Title pretty much says it all. Seems to be this would be relevant for classes and testing outside the home, but I know that testing accommodations are usually based on accommodations you already have in place. But it’s hard for me to even know what kind of accommodations we have in place because, well, this is just our normal. So kids get breaks when the need breaks. They get extra time if they need it. I help them write when there’s much writing. I probably do a lot more that I don’t even realize is accommodating. Ds9 will do his first standardized test next Spring and I want to make sure I’m doing things “right!” FWIW, only diagnosis are ASD and ADHD, but EF struggles are real! Lol. I’m sincerely worried about distractions during the test. ETA I confess that I don’t understand the differences between all the different plans you can have (504, IEP, etc).

Attentiveness and EF struggles run rampant here (writing difficulties, adhd, etc). Is it weird to consider requesting accommodations on something like the talent search tests at numats? Is it just like requestiong accommodations for any other standardized test? I guess part of me feels like it’s silly to have extra time for an out of level test. Feels almost like cheating to get ahead. Thoughts?

For anyone else interested, here’s the full length video. I already watched it twice... ETA just found this updated one from 2014 so I linked it instead. It is good stuff!!

Well, I just met with the psych, and she says that there’s not a doubt in her mind that’s he has ADHD and it is affecting every single area of his life. She feels that the ASD-2 dx is off, even, inflated by ADHD tendencies, and he’s probably only ASD-1. So I suppose I’m off to read about dietary interventions and meds now. Ds summed it up really well for us this weekend when he said, “I’m just bored all the time. Even when I’m doing something, I’m bored. No matter what I’m doing, my brain is bored.” ?

I just wanted to update that it seems that Google books has Aitken's entire book available online, in case anyone else is interested in reading it: https://books.google.com/books?id=2hoQBQAAQBAJ&lpg=PA10&ots=CmPz4WzZ0P&dq=what is the "simple restriction diet" OR SRD autism&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false

I’m following this. I have a 7yo who is... intense. Definitely gifted, dx’d only with anxiety and dyslexia and SPD so far. Very observant of others but seems indifferent to the way her words hurt them. Lots of weird interactions with others. It’s hard to distinguish social observations from social awareness from social skills at this point. Folks usually assume that she’s just deliberately being mean or that it’s the usual tactlessness of children. She’s very quiet in groups though and that’s when her anxiety usually peaks. It’s hard to tell what’s going on in her head. I’ve wondered more than once if she might also be on the spectrum (runs in our family and ds is already dx’d). But the one time I brought t up to a professional, kind of laughing, “I’ve even wondered if she might be on the spectrum too!! Ha ha” sort of thing, they quickly laughed at what a silly idea that was and moved on. I knew enough about it presenting differently with gifted kids and also with girls, and that maybe not being widely understood yet, that I just decided to wait and watch how things continue to develop.

Or if she picks up the cat too often and gets scratched a lot while trying to bury her face in his fur... lol.

Love this! It sounds like exactly what I’m looking for!!

Oi. I'd never even thought of this. So if we're on another round of bactroban, can they still swab it to see if it's MRSA, or would I need to wait until/if it comes back again after this round. My hubby is lysoling everything in sight right now.... lol.

Ds9 really wants a real chemistry set. I’m not think subscription, I’m more thinking something similar to snap circuits- where we bought one big set and it and with instructions and explanations for 750 experiments that all build on each other. He doesn’t mind reading the stuff himself, and already reads lots of chemistry based library books. I would like it to be mostly independent (so no dangerous chemicals and only occasional fires...) Does anything like this exist?

Yes, it clears up within 3-4 days of starting the bactroban every single time (though we still finish the full 7 day regimen). I didn't know you could be a carrier... That's interesting information. DH is about to lysol everything in her room tomorrow and just keep her out for the day and air it out later, hoping that if it's living on any surfaces, that will kill it! I'm not a fan of lysol, but we're just not sure what else to do! We have three other kids, and it's so contagious! She wasn't my first kid to get it - but she's my first to get it more than once ever, let alone in the course of just a few months each time.

No... I guess I’ll have to go look that up now. Pediatrician said impetigo and we just went with it, since it certainly felt t the description of impetigo!

Dd5 has had impetigo on her face about four times in the last ten months. We treat it with bactroban and some essential oils (just to speed up the process), she's clear for a few months, and then it comes back again. We don't do daycare, we homeschool, and we don't know anyone who has had it recently. I just have no idea where it's coming from!! Any ideas?? It's always in the same spot right around her nose and then spreads to her cheeks and chin and upper lip area. We've taken bedding and stuffed loveys and washed/dried on hot and then lysoled them, even.

How are you liking the Mel science kits?

Bumping... Is it really the case that nobody here has tried these and can offer feedback??

