Any guesses as to what is going on with my DD?

[*LC]

Hi,

 

I'm writing about my 1st grade daughter, who just turned 7. I think she might have some type of learning difference, but I'm clueless about how to figure out which one.

 

She went to a church kindergarten that was wonderful. She had a great family friend as her teacher. She learned to read without any trouble. This was a concern, because she has an awful time with articulation. She's been in speech therapy since she was 3. At the end of the year, we learned she is extremely far-sighted. In addition, this daughter has a brain malformation that I guess can lead to learning disabilites, however, she has never any major trouble as a preschooler. However, she is quirky and shy. I talked to her teacher last year about it last year before seeing the doctor, the teacher said daughter was a solid B student with no major problems. Upon learning, that DD couldnt' see the Big E on the eye chart, the teacher was amazed at how well she had done.

 

This year this daughter joined our homeschool for 1st grade. She is my 4th child. Over Christmas, we moved to a new community. All the kids are in public school for the first time, because I couldn't handle schooling and moving. The oldest 3 are all doing fine. The 1st grade teacher wants my daughter to repeat 1st grade next year. She has only been there six weeks. In e-mailing the teacher, I know the problem is the teacher not my daughter. (The teacher changes her story; won't meet with me; etc.) The year started bad when my daughter wouldn't tell the teacher her vowels. Of course, my 5th grader wouldn't have done that in 1st grade either. They both know them; they just don't want you to know what they know.

 

However, things don't work the same way for this child as they have for my others, so I'm curious if she does have a learning issue, besides being young, quirky, and shy. They are currently testing her for her speech IEP, and if I want her tested for learning issues I guess it is the time. I know my kids will be home next year, so I want to know what I need to know to make sure this child thrives at home.

 

Her issues:

Math.

Can't recognize patterns, she will sometimes notice counting by 10, but that is it.

At home, she never wanted to admit knowing the next number when counting. This was especially true when you would get to 19, 29, 39, etc.

Addition and subtraction: doesn't remember facts. However, she can do it. But, then she can miss something that she just got right two problems earlier. At school, on the timed test she got 32 out of 50 in 5 minutes. She didn't finish the rest; she only missed one of the ones she answered. Three weeks ago, she answered 10 out 50 correctly. She may have answered them all, but she just copied the top number for her answer on most of them. I have taught her to count up on her fingers even for numbers after 10, and she sometimes uses this to get a number. When she works something in her head, you can see her eyes go back in her head as if she is trying to see something.

Money. Knows the amount coins are worth, but can't apply it.

Time. One day she got all the hour and 1/2 hour problems correct; the next day she missed 6 out of 13. They were the same type of problem.

 

Reading.

She reads fine for a first grader. She doesn't like to stop for sentences. She does fine with phonics and sight words. The school uses Saxon phonics and doesn't like that she can't code sight words. Of course, my 8th grader, who has a 99 in reading and English, couldn't do that either.

She knows 195 out of the 200 words they want her to know.

Reading comprehension: she can't answer questions about what you have read to her. If she has read it, she can do a much better job. However, it is still not automatic. She knows to look back at the story to find a word that is in the question and then will answer with a word from that sentence.

 

When I am working with her on something, she won't answer a direct question that I ask to help her see what is going on with a problem. She will be silent and then give the answer to the problem. Most of the time, she is right. However, the problem we are working with will be something she missed when she did it on her own. In talking it through, I'm trying to give her the steps to work it correctly the first time when she encounters it again on her own.

 

 

Thanks for reading my book. What I'm looking for is advice on whether I should have her tested for anything specific while she is in school to help me teach her at home in the years to come.

 

I'd appreciate any guidance you can offer.

 

LC

[Laurie4b]

This is simpler than you think. Schools do not make medical diagnoses(like ADHD,etc.), so all you need to ask for is that they test her to determine whether she has a specific learning disability. Just write (it has to be in writing) a letter to the director of exceptional children stating that you think that she might have a learning disability of some type and request an evaluation for that.

 

Note that she has difficulty in picking out number patterns, listening comprehension, and memory issues as well. Add the "quirky/shy" part on as a separate issue, but don't write that as an explanation of why she won't say 19, 29, etc. (It confuses things for the reader; you don't really know-- she may get "quirky" when she's having trouble with memory) List as many things as possible that don't seem to fit a 1st grader. That should trigger a WISC-IV and some kind of achievement test,at a minimum which is what you are looking for from the school. The pattern of scores for the WISC-IV subtests is very helpful in understanding the way the child's brain is wired. Having the school do it, gets a very expensive test done free; however, with the brain malformation issue that you mention, it might be covered by insurance to determine the effects of the brain anomaly.

 

Given that your dd has a brain anomaly, my guess is that her quirky behaviors are related to that and that's the medical dx that you would get. Without the brain malformation, quirky/shy tends to make one think of autism spectrum. Given that she is having learning problems as well as the quirky/shy stuff, I would take her for additional evals once the school is done. A developmental pediatrician would be a good place to start.

 

Whether she gets x or y diagnosis is only one piece of the info you are looking for. The other is knowing which areas need to be addressed and get to addressing those underlying cognitive skills as well as the specific academic skills. For instance, if she has memory problems, either remediating that or designing "work-arounds" will be important.

