tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56068858185080746152024-02-21T02:11:25.914-07:00A Life A Bit More Complicated: Living with Surviving QuadrupletsI am the mom of surviving quadruplets. My blog covers the birth of my children, their special needs, therapy, homeschooling and what it's like to be the mom to these special kids!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger240125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-37150802567506052402019-02-21T11:16:00.000-07:002019-02-22T15:56:21.475-07:00Autism in the Educational Setting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ahf5bt3VvyerPcuSO6jfAvScqWo9GvlDB4rAnXyyeHwrtjb5if1WF3gg-aqmtRyGwd5wwJN3u9zLvC-d7DJayRbUyOo9yCzXuBEf2H8zfW0bs_DkLWrO2jRJICRUcfynnUyxC-LBIN44/s1600/Autism+Educational+Setting+%25281%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Ahf5bt3VvyerPcuSO6jfAvScqWo9GvlDB4rAnXyyeHwrtjb5if1WF3gg-aqmtRyGwd5wwJN3u9zLvC-d7DJayRbUyOo9yCzXuBEf2H8zfW0bs_DkLWrO2jRJICRUcfynnUyxC-LBIN44/s320/Autism+Educational+Setting+%25281%2529.jpg" /></b></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Medical versus Educational </span><br />
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This is a big post for me to tackle, and I hope you will find it answers many of the questions you have concerning Autism in the educational setting. Many parents, including myself in the beginning of my journey, did not understand there is a difference between medical and educational diagnoses and therapies. There is a <a href="https://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/basc-3/basc3resources/DSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_AutismSpectrumDisorder.pdf">medical definition of autism</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.pearsonclinical.com%2Fimages%2Fassets%2Fbasc-3%2Fbasc3resources%2FDSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_AutismSpectrumDisorder.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=false&dov=1"><img src="" /></a> as defined by the <a href="https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm">DSM V</a> and the <a href="https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/a/300.8">educational</a> <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.8">definition</a> of Autism as defined by IDEA and may be further refined (though should not be more restrictive, because that could possibly be a violation of the <a href="https://litigation.findlaw.com/legal-system/the-supremacy-clause-and-the-doctrine-of-preemption.html">federal supremacy clause</a>) by your state. If you need help finding your state's information then you are welcome join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/iep504assistance/">IEP/504 Assistance</a> group on Facebook for some advice and help. <br />
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The same is true for therapy. There is medical therapy, which looks to make a child "whole" across all areas of life while educational therapy looks to make a child "functional" in the educational environment. The previous statement is one I often hear though the school has an obligation to make a child "functional" to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living as stated in the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.1">purpose of IDEA</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbq5HlZOpEOYbhvko4FyUGEglvaD9kK_Gb_1R9izUATuOcBsr1T0NDQJy8CPtrkxHt1roRiHNAbJsUrtCot3TnfsTkdlbFg6Xyl2puMQUlWAkqqeIt98zpdB4oRaFa2-ipxZnXlqoiSY6/s1600/07171b46a9d0dac056174e6b485a5645.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbq5HlZOpEOYbhvko4FyUGEglvaD9kK_Gb_1R9izUATuOcBsr1T0NDQJy8CPtrkxHt1roRiHNAbJsUrtCot3TnfsTkdlbFg6Xyl2puMQUlWAkqqeIt98zpdB4oRaFa2-ipxZnXlqoiSY6/s320/07171b46a9d0dac056174e6b485a5645.jpg" /></a><br />
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Personally, I like medical therapy better than educational therapy for a few reasons. One is that you do not need to convene an IEP meeting and then convince the team your child needs more services. For medical therapy you see your child's pediatrician and convince the doctor that your child needs more therapy. I tend to find this vastly easier than getting more services from the school. The second reason is because therapy in the educational setting is often led by therapy assistants, or the special education teacher, in group sessions. Medical therapy is normally a 1:1 session with a qualified therapist (<a href="https://www.aota.org/Conference-Events/OTMonth/what-is-OT.aspx">OT</a>, <a href="http://www.apta.org/AboutPTs/">PT</a>, and/or <a href="https://www.asha.org/public/Who-Are-Speech-Language-Pathologists/">Speech</a>) versus a therapy assistant. Keep in mind too that therapy assistants cannot practice without having supervision of a qualified therapist. In the educational setting it is not uncommon to find these therapy assistants are not being properly supervised so it is good to keep track of how your child is doing if they are working with a therapy assistant in the public school and to find out how often the lead therapist is supervising the therapy assistant's work. The third reason I like medical therapy versus educational therapy is that if a child qualifies for educational therapy they would have qualified for medical therapy a long time ago. The bar to reach to qualify medical therapy is "easier" to get to versus educational therapy. I am a FIRM believer in therapy as I think therapy is essential to help a child resolve some issues that are impeding learning.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Medical versus Educational Autism </span><br />
