I have been trying very hard to get my son’s school to understand that there are languare issues. They don’t seem to recognize them. I have been using Higher Level Pragmatics - Abstract Concepts to describe the deficit.
What terms would you use to describe a child that cannot:
answer why questions
will not defend himself
understand before and after
mixes up action, result, and resulting feelings
Breakfast Lunch Dinner
doesn’t understand something can hurt him or others, since he has done it, and it didn’t hurt
Time Order used to be what I was using, but he got yesterday, today and tomorrow (finally) and understands first, second, third, etc
Problem - school won’t even set a meeting to discuss testing, since if he can read in kindergarten, of course he should be able to answer why.
Looking for a term that school might understand to help get testing and therapy, or at least a 504.
What would this LD issue be called ?
Hi Vaw,
The symptoms that you described, could indicate Autistic Spectrum?
Which could be a term for you to use to get testing?
Re: What would this LD issue be called ?
Thank you.
I realize that the issues I am describing can be tied with Autism.
My son actually had viral encephalitis that caused ability to talk to be lost, and has had to be retaught. The neurological damage (although I hesitate to use the word damage - there is no permant damage, its just all the connections were broken and have to be put back together)has made relearning abstract concepts much harder than facts. Bascially he is very literal.
Re: What would this LD issue be called ?
Hi Vaw,
Thanks for the further information, where I might mention that last month marked my 20th anniversary since I contracted viral encephalitis.
Which puts a different light on your sons difficulties.
From what you wrote, it may have effected his access to his Pre-frontal Lobe, which is what brings information from different parts of the brain together.
Which in relation to ‘relearning abstract concepts’?
I would make a distinction between ‘learning’ and ‘understanding’?
Which relates to him being ‘very literal’, which is a linear approach to learning.
1+2=3.
But abstract thinking, involves bringing many different factors together in a lateral rather than linear approach.
Which converge together to form a concept, more in the way that when you look at photo, you take in all elements within it, and draw conclusions.
Without necessarily looking at each element, in a linear / literal process.
Which perhaps relates to: “Doesn’t understand something can hurt him or others, since has done it ,and it didn’t hurt.”
Where he isn’t able to bring some ‘new elements’ into the ‘picture’, and see it from different angles/ perspectives.
Where doing exercises to help develop Lateral thinking, could be useful?
As for a term for the school, Cognitive and Meta-Cognitive Function, might be terms that they are more familiar with?
I would also mention that I recently learnt of a ‘general term’ for the spectrum of different causes of Encephalitis.
Leuko-dystrophy.
Geoff,
I like the way you described it here. For each area I would pick a couple of examples that would have educational relevance. Sometimes when parents use more “technical” terms, the school tends to tune it out.