Hi all,
I’m not sure if I’m looking for something, or just need to write this down. Thanks for being here. :)
My 9 year old third grade son was diagnosed with ADHD (inattention only) and APD in September. The ADHD meds have helped with the APD somewhat, but I still see a LOT of APD in him, and so does his classroom teacher. Friday, I asked his neurologist (we see her for meds) about NLD, and she said “Of course he has that. I really like the way that guy tied it all up into one neat little package.” And then she wouldn’t give me a diagnosis for him because it is not in the DSM-IV. She told me to move to an expensive urban area (leave our family, friends, 6 acres in the woods on the river), and enroll him in a very pricey private LD school at our own expense, if we really wanted to help him educationally! Time to look for another doctor!
My real concern is: My son has APD, which means it is very difficult for him to understand orally what is going on. He is also an auditory learner, and has been informally diagnosed with NLD (non-verbal learning disorder). So he has a double whammy. Because of the APD, it is reasonable to think he would excel at visual things, and use that as a strength. However, his test scores on visual - motor integration (among others) put him at the 18th percentile. His social skills used to be really awful, but with much explanation from me about how things should be, he is slowly improving. With the NLD, it is reasonable to think that his good verbal skills would be a strength to help him overcome the NLD - but then we get the APD! Talk about a misunderstood mind!
He is very smart, and gets all As and Bs in school - but he has a very understanding teacher who doesn’t count off for spelling, incomplete sentences, etc. And if she doesn’t understand something he has written, she lets him respond verbally, and grades on that.
So, the As and Bs make it very hard for him to get any real help in the school system. I’ve been trying to get an appropriate IEP written since September, and feel we are about 1/5 of the way there! What an uphill struggle!
We really need to find someone who will tie everything together for him, physically (neurologically) and educationally, so he can get the protection and education afforded to him by the IDEA. I just don’t know what to do next.
Thanks for listening,
Lil
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
Sorry, I should have given you more information. Yes, my son has an existing IEP, although his only identified disability (in the school system) is in “written expression.” Also, his only goal is “will write a 5 sentence paragraph,” with objectives to that end.
I have an IEP almost every grading period. I’m getting ready to call another one. I would like to have social skills training in this one, and accommodations (they tell me these are “just good teaching practices” and refuse to write them into his IEP).
My real concern is the interaction of the APD and the NLD. These things don’t really cancel each other out, but they make it very difficult for my son to perform in school to the extent that both his father and I know he is capable of. And I’m not really worried about the school performance - but that factors so highly into most children’s self esteems, that is what I am really worried about. I don’t want him to give up because all this is so hard!
Lil
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
My son has APD and visual processing problems as well. He was diagnosed with visual motor integration disability in K. He has sensory integration problems as well. We are currently undergoing testing for ADD.
What I have learned is that much of my son’s visual problems are tied up with his auditory problems. His specific type of APD is integration and visual-auditory and visual-motor integration problems are common. Basically, any sort of integrative function is problematic. He doesn’t however seem to have the smattering of problems common to kids with NLD. I wonder if this might be the case also for your son.
I have no easy solutions. It has been a hard road for us too—when you don’t have either visual or auditory strengths to draw on. This is characteristic of kids with integration disorders. What we have tried to do systematically is improve his functioning in each area through therapy. . He has had vision therapy (which improved his ability to read worksheets—we still have some tracking problems), done Fast Forward–receptive language now normal, memory low normal, PACE—we did this prematurely I think but did improve visual discrimination and visual-spatial skills, and speed of visual processing.
We have done Neuronet therapy—which improved sensory integration and vestibular functioning allowing him to learn more efficiently.
We are scheduled to begin Interactive Metronome in three weeks.
