Yikes! My sons Psychological Education Report is back.

[calledtobehome]

We knew there was something else going on with my 12 year old son other than dyslexia, dysgraphia, and CAPD.

 

His scores were all over the place! Here are some of his scores and the diagnosis.

 

His verbal scores were in the superior range.

 

WISC-IV-IQ Scores

Perceptional Reasoning 73- 4%

Working Memory 74-4%

Processing Speed 73-4%

Full Scale IQ 92-30%

GAI 92-30%

 

WRAML-2

Under visual memory he's scores are weak in design memory.

verbal memory scores are weak in sentence memory.

 

The diagnosis:

Reading Disorder(dyslexia)

Disorder of written expression(dysgraphia)

Phonological Disorder

auditory processing disorder

Math disorder(2yrs or more behind)

Cognitive disorder NOS(Non Verbal Learning Disorder)

Developmental Coordination Disorder(Fine Motor)

ADHD-Inattentive Type

 

On paper it doesn't look good, but he's really a great and bright kid with a number of quirks about him.

I'm looking for curriculum suggestions, social skills, life skills, and executive skills recommendations.

He's progressing at a good rate with his Barton tutor. I'm really hoping to help him bridge the gap in math along with his written expression skills. I also want to know if anyone else has a child with Non Verbal Learning Disorder?

 

Thanks

[Mom22ns]

That is quite a list. At least you have a lot more information now!

 

I don't have any suggestions for you, just a  :grouphug:

[swellmomma]

We knew there was something else going on with my 12 year old son other than dyslexia, dysgraphia, and CAPD.

 

His scores were all over the place! Here are some of his scores and the diagnosis.

 

His verbal scores were in the superior range.

 

WISC-IV-IQ Scores

Perceptional Reasoning 73- 4%

Working Memory 74-4%

Processing Speed 73-4%

Full Scale IQ 92-30%

GAI 92-30%

 

WRAML-2

Under visual memory he's scores are weak in design memory.

verbal memory scores are weak in sentence memory.

 

The diagnosis:

Reading Disorder(dyslexia)

Disorder of written expression(dysgraphia)

Phonological Disorder

auditory processing disorder

Math disorder(2yrs or more behind)

Cognitive disorder NOS(Non Verbal Learning Disorder)

Developmental Coordination Disorder(Fine Motor)

ADHD-Inattentive Type

 

On paper it doesn't look good, but he's really a great and bright kid with a number of quirks about him.

I'm looking for curriculum suggestions, social skills, life skills, and executive skills recommendations.

He's progressing at a good rate with his Barton tutor. I'm really hoping to help him bridge the gap in math along with his written expression skills. I also want to know if anyone else has a child with Non Verbal Learning Disorder?

 

Thanks

I have no suggestions on curriculum, and I can tell you in a couple weeks if either of my kids have a non verbal learning disorder (they go for day 2 of testing next tuesday and then another 1-2 weeks before we get final results).

 

I will say it is great you have the list, and you are right on paper it doesn't look good but you can see it doesn't change who he is, he is still a great, bright quirky kid.  What it does do is allow you to focus on targeted help and I hope you get some great resource ideas to help you. I will be watching this thread for ideas too, because I know once my boys results are in I will be searching for ideas too to help them.

[Crimson Wife]

CogMed is expensive but might help with the working memory issues. Definitely something to research at least.

[kbutton]

There is another boardie whose child has NVLD. I hope she'll chime in.

 

I know an adult that likely has NVLD, and from what I've heard, this is close to what she looked like on paper as a kid. She grew up in a time with no real interventions were really available. I would find out about social skills--having trouble with non-verbal cues can be problematic. And, having a large vocabulary but being very literal (something I hear is frequently the case) can make things kind of rough at times. Reading comprehension (making connections, etc., not necessarily word meanings), inferencing, and such might need to be scaffolded with explicit instruction. The person I know who is likely NVLD doesn't follow complicated plots very well, so she does not enjoy novels or movies. There are likely ways to help that kind of thing, like discussing main plot points, keeping a cheat sheet of main characters and their relationships. I think that teaching your son to advocate for himself and to learn to judge when communication is effective are good end goals (not sure how to tell you how to get there). 

 

OT might be helpful depending on the coordination issues.