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<a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/7c2f626d-b15b-4845-9642-ea8ed450c948.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/7c2f626d-b15b-4845-9642-ea8ed450c948.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" /></a>For <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/dsm-5-criteria">medical autism</a>, the doctor, psychologist, or similar medical professional will use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, fifth edition (<a href="https://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/basc-3/basc3resources/DSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_AutismSpectrumDisorder.pdf">DSM V</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.pearsonclinical.com%2Fimages%2Fassets%2Fbasc-3%2Fbasc3resources%2FDSM5_DiagnosticCriteria_AutismSpectrumDisorder.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=false&dov=1"><img src="" /></a>). This diagnosis focuses on persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested currently or by history; restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history; symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life); symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning; and these disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability.<br />
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I hear families, often in frustration, complain the school will not give their child an Autism eligibility for special education when their child has a medical diagnosis of Autism. The medical definition is different than the educational definition of Autism. For the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.8">educational definition of Autism IDEA</a> says:<br />
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(i)Autism means a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction, generally evident before age three, that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences.<br />
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(ii) Autism does not apply if a child's educational performance is adversely affected primarily because the child has an emotional disturbance, as defined in <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.8#c_4">paragraph (c)(4)</a> of this section.<br />
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(iii) A child who manifests the characteristics of autism after age three could be identified as having autism if the criteria in <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.8#c_1_i">paragraph (c)(1)(i)</a> of this section are satisfied.<br />
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This is the educational eligibility for Autism under IDEA. When you have an <a href="https://www.wrightslaw.com/info/iep.index.htm">IEP</a> meeting to discuss eligibility you will want to bring in documentation, and make an argument, for your child meeting this definition if you are seeking Autism as the primary eligibility for your child's IEP. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Children with ASD with good grades or those with high cognition/2e </span><br />
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Since Autism is a spectrum, it can be hard to get children who have more <a href="https://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/mental-health-aspergers-syndrome#1">Asperger-like</a> issues qualified for educational autism, along with those who are <a href="http://www.2enewsletter.com/article_2e_what_are_they.html">2e</a> and have autism being gifted can "hide" areas of disability. Does this mean your child shouldn't qualify for services? No! Does it mean your child has to have bad grades to qualify for services? No! <br />
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Children with medical autism can need anywhere from a Section 504 plan to an IEP. It depends on your child's needs. That is ALWAYS, no matter the disability, what should be driving the consideration of placement and services. It is a matter of <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.101">FAPE</a>. <br />
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Children with Autism, even "mild" or "high-functioning" autism, will likely need an IEP versus a <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/504-resource-guide-201612.pdf">504</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.ed.gov%2Fabout%2Foffices%2Flist%2Focr%2Fdocs%2F504-resource-guide-201612.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=false&dov=1"><img src="" /></a>. Why? A <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/504-resource-guide-201612.pdf">504</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.ed.gov%2Fabout%2Foffices%2Flist%2Focr%2Fdocs%2F504-resource-guide-201612.pdf&embedded=true&chrome=false&dov=1"><img src="" /></a> does not cover goals and it does not cover possible curriculum modifications that may be needed for the child. A child with autism often needs goals and assistance with social/emotional skills, executive functioning skills, and figurative/pragmatic/social language. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WaWgeQq-IdS5a1Xsg6KXnO3TkdKHto-CQhMCBp9jOg4PJyIDKmZ7DHayAOi-kDsjSVy8oTGFs033DNWWWkVbKXN2YYmuPKE1czYqfL8QFJ4HpOHJ88xRfFwXA3vXJ9_reMBX2dvd7ici/s1600/DoBAn_bXkAIpa0j.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WaWgeQq-IdS5a1Xsg6KXnO3TkdKHto-CQhMCBp9jOg4PJyIDKmZ7DHayAOi-kDsjSVy8oTGFs033DNWWWkVbKXN2YYmuPKE1czYqfL8QFJ4HpOHJ88xRfFwXA3vXJ9_reMBX2dvd7ici/s640/DoBAn_bXkAIpa0j.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.wrightslaw.com/howey/eval.good.grades.htm">IDEA</a> states that a child does not have to fail or be retained to be considered for special education and related services. 34 C.F.R. §300.101(c). A child who is making good grades may still need special instruction and related services.<br />
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<li>Effort does not mean a child is learning. Teachers give out grades based on many different factors.</li>
<li>Some teachers allow students to improve their grades by doing extra credit work.</li>
<li>Other teachers base grades on class participation, a good attitude, or citizenship</li>
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Teachers may also give a student a better grade because the child is trying very hard to do good work. These kinds of grades do not mean a child is learning. Almost all teachers will do this. They do not want to fail a child who is trying.<br />
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30632773">Children with ASD can be twice exceptional (2e) and/or have a high IQ/good grades.</a> A child CAN be academically gifted and STILL need an IEP. This is in the very <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/34/300.101">definition of FAPE</a>.<br />
