I have a 9 yr old boy with has been through testing at school. He was diagnosed with a LD because of the gap between his IQ level and his writing/reading ability. He was given an IEP that included special ed, speech, OT and PT. He has a an above average comprehension level and volcabulary yet his reading level is below average, he struggles to handwrite and he has trouble speaking certain words/sounds. He’ll pronounce “girl” like “gul” - things like that - but not all his words are off but when he says it wrong he knows he is doing it and gets frustrated. Sounding words out doesn’t always work because he can’t seem to hear certain blends of sounds yet he always knows the meaning of the word and comprehends the overall story/picture. His fine and gross motor skills are also off. He cannot grip the pencil properly and he is uncoordinated. The oT and PT work with him on that. Socially, he has made a few friends this year. He is not into group sports. He has low self-esteem but is not depressed. He has some focus issues and ADHD has been brought up but he is getting noticably better in this area this year and can sit through a class no problem. I brought him to his pediatrician who recommended an audiologist (test was fine) and an ENT (again fine). He was recently tested for audio processing disorder through school and results were normal for his age level except for one subsection. I’m meeting with speech therapist/special ed teacher tomorrow. School told me already that they have no interest in testing him more and that he will continue with his current IEP as is since the audio processing test was in the normal range but now I’m left wondering what exactly is the problem or is it something that he will just outgrown on his own. I’m willing to take him to a specialist but I don’t know which kind or what to ask to test for. Many thanks!
Re: Help with Diagnosing LD
You have a lot of good data from the school, outside sources and your personal observations to support a request for a neuropsychological evaluation. Your son sounds like my child who is now in high school. They wanted to press ADHD but we refused and she went into special Ed. under LD. She was pushed along until we filed a state complaint.
A neuropsychologist evaluated her and diagnosed her with dyslexia, etc. The school psychologist never pointed to dyslexia but the hallmarks we there. ADHD was not diagnosed. You need to get a neuro psyche evaluation. Some people may disagree with me. Since the school is refusing any more testing, request a neuropsych from them. If they refuse, there are protections in the law but you may need to hire an attorney.
I would pay for a neuropsych myself as, if your son’s has dyslexia, etc. as you are losing valuable time if he needs intensive SBRI. My child was uncoordinated and had an amazing transformation during puberty. Now, he is one of the most outstanding athletes in the district and participates in clubs, etc. District staff members are very sincere. They may think you are asking too much of them and trying to find answers by more testing. If you want rule out any other LDs, etc., then have a neuroopysche he exam—which is more extensive than school testing. A neurologist has more specific testing. If you can,pay for it yourself and see if he has a diagnosis beyond ADHD.Hire an attire or advocate to help you.
Help with Diagnosing LD
I am also dealing with a school that does not seem to want to get at the root of why my child is behind. They lean on his low IQ score but arnt trying to figure out why. I agree with the previous poster who suggested a neuropsychological eval. Push for the evals!! It seems that all schools try to get away with spending as little money as they can. I dont know what state you live in but there are usually agencies that help parents like yourself in dealing with schools and IEPs. We went to a training and learned so much about what our foster son should be getting but wasnt. Good luck to you and your son.
Welcome to LDOnline! Take a look at this wb site and see if this information is beneficial.
Http://www.brightsolutions.us
Your 9 year old sounds a lot like my daughter. Best wishes.