Help! What if it's ADHD AND some other LD??

Go to the top of this board and look into LD In Depth — read some of the articles about ADD and___; also read some of the articles about assessment.

Then other people here can tell you the ins and outs of the legal issues. I know that the first step is for you to make a written request for evaluation, and of course it helps to have some reasons for the request - report cards whould cover that.

As parents its up to us to educate ourselves, and I have found this website helpful.
My son has multiple LDs ADD being only one, he is also dyslexic and has short term memory problems he is now on Concerta 36mg and has said he can finally “hear ” the teacher, and filter out the rest of the noise including the hum of the florescent lights in the class ( his hearing is too sensitive ).
In the second grade ( he is now in the seventh ) we were in the midst of a provincial election, seems sneaky, but I ended up going to the MLA ( Member of the Legeslative Assembly ) for our area, also the head of our local school board, after repeated attempts to get the principal and teachers of his school to help us, and find out why this child was illiterate in the second grade.
My advice, you should keep it polite, but don’t take no or any excuses. If you have to go to the top , don’t be afraid to step on any toes. Talk to the doctor, and if you have to, get a recommendation from him/her, and take report cards. My husband and I demanded to see school records,you are your childs advocate, and its not easy, but you’ll see its well worth it. :D

You can seek testing on your own.

A private occupational therapy evaluation is usually covered by medical insurance (with a referral from your physician). This eval can sometimes give you clues about whether there are auditory and/or visual processing issues. For example, if the OT eval shows problems with visual-motor integration, you would definitely want to get a developmental vision eval. If it shows problems with vestibular development (rhythm, balance, timing) or auditory-motor integration, then you definitely want to get an evaluation for auditory processing disorders.

To find out more about developmental vision delays (which are *not* evaluated in regular eye exams), see http://www.childrensvision.com . To find board-certified developmental optometrists in your area, go to http://www.covd.org . If you suspect visual processing issues and money is a concern, you may want to choose an optometrist from the list at http://www.homevisiontherapy.com — since cost of pre-testing, vision therapy software, and post-testing is usually under $300.

Getting accurate assessment of auditory processing is more problematic. The ideal is to get an evaluation from an audiologist with specialized training in auditory processing disorders. However, these can be hard to find, and the evaluation process can become quite expensive. An alternative is to find a speech/language clinic that specializes in testing for auditory processing disorders. A speech/language evaluation is usually covered by medical insurance (with a referral from your physician).

In most cases, even if you do discover a visual processing or auditory processing disorder, remediation is pretty much up to you. These are considered medical problems, not educational problems. Very few school personnel even know these problems exist, much less how to remediate them.

In the case of visual processing problems, vision therapy followed by a good cognitive skills training program is usually very helpful. BrainSkills is a very good home-based cognitive skills training program suitable for a teen (http://www.brainskills.com ). PACE would be even better — same company, but a more intensive provider-based program (http://www.processingskills.com ).

In the case of auditory processing problems, sound therapies are usually helpful — programs such as TLP (general conditioning of the auditory system) and FastForWord (reading only, although often also helps ability to focus on speech in the presence of background noise).

Basically, it’s up to the parent to research all this on the net, get appropriate evaluations, select therapies with a high likelihood of helping, and providing those therapies. Schools simply don’t know enough to be able to do this.

Nancy

The co-morbidity rate of ADHD and other ld’s is quite high. It is very possible that your child has more than one thing going. You haven’t been specific in what ways your child struggles-organizational skills, time management skills are classic ADD stuff. But poor reading skills or poor math computation are not. What are the areas of your concern?

I would certainly request an evaluation. This should be scheduled about every 3 years as part of the IEP. I would add any specific tests to the request that address the areas of concern such as TOWL for writing or a CAPD screening with a competant audiologist if that appears to be the problem. Review your previous testing carefully. Post scores on this board, if you need help. I agreee with a previous poster that it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the lingo and testing and needs of your child. It is quite possible that the interpetation of scores missed something or the right tests were not done. It could also be that your son requires help manageing his ADD better-coaching or counseling help may be in order.

Request the evaluation in writing and immediately. The school must test within a time period-I believe its 45 working days.