area. For example, with mistakes in math calculations, failures to carry a digit, addition errors, etc., in the absence of a specific math disability are often attributed to executive functioning or attention deficits. Note too.. being attentive during testing is possible for a child even with ADHD if the child is interested in the testing. A child with ADHD can concentrate FABULOUSLY on things of interest, but then can be inattentive for things that are of little to no interest. Just noting that in case you weren't aware. With the carrying forward of instructions or assuming previous instructions apply, that would be more of an attention to detail or careless overlooking of instructions than it would be a vision issue. The transcribing errors could very well be a vision issue.. might be that you have more than one thing going on, which would make it more difficult on you for figuring out what to do. I have info on my website about Executive Functioning (definition and such) if you're interested in learning more about it: http://learningabledkids.com/learning_disability_ld/executive_functioning.htm. GOOD LUCK with the VT!! My DS had VT and EF issues.. So, I can relate! ;-)

When my DS had his vision therapy, his doctor told me my only job was to force DS to do the therapy every day!! He warned me that DS would hate it, complain, whine, avoid it, battle, etc., because it is painful and difficult for the child. SOOOO, it sounds like your DS is doing his best to get you to relent from the therapy! Hang in there.. I pointed out every day that we;d keep working until it's done, so DS could do it quickly and get it over with, or he can fight it, but it will get done. After awhile, we'd have some feet-dragging getting started, but he'd do it without any major battle. Like Oh E said, it's worth it.. Horrible, but worth it! ;-) HUG!

Chiming in with OhElizabeth... It could very well be that she has a slow processing speed and school psychologists seldom do a **comprehensive** workup. Often, they don't even test to see what a child's processing speed is! They'll test for the child's IQ/aptitude and achievement levels, along with a few tests in reading, writing, and math, but they don't do the sorts of tests that neuropsychologists do. There can be issues with processing speed, executive functioning, attention, perception, etc., that are COMPLETELY ignored or missed by school psychologists. In such cases, a child can be "average" but still have neurological issues that affect learning. If you have an evaluation report, check in there to see if they evaluated for processing speed to see what it is. Regardless, if your DD finds her processing speed too slow for her, you could have her work on a cognitive enhancement type of program. I have several listed on my website at: http://learningabledkids.com/learning_disability_ld/memory_processing_speed_brain_based.htm with Brainware Safari and Lumosity being two of my favs.

Additions for your consideration: Reflex Math, Hands-On Equations, and Touch Math, depending upon the specific skills you'd like for your DS to work on. Using Reflex Math in addition to a standard curriculum program can really enhance math fluency, which in turn, can enhance working speed and confidence. OneStep's advice to take your time and do the research is invaluable. It's a lot to take in when you get new evaluation results and have to research different avenues that might help. Resting in confidence that at least now you know can help bring a certain level of peace about where you are. I'm glad for your son too that you won't put him in public school. Talk about increasing issues with anxiety--public school often does that to kids who are on the spectrum with anxiety. Maybe knowing the key issues to work on will help lessen the anxiety too. HUGS!

Because the ACT has a Science section and the SAT does not, that was instrumental in my DS' high ACT score. He scored a 35 in Science! (Top score is 36), so needless to say, that pulled up his composite and made the score high enough for him to be accepted everywhere he applied. ;-) For anyone whose child LOVES science (like mine does), I'd highly recommend giving the ACT a shot. ;-)

