following directions 9 yr old....

[MrsMe]

Is this a skill that is learned or is it a basic comprehension question?

 

My 9 yr old dd can comprehend books, but when it comes to reading directions, she has no clue. She always, "doesn't get it". I try to get her to tell me what part she doesn't get and she can't do it.

 

Is this something learned? Is it a process of critical thinking or just a plain old comprehension skill? What would help this? She's always had problems reading and following directions. Other than she could just be playing me (which is possible), if I think back, she's always had problems with this. She also doesn't understand jokes....like puns...two word meanings and why they're funny. Is this a category of skills? She's not stupid....maybe lazy or lack of enthusiasm. I'm thinking she doesn't know how to decifer or do problem solving. Although she can do a math problem relatively easy. I'm about ready to pull my hair out. I'm thinking maybe I skipped some sort of "process" with thinking skills.

[zaichiki]

I don't think that's typical...but... can you give us a specific example?

[hi_itsgwen]

Can she understand and follow several verbal commands, if given at once? Like "Go to the kitchen, get a glass, and pour some water." Or, if you say "Will you please feed the cat?", can she infer from that request the steps that need to be taken to accomplish that task? I'm not being sarcastic or making light...some kids really struggle with sequencing events and following instructions.

 

Following a string of commands/instructions is a skill that is developed iwth practice, but by 9, most kids are able to do this easily. For a child who is incapable of understanding instructions, by this age, you would see *tons* of evidence in other areas of her life that she's not able to process the order of steps in a sequence.

 

A sense of humor is an entirely different animal than the part of the brain used in understanding directions IMO. In a pun or joke, you have to infer a different meaning to the words used, and it's definitely a higher thinking process that usually requires a large vocabulary and some understanding of archaic word usage/meanings.

 

In following instructions, your child simply needs to have basic comprehension skills, understand the vocuabulary used in the instructions, and be able to remember the steps.

 

This is what I would do. The next time she reads something that she doesn't understand, have her read each step, and then explain outloud to you (in her own words) what the instructions say to do. That way you can see where the comprhension problem is coming into play. I know with my 10 yo dd, if she doesn't have a good grasp of the vocabulary used, then she's lost from the get go, wondering what the heck a 'denominator' is. ;) So if it's truly a case where she is not grasping the meaning of the words used, that is easy enough to remedy with some review.

 

If you think she's stalling, have her write each step down and number them. I bet the light will come on really quickly if she's having to do extra work. ;)

[Carol in Cal.]

After some angst and flailing around trying to figure this out, I concluded that she was accustomed to reading and comprehending literature and history pretty quickly, and expected to be able to do the same thing with math and science. That meant that she would look for the 'gist' of a math problem, and more often than not would miss part of it.

 

It was difficult to change this habit of hers. I think that what helped the most was asking her at the end of every problem to go back and read the problem again and make sure that she had really answered what the author had asked. This was a slow process--2 steps forward, and sometimes 3 steps back, but eventually she did develop that better habit, and started to read math problems carefully and slowly as well.

[TraceyS/FL]

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.asp

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ears/central_auditory.html

http://www.judithpaton.com/checklist.html

http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/capd5/

http://pages.cthome.net/cbristol/capd-idx.html

 

I was shocked at how common APD is, and how often it goes undiagnosed. A few things stand out to me - the mother of a child with this (and possibly 3) - in your description. It could totally NOT be it, but it might help to read thru some things on APD to rule it out.

 

ANYWAY, the other part is that about that age my oldest started the puberty trend... the good news is that part of her brain came back when she started! Then of course, the teenage brain took over.... LOL!!

Edited September 1, 2009 by TraceyS/FL

[swellmomma]

I like to print follow the direction worksheets off enchanted learning. My kids can follow verbal commands usually(though they sometimes forget what to do once they complete step 1) but needed extra practice being able to follow written commands like those on worksheets/workbooks. These print outs they thought were fun and helped build that skill.

