The neuro-psych that saw my daughter sent a short summary of my daughters evaluation (as requested by the Lab school tutors, via me) the actual write up won’t be ready for about 2 weeks.
Anyway, most of what she wrote concerning my daughter was true howeveer there was one sentence , rather word that really upset me.
She wrote: ” My primary opinion is that #### has a significant learning disability in the context of overall low average intellectual ability”.
The word tha really bothers me is [b]ability[/b].
She did score low average across the board on the IQ test but the word ability seems to limit her future possibilities. I don’t and neither does anyone that knows my daughter believe that her intellectual [b]ability[/b] is low, rather that we have not tapped into how to help her achieve her potential. Even from what I have read on this board the IQ tests really are limited in exactly what they can tell us past what prior learning they have done. It seems as though she is implying that my daughter will never catch up with her peers, even with remediation. In fact her wording made me nervous because some of the LD schools would probably not let my daughter in due to such wording.
Ther were actually many things that bothered me about this neuropsychologist and I would love to take my daughter to get a second evaluation but I just can’t see coming up with another $1-$2000.
Another thing is she didn’t mention one strength or asset that we could build upon. Just #### is ld, has defecits in non-verbal processing skills, is academically behind, possibly depressed…
What’s interesting is, like i mentioned, not one strength was mentioned, and yet anyone that knows can see that she actually is very bright but the other issues (ld’s, nvld symptoms,…) are impairing her brightness from shining through.
OK, i guess that last part was a vent. But my question is, is that a normal weay to phrase ‘impressions’?
grr, i am rally quite upset, and i am holding myself back fromm dsroning on about this lady,[/b]
she is just doing her job..
Hi,
Ability is a word…that can mean many different things…to many different people…in regards to a straight dictionary definition.
1 a : the quality or state of being able <ability of the soil to hold water>; especially : physical, mental, or legal power to perform b : competence in doing : SKILL
2 : natural aptitude or acquired proficiency <children whose abilities warrant higher education>
She is just doing her job…so many times people who do assessments look at the kids as another “job” to do and thus write their reports without thinking about how is the parent going to take all this information. At this time your daughter’s performance was “low average” that isn’t written in stone.
Give yourself time to grieve…and turn this into what can we do to remediate and go forward…Much can be done…I would also call the psyche and ask…can you tell me what strengths you saw in the testing? See what he/she says…But like Beth said…with proper remediation things can change and quickly.
What happened to me…When my DD was in kindergarten she tested out with a 70 VIQ…and a 110 PIQ….over time her VIQ has gone up 10 points at a time…and now as a 16 year old her VIQ has jumped up another 10 points…to 92 the Psyche still feels that she is more capable than the tests are showing but because her verbal skills are still an issue she tests out lower…but it is still within the average range…
Granted my child isn’t going to be a rocket scientist but she is learning and trying and she has many strengths that we are celebrating while we work hard to remediate her weaknesses…it is a slow and steady process…it doesn’t matter how fast you go as long as you are going in the right direction.
Re: ami oversensetive?
I also wanted to add that your child may not have strengths in the traditional sense. I know my child did not. I used to joke rather cynically was that my child’s only strength was that he was interested in everything. He has both language based and nonverbal LDs so he wasn’t good at math or reading or spelling or writing!!! But you know, his interest in things has made a dramatic difference. It has helped make up for some of lack of natural strengths.
Even now, years later, and after much much therapy he isn’t strong in any academic subject. He generally gets B’s on his report card (he is in sixth grade) but jumps around a bit, depending on the particulars of the assignment (he can get an A on one social studies test but a D on the next one because it is made up mainly of names and he can’t keep them straight). I would still say his greatest strength is his interests followed by his willingness to buckle down and work—the latter learned through years of therapy and tutoring. But perseverance and interest are not bad strengths to have…
One thing this journey has taught me is to value things other than academic mastery in my child.
Beth
Re: ami oversensetive?
I love everything Patti and Beth have said! I also have a child with LD’s, and it is never easy. You certainly do look for strengths as a parent and try to nurture those while remediating the problem areas. My child is very talented in art and we really encourage that ability.
The IQ test does let us know that there are learning problems in specific areas, and yes, those things can be worked on to an extent. My child’s IQ did rise several points from testing in first grade to end of second grade. Like Beth, I think that she was able to process auditory information better when she was a little older. And I would not have her IQ retested now, because of the Matthew effect. Many kids with reading disorders see the verbal IQ drop when their reading is not as extensive as the same age peer group.
Regarding the tone of this report, it obviously was just listing the facts rather than trying to be psychologically encouraging. Sort of like bedside manner with a physician. Dr. Mel Levine’s clinic does the opposite. It provides very encouraging reports that list both strengths and weaknesses, but all the results are reported in general terms and not in scores. The test results cannot be used in any way for justification of special ed. services. I think my reading evaluation is more thorough than theirs.
I am going to have to be honest. While I thought the Mel Levine clinic visit was most pleasant, the parent left there having spent over $2000 and nothing in that report could qualify the child for LD placement had she wanted to use it. There was really no information that we didn’t already know other than they stressed how most children do not get enough sleep. That was interesting.
If your child’s test scores were low average, I would not think that would hurt the chances for getting in an LD school. They generally look for scores that are at least in the average range, and low average is in that range.
Just start from where you are and keep moving forward. That’s all any of us can do! And you have found a good place to seek advice here on LD Online!
