Please--what kind of specialist to dx a teen for LD?

[distancia]

Our dd, 18, has so many problems in a certain, specific area of her life. We know what the symptoms are, and we know how her mind processes (or doesn't process). What we don't know is what is wrong with her in terms of a diagnosis, or if there are even tests for it. Most importantly, we want to know if there is some way we/she can "fix it".

 

1) When she was 6 she was IQ tested (gifted) and the psychologist said dd had a problem following more than 2 verbal commands at once. He told us to practice with her, building her up to be able to follow 3 commands. I tried, but it didn't work.

 

2) In elementary school it was impossible for her to follow along whenever there was origami instruction. She was always in tears. 10 years later, in a college class the other night, the professor was showing the students how to weave pine needles--"really easy, mom; but I was so embarrased, I couldn't follow along!"

 

3) Math does not work for her unless she sits down and figures out the problems for herself, start to finish. She does best reading a book [teaching herself], and does worst with a teacher at a blackboard. However, by teaching herself she spends precious hours reinventing the wheel.

 

4) Now she is 18, at college, and still complaining about people talking too fast and confusing her. She says the same for me: when I start saying something like "Sweetie, can you open the front door and let the cat in and while you're there, check the mailbox and if the flag isn't up, then put it up--oh, and by the way, take this envelope out for me...no, not that one, the big brown one over on the table..." and if I don't say it reaaaallly slowly and stand still [i can't be doing 2 or 3 other things at once, like folding the laundry while watching TV] then she gets all flustered and angry.

 

Yet the amazing thing is this child can watch someone dance ONCE and she can reproduce the dance just like the original. And she is an excellent mime (actually, she has gotten in trouble for mimicking people) so it's not that she can't pay attention to what people are doing.

 

I did call one psychologist and he said dd needs to be IQ tested again, Weschler (the WISC adult version) and Woodcock Johnson. Does this sound right?

Edited September 22, 2011 by distancia

[Beth in OH]

One possibility certainly could be adult ADD. Here's a link with symptoms: http://helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm

 

Sometimes the inability to follow directions is the result of an inability to focus concentration in the first place. Your dd's high academic ability may be masking the inattention. If you want to explore this possibility further, read Delivered From Distraction, Hallowell and Ratey. My dd was diagnosed at age 19, once she saw herself all over the pages of that book. Like your dd, she is gifted, and she thought certain of her ADD symptoms were just character flaws :confused:.

[distancia]

One possibility certainly could be adult ADD. Here's a link with symptoms: http://helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_adult_symptoms.htm

 

 

Actually, Beth, our dd was diagnosed with ADD two years ago, but we didn't think these symptoms were ADD symptoms. Because dd does extremely well in some of her classes--the ones that are verbally based or, if they are technical, are broken down into small, simple increments with minor distractions. That's why dds love PowerPoint science classes, as they don't have a lot of extraneous fluff.

 

Maybe if we look at the situation differently, that dd's learning style is a result of ADD, then we can attack her difficulties from that angle.

 

BTW, how did your daughter learn math through high school and college? That is our dd's biggest problem, it is what is stopping her from pursuing a full science career.

[Tokyomarie]

It sounds like your daughter could have an auditory processing difficulty. There is no way on this earth that my 23yo dd could follow a string of directions like you listed, in the way you've listed them. She is highly intelligent but she processes visual information much more efficiently than she can process auditory information. She is verbally astute but it shows more in her writing than in her ability to carry on a fast paced conversation. In addition to having difficulty with the kinds of things you've listed, a person with an auditory processing disorder may have lots of difficulty listening in noisy environments. My daughter absolutely cannot manage a conversation in a crowded room.

 

If you would like to have your daughter tested, I would recommend more than just an IQ and academic achievement test. I would recommend testing with a neuropsychologist that can pick up much more about how your daughter processes information. If neuropsychological testing reveals difficulty with processing auditory information, you might consider getting an evaluation for auditory processing disorder which is done by a specially trained audiologist.

 

It's possible that your daughter could qualify for certain accommodations in college so that she can receive the information in a way that she can better understand it, or learn to make use of technology that will help her to capture information presented in the classroom so that she doesn't miss important bits. For example, if she has difficulty capturing the most important information in notetaking, she could try using a Livescribe smart pen, which will record the lecture as she is taking notes on special paper.

[distancia]

She is verbally astute but it shows more in her writing than in her ability to carry on a fast paced conversation. In addition to having difficulty with the kinds of things you've listed, a person with an auditory processing disorder may have lots of difficulty listening in noisy environments. My daughter absolutely cannot manage a conversation in a crowded room.

 

Same thing with my gal--although with verbal ability and reasoning she is quick as a whip on paper and with her mom (and occasionally, dad) she becomes easily confused in a group. Recently she has been working on group projects at school and she has been complaining that she loses track of the conversation because "everyone is talking too fast." Yet the funny thing is, she is great at foreign languages and she has no problem picking them up and speaking them with a native accent. Again, maybe that is mimicry more than comprehension?

 

You're right, a neuropsych eval is a great idea. I know dd wants to get to the bottom of this. I hope our insurance will pay for at least part of it. :confused1:

[Beth in OH]

BTW, how did your daughter learn math through high school and college?

 

Dd had lots of problems through high school and college, but fortunately, math wasn't one of them. ;) She has a pretty logical mind, general concepts stuck with her pretty well, and she was able to review formulas enough to get through tests.

