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Can anyone help me figure out where to go from here with ds' neuropsych test scores?


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What did the neuropsych identify as strengths? As weaknesses? What were the professional recommendations?

 

The visual-spatial strengths are obvious. Processing speed and attention/executive function is definitely and issue, so I'm guessing he works quite slowly and has a hard time staying on task. Working memory seems to be ok, though.

 

On the verbal side, it looks like he's got average verbal reasoning, though it is significantly weaker than his non-verbal reasoning skills. His phonological processing and basic word reading (which will hinder dyslexic students) look like they are in good shape. I'm guessing from these scores that he has a lot of difficulty in word finding- calling up the word he wants to use as quickly as he needs it (word generation & speeded naming are quite low). His California Verbal Learning scores are quite low, which shows me he probably has a difficult time learning new information through the verbal channel, especially if it is lists of relatively unconnected information. However, narrative information (the Stories test on the Children's Memory Scale) is more readily retained. OTOH, general verbal comprehension suffers.

 

I also see the faces test scores low. Does he have difficulty in real life with facial recognition (not uncommon w/his diagnoses)?

 

 

Based on what I see, I'm looking at the vocabulary, word retrieval, and language comprehension domains as key areas to focus on. Has your son ever had language therapy with a speech/language pathologist? If you can find a really good SLP whose focus is *language* development, not speech/sound production (articulation), that would be a good place to start. A good SLP can help your son learn strategies for word retrieval. Also, following up the neuropsych testing with more specific language testing can help fine tune the understanding of where language comprehension breaks down. What are you doing for vocabulary development in your homeschool program? This is something to think about for curriculum.

 

You mentioned medication for the epilepsy. Does your son take any medication for his ADHD?

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I'll just add the suggestion to look at IM or neurofeedback for that processing speed and attention. Actually, the Guffanti book I just got had an alternative to nf, and I haven't even looked it up yet. Gotta do that! Anyways, another mom here with similarly low processing speed scores DID get the processing speed to go up maybe 20%ile when they did IM. That would take you from 1%-ile to 21%ile, which would be kinda wow and lifechanging. There's even a hack way to do IM yourself at home using metronome apps. Not as good obviously, but we've been doing some and seen some changes, enough that I do recommend trying it. You can find an IM provider through the IM website. Usually it's an OT. If you could find an SLP doing IM, might let you hit two birds with one stone.

 

I'm not up on all that expressive language stuff, but from the testing they've done on my ds there are issues with how it organizes in the brain (lexicon), etc. etc. So when you're seeing him use really odd wordings, that's something they can work on, to get words organized in the brain and get them to retrieve well. Yes, they can work on it.

 

On the face thing, there's a name for it (sorry, I forget, prosp...?), but if I could *humbly* suggest, you might consider figuring out what can be done. You have objective evidence that it is an issue compared to the ability of his peers. I have some issues myself, like I forget what my kids look like when I don't see them. For real, if my ds is gone for the day for an all day speech therapy trip and comes back, I'm actually SURPRISED by what he looks like when he returns. So it might be that when his social needs increase, his limitations are going to be more of an issue. And starting so low also gives him no padding if he loses function as he ages. The goal with some of these therapies is to get them up as high as they can be, so when they slip a bit they're still functional. Sorry, that sounds kinda dire. Anyways, you might see what you can do for it, just thinking about what happens in the future, when he's in more complex settings, not just about his needs now. Maybe it's as simple as playing memory games with cards that have faces? I really don't know.

 

Sounds like you're doing an AMAZING job!!! You must have felt awesome with those terrific academic scores, wow. Whatever you're doing, it's working. I can see why the np was so impressed! And I hear you on the med thing. That neurofeedback is supposed to be as effective as meds. Sounds like you're probably already doing omega 3. I've got this stuff called Brain Nourisher from a company Food Form that I've been having my dd take. They're getting ready to run a new batch that will be in capsules, meaning you can put it on a spoon easily for children who can't swallow tablets. Anyways, it has some more concentrated fatty acids that are hard to get from food. It's been SO good for my dd, I'm hoping to start my ds when they run the new batch. I'm hoping it will make it easier for me to teach him to read. He's almost 5, but right now working with him is like catching a butterfly.

 

I'll go try to find that Guffanti book and see what that neurofeedback alternative was...

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