Math for Special Needs?

[Renee in NC]

My 7yo cannot get math (he'll be 8 in March.) It took him many, many months and much drill to be able to count to 10 succesfully. He still cannot name all the numbers if you show them to him (0-9.) We drill and we drill and we drill and he still can't move forward. We use manipulatives. If I ask him to write a "5" he might or might not get it right, but anything over that he cannot. (He can *copy* it if I write it first, but he doesn't seem to connect any of it.)

 

Is there something out there that could help him, or do I just continue to plod along best I can?

 

This is not just a math issue - he can't blend letter sounds into words, either. We looked into testing this summer and it was going to be $2000. It seems that the school will do some of that for free, but it would not be comprehensive (and I worry about going to the school system for testing causing problems.)

[EKS]

My son was like this. He has dyslexia, various sensory processing issues, and ADD. Take a look at the books Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz and The Mislabeled Child by Brock and Fernette Eide. These books would be a good starting point with what you've described.

[Quiver0f10]

Take a look at the books Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz

 

I second this book and wanted to say that MUS has been a blessing for my 9 yo son. We just started a few weesk ago and I can literally see it clicking for him.

[jensway]

We use MUS. There is a program called Touch Math that I have seen used at the PS for kids not getting math. You might want to check this link out. :001_smile:

http://www.touchmath.com/

Edited October 28, 2008 by jensway
tense error

[hsmamainva]

Math-U-See was excellent for my oldest son! He really needed to visually see math and used the manipulatives to understand math concepts (although that is no longer the case now).

 

I've also heard good things about Right Start math for special needs children, but I haven't seen it 'up close and personal'.

[cillakat]

Sounds dyslexic/dyscalculic.

 

Get Sally Shaywitz's book _Overcoming Dyslexia_. Read it:) Take notes on it. Mark it up. Read it again.

 

You'll figure out what you need to do to overcome the reading issue......you'll have to do the same for math. It'll be comprehensive, multi-sensory, incremental, systematic, *explicit* etc etc.

 

For reading there are 'off the shelf' programs you can use like Barton (perfect for the home educator), Wilson (what I use with my girls), Recipe for Reading

 

Find a way to get the testing done by a qualified, experienced Educational Psychologist. Call call and call some more until you find sliding scale or reduced fees, or svcs at a university etc etc. The testing is really the beginning of knowing what to do and how.

http://www.nrrf.org/essay_Explicit_or_Implicit_Phonics.html

 

wilsonlanguage.com (used at the Atlanta Speech School....school for dyslexic and other ld kids...)

http://www.bartonreading.com/ (scripted for the non trained 'tutor')

 

Recipe for Reading....used at the schenk school (atlanta)....school for language based ld's, most commonly dyslexia.

http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/series.asp?seriesonly=491M

 

Touch Phonics. looks amazing. had I known about this 2 years ago, i'd have done it:

http://www.epsbooks.com/dynamic/catalog/series.asp?subject=62S&subjectdesc=Intervention&series=8800M

 

HEC Reading Horizons

http://www.readinghorizonsathome.com/homeschool.aspx

http://www.readinghorizons.com/solutions/materials/markets/elementary.aspx

 

"direct instruction" math

http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/specconn/main.php?cat=instruction&section=main&subsection=di/math

 

"Read, Write and Type!"

Evidence based typing, reading, spelling, writing intervention:

talkingfingers.com $25 off for registering for the free trial...they email you the code. Dont' wait.....get it asap. It's worth it. Nothing else comes close for typing, plus the benefit of evidence based dyslexia/spelling intervention? Best deal around. It's not comprehensive though....needs to be used with a comprehensive program.

 

 

 

Fwiw, everything you do for reading, you'll probably be doing for math....lots of manipulatives, very montessori, but very 'direct instruction'/explicit instruction rather than 'exploration'/let him figure it out.

 

{{{hugs}}}

[Renee in NC]

Thanks for the ideas.

 

I read Overcoming Dyslexia and it seemed to fit him, but he has even more issues than that, I believe. He was Failure to Thrive and had a host of problems from 6 months to 2 years. Since then, he seems to have always been about 18 months behind developmentally.

 

I have not found *any* professional willing to work with me - the best I have been offered is an application for a credit card for medical expenses. Can't do it. Even the universities want $600+!

 

I am going to start a spin-off thread.

[TraceyS/FL]

My DD had similar struggles - still does, but hey - she can count past 10 now its progress!

 

Hers clicked more between 8-9 (she turned 9 in June). So we are ready to progress on and see what happens next.

 

She is the child that if you held up 5 fingers on one hand - she had to count them. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. But she can almost make it to 100 now! MUS has been what doesn't frustrate her.

 

:grouphug: We also can't afford testing and am without insurance so i feel your pain.

[Renee in NC]

My DD had similar struggles - still does, but hey - she can count past 10 now its progress!

 

Hers clicked more between 8-9 (she turned 9 in June). So we are ready to progress on and see what happens next.

 

She is the child that if you held up 5 fingers on one hand - she had to count them. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. But she can almost make it to 100 now! MUS has been what doesn't frustrate her.

 

:grouphug: We also can't afford testing and am without insurance so i feel your pain.

 

That's good to know. He can hold up 7 fingers to tell you how old he is, but he is just now getting to the stage where he can tell you "7".