 

Now in college, it's her foreign language requirement that is about to do her in. There's too much tedious memorization and material that builds from quarter to quarter. She has asked me to help her find a private tutor, so at least she recognizes her limitations.

 

If you trust the ADD dx, but just don't know if it's contributing to this particular issue, I would really encourage you to read Delivered From Distraction. That book really opened our eyes to how ADD can be foundational to many other learning/life problems. It might give you some additional insight into your dd's brain. Of course, if you've already read it, disregard this advice :)

[Renee in NC]

I have the same issues with anything presented auditorally. I can't follow what someone is saying very easily, I can't filter out background noise, I have a hard time sequencing unless it is visual, etc.

 

I am diagnosed ADD and I can really see my ds's auditory processing problems in myself. I don't know which it is and I don't think it reallly matters for me. Basically, I have to take everything that is spoken and turn it into either a picture or words on paper. This includes everything from lectures and recordings to directions. You should see my ds's violin notebook - I have to come up with all kinds of cryptic drawings and notes to be able to follow along (I can't simply remember what he is supposed to do.)

[Susan C.]

My dd17 is going to vision therapy. Some of your problems sound like vision problems to me, although symptoms may overlap with vision problems and other problems. We were at therapy last night, and the therapist said that a lot of your information comes through visual processing. If there are focusing problems and other eye issues, it hinders processing. Then dd mentioned that when she took dance class, she had no problem learning the dance steps, but couldn't keep time to the music. The therapist said that is auditory processing and we can work on that. But....dd works better in school with music playing, she said it shuts her wandering thoughts off.

[distancia]

My dd17 is going to vision therapy. Some of your problems sound like vision problems to me, although symptoms may overlap with vision problems and other problems.

 

All, interesting. So far we know our dd has anxiety, ADD, OCD, and some kind of audio "thing". We've been fairly certain she is a high-ish functioning Aspie--she denied it vehemently until about a year ago, and now she'll joke with me by saying "mommy, some of my autismicky stuff is coming out".

 

And what you're saying about vision...hmmm, dd has moderately poor visions but refuses to wear glasses, only for driving and in the classroom. She doesn't like contact lenses, either. She prefers to see her world all blurry and fuzzy, she says it's softer and comfier, like a watercolor painting.

 

Now I've told you all this and re-reading it, I wonder: is there any hope, whatsoever?

[8filltheheart]

All, interesting. So far we know our dd has anxiety, ADD, OCD, and some kind of audio "thing". We've been fairly certain she is a high-ish functioning Aspie--she denied it vehemently until about a year ago, and now she'll joke with me by saying "mommy, some of my autismicky stuff is coming out".

 

And what you're saying about vision...hmmm, dd has moderately poor visions but refuses to wear glasses, only for driving and in the classroom. She doesn't like contact lenses, either. She prefers to see her world all blurry and fuzzy, she says it's softer and comfier, like a watercolor painting.

 

Now I've told you all this and re-reading it, I wonder: is there any hope, whatsoever?

 

I am very confused by your posts. Has your dd been officially diagnosed as having Aspergers or is it simply your diagnosing her? Has she had full battery testing done? (If so, how long ago? In order for her to qualify for anything at college or disability, testing cannot be more than 2-3 yrs old.)

 

Full-testing would probably reveal a lot of answers. For example, testing should that our ds was only in the 1st % for both visual and auditory processing. Having labeled disabilities means he is identifiable legally for assistance as an adult.

 

As far as is there help, seeking a solution prior to knowing the problem is counter-productive. Also, how involved is your dd is wanting to seek answers/help? Does she want answers that are definitive? Or is she going to be resistant to having testing which might come w/labels. Are you, as parents, the only ones actively involved in addressing the underlying issues? Since she is an adult, the conversation is far different than one concerning children. She is an adult needing to seek adult testing/therapies which are vastly dissimilar than those for children.

[Susan C.]

 

And what you're saying about vision...hmmm, dd has moderately poor visions but refuses to wear glasses, only for driving and in the classroom. She doesn't like contact lenses, either. She prefers to see her world all blurry and fuzzy, she says it's softer and comfier, like a watercolor painting.

 

Now I've told you all this and re-reading it, I wonder: is there any hope, whatsoever?

 

Dd has focusing issues, eye teaming and movement issues, and convergency issues. Her eyes didn't focus fast enough when she changed what she was looking at, for instance, looking at the computer, then to notebook. She would have had an impossible time if she was in a class and had to copy from the chalkboard. Eye teaming means her eyes needed improvement working together, convergency issues cause blurriness in a printed page because your eyes don't meet at the same point on the page. Dd's eyes were just a tad off, making the print blurry. Put that with the fact her eyes wouldn't move across the page, reading took her forever. No glasses can correct this. We are 8 weeks into vision therapy and are seeing many improvements. Its a rough road, but worth it. Just take a thing or two at a time to work on, and trudge on through!

[Barbara H]

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/08/20/070820fa_fact_page

 

This article may be of interest. The author Tim Page is a music journalist and he too doesn't wear needed glasses in order to cut back on sensory stimulation. He suffered for years with intense anxiety but was not accurately diagnosed with Asperger's until his son was. Reading his book, I wondered how totally different his life might have been if he'd received proper diagnosis and therapy when he was younger.

 

I would be concerned about a person not wearing glasses when they need them. It is a risk for pedestrians. Also, it could contribute to social difficulties as not being able to see people makes it more difficult to learn to read them. Finally, it will lessen what a student gets from lectures.