 

Processing speed--find something to do while he is thinking and working, lol! My littler kiddo has processing speed in the same range (I think the same exact percentile). He is very slow to do everything. For EF to work at all, we have to take the processing out of the equation and still scaffold significantly. He's also ADHD inattentive. I try to keep something nearby (mindless) that i can do with my hands when I sit by him and help him with his work. (Laundry, knitting, a coloring book, something little to sort, etc.) I process fairly quickly, and it's draining (sometimes physically painful) to watch him go so slowly. If he is not bothered, and he is confident in what he is doing, he speeds up quite a lot. Kind of a slow and steady wins the race situation. For instance, he likes to sort laundry, and he remembers most of my little rules about fussy things. He's not exactly fast, but he will do it more accurately and actually more quickly than my older son that is usually the more reliable one about chores. I think the fact that the whole task is laid out in front of him keeps him moving forward steadily. If he has to remember something without prompts, forget any kind of throughput.

 

EF--The Smart but Scattered book has some good information. The hardest part with EF is finding specific, meaningful interventions at the point where it breaks down. I really does require some forethought, planning, and consistency, and what works for one kid may not work for another. But this book gives a good overview of how to work on it. I have heard that the author has a more clinical book as well if that interests you (haven't read that one).

[PeterPan]

The people whose kids have NVLD seem to disappear, sigh.  It's a complex situation.  Sometimes NVLD seems to end up more like ASD, when it's all said and done.  If you feel that way or feel like he's challenging to work with (even beyond the SLDs), you might give yourself permission to use techniques common to other labels like that.  The more you GO OUT OF THE BOX, probably the more happy you're going to be.  Just look at him.  Don't look at anyone else and say this is how he ought to be learning.  Just put on your blinders and look at HIM, kwim?

 

ADHD benefits from structure.  That means clear expectations, a routine.  He may like to plan his own structure or he may like simply knowing that there IS a structure.  See where he is in the continuum and provide it.

 

That visual perception score is so low, I wondered if maybe you should get a developmental vision exam?  At least get a regular eye check and get him screened.  COVD is where you find a developmental optometrist.  That's who you go to.  They can screen for things, talk it through, and see if the longer, developmental exam is warranted.  

 

Did you get a referral for an OT eval?  With that DCD label it's time.  There could be something the OT will catch that will change how he functions.  There can be retained primitive reflexes, sensory, low tone, all sorts of things.  I'd be moving that way up the list pronto. 

 

The math disorder is challenging.  How is that going?  You have curriculum or are looking for a tutor?  Did someone mention Ronit Bird?  She has ebooks, printed books, a website, and a nifty FB page.

 

Are you wanting meds for the ADHD?  If you get the OT eval, then you'll know if there's sensory and stuff affecting his attention.  Then he's in a better position to do Cogmed.  The psych who does the Cogmed can help you sort through meds vs. Cogmed or a combo and when to try each.  I'm not anti-med, but it is nice to know about the physical things contributing and have the option to work on them too.  

 

My dd had her evals and therapies when she was 11/12.  Even though it FEELS late, it's not as bad as it seems.  Jump in and do what you're doing, tackling things as you find them.  There's going to be a lot going on.  Some things, like the OT, will actually be multiple bangs for your buck, with improvement there impacting MANY areas of function.  That's why I was saying OT is one to move up.  

 

You'll get through it.  Just watch your child.  You cannot go wrong watching your child.  It's ok for his education to take an extra year or two.  If he's having issues with anxiety, social, whatever, it's even better.  You have time to work through this and it's going to be ok.

[kbutton]

My earlier post shows my tiredness when I posted. I didn't mean to sound bleak, just to give you some leads on things that might come up, such as being very literal. Sorry I drifted and weaved a bit last time.

 

Listen to the others--you will find a way to work with him that benefits him as an individual. One thing that helps is to always be sure your child has something they feel good at, enjoy, or do proficiently to do often enough to take the sting out of difficult work. 