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(c)Children advancing from grade to grade.<br />
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(1) Each State must ensure that FAPE is available to any individual child with a disability who needs special education and related services, even though the child has not failed or been retained in a course or grade, and is advancing from grade to grade.<br />
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(2) The determination that a child described in paragraph (a) of this section is eligible under this part, must be made on an individual basis by the group responsible within the child's LEA for making eligibility determinations.<br />
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The <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/122013delisletwiceexceptional4q2013.pdf">OSEP Letter to Delisle</a> discussed the use of an IEP for children with high cognition and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs). In an <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/041715osepmemo15-082q2015.pdf">April 2015 memorandum from OSEP</a> "Letter to Delisle: Children with disabilities with high cognition," discusses twice exceptional children and their need for special education services as addressed under IDEA. The April 2015 memorandum expands on the original Letter to Delisle saying children with high cognition can have an IEP under any of the 13 categories recognized by IDEA. Don't let the schools deter you evaluating your child for an IEP if they are making "good grades" or your child has high cognition. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Importance of Social interaction </span><br />
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Goals for social needs are important for children with autism. Children with ASD have a difficult time interacting with peers due to missing the social nuances of personal relationships. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40489-017-0113-5">Peer</a> interactions are important because they can influence academic, social-emotional, and mental health outcomes. For neurotypical children, peer interactions contribute to refining of social skills, engage in "typical" leisure activities, and access to emotional support. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40489-017-0113-5">It</a> is assumed that children with ASD also benefit from successful peer interaction. Due to educational inclusion practices children with disabilities have more opportunities than ever to interact with typically developing peers. This makes social deficits important to address.<br />
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In a January 2017 study by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28132123">Chiang, Ni, and Lee</a>, discuss how 78% of students with Autism leave high school and STILL need assistance with life skills. Life skills can be grouped into five areas including: self-care and domestic living, recreation and leisure, social interaction, employment, and community participation. It is estimated that less than half of the secondary students with ASD would participate in postsecondary education after leaving high school and slightly higher than half of the high school leavers with ASD would have a paid job. About 57% of children with ASD have co-occurring intellectual disability (ID) or borderline intellectual functioning. Students with ASD who also have ID show poorer postsecondary outcomes than students with ASD who do not have ID.<br />
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28132123">Individuals</a> with ASD tend to have poorer life skills than would be expected by their cognitive abilities. Many students with disabilities do not learn life skills on their own, thus, they need to be specifically taught these skills. Teaching life skills has been regarded as an evidence-based practice, especially for secondary transition. Lifelong adaptive functioning intervention should be offered to people with ASD (Matthews et al. 2015). <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28132123">This study</a> found that students with ASD needed life skills training after high school. For the students who had received life skills training in school, the majority of them (78%) still needed life skills training after high school. For the students who had never received life skills training in school, about 29% of them were reported by their parents to need life skills training after high school. These findings indicate that individuals with ASD have an ongoing need for life skills training. Many individuals with ASD may need a significant amount of time to acquire life skills. Yet, some students may not realize they need life skills training until the needs exceed capacity. In terms of the specific life skills needs after high school, this study found that the most needed training was to deal with financial issues followed by relationship skills development.<br />
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In a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28929487">September 2017 article by Hebron</a>, young people with autism may face many educational challenges, particularly in terms of academic achievement, social inclusion, and mental health. School connectedness is linked to many positive outcomes and may be of particular salience at the primary-secondary school transition, when young people with ASD are expected to cope in new and unfamiliar settings. This study explores for the first time school connectedness across the primary to secondary school transition for young people with ASD. Students with ASD reported positive levels of school connectedness across transition, although their scores remained lower than those of their typically developing peers. The gap between the two groups narrowed significantly during the first year of secondary school, with students in the ASD group reporting improving levels of school connectedness, although there were non-significant signs of a decline for both groups in the second year. Transition can be a positive experience for students with ASD. However, their consistently lower levels of school connectedness compared to those of their peers highlight the need for ongoing monitoring and support during secondary education.<br />
