Re: Re: Getting the right diagnosis (long)

[Guest guest]

<< Maybe we can help you brainstorm. What are your child's

weakest areas? Also did you mention if testing has been done? Scores

can help point you in the right direction. >>

Well, this turned out a whole lot longer than I anticipated. Bear with

me. You all are so helpful!

His weakest area in school is the physical part of writing. And since

he doesn't like to write, his

idea formulation is very weak. The less he thinks, the less he has to

write. He had to

copy a couple of paragraphs the RSP teacher helped him formulate about

the Central Valley.

(Mommy learned something. LOL) If he actually copies it, it doesn't

even look like English.

But I read it to him a few words at a time, and it was quite legible.

But the words run together at times.

He is left handed and doesn't grip his pencil all the time. When you

are left handed, you have to think

about moving your hand across the page as you write. He doesn't all the

time. So the pencil slips

out of his hand slowly. But he's still attempting to write. How many

thousands times have I told

him to hold on and move his hand?

He went through he gamut of sped testing last spring. They found no LD,

but he scored over 100

on the emotional liability portion of the Connors assessment (where 70

or over is clinically significant.)

He withdrawals and outbursts (mostly at school--at home it's more

pouting and dramatic gestures of

collapse.)

He seems to pay no attention that someone is having a conversation with

another and just starts talking. Does seems to know how to solve simple

logisitical problems....like

what do you say when you need something from your desk, but your desk

partner has scooted over

too much and you don't have access? He reacts with daylong moodiness

if someone makes the slightest

comment to him on the playground about any difference he has.

He has sensory problems with moderate unexpected touch, hypersensitive

reaction to smells and tastes.

Very clumsy, horrible sense of direction, awkward attempted use of his

hands. He doesn't always appreciate

his opposable thumb. Disorganized--not sure what he needs, and when he

figures that out, doesn't know where

to find it. Doesn't like his face washed or hair brushed (and is not

coordinated enough to brush his own hair.)

Haircuts were going fine for the past couple years, but during the last

one he was shaking and hoping it would

just end.

What we do at home: help him think through situations and come up with

reasonable steps to solution

(with more patience sometimes than others), avoid the obvious sensory

triggers, provide him a balanced diet

of foods he actually likes, have friends over--one at a time--for short

durations,

provide plenty of time to get things done (like getting dressed or

finding things), avoid buying clothes

that have buttons, snaps, zips, ties.

What the school does: limit homework time, and assist in writing

assignments (all subjects).

After writing this, I must say that unless you spend alot of time with

him,you might not know he has any

" problems " at all. For some period of time in most normal situations,

he's okay. At church he's very

into the service and polite to everyone (except the week we sat in front

of the A/C.)

He loves scouts and pretty much acts like all the other boys. If he

has one friend over for 3 or 4 hours,

it's fine. He's very imaginative and creative. He cares about other

people.

He's home sick today. Not that he's in misery, but he has a

stuffy/runny nose. Most kids would take

some Triaminic and go with a hanky in their pocket. My kid has the

*hardest* time using kleenex

or a hanky to blow his nose Instead he wipes it all across his face

with his hand. Lovely.

So we're just keeping our germs at home today.

Jackie

PAtrick (9, 4th grade, GATE and 49% sped for ED)

ph (7, due to be assessed for " something " soon, too)

[Guest guest]

<<Organization - well, we haven't conquered that yet with my 14.5 yr

old!! >>

I am still working on my 38 year old with that one.

I won't lie--I misplace things, I don't put them where they

belong right away. I wonder if I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached....but my

husband will temporary lose everything that is not in his firm grip. Which

would be okay, if he then didn't get so frustrated everytime! If was the

running joke that I couldn't leave the house when he went for Scout meetings,

because I would have to come save him by delivering something he forgot. He has

to tough it out now because I have Scout meetings the same nights. LOL

I kid you not, I have a sore knee from all the twisting I have to do to step

over things in this house to get from one room to the other! And this week

has been awful--I can't seem to get motivated to do anything. That gave me the

chance to get addicted to West Wing reruns.

We are seriously talking about renting a dumpster for a week and making a date

to clean out the garage, which will eventually help the house.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

<<Have they not offered him

OT yet for his writing & pencil grasp and any sensory problems?? >>

Nope. I thought for sure that would be addressed the first time around

considering his difficulties. Honestly, you need a degree in cryptology to

decifer his writing most of the time. They did an evaluation for adaptive PE

and he was just above the cutoff for services. The nurse's evaluation noted

several motor problem areas (which I don't have in front of me.) He can write

legibly (not overly neat) but it takes him *forever*.

Since Kindergarten they've been writing " print neatly " on his papers with no

success. He used to fall out of his chair in K, although that seems to have

worked itself out for the most part.

One biggy is that it took him *years* to figure out how to hold his chair as

they carried them out to assembly on the playground. It would take him twice as

long to get out to the playground, then he wouldn't be able to find his class.

He figured out a way to do it that works for him, but it's definitely not the

standard way.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

I sometimes post pictures of my LR/DR for my online friends...so they won't feel

so bad about their own homes.

But the present condition is even too bad to show to long time friends! LOL

Husbands should have hobbies, but not 20, and not all scattered all over the

living areas of the house at the same time.

My backyard is good only because I've had a pool party and a scout meeting back

there recently. Give it two weeks and that " tidy " might not describe it.

Jackie

( ) Re: Getting the " right " diagnosis (long)

Ahem, well, your house sounds like mine! No husband but I can

identify with the knee-twisting to walk across a room and also the

garage! Oh, and the front porch too!

[Guest guest]

Jackie,

Would a doctor's recommendation for Adaptive PE take precedence over the school

evaluation? takes APE, even though he's thoroughly capable of taking

regular pe, on the basis that regular PE would be too stressful. When he started

taking APE (6th grade), it was on the recommendation of his psychiatrist and his

pediatrician. Now the lead teacher of his special ed program just automatically

includes it.

Liz

Jackie Geipel wrote:

> <<Have they not offered him

> OT yet for his writing & pencil grasp and any sensory problems?? >>

>

> Nope. I thought for sure that would be addressed the first time around

considering his difficulties. Honestly, you need a degree in cryptology to

decifer his writing most of the time. They did an evaluation for adaptive PE

and he was just above the cutoff for services. The nurse's evaluation noted

several motor problem areas (which I don't have in front of me.) He can write

legibly (not overly neat) but it takes him *forever*.

>

> Since Kindergarten they've been writing " print neatly " on his papers with no

success. He used to fall out of his chair in K, although that seems to have

worked itself out for the most part.

> One biggy is that it took him *years* to figure out how to hold his chair as

they carried them out to assembly on the playground. It would take him twice as

long to get out to the playground, then he wouldn't be able to find his class.

> He figured out a way to do it that works for him, but it's definitely not the

standard way.

>

> Jackie

>

>

[Guest guest]

<<Would a doctor's recommendation for Adaptive PE take precedence over the

school evaluation? takes APE, even though he's thoroughly capable of

taking regular pe, on the basis that regular PE would be too stressful.>>

Hmmmm.. never thought of that before. I'll have to look into that.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

> I kid you not, I have a sore knee from all the twisting I have to

do to step over things in this house to get from one room to the

other! And this week has been awful--I can't seem to get motivated

to do anything. That gave me the chance to get addicted to West Wing

reruns.

>

> We are seriously talking about renting a dumpster for a week and

making a date to clean out the garage, which will eventually help the

house.

>

> Jackie

You are watching the wrong channel. TLC has a new show called

something like, " Mission organization " and they send a team of

organizers to your home and clean you out.

When the TV isn't on Bravo, it's on TLC. LOL Or is it HGTV? What is

that show called--

Clean Sweep? Annoying hostess, but I like the work they do.

I did renew my good name starting Friday night and cleaned up several

rooms. It's no longer

an obstacle course to get to my bed, or through the living room. The

kitchen is good except

DH dragged out some more game miniatures to paint. I heard a rumor

that people buy

kitchen and dining room tables to actually *eat* on, but I think that is

urban legend.

I have been laying not-so-subtle hints with the DH that he needs to

clean this stuff up.

He just fans everything out around his computer when he's working. And

his computer is

in the living room! I don't mind transitory mess. I make plenty of it

myself. The house

certainly doesn't need to be company ready every night before bed. But

it's getting ridiculous.

Some of this stuff hasn't moved for months. I am sure some of it hasn't

moved for years.

I don't know if he has work to do this week, but if he doesn't, he is

going to start

on his living piles. Whether he likes it or not. I won't even make him

watch

ER while he's doing it.

Jackie

[Guest guest]

you all make me laugh!!!! hgtv clean sweep. they are interesting to watch.

which does interfer with housework. oh well who cares?!!!!!!hahahaha Betty

RE: ( ) Re: Getting the " right " diagnosis (long)

> I kid you not, I have a sore knee from all the twisting I have to

do to step over things in this house to get from one room to the

other! And this week has been awful--I can't seem to get motivated

to do anything. That gave me the chance to get addicted to West Wing

reruns.

>

> We are seriously talking about renting a dumpster for a week and

making a date to clean out the garage, which will eventually help the

house.

>

> Jackie

You are watching the wrong channel. TLC has a new show called

something like, " Mission organization " and they send a team of

organizers to your home and clean you out.

When the TV isn't on Bravo, it's on TLC. LOL Or is it HGTV? What is

that show called--

Clean Sweep? Annoying hostess, but I like the work they do.

I did renew my good name starting Friday night and cleaned up several

rooms. It's no longer

an obstacle course to get to my bed, or through the living room. The

kitchen is good except

DH dragged out some more game miniatures to paint. I heard a rumor

that people buy

kitchen and dining room tables to actually *eat* on, but I think that is

urban legend.

I have been laying not-so-subtle hints with the DH that he needs to

clean this stuff up.

He just fans everything out around his computer when he's working. And

his computer is

in the living room! I don't mind transitory mess. I make plenty of it

myself. The house

certainly doesn't need to be company ready every night before bed. But

it's getting ridiculous.

Some of this stuff hasn't moved for months. I am sure some of it hasn't

moved for years.

I don't know if he has work to do this week, but if he doesn't, he is

going to start

on his living piles. Whether he likes it or not. I won't even make him

watch

ER while he's doing it.

Jackie