XPost: Practical book suggestions needed please.

[moonlight]

Hi.

 

I am in the process of figuring out what kind of learning or processing issues DS9 may have. From the sounds of it, it's going to be a long and slow process. In the meantime, can anyone recommend the most practical books you have found on ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, auditory and visual processing disorders. I am not saying that he has all these issues, but I am sure he will have at least one or two. I just want to find some practical ideas to use now that might help me develop a good plan for the rest of the year. 

 

Thanks!

[PeterPan]

What is causing you more grief right now, behavior or academic stuff?

 

Btw, your sig looks pretty age-appropriate.  Is he not doing well in those things?  And have you had him to a developmental optometrist?  And an OT eval?  

 

A good plan for the rest of the year is to find a thing he likes to do and do it a lot, while you do some therapy to fill in the cracks.  Almost anything he needs can fit into that framework. 

Edited January 29, 2016 by OhElizabeth

[moonlight]

Signature defintely needs updating. 

 

He's 9 now. We reached a block with Singapore. He's working on memorising multiplication facts. It's a slow process.

 

Finished Explode the Code. Gave up with FLL and WWE. Still doing the read aloud and extracurriculars.

 

Not taken him to a devolopmental optometrist. Still working on finding an OT that could see us in this century. We live in the Middle East and we don't have a lot in terms of options to begin with. 

 

Worried about academic stuff at this point more than behavioural.

 

Thanks!

[PeterPan]

Then I would start with Dyslexic Advantage by the Eides.  It's very positive.  As far as the actual math, look at stuff by Ronit Bird.  Search the boards and find Heathermomster's metronome homework instructions.  They're free, easy to implement, and you can add in digit spans for working memory, distractions (turn on a radio or tv), etc.  Anything you can do to target EF (executive function) and build working memory will make him more functional.  If you can get access to books on EF, you might find them helpful.  Linguisystems, amazon, several places have good ones.

 

Are you using technology?  Inspiration software for writing?  Dictation?  My ds does dictation on his kindle now.  It can't understand him consistently (sigh), so I sit with him.  I would just totally leapfrog over the handwriting issues and use technology.  When they're super bright, it's just really essential.  Also you can make videos.  Ronit Bird wrote me about this a while back, suggesting I have him make videos like hers, where you take pics of each step of the math and turn them into a little video.  That could be way fun for him with those multiplication facts!  Kids love tech and it unleashes them.  At the major dyslexia school near us they give everyone macbooks to use.  It's just really the way to go if you can make it happen.

 

Not nailing facts is pretty common and doesn't require an SLD math label.  That's more about number sense I think.  That's where my ds falls.  But just the ADHD can get you to a why doesn't this kid learn the facts situation.  And you know at some point you just move on and let it come, sigh.  A little spiral on the side can help or using a calculator.  I would just move on, assuming he actually *understands* things.  Once you hit puberty, everything slows down.  Might as well forge ahead now.  And really, working on working memory can help that immensely.  If their processing speed is low, then it's very hard for them to process the math and hold everything in their head.  Working memory is their RAM, the short term memory that prepares things to write to long-term memory.  So anything you can do to work on that will be good.  

 

Puzzles, games, these are what you want to do more of.  What number of pieces can he do for a puzzle?  Solitaire, Chocolate Fix (both available as apps), there's also a tapping app for cats that is good.  Apps are great for visual processing.  But on puzzles, start low, like with 25 pieces, and work up.  Do them TOGETHER and make it awesome, like we do this and you get a candy bar.  Actually, give him the candy bar first so the caffeine in the chocolate helps him focus.  ;)  Anyways, do puzzles every day.

 

Games are the same thing, very therapeutic.  Spot It is AWESOME for visual processing.  I mean, that's assuming he doesn't have convergence issues or anything.  If he does, he needs those treated first.  But if it's just processing, you can hit that with games.  Tangrams, etc.  Ticket to Ride is terrific for working on working memory and sequencing.  You'll see the breakdowns, because any game he shies away from is *probably* using skills that are weak for him.  So then you play more of it, not less.  :)

 

So more games, more puzzles, more tech.  

 

Love your avatar, btw.