First OT Appointment tomorrow for dysgraphia/working memory?

[calledtobehome]

My 8.5 yr old is having his first OT appointment tomorrow at CHKD for dysgraphia and low working memory issues. What should we expect and are there any specific questions I need to ask?

 

Thanks

Edited October 20, 2011 by calledtobehome

[calledtobehome]

Anybody?

[Sandragood1]

Hey there. I don't know what an OT can do for ST memory issues. My dd has been diagnosed with this. The doc suggested a computer program, Cog Med. it was pricey, brought tears after the first couple of sessions, and didn't seem to help. Dj and I believe the ST memory problems are more related to ADD. Of you can't focus in it you aren't going to remember it. There is a book I read, recommended somewhere here at forums, something like "Why Kids Hate Scool". It has interesting things on ST memory.

 

Regarding h/w, ask for exercises to do at home so your dc can progress faster. Both my kids took h/w lessons from an OT and it was very helpful. Just keep it up. Much of it is about practice, both for development of hand strength and for skill.

 

Best wishes,

 

Sandra

[PeterPan]

Like Sandra's, our OT never promised to help working memory. She only said she could only help SPD/sensory stuff that creates sort of a 4-alarm fire in the body, eating up working memory. But yes, for writing issues OT can be quite good, at least on the physical (non-language) side.

[calledtobehome]

We are back and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed to say the least!:crying:

My son seemed very tense and nervous. The OT had him complete several writing exercises like writing his lower case letters/Upper case letters. He really seemed to struggle with this. He mixed some lower case with upper case and skip two alphabets all together. She will use handwriting without tears with him. I was using Zaner Bloser but now I think I'll also use HWT. She did state that his formation of the letters were good but it seem as though he is very tense when he writes. She had him to come up with a sentence and being the great verbal kid he is he came up with a sentence that was very difficult to write and spell( last month we found out he has dyslexia). She also called out 6 letters at a time to see if he could remember them and write them to test his memory.

We are going back next week to see if he would be a good candidate for Interactive Metronome. She also stated that most kids with dyslexia can benefit from speech therapy? She stated that she is dyslexic and I may want

to look into the Wilson reading system since we Homeschool.

 

I feel very overwhelmed! My son is a great kid. He loves to build and he walks and breathes science. I really want to make sure I'm giving him the best education and resources he need. I feel stuck!! Where do I began?? It looks like I need to revamp my entire curriculum and schedule to best suit his needs!

[wapiti]

Has the OT done a full eval for motor issues? I'd think that exercises other than handwriting itself would come first.

[musicalpoodle]

In our experience, OTs give you lots of suggestions, but you can't do every single one of them. I had to determine which ones I felt were the most important and what we would be able to do. Don't let it overwhelm you. :grouphug:

[PeterPan]

... it seem as though he is very tense when he writes. She had him to come up with a sentence and being the great verbal kid he is he came up with a sentence that was very difficult to write and spell( last month we found out he has dyslexia). She also called out 6 letters at a time to see if he could remember them and write them to test his memory.

...

I feel very overwhelmed!... I need to revamp my entire curriculum and schedule to best suit his needs!

 

Well you knew dyslexic doesn't = dumb, right? :lol: When I read all this, my first question was about visual processing issues. Have you had his eyes checked? It would be a real crying shame to do OT for motor control if the real issue is that he's TENSE holding his pencil to compensate for the extreme stress his visual processing is going through. Dd had that when she started VT, and it's so common they give all the kids special grips to put on their pencils for some of the written exercises. I don't think she does that now, so I think in her case it was indeed a visual issue. OT is so expensive, and there's this tendency just for them to do stuff. I'd make sure you're fixing the right problem.

 

Wilson is fine, but there are other fine options too. What are you using now? You want to have looked at SOME OG-based program, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Wilson.

 

Change everything? Hehehe, take your time. Figure out what's working and what isn't. He's still the same child he was. Make a list and solve the problems, not the things that aren't problems.

[calledtobehome]

Well you knew dyslexic doesn't = dumb, right? :lol: When I read all this, my first question was about visual processing issues. Have you had his eyes checked? It would be a real crying shame to do OT for motor control if the real issue is that he's TENSE holding his pencil to compensate for the extreme stress his visual processing is going through. Dd had that when she started VT, and it's so common they give all the kids special grips to put on their pencils for some of the written exercises. I don't think she does that now, so I think in her case it was indeed a visual issue. OT is so expensive, and there's this tendency just for them to do stuff. I'd make sure you're fixing the right problem.

