To encourage them to write it out without asking them to....I'll hang what they wrote with the plate puppets up top. And go back and read it over and over. They'll see if they missed a period etc and want to fix it cuz...it's on da wall lol. They want it to look good and...be able to read it n make sense. I usually....

It's grammar, language, ot, speech ( cuz I can really work with him on his Annunciation and articulation here....cuz...hell let me. He wants his funny character voice tosound good lol. It's writing ( learning how sentences and fir Micah...paragraphs should flow and include. Topic, supporting facts and close...and handwriting if they choose to writ it out and read from it.

We run through it a couple times and I help them add voice inflection and funny voices ( which later on next book we read will make them want to add that, show sadness etc. Which just recognizing that is hard sometimes ) then they funly bicjer over who didn't do what right haha...laugh at the funny voice someone created lol) By then the glue is normally dry, they go behind the couch with their puppets...someone usually has 2 so one puppet pops up then another goes away.....this is awesome fir motor planning. My boys struugle in that area before we started doing this. They mess it up somewhere along the line.....i laugh with them and tell them how cute and funny it is....all while correcting them and they don't even realize it. ...till we get it right. The sequencing, begginging middle and end. Ten I'll ask em how else the story could have ended ir what they think would happen next. ( prediction n drawing conclusions ) Then sometimes they'll make up a different story line. This is where they will "practice " through play the stry over and over again. Cuz....they love their puppets. We have an entire bin. They'll go get past stories out n "have to " reread the book to get it right. Tricking them into reading a story over and over again. Before this, they hated reading and reading it more than once.

So I stretch them to add more details to their puppet. Then the hair is the beat part BC that takes them into really fine focus, and motor skills...long strips of construction paper and to build hand strength to be able to write as an older students ...the construction paper is way thicker than anything else and really builds those muscles . I have em do small fine strips cuzthen it also keeps them cutting fir longer...takes alot to fill in hair when they are small strips lol. EVERYTHING is stapled cuz that really builds hand strength and the motor planning that takes to make that happen is huge. My lil guy couldn't do it at first and I just kept putting my hand over his showing and guiding. Then we glue the craft sticks to the bottom of the plate ( that's the handle) while the glue dries we go over the story. Start with beginning middle and end...then they either write out ( only I they want ...this is to be fun) and decide what facts we can't to put in our story from the book ( you can do it with any book) This works on fact recal ...they practice it a couple times til we get the sequencing right. ( sequencing is so important and hard for kids who struggle) .....

Awww thank you so much for those kind words OhE. Perked me uo a bi :) tanx. The tracing paper, Wed use ALOT of paper clips on the top and bottom ( again fine motor skills and eyes focusing) ID have them start left to right with the paper plates too to work on training their eyes which way to move across the page to read. I bought the good tracing paper. It's legal sized which is even better cuz then the have to cut some off the bottom haha. Trickery. Then we started with the reading of the sentences they were about to trace. I always got the writing part of of the way first cuz its harder then they've ended their couple days project on a good fun note with tracing the picture last then coloring it in. I always at first put my hand over there's the help them, show them rhythm of writing and proper form. Vaporization, punctuation . This they love my big guy still dies it for fun, he's getting constant practice and writing practice. How sentence should be structured etc. This took us from literal scribble to really pretty and dark ( cuz he learned how much pressure to apply from my hand being over top of his practicing. He adores his writing niw AND one thing I forgot ...they'll go back and read what they "wrote" from the draw write now books over and over . I try to keep alot of them displayed and swap em out some too. They jus walk uo to them and read em. And admire their work. Also I can show anyone who comes in the house and they get praise thst way too. The paper plate puppets ...oh...we love these. We do them with almost every story. We are still on short stories ..a tad bit below ir on what they can read so that we can work on recalling facts, sequencing, and paragraph building. (Topic sentence , supporting facts, and closing ,) I use the step into reading books for this and they have lots of pretty pictures to start to "visualize" the characters , theme/plot. I try to do shared reading on this( we all take a turn reading a page and comment something about it, so I know we're on track with comprehending) The book may take 2 days to read, but when were done reading it...they oic which characters they want to be. Usually they are more than one character but not always. The step into reading books usually have a person or 2 and an animal of some sort. They fight over who gets to be the animal. It also gives me opportunity to have them find what each character said cuz they have to look for quotation marks. They now like to start to write down what they're going to say in their play. I don't correct spelling grammar nothin..I make all this fir " fun" lol Then we get the paper plates and construction paper...sometimes they make the puppet look just like the book sometimes they make them look different. That part was huge for me to push cuz it makes them visualize. Huge huge thing alot of our kids have trouble with. Then they cut out the eyes, nose, cheek color. I stretch them more and more to add details. ( the more visual details thwy can do the more details one day they can add to their writing and really....Micah 12 yo this is the only way he understood what an adjective was. .....still typing.

Oh, this one was really good and helped with alot. Paper plate puppets. Whatever stry wenwrre reading ( read alouds are good too) Wed make paper plate puppets to act out the story (cement story and comprehension) Cut out construction paper eye, nose , AND best of all. Thins strips of the construction paper for the hair. This their eyes really have to follow and work with their hands and have to make alot of them when they are really thin strips ( this would be over the course of several days at first to make them and work on begging middle n end if story) Staple not glue all the face parts and hair. Glue on popsicle sticks. At first I'd tell them what to say about the story , they'd pick the characters they'd want to be. And the would go behind the couch and put on the puppet show for m then again for dad....this also gets them ( after you've helped them with recalling facts in the story and tell them the sequences, that's how they learn I then they eventually catch in and start to take over more and more themselves ) Theyd act it out with their puppets and make funny voices etc. Then again when dad comes home. Then before ya know it they are acting it out themselves ...and learning story recall) Made my boys work hard to try to get as many facts about the story as they could and eventually want to write them down ( cuz draw write now books taught them how to write well... Tracing the words that is) They would want to read more stories. Cut your more paper plate puppets and act it out more and more. Before I knew it they were doing g it in their own. AND recalling storey facts and beginning middle and end. Boy was that part hard fir my boys. I had contests who couldake the crazies n tiniest hair. ...worked on eyes following and it cutting lol. Trickery gets me everywhere haha. And I'd do a paperchains for this one too. I still do this. We have to for comprehenshion. They love those paper chains. They'll cut n cut n cut to win the craziest hair contest...requires more stapeling too haha.