Beth
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
lil,
Are you sure you are not talking about my son????? You have described him to a T! i think they may be twins- my aaron is also 9 and in rade 3 with good grades!
we have just begun the process of ‘figuring’ out what is wrong. course, i should change that-i am finding out ways to make life a bit easier for him!!! there is nothing wrong with him!!I have to keep watching my state of mind!
part of the definition of a learning disability is that there is a discrepency between ability and performance. our sons don’t have that and we need to remember we are fortunate for that. as our pediatrican said-the results of the wisc are good. i responded that i didn’t think so. his comment was that yes it is good, because it shows that he can learn.My son has difficulties not disabilities! thanks to a new friend, marianne who helped me see that without her even knowing it!
i am beginning to think that the adhd may be a characteristic of the apd. aaron also shows some symptoms of nld.
i have been trying to put him into one little package and he is so special that he won’t fit!! what we are trying to do is look at his needs and strengths and choose our objectives from those. the label isn’t going to do any good because there are too many!
my one hope is that the fm sound system that he will be getting should help him with the apd. he is positive about it and looking forward to trying it out!
if you would like to continue corresponding and sharing solutions outside of this bulletin board, my email is [email protected]
anyway,
good luck and i can’t believe that you need to move and go to an expensive private school to get help for your son.
charlene
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
You have also just described my 7 year old.
It is a relief to know we are not alone. I have found that my
child can learn with a lot of help and some therapies.
We got really good results from Earobics. Have you tried that?
Hopefully some of us with kids with similar problems can share info
and help each other. good luck,
stephanie
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
http://home.earthlink.net/~mcoleman/cpdadd.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ADHD_Bulletin_Board/
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/capd.html
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
Hi Charlene,
Sure, I’d love to correspond re: what works best for our boys. I wrote you a great long e-mail about what my son and I are working on this summer, but it got bounced back.
E-mail me at: [email protected] if you want to get in touch. :)
Thanks,
Lil
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
I have a big question for each of you. My child has nvld and is reading at a level two grades below his current level. The school is giving me the impression that that is ok. But it really concerns me. what is the best way to teach these children to read and can they catch up? Any insight on math?
Thank you.
Terese
Re: NLD and APD and ADHD
Hi,
You don’t say what grade your child is in, so that could have a bearing on the answers. If he is not reading at all and he is 9 then that is a concern but if he is 6 then maybe not as much. If he is in grade 6 and reading at grade 4 he is doing pretty good.
I teach grade one and two and I don’t know that you can say that there is any one way to help anyone read. It depends on the individual child and their strengths and needs. Children learn by sight and phonetically. I also spend a lot of time on guided reading strategies to ensure comprehension and teach ways to figure out unknown words. To start to figure out where to go i think you need a diagnostic reading test to show how your child reads-phonetically, by sight or both and what strategies he has to read new words. Personally, i am not into the gimmicky programs that are out there but i have been noticing that a lot of parents of LD kids seem to like them.
For math, I think you need to be as concrete as possible. draw pictures for everything and let him use his fingers to figure out basic facts.
I would be looking at practicing the skills that are going to be most important in life-time, money, problem solving, etc.
hope this helps
there are some good sites for NVLD and i got a lot of info from them.
charlene
Does your son not have an IEP? Appears the teacher is making the modifications he needs… but without the IEP, who knows what you will get next year. Try having him placed Other Health Impaired on the diagnosis that you have (even ADHD will qualify him for that). then go for a consult placement with the modifications that have been working. Ask for an OHI referral, get it filled out by the doctor, bring it back to the school and tell them to set up the meeting. I think he warrants placement based on the mods that are being made in order to sustain his successful school experience. Check with the State of Ed or Public school sytem for your state on line. Be very prepared, and let them know that you will bring an advocate, ask for mediation/due process hearing, or seek a legal route. My sister is experiencing a similar battle with her son, except he is failing everything and even has an IEP. His IEP meeting is on Wed. and I’m going with her. Wish us luck!! Oh in defense of the doctor, my nephew’s doctor was making similar comments until I quoted sp ed laws to her….they honestly mean well but dont know anybetter. Your child has a right to a FAPE in the LRE (free and appropriate education in the least restricted environment.
Georgia