Basically, in our case with aptitude being on or above grade level, they denied virtually all accommodations--doesn't matter that a student performs at the documented level because of accommodations. The SAT folks, in spite of all other professional opinions, including a very comprenhensive recent neuropsychological eval, decided unilaterally on their own that my son must not NEED accommodations if he is able to do the work. In other words, in our experience, if a kid is capable of the work with accommodations, the SAT doesn't think the the accommodations are necessary. They specifically told us "his disability doesn't affect his achievement if he can work at that level." It seems to stem from that "failure first" mentality and/or ignorance about twice exceptionality. They don't care that a kid works well below his intellectual ability level without accommodations--only that he is able to work above a minimal functional level. Thus, they are guarantying a student with high abilities and disabilities cannot demonstrate what he is CAPABLE of doing--only that he meets minimal criteria. Their policies pretty much removed any chances for scholarships and the ability of one son to present as the highly capable student he is when granted accommodations. It's a mindset difference between the ACT folks and the College Board people. The vibe I walked away with was that the ACT people VALUE the individual students and want to give them a truly fair shot at college on the same level as all other students. My feeling was that the College Board people don't care about the students with disabilities, and certainly don't care that their policies adversely affect a student's ability to demonstrate what he is CAPABLE of accomplishing.

VERY WELL PUT. That was exactly what I felt like too. When it came down to attempting to GET the accommodations too, there again the College Board was of no help. The ACT folks made the set up and administration of the accommodations easier. The ACT provided a better experience for us from start to finish.

We had similar experiences between the ACT and College Board. ACT folks were MUCH easier to work with and readily granted all accommodations recommended by our neuropsych in our report. The SAT/College Board requires a comprehensive evaluation that is less than 3 years old, and in spite of neuropsych recommendations, they did not grant anything but a short amount of extended time. When we went back to them--they basically said they look at if a kid performs at an average level or above, and if so--nix the accommodations so as not to give an "advantage" to kids with LDs. Unfortunately, when a child DOES have an LD and is capable of performing at a high level with accommodations, the student cannot show what he is capable of without standard accommodations. Thus, if the student is functional at a college level, the SAT folks, in my experience, don't really care about the student's needs and they keep that antiquated "it's not fair to the other kids" mindset. Thus, they limit the accommodations as MUCH as they can. :-/ Truthfully, I did NOT LIKE the college board's attitude when dealing with them!!

There is a lot that can be done academically without working on penmanship, math facts or spelling specifically. When we started homeschooling and my DS was having VT, we watched a lot of educational DVDs, had a project-based science program, and didn't do spelling as a subject during that time. We did work on math facts--if you want to and can find the larger 5x7 cards, they can be functional. You can, if you choose, also work on letter formation in a LARGE format, like writing in big letters on a wall mounted board, using a finger on a soapy pan or in a pan with rice, etc. Either way you go, the world won't end if there is a delay in those subjects that are quite difficult to do on a small visual scale. That said, If it feels like a relief, give yourself and your son a few months of less stress because the VT WILL be difficult for him.. That will probably be enough stress as it is! ;-)

CONGRATULATIONS!! WOOHOO!!!! I'd almost forgotten how challenging it was for my DS to learn to tie his shoes!

My DS lost a lot of weight when he started meds too. I think it is a combined matter of adjusting to the right dosage and getting used to the meds, as well as getting the right kind of meds for your DS. For us, we ended up with a shorter acting med (as another poster mentioned) and a "supplemental," much smaller dose to be added on if needed as the morning dose wore off. So, DS would take his main med every morning after breakfast. It'd hold him well through the morning for his school work. He didn't have much of an appetite at lunch. If he was having a heavy load for the day, he could take the supplemental dose after lunch--it was smaller and wore off quickly too. IF he didn't have much work left to do after lunch, he wouldn't take the supplemental dose and the morning dose would wear off completely by mid-afternoon. Thus, his appetite was back to a reasonable level at dinnertime, and he'd be hungrier in the morning for breakfast. Even so, he never did gain back the weight he lost, but at least he quit losing. Hope that helps!

I would suggest referencing the acceptable calculators for the ACT and SAT and pick one that works for both. My guys had TI-83 models.

