DS, 7, is entering second grade as I am considering the best approach to help him. Let’s see if I can ask these questions in a way that makes sense…
Overall diagnoses have been Tourette’s (mild), ADHD, SI, and some anxiety. It is possible he has Fragile X, although this only explains how he ended up with these components in the first place. (We are in the process of testing for this.) The IEP has supplied OT for handwriting, as well as ST, and we have pursued private OT (with very little results) and ST as well. Asperger’s, sleep apnea, seizures, and all autistic spectrum disorders have been conclusively ruled out.
He has significant issues with auditory processing, performing very low on TOPS (problem solving) and TAPS (auditory perceptual skills). ST added to his IEP for the past year has improved auditory discrimination, but not processing, and he is struggling with reading.
He frequently reverses numbers, letters, and entire words, and I am pushing the school for further testing. They have added reading support to the IEP; however, I am not sure if they are missing dyslexia or a related disorder. He both writes and reads the letters in reverse order very frequently.
We are making great progress with use of an elimination diet and Feingold in reducing vocalizations (tics) and some hyperactivity, so I am not as concerned about these issues. He has been found to be overly sensitive to weed pollen, gluten, casein, corn syrup, and a number of other substances. This part is easy(!) for me to control, compared to figuring out what is happening in school.
Here is what I do NOT understand…his visual memory is SO strong that when a book is read to him, he can repeat it verbatim by flipping the pages. I mean verbatim, and it doesn’t matter how long the book is, how detailed the illustrations are, etc. He has done this since age 2.
When I draw him social stories, I can draw one stick figure, explain an entire situation to him, and it is as if the whole thing is engraved forever on his brain. Of course, the auditory processing issues mean that the identical story is totally lost on him if it is not presented with a picture. (and he does NOT need to look at the drawing again to remember - he will remember everything said)
The ST in school is not helping him improve the auditory processing or the comprehension of language structures. (not that I am surprised) We are looking into starting Fast ForWord for this.
He quite possibly fits in the executive dysfunction category as well; the motor planning and sequencing have always been a problem. He becomes very excited at times, both at home and school, and overwhelms other kids with his behavior. The impulse control issues, while diminishing somewhat, are still apparent, and he has trouble making transitions.
Here is what I am asking, in a nutshell:
1) Given the auditory processing issues, does it make sense to “begin” here or is it possible that using Fast ForWord should be a step further down the road? We may use IM too, but haven’t decided if we should use it first.
2) What type of testing can one push for in the school to determine the extent of the underlying reading issues? I am sure that the reversals are posing a significant problem, but I am not sure if he “can” decode at this point. Phonemic awareness is somewhat of a problem, but doesn’t describe all the difficultly he is having. Learning sight words is probably going to help him only to a point.
3) What do you make of the visual learning? This kid is something else when it comes to ADVANCED legos, maps, street directions, etc. I want to TAP this to help him learn the stuff that is hard for him, but how? The visual “learning” only occurs for each and every situation presented identically to what he needs to know - any variation and he is lost.
4) Any other “program” suggestions would be great - I am not sure if Phonographix or another program might be helpful.
I’m sure something else will occur to me later, too…
TIA - you are all so knowledgeable here!
IM
IM is interactive metronome.
www.interactivemetronome.com
Seems to work best for specific types of kids. It was excellent for my son with sequencing and motor planning issues.
Wow, IM and the Listening Program at the same time!
We are stuck with doing FFW after school and on weekends with year-round school here - no long breaks. (3 weeks here and there, spread throughout the school year.) We will definitely have our hands full with one program at a time, since up to 2 hours per day will need to be squeezed in on some of the school days. I’m just gearing up for that at the moment…
Second grade just started and he has a great teacher who is really trying hard to “reach” him - so far, she is succeeding. I’m sure you ALL know - not all teachers are particularly good at that! The first grade teacher was a do-it-my-way perfectionist, so we are faring much better with this one, who is helping prepare him and participates with us on the whole visual learning thing - including social stories. Whew!
I have actually been surprised at how well he is staying on-task with this teacher so far…almost as if the whole auditory issue is just not that much of a problem. Of course, they are still getting familiar with the routine and structure, and there’s more work to come.
I did decide to go ahead with FFW for now, and perhaps do IM after that point. I may also check out the program mentioned for reversals if that continues on…which I suspect it will.
Thank you very much!!!
Re: Visual learning/auditory processing & reading help?
Laura,
Is he reading new material at all?
“2) What type of testing can one push for in the school to determine the extent of the underlying reading issues? I am sure that the reversals are posing a significant problem, but I am not sure if he “can” decode at this point. Phonemic awareness is somewhat of a problem, but doesn’t describe all the difficultly he is having. Learning sight words is probably going to help him only to a point.”
They need to give him some tests like the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test, the Test of Word Reading Efficiency, and especially the CTOPP. Most schools do little more than give a reading achievemnt test. You may have to go to a private clinic that specializes in dyslexia to get a good evaluation. Lindamood bell is good, and many cities have Scottish Rite clinics which do testing as well.
Another thing you can do since you said you are not sure about his phonemic awareness is to get the book Reading Reflex and give the simple tests in there. It will show you exactly where his weaknesses lie in regard to blending, segmenting, phoneme manipulation, and code knowledge. Schools rarely remediate this, so you may want to do it yourself with Reading Reflex or get a qualified tutor.
Janis
He can remember ideas and stories but how was he at learning his letters and numbers?
My son could always remember a story but he could not remember symbols and had difficulty with his math facts.
I would definitely consider IM for sequencing and motor planning. This was one of my son’s primary problems and IM was a perfect fit for him. You may want to do some balancing work with him before IM starts as poor balance can make IM very difficult. Just having him practice balancing on one foot can help or you could get a balance board at www.balmetrics.com.
For the reversals I would consider doing a program that was developed by a optometrist that helps to resolve right left confusion and integrate the right and left side of the body. This was another big problem for my son that affected his ability in sports and writing. I really think some of the recent improvements we have seen in these two areas is related to this program more than anything else. It is called, Integrating Mind Brain and Body Through Movement.
You can buy it from the Rowley Eye Clinic 425 483-8000
I am not that familiar with fast forward but I have a friend that has seen a huge change in her son’s attention and reading since starting this with the listening program only a few weeks ago. This boy is doing both programs simultaneously.
An audiologist familiar with these programs should help you sort out which ones would help and what order to do them in based on testing for specific underlying issues.
It sounds like your son has some incredible gifts. Sometimes that just makes it more difficult to uncover the underlying deficits. They are just so good at compensating.