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Discuss with others
Posted: 10 Aug 2005 10:49 AM |
| Discuss with others how demystifying a learning profile with a student helped. Were you able to see the student understand his mind better? Were you able to see improvement in their work and attitude? |
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 JanFay
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| Joined: 25 Oct 2005 |
| Total Posts: 2 |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 25 Oct 2005 02:06 PM |
Hi - My son, who is 8 and in the 3rd grade in a public school has been diagnosed -by the school - as having asperger's (social unawareness mostly) , at risk for ADD (he is not hyperactive at all), speech processing disorder - in receptive and expressive speech. Prior to this "educational" diagnosis a neurologist mentioned that he could have autism spectrum disorder and could make a case for ADD.
All disfunctions are very mild. He is very high functioning but when added together and put in a 3rd grade classroom setting he has problems. I have "demystified" him on the speech issues, on the social issues, and this has helped. I am now trying to demystify him on the attention issues. I have talked about self-control and how it is something he needs to work on extra hard. Time will tell if he will mature to the level of mastering the self control it requires to pay attention in school. Teachers have mentioned that others like him have been on medication and now they get strait "A"s. This is out of the question for his father and I, especially since he is so high functioning...it would just be for the convenience of the teacher. He has no problem focusing on his baseball games, on go-cart racing, fishing with his dad for 6 hours (and not catching a thing!). He just has trouble when it is something that does not compete hard enough for his attention.
I would love to hear back from someone like me, or a professional, who has been though an attention problem with a child that has learned to compensate and how they fostered that kind of growth with out medication.
p.s. I went to Dr. Levine's program in Richmond last spring and am familiar with his methods.
Thank you,
Jan Fay |
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twendi
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| Joined: 28 Oct 2005 |
| Total Posts: 1 |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 28 Oct 2005 12:52 PM |
Hi JanFay,
I have three children and two that have learning disabilities my youngest having Down syndrome which she is two and a half.
I always struggle with my oldest son, in which has been diagnosed with a learning disability for reading most of his life. He is slow learning words and he is very easily distracted. I asked the professionals many months ago about my concern with his not being able to consentrate and nothing was said after this. He is in is second year of high school now and the professionals just did a re-evaluation and are telling me that they are seeing some kind of consentration problem. Sometimes it is very aggravating that the schools are being told something by the parents and it takes a very long time and sometimes too late because someone overlooked it. I also take responsibility for this too because I have had so much focus on my daugther having Down syndrome that I sometimes forget that my son needs to have the attention in this area as well, just not as much.
I will be taking him to see his doctor for a referral to see a specialist to either rule out or diagnose him with ADD, he is not hyper either, unless he eats too much sugar.
I feel that for the most part this is a learning experience and the professionals can give us, as parents some guidelines, but we are the ones who can tell the most about our children to the doctors because we are around them the most.
I think it is really good that these support links and groups are available out there for parents like us who are trying to help our children become the best that they can be with what ever they have been given.
Also, I have been told that children who can be diagnosed with ADD and things like Autism, that diet can help a tramendous amount, but this is a tough thing, because the diets a very strict, if your child is not picky it is easier. I myself have started right from the very beginning with diet with my daughter who has DS and it does help things a great deal. I keep her away from pastas with wheat and too much sugars, these things are not good for the brain and any doctor who knows well about the human body will tell you this. A diet that is high in fruits and vegetables and low in carbs and about 20% protiens are what most should be on and you would see a major difference. I have even tried this diet with myself and it increases energy and consentration by an incredible amount, but staying on the diet is not easy.
Thanks for the discussion
Wendy Tobin |
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JanFay
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| Joined: 25 Oct 2005 |
| Total Posts: 2 |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 08 Nov 2005 08:10 AM |
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for your reply. I have a good friend who is an OT and currently getting her certification in sensory processing disorders. She has said for years that Alex, my son, and her daughter (now 5) could benefit from OT. The OT report at the school said he had a "definite difference" in vestibular processing and that he was under arroused. He therefore fidgits and wiggles all day in order to modulate himself. He is trying hard to arrouse himself into a state of engagement.
I don't know if you have looked into sensory issues, you probably have. I find that most parents and school teachers and LD teachers too are unaware that many kids that are labeled ADD actually are unfocused because they cannot modulate themselves to a point where their concentration is high enough to focus and be in the learning mode.
We will be trying different things during the day now. Once a week Alex will get training on different things he can do in the classroom to keep himself "aware". And at different times he will go into the OT room and jump on the trampoline. The OT also said to sign him up for Karate or Tai Kwon Do.
I have no idea how this would apply to your older boy. Just a thought. Thank you for your reply.