For our DS', our neuropsych diagnosed the dysgraphia. An Occupational Therapist (a good one) would be a good second choice for the handwriting aspect of dysgraphia. Issues with writing by hand often involve deficits in visual perception, eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills, executive functions for letter placement and spacing, etc. There is a LOT that can play into difficulties with writing and it is entirely possible for an Ed Psych to miss things because she will not go as far into depth when testing as a a neuropsych will. A school may or may not pick it up in their testing and it totally depends upon the school's willingness and thoroughness in their evaluations. A LOT Of schools won't pick it up and/or will dismiss the issues unless the child is in their school and having significant struggles. MANY schools have poor practices of waiting for failure before intervening. (I just wrote an article about "Four Public School Practices that Equate to Educational Neglect for Kids with Dyslexia" last week (applies to dysgraphia too)--worth a read if your child is in public school.) Therefore, I would not count on your school to be effective and timely with their testing unless they have a reputation for being on top of things. SOME schools ARE, so that is a true blessing if you have a proactive, great school that way! Otherwise, pursuing evaluation independently can be your shortest route to the right kind(s) of help. Hope that helps!

The Orton-Gillingham method was developed by Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham back in the 1930's.. NINETEEN THIRTIES!! Can you imagine? And people still act as though we don't know how to teach kids with dyslexia to read!! The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators is a "certifying" organization, so to speak. They are the most well-known and have stringent requirements for certifying candidates as Orton-Gillingham practitioners. Any training offered by an Orton-Gillingham Fellow certified by this organization is likely to be a "good OG training program." That is not to say there aren't plenty of other people who are qualified or even highly qualified to teach the OG Method, but if you're going to drop some big bucks on training, going with an OG Fellow will give you some level of assurance that the person doing the training is well-trained in the methodology. For training not offered by a certified OG Fellow, I'd suggest doing your research to find reviews and information about the trainer to make sure she has some practical, hands-on experience and is effective in using the method. A LOT of the schools for kids with dyslexia offer OG training in the summer time. I know the Schenk School here in Atlanta offers training. If you want to get familiarized with the method, don't have the money for a hands-on course, and don't mind reading a textbook.. look at: The Gillingham Manual: Remedial Training for Students With Specific Disability in Reading, Spelling, and Penmanship. The book was co-authored by Anna Gillingham and it will give you a good grasp on the whys and hows. It's not quite the same thing as gaining hands-on instruction in the method, but it works well if you can't / aren't able to get training otherwise. A lot of libraries have the book on hand too, so you might want to check it out there before buying it, then buy it if the book works for you. ;-)

YES, I completed an OG training class offered by Rotter and Becker Educational Consultants in Roswell, GA, taught by Claire Pearson, an OG Fellow. They generally only offer this in the summertime, and OG methods are learned more effectively with hands-on, face-to-face practice. The class was EXCELLENT and it allowed me to understand how to work with my son, not just in his reading instruction, but with all of his learning. When you understand the whys and hows, it really does help you work with your child in creative ways that support his learning. OG Training IS expensive, especially if you end up traveling to a location for the training. The course I took was two full weeks long, and cost several hundred bucks. I've THOUGHT about developing an inexpensive online class--not sure it would do the OG method "justice" and I'm not sure of the usage/licensure issues that might be involved in teaching OG methods. Still, I DO feel there is a need for an inexpensive, overview kind of course that will give parents insight to the method so they can effectively teach their kids! I think OG training is useful no matter what program you use. Having training enabled me to use a very inexpensive program (The Language Tool Kit) while adding on my own multisensory activities and not needing scripting (which Barton provides). If you're going to do Barton, you may not "need" OG training, but I'm virtually certain having training would enable you to more effectively use the program and to carry over the OG methods to math and other subjects too, as needed. Obtaining training for yourself is one of the best, long-term investments I think a parent can make in their child's education. It's cheaper to get trained than to hire a tutor, to pay for expensive programs, etc. and it enabled me to help my DS rather inexpensively at home. Those are my thoughts based upon my experience, FWIW. Hope that helps! :-D