Hello,
My daughter has NLD and is in fifth grade. Recently, I hired a children’s advocate to help me get her help going forward in Jr. High. I have been told it gets worse with age. It is kind of like a disability you grow into and then these children become lost. The part about becoming lost scares the heck out of me and is one major reason I went in with a Children’s Advocate in the first place.
This Children’s Advocate told me, “She would handle everything.” She knew what she was talking about but when she got in front of the school, she couldn’t walk the walk and fell apart. I witnessed the school do to her what they always do to me. They were arrogant and rude. They made it known they thought we were wasting their time and kept looking at their clocks reminding us of the time. They were actually rolling their eyes at each other. It was very uncomfortable to watch, which is when I stepped in.
The principal said to me, “What is this crap about your daughter getting lost, anyway?” Well, if she would have read what I printed out for the team two years prior, she would have known about it but she never even read it and now I had proof. Her answer to me was, “All the kids are going to get lost in Jr. High.” I agree with that. I don’t even know how to respond to that. I truly feel this will by something my daughter will struggle with and since she has been officially diagnosed by a neuro- phycologist and he says this is totally possible then I think they need to accommodate for this. I am very angry over just this. I say we prepare for it before she becomes lost. Tell me am I asking for too much here? I feel like my daughter’s rights are being infringed upon.
Thanks for any input,
[Modified by: jewels on February 25, 2012 03:21 PM]
Hi Jewels,
Sixth grade is a turning point with NLD, as up until then. Learning is more Verbal Learning focused. Except for math.
Non Verbal learning is used for planning and organizing things in our mind. Which is what becomes increasingly important after fifth grade.
Jewels, our brain provides us with 3 ways of thinking: Auditory, Visual and Spacial.
Where NLD is diagnosed by testing the combined use of Visual and Spacial thinking.
So that your daughter was probably also diagnosed with a visual-spacial disorder?
But the problem with this testing, is that it doesn’t separately test visual and spacial thinking?
Where in fact, with NLD, it is most often specifically a Spacial thinking issue.
Which limits the way that Visual thinking can be used.
To understand my point, reading uses a combination of visual and auditory thinking as we read.
Where I’m quite sure that you would agree, that diagnosing a reading disorder as an Auditory-Visual Disorder wouldn’t be very helpful?
As you would want to know whether it an Auditory or Visual Disorder? As their is a great difference between what would help them.
So that with NLD, it is equally important to understand your daughters Visual and Spacial thinking separately?
Where it is very likely, that your daughter just has a difficulty with Spacial thinking?
Which is reflected in her getting lost problem, that appears to be a significant issue.
Where I was very concerned as your principals dismissal of this problem as ‘crap’!
This is really a major issue that needs to be understood and addressed.
Their is a name for this, DTD Developmental Topographical Disorder.
Where I’m a member of a forum that is part of research project, that a team from various uni’s are doing.
It is crucial that your daughter be helped to develop her own navigation strategies. So that she has a number of different ones, to use in different situations.
Where this is critical to her becoming independent.
While Jr High is the next concern.
The life long implications need to considered?
Where as she gets a bit older, it will start to effect and limit her social life?
Then after high school, and she goes onto further education. It will become a major factor in choosing where to study?
Also effect her choice of career options?
Where she may have to rule something out, simply because of the navigation involved?
Such as working in a large building, where the job daily involves going to different offices and floors?
Or any job that involves driving to different locations?
It really isn’t recognised, the broad range of difficulties that this can cause?
It’s not as simple as all kids get lost?
While accommodations can be put in place? This is always reliant on other people?
Where I would suggest that it is more important for her to develop her own set of navigation skills.
So that she can be independent.
Also be an advocate for her own ways of navigating.
Where digital technology has turned this difficulty into a different way of navigating.