Janis
Re: ami oversensetive?
thanks for the responses. This site trully has been such an excellent source of information anhd guidance for me. I also don’t have any delusions that my dd will be a rocket scientist, although as my first child I did harbor that hope that she would, and for the first 6 years of her life it appeared that she really was exceptionally smart. THat made the decline so much harder to bear. I called the Lab school where I hope yto get her remedial tutoring and I think I will have them do a second diangnosis, although I agree with much of what her n0psych observerved there really is something not sitting right I feel that there are some imoportant insights that she missed.
She has started reading more over the past year but mostly to herself so sometimes I am not sure if she is even really reading or doing this because her younger sister always has a book in hand. She definetly, does not read on grade level (more like 3rd grade), mainly to me it seems related to an inability to focus because she doesn’t appear to faltering on decoding as much as just losing focus and sometimes straight skipping words (as though they are not there). I am not focusding too much on the reading and writing myself I am readuing to her everynight (Anne of Greene Gables at theis time), and focusing on building math skills. I am kind of waiting for the tutor to guide me on what to do concerning reading and writing.
Thank you again for your responses hearing from other parents and people that work with ld’s is invaluable.
Patti, I think you were one of the people that responded to my very first post. Do you have a child with ld and also work in the field?
yes I work in the field and have a kid with special needs
Yes…I have became an SLP due to my own frustration in my daughters lack of progress in school. She was my youngest…she was also very ADHD, she has a bilateral moderate to severe hearing loss, with a severe auditory processing disorder which caused her dyslexia and language issues.
It is so hard…I can totally relate to what you are going through. Especially trying to teach your daughter yourself. I did it for awhile and then we were bucking heads…I had to be her mom…and work with other children while I paid clincians to work with her…that was so frustrating for me because I had changed my entire career to help her get back on track…and even then I couldn’t work with her…
Now that she is older she will work with me…and she is making progress slowly but surely. Also…I have ADHD and the same hearing loss my daughter has…but I didn’t have problems with reading and vocabulary, as a child I was a Gifted and Talented kid…but I couldn’t focus…LOL…I use a hearing aid and I also have an ALD to use with students who are difficult for me to hear….I can relate to kids and parents because I have walked in their shoes and have a disability myself.
If your daughter has ADHD that could also be interferring with her ability to progress and learn. We didn’t start treating my daughters ADD until she was in 5th grade…Once we started treating the ADD she just took off..you may want to look into that as well…
Re: ami oversensetive?
Yeah, I totally believe that my daughter has ADHD, almost sure of it. BUt the Neuro-psych disagreed, she said that most ADHD kids would be falling out their chair in her office and since my daughter wasn’t she didn’t think so, and that often NLD is confused and accidentally diagnosed as ADHD.
While I agree that she has aspects of NLD she clearly does not have the syndrome, waayyy too many of the assets and deficits are missing.
MY poor child really does have trouble focusing on anything (other than the computer), for more than 5 seconds, so it seems logical she would have learning troubles. She has always gotten in trouble for talking a mile a minute, Those that like her like because they are so shy and she doesn’t m.nd doing all the talking for them.
I was curious about your having a child and being in the field because I also plan on eventually getting my degree in special-ed, although I made the choice long before I saw any ld signs in my daughter. It’s funny I have all the patience in the world for other peoples children but with my own it is so much more difficult.
some kids in the spectrum are talkers too
and they have a very hard time focusing…Your daughter could also be co-morbid…meaning…she has ADHD and she also is NLD or in the spectrum which is what your neuropsyche saw)…that is interfering with her progression. But the trick is to find out what is interferrring the most and treat it… So…she can hyperfocus on the computer…or her favorite topic and tune out the rest of the world except for what she wants…but in real life she is so verbal or talkative that she only talks about what she wants and doesn’t listen to other people…that could also be a kid in the Spectrum and a kid who is ADHD.
Once you treat the ADHD you can treat the child…I have seen kids in the spectrum who didnt’ make any progress until they started meds for their ADHD behaviors and now they are making gains…and talking about things other than their favorite perseveration of the week. But they are still in the spectrum…but we are able to get through to them…because the meds help them calm down…enough to focus…
You are a detective…just keep peeling back the layers of disabliities which are inhibiting your child and treat them one at a time until you find you start making strides in the right direction… Feel free to e-mail me anytime you need a pep talk!! You are doing the right things!!
Happy Holidays!!
Re: ami oversensetive?
I’ve noticed a “post-meeting depression” that is someitmes more like being socked in the stomach. There’s something about putting limitations and labels on someone we love that is devastating.
One thing to remember is that your daughter is the same person walking *out* of that office as she was walking in, and last week - the same growing, developing, loving, living person.
REmember that “ability” is not set in stone. It’s actually a very flexible word - don’t you have all kinds of abilities you didn’t have before?
Poke around the hard words and *use* them. Decide which ‘abilities’ to work on, and which ones to work with.
And do something nice for yourself and her :-) Chocolate, a day in the woods, whatever… somethign to restore your confidence in your place in the universe :-)
I think you feel like someone is trying to snatch away hope that your daughter will catch up and be like other children. I am hardly an expert on IQ tests so I can’t comment except from personal experience.
I do know that my son’s measured IQ went up about 15 points from low average to dead average when we addressed his auditory processing problems. He couldn’t follow directions and so couldn’t do what he was asked to do.
Could anything like this be going on with your daughter?
There is no doubt that LD impacts IQ scores. Kids who don’t read frequently have lower vocabulary scores, for example. If your daughter does not read at grade level, you could get her books on tape.
How old is your daughter?
Beth