Oh, we had this exact same thing with both boys. Even diwn to the school thing though our insurance did pay for it but not for as long as needed. What worked for us. And our cases were really bad...still working on the little guy. Stress balls, an yup. Ya gonna have to let em bounce em too or they won't want to use them lol Hand grippers . they made it a game with dad. Tightning bolts with a wrench. This one was rough but helped alot. And with fine motor . TRACING , that's the important part is tracing the draw write now books. It's a picture and writing about the picture below and it's nice big writing. We clipped the train paper top and bottom to the page in the book and at first I held their hand to guide so to help with flow , ease, comfort, and most of all confidence. That's what got my guys, confidence. Then used colored pencils to color in the picture. ...the handwriting portion was important to trace BC it trains their eyes and hands on focus and flow. We started out with the draw write now books for just about 5 min. Each time and each week added 5 more min. As the week's went on we added....with back to holding their hand to show correct amount of pressure. We built up time and pressure as weeks went on. Worked like a champ fir my 12 yo. He has beautiful handwriting now but we still practice the books. Only every now and again tho . The younger one is still working on I. He's come a very long way tho. The wonderful incentive there is they get a beautiful masterpiece when they are done :) I hang them up on display and make a big deal about how beautiful they are. This has worked really well. It's hard for our kiddos to do this so, more incentive and praise the better. Your goig to have to guide their hand at first tho and periodically throughout . just to make sure they are getting it but most if all...to progress. This worked REALLY well Small water balloons. Fill them up with the hose outside and try to break them with their hands. Ours took 2 hands to start then graduated to one hand. This worked well to. Who doesn't love a good water balloon lol If they like those squshy balls with the spiney things comin out...therapy places sell them but I started getting mine from the dollar store. They loves the texture and did wonders for sensory and Hans strength at same time. Whatever on the sensory balls they like...get and make a game of it. Set a timer and see how long they can do it. For each milestone (whatever you set as a good one) they get to add to a paper chain you start. Cut small rectangles and have them staple it together and hang it. They LOVE their paperchains and adding to them. This strengthens with cutting and the stapeling. Try to get them to staple with one hand...or work uo to it. It's amazing how well a paperchains hanging in their room or rec room will please and excite them and constantly remind them how well they are doing and build loads of confidence . show daddy everyday and praise. All goes a long way. I at first made it a once a day goal to work in one of these....then twice a day adding a second fun thing to do...then to three...and each time adding linger lengths of time at each setting. Morning noon and nite and always make one be the draw write now tracing and coloring to learn to print and teaches them to draw. That's what I did and it worked really well. Their PS teachers couldn't believe what beautiful handwriting my seriously at a deficit 12 yo ...that he had. My lil guy is coming along. Both of them ...you couldn't tell anything they wrote..or attempted to write...was scribble..really it was bad. He is so pleased with his handwriting now and loves to write :) The younger one is , as he gets better, a starting to draw or write himself now. Which for them is HUGE. Good luck..and make u fun and add that sensory in. They'll want to do it then. Building uo stamina a Nd firm is so hard .

OhE, EF was bad. Tell me what to get at social thinking in the meantime. I want to get super flex . Lecka said it was for young ones and maybe too young for mine depending on their emotional maturity ...it's low tho. For both of them. Emotional maturity thst is . and they LOVE super hero's. Anyone think that good place to start. ? Honestly . not being dramatic. Docs and therapist said this too. Aaoron 10 up w all the major issues.... Could have easily died on the care of someone else. He was failure to thrive but not officially put in any paperwork BC I had him back at the hospital everyday after he came home from birth. We worked with the SLP there for feeding and ot or was it PT , don't remember ...but to feed and move. He was straight as a board . didnt cry. Didn't look around didn't move. We had SLP everyday if his like for 6 mo. Skinniest lil baby you ever saw. Teetering on being admitted ir not fir IV food. He didn't tho. We got thru it. He still eats so very slow. I don't let anyone get up from the table til he's done eating tho. It's family talk time. How on earth was he ever graduated from any PS therapies. Man that infuriated us. Wasn't long and we pulled them out of school . Sorry, thanks for listening guys

And yes tiramisu, I've been thinking for a couple months now...the squeaky wheel got the oil. And now I'm seeing, he's pulling away from his peers (academically and socially) he would be 4th grade now...or geck. I dunno. The evals and work level he's on, maybe they'd be going into 5th and 6th. Oh boy. Ugh. I am a firm believer in staying where they are yet stretching them. Oh man. I hands are more full than I thought. Don't no tell me things tho guys pls. Cuz I need to know. Thank you. All of you and to little bears (op) for starting this thread . Gonna....cry.

I forgot global was an asd term. I'm taking all the reports to the prompt lady. She's done and knows alot of stuff and has heart. It's her own practice . Omg. I'm gonna have a mini meltdown

Tiramisu, You hit the nail on the head . she did mention global. I was fighting back tears at that moment and breakdown. All the other stuff. Your right. All of that is what's happened. Thank you so much for that and your story I don't feel nearly as horrible. Thank you so much. OhE. I'm going to screenshot all that. It's so true. I'm going to ask my pediatrician what NP he recommended s and the SLP too. I read more of her bio. Man. Whew.