 

Wilson is fine, but there are other fine options too. What are you using now? You want to have looked at SOME OG-based program, but it doesn't necessarily have to be Wilson.

 

 

Change everything? Hehehe, take your time. Figure out what's working and what isn't. He's still the same child he was. Make a list and solve the problems, not the things that aren't problems.

 

 

 

 

Yes I know Dyslexia doesn't mean dumb:lol: He is a very bright boy! I'm amazed by the things he knows. I have an appt with a COVD dr but it's in another two weeks. He's already wearing glasses(near sighted) but his OG tutor thinks he's having some eye tracking issues. We were able to get the OT appointment before the COVD appt.

 

 

N

As far as curriculum this is what I'm using. I do think he would benefit from short lessons and maybe doing the most important things but keeping it simple. I think he is getting burned out at least that's what he said in so many ways two days ago.

 

Math- MUS(ok) doesn't progress fast enough for him/ he thinks it's boring

Writing-WWE- We like

AAS1-We like

Handwriting-ZB/ I think we should get HWOT

Phonics-OPGTR(Not working)/ thinking about Recipe for Reading and the workbooks. This is what his tutor use

Grammar-FLL3(brings tears) Star Wars Mad libs(he likes)

History-SOTW(he likes)

Science-Apologia Astronomy/Swimming Creatures/dvd's/living books-this kid breathes and lives science! He would like more experiments.

Bible-VOS Bible/devotions book for boys

 

Co-op 1xw

Piano Lessons 1xw

Edited October 21, 2011 by calledtobehome
Forgot to add spelling

[PeterPan]

Math- MUS(ok) doesn't progress fast enough for him/ he thinks it's boring

Writing-WWE- We like

Handwriting-ZB/ I think we should get HWOT

Phonics-OPGTR(Not working)/ thinking about Recipe for Reading and the workbooks. This is what his tutor use

Grammar-FLL3(brings tears) Star Wars Mad libs(he likes)

History-SOTW(he likes)

Science-Apologia Astronomy/Swimming Creatures/dvd's/living books-this kid breathes and lives science! He would like more experiments.

Bible-VOS Bible/devotions book for boys

 

Co-op 1xw

Piano Lessons 1xw

 

That's good that you have the COVD eval scheduled! As far as your academics, feel free to ditch the FLL3. Shurley was very good for us, gentle for a grammar-hater. Love contextualized grammar like your mad libs, good job. If he's so into science, definitely do more science! My dd will do several hours of history A DAY, if I let her. I'm saying LET him do that. Everything will subsume into the science and get done. He can write science, learn mechanics/editing through science, read science, etc. Don't be afraid of that. Read him biographies of scientists to go along with where he is in SOTW.

 

Math is pretty personal, but I'd free yourself to try something new. You might find a better fit. Or maybe he just needs to pick up the pace with MUS or add in some SM CWP or other supplements, kwim?

 

On the phonics, well all I can say is that my dd couldn't sound out to read and she now reads fine. We were doing SWR at the time, so I followed the author's instructions to put the spelling words onto flashcards and have her practice reading them to fluency. I did, and when she started reading (which took a while), she was lightning fast. I highly recommend it, highly. This whole thing of sounding out is over-rated. I'd like her to be able to sound out accurately (she just mispronounced something this morning!), but it's much more important to me that the process of reading became automatic and fluid. If you read Dyslexic Advantage by the Eides, they talk about the huge gap between processing and automaticity, and it walks you right up to the idea that maybe our kids need some *helps* to get that automaticity. I know for math I bought into the "flashcards are bad, process your way to automaticity" thing with dd, and I'm not sure it was the best. They've come, but they're not easy and fast. I think maybe at the right time, judiciously used, used with full understanding and minimal stress, flashcards can be a wise tool. So think how that translates into your phonics/RR/whatever you're doing.

 

If his tracking is really off (which the COVD eval will show), then some of this may improve. It's probably going to be a combo of things, working on the eyes and new methods and new materials. But don't change what is working. Do watch your child. Somehow we think we need to be so BALANCED, but the longer I go the more I realize the pleasure and reasonableness of being IMBALANCED and letting them do a lot of the thing they really love, so long as you harness it a bit. ;)