Wow... half of his income... really? I don't see how he's mentally able to do that. I'm a special education teacher at a private school. I just found out that the starting salary of a public school teacher in my area is 20k more than what I earn, and I have a Master's! So many people think private school teachers make more than public school teachers. It just depends on the area, and the school. In Maine where I'm from, hardly any teachers start at higher than $35,000 a year. I buy some things, but I'm reimbursed for everything necessary for my class. I would be livid if I was required to buy any essentials for my classroom. As far as a classroom library, I can't afford one, so we just use the school library. Maybe I'm not the "cool teacher," but until teachers are paid more, I'm not doing that.

Oh - a tutor going to school is an excellent idea, I didn't think of that one.

Is Young Living a pyramid scheme? A coworker of mine does it, and some people here buy oils from her.

Reading comprehension can continue to grow throughout adulthood. According to a HBO documentary I just watched, adults can continue to make significant gains in decoding and comprehending... the problem is, almost no adults get continuing reading instruction. It's amazing that your son is reading at grade level. Wonderful!! To boost comprehension, he should probably be reading a grade or two (or three) below what he's *able* to read. Once he's really comfortable at a certain level, continue on. I think you're doing great :-)

My personal favorite is MathUSee, and their website is way better than Semple math. You'd need a teacher to implement the program though, again, not online. Will the teacher be doing instruction? For a struggling student, I'd be wary of a teach-it-yourself online program.

On their neuropsych reports, many of the kids at my school have a recommendation for Semple math. I think it's been talked about here before. I tried to see some samples online, but wasn't successful. Could be worth a google: http://www.semplemath.com/faqs.html It's not an online program - not sure if that's important to the school.

That's my bacon baking method, too. Oven baking is awesome! Now I eat bacon way too much though :)

Now I remember, the term they used was 'viral exanthem.'

My DH had a rash like that twice, super itchy, all over his body. Both times it was when he was coming down with a cold. The doc called it a "viral rash." Apparently that's a thing? He hasn't had it for many years, thank goodness, it was awful. I hope your son feels better soon!

In addition to your list above, this one is good too: http://www.ldonline.org/article/What_to_Do_If_You_Suspect_Your_Child_Has_a_Learning_Disability

Yes, the site is laid out well. I guess I'm thinking of something more parent-friendly. Even when I click on the parent resources tab, it's confusing for me and I'm an educator!

Wow, this is great, thank you! I wish there was a standard process to go through for evaluations. I mean, every district has their own ways that are vaguely the same, but why can't there be a national process that's spelled out clearly? *dreaming!*

Awesome! It can be scary to swallow pills at first.

College girls everywhere I've lived in the northeast and NY/PA wear leggings and mid-calf leather boots from September to April. Bogs boots are really cute for actual snow and slush. I second the Patagonia idea... the BetterSweater fleece jackets are really popular. I have one and it's awesome! Hoodies, scarves, cute hats are all necessary. She's going to have fun with a totally new experience! I'm a bit jealous :)

Thanks!

Thanks - I'm just in a whiny mood! I realize this is a teensy tiny problem :)

Just wondering if this is a thing. It's not the flu, because I've had that with a temp of 102+. This is a runny nose, cough, temp of 99, feeling blah. Is it the common cold, or some other virus? Just feeling sorry for myself because I really needed this Thanksgiving break to be a break, not a sick/recovering time. :(

I love the book series suggestion. You could get the whole set of a series, that would have been exciting for me at 10 :-) The entire Babysitters Club... Nancy Drew... Wimpy Kid.. there are so many great ones! Giant set of K'Nex?

Awesome!!!!!!

LLBean has some nice men's cotton/cashmere sweaters that look high quality. Some people are saying to get the Tall size in them because the sleeves seemed short on the regular.

I know, bummer - thanks for all the great info, though! Maybe I can use it someday!

Thanks so much! This is all really helpful. Many of my students have "no timed testing" in their IEPs, so it turns out I can't use Reflex :-( I really want something that individualizes like Reflex, though. I know that I can have them practice fact fluency with me, but it's tough when every kid struggles with different facts. I also don't want to take up a ton of time with fluency, which is why the iPads are ideal. I'd want something that's 10 minutes total, from getting iPads to putting them away. Fact fluency so so crucial! I can already see the ones who have half their multiplication facts doing their work so much more quickly than the ones who don't.

Hi all, Does anyone know if the Reflex math fluency online is timed? By that I mean, do the math facts appear and then disappear with a time limit (like Xtra Math), or do students have unlimited time to solve each problem? Thanks!

You could also try the Specific Carbohydrate diet or GAPS to narrow things down, but the AIP is the most comprehensive one, I think. It's also recently been supported by a couple research studies!

I hate that doctors give "IBS" as a diagnosis. I had that happen to me... and I was like, "Duh, I KNOW my bowel is 'irritable," but what's MAKING it irritable?" I got no help from the doctor. I agree that the Autoimmune Protocol is a good way to pinpoint food issues. Even if you don't think your issues are autoimmune, it's just a really good elimination and reintroduction protocol, as KaleSprouts said. You take out pretty much everything that *could* be bothering you (gluten, dairy, nightshades, grains, eggs, etc) and then after a short period (2 weeks maybe?) you try putting stuff back in. My DH was having tummy troubles and he found that the "gums" in gluten-free foods really bother his stomach. The xanthan gum, guar gum, etc. that are in EVERY GF product. Your troubles sound extremely bothersome and worth figuring out. I'd do the elimination diet route rather than trying different random things, because it's really hard to pinpoint the real culprit when you have even a handful of potential offenders in mind.