Jan Fay |
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dacarama
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| Joined: 09 Nov 2005 |
| Total Posts: 1 |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 10 Apr 2006 09:29 AM |
| I have come to realize that my daughter's learning disabilities (dyslexia, ADD, expressive and processing issues) are just one part of who she is. She is a thoughtful, caring, hard-working 12 year old. She has been told from early on that she is a bright kid and very empathetic who learns differently. She now is able to advocate in an unentitled and positive way for what she needs in the school system. For a long time, the disability was all her father and I could focus on. As she continues to grow and mature, we see her speaking up for herself when necessary and succeeding in school in a way that her father and I could only have dreamed about. I guess it comes down, at least for us, to seeing the whole child and helping her to see herself as a whole person with one piece being a learning diability. |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 11 Jun 2007 01:09 AM |
| i am a special educator teaching l.d. children last 7 years. i have seen demystifacation works very well.one instance i would like to share with u all.one of my student aged 12 used to make lots of grammetical error while answering questions.i discussed with her about it .in the end she started answering properly.really demystification did wonders in her case |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 13 Jul 2007 02:28 AM |
Dear Jan Fay,
I'm a sensory motor practitioner and have seen and heard of many cases similar to your son. There is some things we need to learn from these children. Something that goes far deeper than traditional education.
In their need to be better in school we categorize them into this or that so they can fit in with the learning conditions of the educational system. Never before have I seen the school have so many unique and diverse children Maybe its time we re-think "how" learning begins (and not necessarly from the outside but from the inside).
Avenues that stir the enthusiasm of a unique mind could bring new and creative skills to education. If you are in the position to send your child to a private school you may want to check out Montessori or Waldorf schools. If not check out the school districts where the superintentant is open to innovative ways of education and gives teachers more free reins on how and what to teach. Hats off to all the teachers around the country who want to learn from these children the "how" they learn verses how we want to teach them.
All children regardless of condition can learn.
Aloha,
Catherine
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Dr.Rama
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| Joined: 03 Dec 2007 |
| Total Posts: 1 |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 03 Dec 2007 07:34 AM |
Hi,
My 9 year old son has somewhat the the same profile of your (jan fay)son. He has similar issues of Learning alongside
1.mild autism/ aspergers,
2. attentional issues ( no problem in focussing on computer games ,play station or anything that he is intersted in ) ,
3.memory / sequencing issues,
4.mild logic problems -
the doctors in INDIA have diagnosed him as mixed developmental disorder. I have been considering the issue of medication for him for the attentional issues though the doctors in India feel that it will not work for him . ( because he does not fall under the pure add /adhd group where the problem is with frontal lobe activity levels and biochemistry ).
But in kids like my son the entire neuro developmental profile is compromised though very minimally , so there are multiple issues though subtle.... ? medication ? neuro stimulants.
I request you to share your experience , Iam sorry I dont have anything substantial to help you by my being in this side of the world .
I work very hard with him making every incident a learning experience in the play-way method. I also do a lot of repitition to address his memory issues . he is also goes for special education in an organisation affiliated to all kinds of minds here in New Delhi .
May I ask Why is that you (jan fay) chose not to medicate your son . Was it a personal choice or suggested by your clinician ?
How did you address/ addressing the social issues ? Looking forward to some useful inputs .
Thank you ,
Rama |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 25 Apr 2008 01:31 PM |
I just rec'd a call after my 9 year old, 3rd grade son had been tested at school today. He is a straight A student. The "tester" told me how smart he is, but he has a "glitch" with his abstract memory, in that he has a hard time remembering instructions..like repeating the order of numbers given him. She is worried about as he gets older, other teachers will not undertand, and that we need to find him some "copiung mechanisms" now. My father and his sister both had alzheimers...I feel like I am a time bomb, and now with this..wonder if this is some effect of the alzheimers on my son???? The tester said that Dr Levine has "testing" sites for the kids...desparatly would like any info regarding this???
thanks for the help
Rose Ann Ward |
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Re: Discuss with others
Posted: 09 Oct 2008 11:24 PM |
As an educator with experience with students diagnosed and then medicated or not, I can tell you that even with medication, there are still major challenges to be faced depending on the child. I have seen kids who are medicated and still have a lot of difficulties while others are highly functional and when the medication wears off it is intensely obvious and they turn from a child who can function in a classroom into a child who is completely non-functional with meltdowns, panic, anger, and outbursts. Then there are the ones who even with medication, are still unable to cope. These are the kids with severe LDs on top of the ADD/ADHD. The kids who really do need medication and don't get it become (in my experience) even more socially delayed because they miss social cues as they grow up (due to inattention), they are more prone to temper tantrums (due to frustration when they miss what's happening), and this can negatively impact their self-esteem as they become old enough to notice how different they are from their peers.
I know that medicating a child is a very difficult decision for parents to make. I might recommend that it could be tried and it is likely that you will be able to determine if it was a good idea in a fairly short time. If it isn't making an obvious difference for the better, take them off it and go back to how things were.
You mention that you think the idea of medication is just for making the teacher's job easier. I think you need to remember that this teacher is possibly spending a lot more time with your child than you are and they are also working with many other children with their own unique qualities. If you help this teacher have an easier job, this will benefit the whole class, including your child. I can say that the kids who don't get the medication and can handle it are the ones who have high self-esteem, high intelligence, flexible teachers, no learning disabilities and no receptive speech problems or underlying psychoses. |
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