[MrsMe]

Can she understand and follow several verbal commands, if given at once? Like "Go to the kitchen, get a glass, and pour some water." Or, if you say "Will you please feed the cat?", can she infer from that request the steps that need to be taken to accomplish that task? I'm not being sarcastic or making light...some kids really struggle with sequencing events and following instructions.

 

Following a string of commands/instructions is a skill that is developed iwth practice, but by 9, most kids are able to do this easily. For a child who is incapable of understanding instructions, by this age, you would see *tons* of evidence in other areas of her life that she's not able to process the order of steps in a sequence.

 

A sense of humor is an entirely different animal than the part of the brain used in understanding directions IMO. In a pun or joke, you have to infer a different meaning to the words used, and it's definitely a higher thinking process that usually requires a large vocabulary and some understanding of archaic word usage/meanings.

 

In following instructions, your child simply needs to have basic comprehension skills, understand the vocuabulary used in the instructions, and be able to remember the steps.

 

This is what I would do. The next time she reads something that she doesn't understand, have her read each step, and then explain outloud to you (in her own words) what the instructions say to do. That way you can see where the comprhension problem is coming into play. I know with my 10 yo dd, if she doesn't have a good grasp of the vocabulary used, then she's lost from the get go, wondering what the heck a 'denominator' is. ;) So if it's truly a case where she is not grasping the meaning of the words used, that is easy enough to remedy with some review.

 

If you think she's stalling, have her write each step down and number them. I bet the light will come on really quickly if she's having to do extra work. ;)

 

Actually no. If I verbally give her a string of directions, they won't all get done. And she lacks focus. She focuses intently on things she likes, but not anything she has to do that she doesn't like.

 

Also with directions on paper, she may do half or part. Today I tried numbered directions in very easy language. We'll see how that goes. This way if she doesn't get something I can have her tell me which number. I do know she has some issues with word meanings, but I haven't used anything she doesn't know. I think it's a little bit of everything, including stalling.

[MrsMe]

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/auditory.asp

http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/ears/central_auditory.html

http://www.judithpaton.com/checklist.html

http://www.angelfire.com/bc2/capd5/

http://pages.cthome.net/cbristol/capd-idx.html

 

I was shocked at how common APD is, and how often it goes undiagnosed. A few things stand out to me - the mother of a child with this (and possibly 3) - in your description. It could totally NOT be it, but it might help to read thru some things on APD to rule it out.

 

ANYWAY, the other part is that about that age my oldest started the puberty trend... the good news is that part of her brain came back when she started! Then of course, the teenage brain took over.... LOL!![/QUOTE]

 

Oh so perhaps I should be happy with where I am?:lol::lol::lol:

[TraceyS/FL]

Oh so perhaps I should be happy with where I am?:lol::lol::lol:

 

:tongue_smilie:

 

Yup, might want to enjoy what you have! LOL!!!

 

My middle child fits a lot of your description though, and has general deficits in ALL of the APD areas. Her Auditory Processing is about 4 years behind her actual age....

 

My oldest seems to suffer from some milder things that might be related. I'm having her tested on Friday for APD and we will go from there.

[bairnmama]

My dd has issues like these. Her OT therapist made a schedule chart with some file folders and some velcro and dd got to decorate it with stickers and markers. I can write down the tasks I want her to do on little strips with velcro on the back and stick them to the front of the chart. I put down things from simple chores, to schoolwork tasks, to things like brushing teeth and hair (which she would often forget to do when getting ready to leave the house). When she completes the task, she takes it off the front and puts it in the pocket inside. She used to not be able to follow 3 step directions at all and after working with this chart she can follow now 3 step oral directions and 5 step directions using the chart to help her remember the steps and order. You might want give something like this a try. I know I wouldn't have thought of it if the therapist hadn't made it, but it's so simple to use and has really helped. Oh, and dd is 8.

 

HTH