[Shannon C]

I wouldn't be too concerned about the math stuff. What 1st grader has all of their math facts memorized? Timed tests are evil. Maybe she's just a right brainer. I agree though,that if you feel that there might be an issue, you should get her evaluated for a learning difference so you can work with her when she comes back home. You are her mom so you know best if your dd is having issues beyond being a normal 1st grader.

[SonshineLearner]

Maybe she's smarter than you think and doesn't want to deal with the system! Sounds like she might want to come home:-)

 

Carrie:-)

[Mom22ns]

To me it sounds like there could be some real processing and memory issues there. I don't see any kind of a "disorder" that just glares. What you have already been told is true, the school won't diagnose a disorder anyway, all they will do is diagnose if she has low areas and how they impact her education. Then they can make an IEP with goals to improve those areas with OT or other special services to support her educationally. If you get the test results and feel like you see issues that make you want further "diagnosis". Then you will have to get that done privately. It is the school's job to make sure she gets an education, not to medically diagnose her. :001_smile:

 

Debbie

[Ottakee]

One thought first, has she ever had a FULL hearing evaluation? With the articulation issues, not comprehending what she hears as well as if she reads it herself, etc. might indicate that she is not hearing perfectly. My 13dd can pass the "screenings" but when they do the full test problems show up.

 

What brain malformation does she have? Just curious as my 12dd has a Chiari I with other little "holes" in her brain.

[cillakat]

That should trigger a WISC-IV and some kind of achievement test,at a minimum which is what you are looking for from the school.

 

And if it comes down to it, *insisting* on at least those two would be worth it (WISC-IV and an acheivement test)

 

:)

K

[Laurie4b]

I agree . I don't see a clear pattern of any particular disorder, either. However, there are enough questions that I would want to take a look and get an evaluation. Often what looks a little out of place in 1st grade is clearly looking out of place by 3rd. Given that she has the brain malformation and has had the speech/language issues, I think it's worth following up on rather than taking a "wait and see" attitude. The sooner the better is what intervention is all about!

[*LC]

This is simpler than you think. Schools do not make medical diagnoses(like ADHD,etc.), so all you need to ask for is that they test her to determine whether she has a specific learning disability."

 

Thanks, I tend to make things harder than the need to be.

 

We have friends with children with autism disorders, and she isn't that quirky/shy. She has a lot of compassion and is extremely affectionate, if she likes you.

 

I totally agree with you in that the diagnosis is only one piece of the information. The only reason I want a x or y diagnosis is to figure out how best to deal with her education.

 

Thanks again.

[*LC]

She is my left-handed artist, so she could be right brained. Yes, she does want to come home.

 

She is different enough from her siblings in her learning that I wonder if she has a problem, however, I know she can do more than the teacher thinks she can do.

 

I appreciate your thoughts.

[*LC]

To me it sounds like there could be some real processing and memory issues there. I don't see any kind of a "disorder" that just glares.

Debbie

 

"It sounds like she needs time to process information and she is a slow, careful worker. I would totally get the testing for what it's worth and ignore the teacher. She sounds like a pretty normal first grader to me. I would keep an eye on processing issues and really work to help her understand how numbers work. "

 

These are exactly my feelings depending on the day. I guess having her tested would let me know which way I should lean more heavily. My 11-year-old was a slow, quirky learner when he was 7, and he now has no trouble. He does long division in his head, but he is still my absent-minded professor. However, this child's issues seem a bit more pronounced than his ever were. He never had any comprehension trouble.

 

Thanks.

[*LC]

Hearing. That makes sense. Part of her quirkiness, is that she can convince you that she doesn't hear you. She goes for her check-up in a few weeks; I'll talk to her pediatrician then. Last year, we discovered she couldn't see the Big E on the chart. I truly thought she was just being shy and didn't want to answer the nurse. Of course, the eye doctor confirmed that she is extremely far sighted.

 

Her brain abnormality is that three of her ventricles are enlarged and one is not. They thought there was some type of blockage that kept the fourth from being enlarged also, but there is not. This was only discovered, because she was thought to have hydrocephalus as a baby and had CT scans and MRIs for that. She doesn't have that though.

[ChristineMM]

A general idea. Any child with any learning disability suffers from inconsistent learning. They can forget what yesterday they knew down pat. They have off days. I wonder if there is some LD of some kind and on top of it other things are happening that are due to inconsistent memory recall.

 

Also if you notice she can learn better when she reads it but harder time when listening to the spoken nearly same thing, maybe it is an auditory processing problem.

 

I have just finished reading Richard Lavoie's latest book "The Motivation Breakthrough" which is about all kids and includes special info for kids with LDs. It is 400 pages and a very useful book. Some things about LDs in general with kids and behavior, school and home life both, I learned for the first time. MOre info, I reviewed it on my blog here...

 

http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.com/2009/02/motivation-breakthrough-book-review-by.html

 

Lastly any teacher saying a child should stay back a year should have a face to face meeting. If she doesn't give you a meeting ASAP I'd call the principal for a meeting. That is ridiculous to get you upset with saying that and then fail to follow-through. Very unprofessional.