Neuropsych Results Surprise- Thoughts?

[Paige]

I finally got DD's neuropsych results back. We thought we were getting them last month, but they just wanted more testing. I don't have the written report yet for the specifics, but we had the face to face meeting yesterday. After hours and hours of testing and years of bizarre struggles that never fit nicely into the ADHD, ASD, or LD boxes, we were told that DD only has profound anxiety problems. Everything is due to anxiety.

 

I knew DD likely had anxiety, but it is a surprise that nothing else showed up. They said they have excluded everything else. She does very well in all subjects, in all areas, and is high normal in everything except for a few areas where she scored exceptionally (the doctor said "too well- scarily well.") Her anxiety causes her brain to blank out, she freezes, and starts saying or doing or responding in random ways that don't make sense, and it prevents her from being able to learn or progress as well as she should. She does poorly with timed tests, open ended questions, if she's told something is important, etc. 

 

I wanted to put her in school this year, but the Dr recommends she go part time now and waiting until January for full day school after she's had time for medication and therapy to help. Any ideas for how to make school (home or public) easier for her? I'm going to speak to the school counselor to see what they can offer. The doctor recommended accommodations in school like being allowed to sit in the nurse's office if she was feeling upset, but that is ridiculous. She would never speak up like that or make it obvious that she needed something different than everyone else. She won't even ask to go to the bathroom.She's 12. We pulled her out of school because she was doing poorly in all subjects and was starting to have health problems related to it (UTIs because she wouldn't use the bathroom, panic attacks, we even thought there may be absence seizures), but I think being homeschooled has made it even more difficult for her in social situations. She did better and made friends more easily several years ago. 

[Mrs. Tharp]

:grouphug:

 

I have to get off my tush and start my day--but I guess my replies are usually short anyway. Sigh. 

 

PS may be helpful for this, I see your point. You could try it and see. If you did I would suggest getting the school counselor on board with some kind of monitoring, at least weekly. Make it a set appt. so she doesn't have to speak up, just show up. I would also suggest counselling outside of school and meds for anxiety. If she started part-time the appt. could be before or after her classes. 

 

Oops. Rereading your post, you have all the basics covered!!!!

 

In middle school it's a lot less obvious when a student is doing something different because everyone has different schedules. I'll think on it some more and edit the post if I can think of anything else. I don't think the nurse's office suggestion is that great either; she needs somewhere else. The idea would be to send her to a neutral spot. She's not sick, she just needs a break. 

[Arcadia]

I posted this link in the general education subforum, but this part is relevant to your scenario. While it talks about math, it is relevant to everything else.

 

"Strive to minimize the sources of fear. Math anxiety stifles clear thinking. At those moments when students most need to marshal their intellectual resources—during a test, say, or when called up before class to work a problem—those who fear the subject are apt to panic and shut down. Sian Beilock, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago, and author of Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting it Right When You Have To, describes the anxious over-reaction to high pressure situations as a “malfunction of the prefrontal cortex.†For nervous students who feel pressure to perform well on a test, that worry causes them to execute beneath their skill level. “Anxiety is robbing you of working memory,†Immordino-Yang explained. “You’re wasting your thought powers,†she added. Math phobic kids need help from teachers to lessen their fear"

 

http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/08/02/how-to-make-math-more-emotionally-engaging-for-students/

 

As for school accommodation, I had the do not need permission for toilet breaks due to being Miss Puke-a-lot and my kids had accommodation for where they sit in class.

[Lecka]

Maybe she can have a class period in a supportive environment. Sometimes things like office aide and library aide are for this kind of purpose. Sometimes kids can have a study hall with a nice teacher for this kind of purpose.

 

I think that is the kind of thing where kids are more willing to do it bc they don't look different from the other kids, and then it is just in their schedule.

 

There might be a teacher in a non-academic class who could check up with her during class periods, too. Sometimes there are classes like "life skills" or "study skills" that can be like that.

 

It might not be the way to go, but it might be an option. She might want to take all competitive academic classes and be upset to miss taking one.

[hornblower]

We have severe GAD in our family. CBT and meditation help tremendously. Meds if needed.  Explore if she has actual panic disorder because the treatment for that is a bit different than GAD. 

But definitely I'd be looking for someone who does CBT with kids - it's a 12-15 week program and the skills they teach really work. 
 

[Mrs. Tharp]

I second the suggestion for CBT and meditation. Middle school is the age where CBT can really start to work well. By this time, a lot of kids have developed the insight and maturity necessary to be able to apply the techniques. 

[Kat w]

I've had this with 3 of my kids.

Thankfully , we/they knew someone at the school where they could go and just, take a short breather .

Is there a teacher? Or office person that your DC knows?

You mentioned she had previously been in ps.

 

If my kids didn't already know someone, they FOUND one lol.

Whoever they decided they felt comfortable with.

I worked with the school counselor on this , and for her to work with us , as in, allow it to happen :) those are 2 separate things when you get to school . but you have a DX so you shouldn't have trouble.

 

I found it was way easier to get the school counselor on board in middle school. Than in highschool.

 

Breaks were a must for us. None of them could have stayed in ps without them. My boys would go to their old SN teacher.

 

I would maybe Keep her at home for awhe tho. Sounds like she's really grown under you mama :)