Ours has been completely derailed be the 2E side of things. So some things came up that needed addressing, but addressing them is so exhausting to the kiddos that there is little energy left for other stuff. So we’re mostly chilling and continuing to practice instruments, and I’m having to remind myself daily that it’s just a season. We’re hoping the season is over by the holidays, but in the meantime, I just console myself that we’re listening to tons of great audiobooks... lol. In the last few months, we’ve heard Tales from Shakespeare, James and the giant peach, Narnia, and the entire chitty chitty bang bang series, not to mention tons of silly books like Ivy and Bean and Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter. Next up are more Dahl and the little house books.

I am sorry. It was me that revived this thread. I just missed it when it was originally posted and thought the article was interesting, was all.

We talk about love of music first and foremost. My kids aren’t required to learn instruments. I specifically discuss with them that I have enough things I have to make them do- I will not put myself in the place of also having to enforce daily practice of an instrument. The rules are simple: if you don’t practice faithfully, I just won’t pay for lessons. Becaus of this, myfocus with my kids is always love of music first, and how sometimes that requires practicing through hard times. Ds9 is a real perfectionist, and I sometimes have to drag him away from the piano in tears because he just can’t get a piece right and he really just needs a break. At those times, we revisit the conversation: is this still fun? Do you still find this fulfilling? If so, we can work through this, with time and practice and help from your teacher. If it’s only causing frustration (like after an hour of making the same mistakes...), then it’s time to take a break and ty again later. I try hard to suppress any comparisons, but it’s also hard when dd7, who still lacks most tact, just flat out asks why ds9’s playing doesn’t sound so good, and starts to give him pointers... lol. So far, ds9 isn’t too bothered by the situation, but I am watching it carefully. It’s just been hard for me to watch as a parent because I find it so unfair that dd7 is so much better, despite all his efforts.

I like the growth mindset jargon. I do feel like it gave me words of encouragement that matched my heart in certain situations where I lacked the appropriate words. But it certainly doesn’t translate into “you can be anything and do anything you see your heart to.” That’s just dishonest. It’s been an ongoing conversation at my house recently because ds9 loves the viola and the piano. Really loves them. Practices each faithfully around a half hour daily, and works *hard,* and has for the last several years. Now dd7 has started piano and violin, and she is already a better strings player than he is, even if her theory isn’t quite as advanced. It’s clear to anyone who hears them that she is a far superior player, despite having started less than six months ago and only practicing ten minutes a day. I feel like I want to shield ds from this somehow, because it’s a hard thing in life to give something your very best and then be shown up by a little twerp who isn’t even trying.

Thanks! I wonder how you make time for everything!! I feel like even our basic goals are just our max right now. With 2ish hours of outside therapies and/or appointments, VT exercises 3X a day (2 hrs total once dd is done pitching a fit and actually does it), an hour of instruments (they do love their music), a good chunk of time on daily things like eating and getting dressed and cleaning bedrooms and resolving fights, dance class and just an hour or two of free/down/play time, our entire day is gone. I’m lucky if oldest does math 2-3 times a week, and 5yo needs to learn to read at some point and DH is concerned that I’m failing them academically because we do it so rarely. I feel like what we’re doing isn’t too much. It feels ok and manageable but very full at the same time. It feels like too little, objectively, and like I should obviously be doing real academics, but I also think there’s no way I could add in more without going crazy. Lol.

Interesting.

Ha ha. I really do know! My phone auto corrected! ?

I have two kids who can spell just fine when we do it together. We use Spalding and they really, really like it. Even my dyslexic kid who doesn’t read well yet loves to spell! Recently they've been having fun writing stories, mostly fantasy, and I love the content, but boy is their writing atrocious!! Spelling is AWFUL, punctuation nom-existent, oddly placed or missing capitols, words split in two lines along a non syllable break... My dyslexic is the worst and “princess” came out something like “pnris.” (She reads it back to me as princess later, of course.) Ds is not dyslexic and reads widely, and he was majorly misspelling super common words!! I had been letting it slide and just letting them enjoy their fun, but I’m starting to get stressed out about it! Are they not learning anything?? Why would they write SO badly when this is a project they WANT to do and are actually able to do well??

I don’t know what backchannel talk is - so I don’t know how to answer this. Don’t worry about it though. Go enjoy your time away! ?

So this is a sample of something he wrote just for fun yesterday. It makes me cringe a little, at the same time as busting up at his story itself (this is page 1, so just his introduction). Makes me realize just how much work he needs! When I sit next to him, and make him think before he writes, he writes so much better (spelling wise) but he wrote this relatively quickly (in just 10-15 min). So maybe the problem really is that it’s hard for him to keep track of all the different pieces of things involved in writing!