Micah thinks and tells Aaron what to say. They work in unison too which I'm realizing has masked some of this too

They depend on each other , I've noticed. One dies the thinking (micah12) the other does the talking (aaron10) I could go on and on about that too

Hes going everywhere . SLP. Ot. Cognitive vision. Ev. And behaviorist. I'm not waiting. Tey are both going everywhere . I told hubby last nite. And that's just how it's going to be

Could put my finger in, most I couldn't. He sticks with his mama alot. I have to make him do sorts and hell only go if I do. Everynite he lays and cuddles with me. No words. Just cuddle. I try to talk to him and there's a ton of I don't knows. To simple things een , like if he likes something ir not. School pshyc and therapist said...he's just quiet. No. Something is way worse wring than we thought and it's starting to show more and more as he gets older.

Soccer, Micah 12 is forward and really good, he does not want to kick the other kids tho...hell let them have the ball if he thinks he's going to have to kick another kid in the shinguards. Aarin? His give a darn is broken . he is forward too.....gets in there and goes.....kicks anybody in the shinguards in the way and around em he goes. Of they fall. He doesn't even notice.... Micah? Is they fall, he has actually stopped playing and gone and helped the child up. I could go on and on. Im going to make him an appt today with the same SLP micahs going to go to . it's going to b the prompt lady. Aaron still doesn't open his cheeks all the way. You should see me try to go behind him with his toothbrush. ( he has lots of cavities in the back cuz he wasn't opening hi cheeks enough to brush there. He goes in panic mode sometimes when I get back there. I ordered the vibrating toothbrush kinda things he used to use in speech .....it's..bad. But we've improved with stimulating the cheeks etc. This is a way bigger problem than even I thought and I knew it was bad. Some things couldn't b tested cuz he wouldn't /couldn't communicate. In my gut i know he's ADHD. I ....well. Darn. And she gave or tried to give the clef. I'm glad you told me about the other one and Bette breakdown. I'm going to have the SLP do that one. I knew h should have never been graduated from therapies. I argued my case....but when they said OK...why? I had some points I

Last nite I told him to take out the trash. Simple right? I handed him a small box to add to it....ibsibsaw him standing over there trying to figure out...what do I do???. He took the bok outside and left the back untouched. This kind of thing happens alot. He studies in his head. I see him do it. He's trying to process and figure out...what am I supposed to do? And he doesn't ask and I know why. He feels dumb. He was talking to his older sister who he's always been very close to....she said, Aaron ( was videoing like an interview, fun stuff) she said Aaron, tell me something about yourself. He said....I'm awkward. She came in and told me and I asked him, why did you day that? He said cuz I am. And I know it. I wanted to cry for him. He doesn't engage in social settings. At all. He doesn't know how to start ir carry on a convo...THATS why he's quiet. BC he simply...doesn't know what to do or say ir respond. His dad gets mad at him alot BC hell say something to him...he doesn't respond. ( he dies it w me too) and we ask him why he isn't responding , he says...I don't know and really just wants to walk away. But I hug him and make sure we end in a positive note somehow. Continuing ...

I needed that rabbit trail (but I don't think it was a rabbit trail, it was needed) On the ADHD thing, I have thought for years that he was ADHD. No doubt in my mind, the teachers thought so too. I've tried to be so careful about meds, and only use them if I absolutely have to. It's possible I could have misheard. My brain...whew. It was all major overload. When Micah 12 yo failed the Barton screening and I emailed her about it, she said Micah needed heavy language work ( no surprise there, has been an issue from the start, and a big one ) So as I started getting to the nitty gritty in the language with both of them but...FOR or what I thought was for Micah, I realized, aaron 10 yo was way worse. The wh- firget it, deer in the headlight. So I would break them apart and work with each one separately. Micah12 yo worked very hard and improved alot. Aaorn10yo....it's as if a sheild was up on his forehead. He would look at me and lock...up. Not knowing how to respond at all. He couldn't...I could tell after much work day after day, break after break ( we were immersing)...he wasn't getting...anything. No fact or opinion, when I realized he wasn't comprehending what he was reading , I kept going back and back and back. He did not understand a simple sentence. He isn't getting it and focus ,as I got to the nitty gritty, is a huge and serious issue. He's off into space. He tries. But it doesn't seem as if he tries as hard as Micah. I'm seein tho, it's BC he CANT. he has no idea how to process. How to carry out a very simple task and he's gotten in trouble alot , like for chores, school work. Continuing....phone is lockin uo

You could call your pediatrician and see who they recommend . a nueropshyc is who you'll be looking for your starting place.

