If you came here from a place other than my other blog LIZA'S EYEVIEW, then you haven't read my posts there yet about LD related issues and stuff. I posted them there before I decided to start a blog specific to LD. So here's the link to those posts: CLICK HERE
I will probably repost some of it here later..but for now, please go there and check it out.
5 comments:
this is awesome :)
both my girls are dyslexic. i knew right off b/c my mother and sister are also dyslexic, but it took three years to convince teachers with my now 9 year old b/c her iq was so high she was able to compensate - her grades were always high b's and a's.
my youngest is dyslexic and adhd and a few other things, too. we are fortunate to live in a metro area with some of the best physician specialists in her fields of need.
i knew from the time she was in my womb she was different. it took a few years, but after a lot of research and a year of sensory physical therapy, we were able to nail down most all of her diagnoses by the age of 4 1/2 - several months before she began kinder. i was not surprised by the adhd as i have another sister who is also adhd.
the spring before she began kinder, i began talking to the principal of the school - my oldest was already there. by the time youngest began kinder, the principal had all her records from her pt and physicians, had an extra teacher assigned to her room for the first two weeks of school just for her, and worked continuously daily with her teacher just for my daughter. i could call or drop by the school at any time and the principal would know what was going on b/c she had been in the classroom. the teachers continuously adapt to her needs and abilities and learning level in the classroom.
once she had been in kinder for several weeks and they had the data they needed, they began the qualification process for special ed. before christmas, she was completely into special ed. they make many accomodations for her, all outlined in her IEP (individual education plan), we have at least one ARD (admission, review, dismissal [into special ed]) meeting a year, but i am able to request as many as i desire, so we have one in the fall a few months after school begins, and we have one at the very end of the school year - evaluating her progress from the previous year and setting a plan already in motion to begin the first day of her coming year.
the school system we are in will not test for dyslexia until the end of first, and she is in first. but we all know she has it, so her teacher, who has special ed experience, works with her one-on-one during school and one day a week after school. she also sees a reading specialist and an OT regularly.
in a few months the Language Science teacher will test her for dyslexia and a game plan will be created and ready for implementation the beginning of second grade. every report card i receive an evaluation from all people who work with her.
my third grader was tested the end of second grade last year (this will be the first year the district tests as early as the end of first, so we had to wait till the end of second for her. but, since she does not have ADD or ADHD, she was able to concentrate and compensate and it did not affect her classroom behavior.)
when my oldest's test scores came in, i talked with the language science teacher at length. she scored "on the bubble," but her IQ is so high that the differential btw her iq and her scores was too wide, so with my record of her academic history, they "placed" her into language science for dyslexia.
oldest goes to language science every day and every report card i receive an evaluation from her lang sc teacher. her reading has improved exponentially since the beginning of the year.
my oldest does very well in school and now completes all her homework on her own every day. i am in contact with her teacher periodically and am VERY pleased with her progress and confidence this year.
my youngest is progressing extremely well. it is difficult for me to see the progress sometimes because we work so much on behavior and her other special needs at home. i am in continuous contact with her teacher - i converse with her via email or in person probably at least once a week. i am also in periodic contact with her OT who comes to her a few times a week.
probably the hugest thing with special needs/LD children is the need to be continuously "on top of it" all the time. everything is important to me, and i keep myself informed continuously.
i read in some literature early on that there is a team working with my child, and i am the leader of that team. it's not just one thing or one person on the team, it's an ever-expanding, changing, adapting team, and i am responsible to manage and direct that team in the best interest of my child. the teams for each of my children differ as their needs are different. but still, there is a team for each.
liza, this is a great idea. i've thought about beginning a blog someday for parents of special need children who "look" normal. i have a friend whose youngest was a micro preemie and in first grade still has feeding issues. i have another friend with two children with asthema and one with severe food allergies requiring an epi pen. special need children who require a lot of attention and team work. my oldest has an epi pen for her anaphalactic allergy to fire ants. the blog is not anything i'm ready to dig into just now, but maybe someday :)
thank you for this blog, i know it will be a great resource for many!
Ame,
THANK YOU SO MUCH for commenting here, for sharing your story, and for the encouagement. This makes me even more inspired to continue with this blog.
God bless you.
Hey Liza! Thanks for stopping by my ADHD & LD blog. Thanks for adding me to your link list as well. I'm glad you found me and vice versa. I'll be checking back in. Take care.
Lisa
isnt it funny how things work out
Praise the Lord
I was visited by you on Thankful Thursday
heres my story
my 11 year old son has dylexia and dyspraxia
i knew from early on there was something different I told my doctor for a year he didnt believe me
finally he sent us to a hearing clinic where they said his hearing was ok but referred us to speech therapy.
We have blessed over the years and had a lot of help.
The school is good. Billy has a special learning teacher and goes to a private once a week funded by a family trust. Id be interested in hearing from you
Just wanted to say thanks for adding my ADHD & LD blog to your link list. Stop by any time.
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