cdwise Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I homeschooled my now 8 yo for kinder and 1st. We attended a hybrid school where he went to school 2 days a week. I felt he had reading problems, but they were brushed aside by teachers and admin. We have since moved to Latin America and he has been attending bilingual school. Last year I began to think he has Asperger's, and he has been seen by a psychologist but not a neurologist. She thought there was a chance of Apsperger's and "possible" dyslexia. After working with him intensively over the summer, and studying the night before for a spelling test, he scored a 10%. He's now in 3rd grade. He's very intelligent, and great at science and math, but struggles with reading and his writing is atrocious. There are a myriad of behavioral issues as well. Some friends suggested maybe dyslexia, so I've read up on it, and now I think it's the main cause of his problems. We will be in our current situation for one more year. These are my options: 1. take him home to the states (pay for plane tickets etc.) and have him seen by a neurologist. 2. Go home for a Lindamood Bell training session in Seeing Stars and then start working on that. 3. Buy and start working with Barton. 4. Wait until a Christmas trip home to have him evaluated. Start treatment after the eval. and in the meantime just stick with regular school and efforts at reading and writing. Option 4 is the most economical as we already have tickets to go home then. Need some advice. Also, I'm totally exhausted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 Well if you're thinking aspergers, then what you ought to do is go ahead and get ALL the evals when you come back. Get a good neuropsychologist eval *and* an OT eval *and* eyes by a developmental optometrist and anything else you think he might need. There's often tone, sensory, that sort of thing going on with the aspie, so you might as well get it checked. Do you have an english-speaking ped down there who could check him for tone? That would give you a clue. Also you can look at some of the sensory processing symptoms to see if he has any of that going on. A neuropsych will often take 1-3 months around here to get into, so if you make your appointment now, you hopefully can get in when you come back at Christmas. OTs can take a while to get into, just not as long. The optometrist should be faster. I would get him checked by the developmental optometrist (on top of everything else) because the symptoms you're describing could just as easily be eyes and visual processing. Or it could be a mixture of things. If a dc is low tone and going to have problems with handwriting anyway and THEN they develop eye problems (convergence, focusing, etc.) on top of it, they just compound. So that's why I would just get it all checked. The easiest way to handle the optometrist thing is to find a developmental optometrist (which is the kind that would check the developmental vision stuff that would affect handwriting, reading, etc.), but start with a regular vision exam. Won't cost you particularly more than any other optometrist, but that way the developmental optometrist can *screen* for the extra issues. If there are none, you're cleared and golden. If there are issues, then he schedules you and you get the full developmental vision eval. At that point you would have some serious talks about how they could get in a couple sessions and then give you a boatload of homework, enabling you to do the therapy at home. There are all sorts of other things that can pop up too. (retained primitive reflexes, spd, etc. etc.) Don't think too narrow and assume it's just dyslexia. Get all the evals. Things like OT have a wait to get in but still your normal 24 hour cancel, meaning you could cancel when you get there if you get evals from something else and realize you don't need them. However if you get here and WANT the OT evals or vision evals, you'll have that wait to contend with. So I'd line it all up now. Once you find a good neuropsych or developmental optometrist, they can help you find a good OT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdwise Posted September 23, 2012 Author Share Posted September 23, 2012 What is an OT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 What is an OT? Occupational Therapy. There are OTs who specialize in sensory processing disorder (spd) and spectrum. That's what you'd be looking for. BTW, COVD is where you find a developmental optometrist. Don't bother with a regular one. Go right to a good developmental optometrist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellers Posted September 23, 2012 Share Posted September 23, 2012 I think you should assume he has dyslexia and start working with him on his reading with Barton or whatever you plan on using. Have him tested over Christmas, when you will be back in the the states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdwise Posted September 24, 2012 Author Share Posted September 24, 2012 Thank you both for the good advice. Does anyone have experience with Lindamood Bell or Barton? Lindamood Bell I have to be in the States to do, correct? Is Barton considered the best method for use at home and are the two complementary or would I screw things up to start with Barton and then do Lindamood Bell when we're back in the states? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplyme99 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 Go to Barton's website there is a test there you can administer to him. This will tell you where to start (Seeing Stars or right onto Barton). Susan Barton is very helpful and will either speak to you or answer her emails!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLDebbie Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I think you should assume he has dyslexia and start working with him on his reading with Barton or whatever you plan on using. Have him tested over Christmas, when you will be back in the the states. :iagree: I started using Barton with my 7 y.o. before we had a formal diagnosis. I don't regret it one bit. I knew traditional reading and spelling teaching wasn't working and it was having a huge effect on his attitude. We've been using Barton for almost a year now and the improvement in his reading is phenomenal. He still isn't at grade level, but he's able to read now. I recommend checking out http://www.bartonreading.com/ and http://www.dys-add.com/ for information on dyslexia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simplyme99 Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 :iagree: I started using Barton with my 7 y.o. before we had a formal diagnosis. I don't regret it one bit. I knew traditional reading and spelling teaching wasn't working and it was having a huge effect on his attitude. We've been using Barton for almost a year now and the improvement in his reading is phenomenal. He still isn't at grade level, but he's able to read now. I recommend checking out http://www.bartonreading.com/ and http://www.dys-add.com/ for information on dyslexia. My youngest DD school uses a O-G method to teach reading to non-dyslexic kids - it is a GREAT program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RamonaQ Posted September 24, 2012 Share Posted September 24, 2012 I think you should assume he has dyslexia and start working with him on his reading with Barton or whatever you plan on using. Have him tested over Christmas, when you will be back in the the states. :iagree: Go to the Barton site and make sure you can both pass the phonemic awareness test. If not, then you will need LIPS. (not Seeing Stars). I would plan on seeing a neuropsych at Christmas to seek diagnosis. (Start making an appointment now as they often book out many months in advance). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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