Oh you can tag! Hoe do you do that. I've wanted to do that with her too lol

We homeschool too and yes it is possible to only show up in math. For some kids it's reading, for some writing, for some math. How is he at memorizing the phenomenons when you break them down isolated, like not attached to a word? Could be a number of learning delays go cause this.

Omg....that's why he sits with his mouth opened head tilted and still even sometimes will drool when doing so. Oh man how did I miss this. I knew was something and something severe bit..man.

I did not know that tiramisu. I guess with my 12 yo being so...baaahhh!!! All the time. Always working on behavior control, being able to communicate (speech), and jus... All the stuff. My 10 ho , being the quiet one, did hey missed. And, like I kept trying to tell the teacher, you think he's further along and ...gosh this sounds bad but fir lack if a better term,,and seemingly so bright, ...he's. Sadly...actually ..not. He picked up all the extra practice practice practice that I did with 12 yo. Finally in day one of the teachers (the one that wanted to refer him to gifted) said....mmm. We aren't going to do thst. He must be pickin uo what your teaching Micah. And because I basically pretaught everything to both boys, because I knew that would be lost when the material was presented, I taught ahead. So aaorn 10 yo got that info twice of...practice practice practice. And still has trouble. He has been the sleeper for sure. Quiet, and...it was just missed. I went and looked at the autism website. This time veiwing it through the lens of my 10yo. So much fits him. I was floored when the NP told me the degree of the APD. I cried. Man. Well. Gonna make another appt with her. Focus on Aaron more than my 12 yo and record it. Man. Went in there knowing Micah is HFA, and thinking Aaron had way fewer issues. Came out, micahs 2e ( I didn't know some if the stuff he could do wasn't normal with kids in the spectrum), and Aaron is way worse than the older one already diagnosed HFA. Geeze. Funny how things work out sometimes. Thanks guys. Any info or ad-libs anyone has, ID like to hear them. Thanks three little bears for letting me chat on your thread. Man. Whew. Thanks ladies. Needed to hear this. I might not have gone back in...and...I REALLY need to now.

Oh. Kbutton. That's in the spectrum. *long pause* I guess she could have been trying to tell me that and I missed it. I was inundated with major info. My 12 yo is HFA. I need to go back in, and, possibly more testing. Spectrum wasn't even on my radar with him. Poor lil guy. ...he's been the sleeper. His older brother has the big bulfing glaring signs if everything, his stuff gets missed or, idk, he's quiet. Sigh. More investigation. Thanks kbutton a tin. This one has been bothering me alot. And isn going away. Maybe the APD was mistaken to the degree that they said it is and is...spectrum stuff aslos. Maybe not as severe APD as they thought. Hea a tough one. Hard to get much out if. Hmm. Man, kbutton. Thanks a ton. You put your finger in something that has been a nagging naggin problem. Something is just not not has been right since birth . Thanks

oh, yea kbutton. Read 2 papargraphs about this and this is him to a T. The PS missed Sooo much w him. They said but he's reading on a 5 th grade level. (Would have been 3 grade levels ahead) Oh, dears, but he's really nit. He has no idea what he's read and when I break down the phonograms...he's clueless. I'm definitely going to make another appt. She hit me with the big stuff first and...mamas brain shut down. I had a biggie about both of them. She did recommend ADHD meds for him, tho he's not ADHD. ...age said to help him focus, process. and that makes sense to me. He needs something.