Are Visual & Verbal Memory deficits LD's?

Audiblox is a good program that addresses visual and auditory memory along with other cognitive skills.

The legal definition of LD includes the areas of reading, math, written expression, etc. The processing disorder is not the classifying issue, it is the academic area which is delayed due to the processing problem.

If there are visual issues, you probably should consider a developmental vision eval:

www.covd.org

Otherwise, trying something like Audiblox might be a good idea.

Janis

According to her achievement scores in math, reading, and writing she is functioning within her IQ ability range.

I did have her tested by a developmental ‘vision’ optometrist. The weak areas I quoted were from the eval. It was recommended that she have vision therapy - as we have already tried the accommodation method by using the blended bifocal lenses (glasses). I have not completely decided whether or not we will attempt this approach.

The bigger question(s) would be: Could her memory processing weaknesses cause BOTH her academic AND ability SS to drop?

We will probably never know exactly why these weaknesses have developed over the past few years. I am trying to be realistic - but I am confused as to whether I should be focusing on helping her adapt to her memory weaknesses as the school psychologist suggests or seeking remediation. We are in a home-based Charter school and I do have the option to try techniques that might not be successful within the regular public school setting.

It would be helpful if the Charter School would give her academic help - since the budget cuts I doubt she will continue to receive resource. At this point it is up to me to find the best approach to try and help her.

momto13yo

I would seek remediation of underlying deficits first (especially the visual, because of the test results in that area), and then follow that up with cognitive training (Audiblox or PACE). Until you do that, you can’t really be sure that all of the memory problems are neurologically based and therefore not susceptible to improvement. Adaptation has value, but only as a last-resort strategy — at least in my mind.

Memory is to some extent a skill and subject to training. Multiple sensory inputs can be helpful for training memory. If your daughter has a neurological weakness in the area of verbal memory, strengthening the visual inputs could help her compensate.

To take full advantage of any improvements in the visual area, you might need to pursue some sensory integration therapy also.

Nancy

Thankyou for you input. My hope is that she has had these weak areas all along but they didn’t show up until the work got harder-and it isn’t neurologically based. I’m not willing to give up yet if there is a chance that she can be helped. V&V has helped with her (fictional) reading comp., and ‘scatagories’ has helped her to at least name catagories of items. I am also using a visual/catagory vocab system to help her learn descriptive vocab words. After she looks at the index card with the vocab word, sentence and context picture, she uses them in a sentence and also in Sponge Bob mad libs. This Does seem to be helping - and she loves to show off her ‘new’ word to her older Asperger brother :)

I have -as to yet-been able to get the school to concede to an OT eval. SI is not foreign to me and I could possibly get some ideas from my son’s OT. (my 8yo son receives OT at Easter Seals) Would this be enough or do you think I should push for an OT eval?

thanks again..

momto13yo

If memory is the issue, it probably is neurologically based, but the greater demands of academics made it more apparent, as you suggested.

I do not think our schools will do an OT eval if there are no LD’s or other primary handicapping area. I believe OT is only available as a related service.

Janis

This could very well be a neurological based problem and I would defintely rule out executive function and atentional issues especially if you have seen a consistent drop in her scores over the years. I have had years of eye therapy as a child, it works but it doesn’t remediate vocabulary issues, I am also ADD….

From my experience working with teenagers in the secondary setting…things really start to hit the fan with the onset of puberty and when things get harder and require more concentrated effort. My son was diagnosed with ADD when he was 14, he couldn’t cope with the demands in 9th grade. It was such a shift for him.

Also the vocabulary will be a problem if a child is ADD-Inattentive. When they are tuned out they aren’t picking up the vocabulary and the gaps in their schema-background knowledge and expository knowledge for academia became more pronounced. Defintely rule this out too.

Just wondering what a visual/category vocabulary system is. Is this a program you purchase or just a method for teaching new vocab. words by category?

Thanks, Lori