 

Understanding why our kids do certain things really does help us as parents to find a solution that works, not just more stuff to try. It's like having measurements and sizes when we shop, not just a ballpark idea that our kid is six, so he must where clothing that is a six. The understanding will come in layers if you keep sifting through information and saying, "hmm, does he do this? I never realized that is what is going on when he does that..." These kiddos are masters at trying to cope, and sometimes their coping strategies make us think that something different is going on (for instance, anxiety can manifest as avoidance or anger, not just worry). Once you and your son both know, "hey, I think you might do this task this way that is different from the way I do it because your brain likes to think this way instead of that way," it's amazing where the conversations lead. Or, he might drop some of the coping strategies when he's confident about himself (not picturing meltdown here--just dropping that mask some kids put on when they are trying oh so hard to be like others), and you can see how the gears are really turning and help them work even more effectively.

 

We might not be able to give you the whole NVLD picture, but we're all glad to help you track down resources for specific needs and to try to offer pieces of information where our issues overlap. We hope you stick around!

[Incognito]

My advice is to make lists and have ideas, but set low and realistic goals for yourself as far as therapies/interventions.  You can't 100% tackle and focus on everything all at the same time.  Choose one or two areas to really focus on, and do that while finding a way to really exercise a strength of your child too.

 

It's overwhelming, but if you can remind yourself that everything doesn't have to happen yesterday - that you are allowed to take time and eat the elephant one bite at a time - it isn't AS overwhelming.

[displace]

DS has a pattern of testing that may indicate NVLD in the future (he is diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia currently). Since he was not diagnosed and we have enough on our plate, I haven't sought out formal treatment, though if he gets diagnosed in a year or two we will get treatment.

 

I don't know much about NVLD, though quick research on the LD online website seems to fit DS superficially. There is such overlap with many other things: giftedness, ADD/ADHD, etc with the symptoms that it's hard for me to distinguish. Our recommendation was to do a social skills group made for pediatric kids with social skills needs :). It's mostly based on scenarios play acted I believe. I think a drama class may fit the bill too but I'm not an expert.

 

Another thing suggested was formal teaching of English sayings and phrases, like idioms, literal, and figurative language. I am not super formal about it but Amelia bedilia books are great for this. Also while reading aloud literature I try to stop at anything remotely figurative and ask if DS knows what that means (like I do for vocab words). I have found myself much more patient with DS at times, stopping to ask what exactly he meant when he said "x". Sometimes he will explain it differently than a true meaning and I will explain what he said and how it is seen by people. Thankfully he is bright and I can explain easily that when you say "x" it may make a person feel "y" because it actually means "z".

 

We do a lot of taking around here! :)

[displace]

Eta - ITA with incognito about not doing everything at once. We're still working on some follow up secondary evaluations 6 months later from our diagnoses. We started with pulling out of public school, starting homeschooling, working on gross motor (DS has dyspraxia as well so has gross motor needs too), getting some more Evals, figuring out how to teach dyslexia (still fine tuning this but doing well), etc.

 

Now gross motor is on autopilot with our extracurriculars, dyslexia is trucking along, so now I'm focusing in the dysgraphia more, OT, vision maybe treatment, and auditory testing. Possible NVLD? Still not on the treatment list. Maybe after a good round of OT I'll look into it.

 

I felt pressured to do it all and treat it all at once at first. But that's not possible for us as well as homeschooling. But as I add another treatment or get in a good transition I can do the next thing.

 

Plus the giftedness is another story 😮

[EKS]

Has he had a developmental vision exam?  I'd recommend that as well as an evaluation by an OT.

 

For the PRI, what were the subtest scores?  If block design was low and the other two were much higher, that could be a function of the slow processing speed rather than perceptual reasoning per se.

 

Neither the FSIQ nor the GAI should have been reported.  If the VCI was in the superior range, that means it was at least 120/91st percentile.  There is too much of a discrepancy between the VCI and the other indices for either the GAI or the FSIQ to mean anything.

 

 

 

 

[mellifera33]

Your son's profile looks very much like my son's profile. I can relate, in that what is on the paper looks much more bleak than the child in front of you. I think that the high verbal skills seem to compensate for many of less strong areas. My son is only 7, so I don't have any suggestions, but I will be following along for ideas. 

[Storygirl]

There is another boardie whose child has NVLD. I hope she'll chime in.

 

 

Me! DS was diagnosed with NVLD a year ago. My computer is wonky and just ate my post, so I'll keep this brief. I just wanted to say that you aren't alone in this journey. I'll post more when I have more time and my computer is more cooperative.

 

:grouphug: