Re: Teenage Frustration/Anger/Math

[Guest guest]

>

> There is something seriously wrong going on in schools nowadays.

> The teachers I've talked with about this say they'd like to teach

the old way and their own way,,,,but the curriculums are being changed

and they HAVE to follow the things....and the testing....ugh.

It is not like this everywhere. Our schools still make kids memorize

their math facts. Grades 1-5, every night pretty much. I used to

hate it, but maybe I should have appreciated it!

I'll tell you the last thing they did in 5th grade to make sure they

really had their multiplication tables memorized. After they

successfully did this, they could finally stop. Maybe it will help

those of you with struggling memorizers, maybe not, I don't know.

First, they filled in a grid with the numbers 0-12 in order across the

top row and down one side. For example, the square where the row with

a 6 intersected the column with a 6 was supposed to be filled in with

the answer to 6 X 6. You fill in the whole grid.

They practiced filling this grid in in this order first for awhile.

In other grades they had learned little songs and other crutches for

memorizing the groups of facts. The purpose of filling this grid out

with the numbers in this order is so the student can see the patterns.

This helps them memorize it even better than whatever they were doing

before. Try it and you'll see what I mean.

Then they move on to mixing up the numbers. Every day, the numbers

across the top and down the side are in a different order. They have

to fill out the grid in under 2 or 3 minutes (I can't remember

exactly). The idea is that they have to have it memorized to fill it

out that fast. The key is to NOT give them enough time to calculate

the facts if they aren't memorized.

When they succeed in filling out the grid 3 days, they are considered

to have the facts memorized and can stop.

Hope this helps.

Ruth

[Guest guest]

There is a certified MATH learning disability called dyscalculia. You

can Google it for lots of great information. Just as there is

dysgraphia in writing and dyslexia, dycscalulia affects the ability

especially to learn math facts such as the times tables. We have

literally spent thousands in tutors with our DS, 23, to no success. If

he has a calculator, though, he can work the problems.

There are also special teaching methods, one is called " touch points "

that in a way is " counting on your fingers " that help children with

this be successful.

After reading about it, I could see it in myself in so many ways, too.

Especially since I am a " map turner. " I have a difficult time reading

a map unless I can turn it in the direction I am going and have been

laughed at many times for rotating it to figure out, now is that a

left or right hand turn...just one of the possible symptoms.

Sue in TN

> > > I think his case manager is observing to see if she can figure

> out

> > >why he's shutting down. But I'll definitely ask to see if she (or

> > >anyone else) has time.......He eats lunch with one of his Spec Ed

> > >teachers and really enjoys that.>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>

> >

> > Have you asked him what is causing him to shutdown? It could be to

> > many demands coming at him at once. I have asked my son (13 yrs

> old)

> > what causes him to shutdown and he is able to tell me usually by

> the

> > next day as he needs time to process what has happened doing the

> day (I

> > feel it takes Aspergers kids longer to process everyday things so

> that

> > they can get it straight in their minds).

> >

> > I wonder if you have thought about seeing if he could spend some

> one on

> > one time with this Sped Ed teacher so that they could go outside

> and he

> > could jump, scream, run around (good to help them stay on task) if

> he

> > is doing what he is suppose to do as this could be a reward for him

> for

> > getting his work done.????

> >

> > Marj

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > No virus found in this incoming message.

> > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg. com

> > Version: 8.0.173 / Virus Database: 270.7.5/1703 - Release Date:

> 10/2/2008 7:46 AM

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Yes, a map-turner and difficulty with left and right, have to stop and

think. You should see me turn myself into a human compass when I have

to figure out a direction! My DH, on the other hand, if you ask him,

in any situation, which way is say " north " he will immediately know

without a thought. I have to stop and calculate OK, the sun is over

there and so north is that way...

When DS started driving (a horror story all it's own) we were sure he

would get lost ALL the time because of his dyscalculia, but somehow,

he didn't. There was one time when he called us about 9 pm, he was in

a parking garage and couldn't remember at all where he had parked his

car! Wanted us to come help and we told him to start with floor one

and go up and LOOK. He never forgot again to note where he had parked.

Sue in TN

> > > > I think his case manager is observing to see if she can figure

> > out

> > > >why he's shutting down. But I'll definitely ask to see if she (or

> > > >anyone else) has time.......He eats lunch with one of his Spec Ed

> > > >teachers and really enjoys that.>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>

> > >

> > > Have you asked him what is causing him to shutdown? It could be to

> > > many demands coming at him at once. I have asked my son (13 yrs

> > old)

> > > what causes him to shutdown and he is able to tell me usually by

> > the

> > > next day as he needs time to process what has happened doing the

> > day (I

> > > feel it takes Aspergers kids longer to process everyday things so

> > that

> > > they can get it straight in their minds).

> > >

> > > I wonder if you have thought about seeing if he could spend some

> > one on

> > > one time with this Sped Ed teacher so that they could go outside

> > and he

> > > could jump, scream, run around (good to help them stay on task) if

> > he

> > > is doing what he is suppose to do as this could be a reward for him

> > for

> > > getting his work done.????

> > >

> > > Marj

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > No virus found in this incoming message.

> > > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg. com

> > > Version: 8.0.173 / Virus Database: 270.7.5/1703 - Release Date:

> > 10/2/2008 7:46 AM

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Wow, Ruth.� Wonderful.

> Where are you?

> He hee.

I'm in Texas. The quality of public schools varies greatly here; My

kids are in highly rated schools. I think the great variance is

because a lot of the better school districts create their own

curriculum and goals that sit on top of the state's curriculum and

goals. Then individual schools and teachers/teams can play with it

too. As long as they are adding to the top rather than taking away, I

don't think anybody cares. Unfortunately, they haven't always dealt

with all aspects of Asperger as well as they deal with academics in

general. But I do appreciate the fact that I don't really need to

worry about education in general too much.

Ruth

[Guest guest]

>

> Now as far as you need only 2-3 hours...explain...I always knew that

if you homeschooled you could do it in a shorter period of

time...because there is no changing of class time, no lunch time,� no

homeroom time, etc....but 2-3 hours and that is it a day?????

> �

> Also, Marj....what would he do all day alone....play Xbox...

I agree with you, Jan. So, you're going to come home from working all

day and spend your entire evening homeschooling?! You would have no

downtime for yourself and you could do nothing recreational/run

errands with your family during the week. How would you get your

daily housework done? What about your kids' sports and activities?

When would you have time to plan the curriculum and do grading? What

about the days you need to work overtime? And your kid(s) would be

spending the 10 or 11 hours you are gone home alone doing what? Not

many Asperger kids work well on their own, and if they did, what kind

of life is that being at home all day alone by yourself? Sounds

miserable for everyone to me!

Ruth

[Guest guest]

I just recently decided to start homeschooling all 3 of my kids

including (and mostly because of) my two aspies. If I take all the

time (and stress) that goes into getting them ready in the morning,

going to the school to pick them up when they have a huge meltdown,

taking whatever essential thing that was accidentally left at home

over to the school in the middle of the day, talking on the phone to

school staff, IEP meetings,and finally hours of homework help each

day... homeschool sounds like it's going to be a much needed break for

all of us. Besides, at home and in the community I can much more

easily capitalize on their special interests and visual/spatial

learning style. I know that many folks don't have the option to

homeschool, and I feel very fortunate that I'm able to.

Speaking of learning style though, I've been wanting to jump in for

days to address the worry some of you expressed about math. Most of

our kids have the visual/spatial learning style. Take a look at this

site, I think you'll see your aspie described in it:

http://www.gifteddevelopment.com/Visual_Spatial_Learner/vsl.htm

It explains a lot of the frustration our kids experience in school.

Janice

NC

 

> > 3. He needs to socialize and be around other kids

> > 4. I work>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>

> I would have to say that my son got more socialization when I pulled

> him out half way through the 5th grade due to a bad teacher. We did

> more outside activities while homeschooled than he ever got being in

> school all day. Outside activities I mean are like going to the art

> musuem and doing the family center there with other homeschoolers...and

> going to the park with other homeschoolers.

>

> As far as a mom who works you can homeschool in the evenings or on the

> weekends. All you need is 2-3 hours a day for homeschooling and you

> can have him go with you when running errands and he can learn that way

> as well.

>

> Marj

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Speaking of learning style though, I've been wanting to jump in for

> days to address the worry some of you expressed about math. Most of

> our kids have the visual/spatial learning style.

I don't know about " most " . People need to be careful about this

because many aspies also have non-verbal learning disorder, which is a

visual/information processing disorder. So, they are very much NOT

visual-spatial learners. If your child has problems reading maps,

does poorly with construction toys, he or she is not a visual-spatial

learner.

Ruth

[Guest guest]

Yes, there are some who don't fall into the category of visual/spatial

learners. But, if your kids love legos, art, video games, computers,

comics, making things, and seem disorganized, then they are most

likely visual/spatial learners. Schools usually teach to the

sequential learning style, which none of the many aspies that I know

of takes to very well.

Janice

> >

> > Speaking of learning style though, I've been wanting to jump in for

> > days to address the worry some of you expressed about math. Most of

> > our kids have the visual/spatial learning style.

>

> I don't know about " most " . People need to be careful about this

> because many aspies also have non-verbal learning disorder, which is a

> visual/information processing disorder. So, they are very much NOT

> visual-spatial learners. If your child has problems reading maps,

> does poorly with construction toys, he or she is not a visual-spatial

> learner.

>

> Ruth

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Okay Ruth...please explain...I understand the part about visual

learning ...and I think a lot of the kids are this way ...at least the

ones I work with in school...and i think my son is too. What is the

other thing you mentioned.

> �

> I know I should be reading more about AS and learning and learing

difficulties but I am so tired....

Well, it is not something you need to bother yourself about unless

your aspie has it. Nonverbal learning disability is also known as

NLD, so you could google that too. An quick and easy red flag to look

for is in your child's IQ scores. If there is a big difference

between their verbal comprehension index and their perceptual

reasoning index, more than, say 15 points and especially if there is

like 30 points difference, you might want to check further. Some

other red flags, other than those I've already mentioned--getting lost

in everyday situations like school and one's own neighborhood, not

being able to tell left from right, difficulty making sense of

worksheets, having a hard time " finding " things, not being able to

understand when someone " shows " them how to do something but can

understand when it is put into words--that's all I can think of off

the top of my head. For some reason, kids with NLD tend to have very

high IQs with many of them being intellectually gifted. Kids with NLD

are auditory learners.

Ruth