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<a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/08ae2456-ef29-421f-a8a7-acdc25a03365.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/08ae2456-ef29-421f-a8a7-acdc25a03365.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" width="320" /></a>In a paper from <a href="http://daddcec.org/Portals/0/CEC/Autism_Disabilities/Research/Publications/Education_Training_Development_Disabilities/Full_Journals/Karal.PDF">Karal and Wolfe (2018)</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdaddcec.org%2FPortals%2F0%2FCEC%2FAutism_Disabilities%2FResearch%2FPublications%2FEducation_Training_Development_Disabilities%2FFull_Journals%2FKaral.PDF&embedded=true&chrome=false&dov=1"><img src="" /></a>, social stories frequently have been used to improve the social interaction of students with ASD. The study conducted a literature review and examined the effectiveness of social story interventions on the social interactions of students with ASD including with whom, where, and what formats have been implemented, as well as the methodological rigor of the research. Findings indicate preliminary evidence to suggest that social stories are a promising intervention to increase social interactions. Future research with methodological rigor is needed to reveal the most effective strategy for developing and implementing social story interventions.<br />
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In a randomized control trial of a school-based intervention, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-017-3263-5">Mackay, Shochet, Orr</a> offered resilience intervention to prevent depressive symptoms for young adolescents with ASD. Adolescents with ASD are at risk of increased depression and effective prevention approaches for this population are limited. A mixed methods pilot randomized controlled trial (N = 29) of the evidence-based Resourceful Adolescent Program-Autism Spectrum Disorder (RAP-A-ASD) designed to prevent depression was conducted in schools with adolescents with ASD in years 6 and 7. Quantitative results showed significant intervention effects on parent reports of adolescent coping self-efficacy (maintained at 6 month follow-up) but no effect on depressive symptoms or mental health. Qualitative outcomes reflected perceived improvements from the intervention for adolescents’ coping self-efficacy, self-confidence, social skills, and affect regulation. Converging results remain encouraging given this population’s difficulties coping with adversity, managing emotions and interacting socially which strongly influence developmental outcomes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Importance of Pragmatic Language </span><br />
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As you can see, there are many reasons to be proactive and seek social/emotional interventions and goals. Beyond social/emotional intervention, there is often a need for figurative/pragmatic language intervention and goals.<br />
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A 2017 study by <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28426832">Parsons et al.</a> discusses core characteristics of ASD is a deficiency in social communication and interaction. A wide range of verbal language abilities are reported in individuals with ASD, but a striking feature about their language profile is a universal impairment in pragmatic language. This review will focus on interventions that target the pragmatic aspect of language. Early definitions of pragmatic language refer to the use of language in context; encompassing the verbal, paralinguistic and non-verbal aspects of language. Contemporary definitions have expanded beyond just communicative functions to include behavior that includes social, emotional, and communicative aspects of language.<br />
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Some children with high-functioning autism have been medically diagnosed with Social Pragmatic Communication Disorder versus Autism. In a 2017 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28741680">study by Mandy el al</a>., evaluated Social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD). It is a new diagnosis introduced by DSM-5, characterized by problems with verbal and nonverbal social communication. It is currently unclear whether SPCD is a valid diagnostic category, because little is known about the characteristics of those who meet its criteria. We sought to identify and describe cases of SPCD, to contribute to debates about its validity. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28741680">Mandy el al</a>. investigated whether the symptoms of SPCD cluster together to form a coherent syndrome that is distinct from ASD in terms of its core and associated features. We did not find evidence that SPCD is qualitatively distinct from ASD. Rather, it appears to lie on the borderlands of the autism spectrum, describing those with autistic traits that fall just below the threshold for an ASD diagnosis. SPCD may have clinical utility for identifying people with autistic traits that are insufficiently severe for ASD diagnosis, but who nevertheless require support. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="332" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/162f6df5-89b4-4fed-bb00-6ecbbd071657.png/:/rs=w:1280" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Autism , Language Disorder , and Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder : DSM-V and Differential Diagnoses Mark D. Simms, Xing Jin Published 2015</td></tr>
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A <a href="https://trialsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13063-019-3205-y">study by Randall et al</a> discusses the importance of addressing Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in individuals with ASD. ASD is a common, lifelong condition, affecting 1 in 100 people. ASD affects how a person relates to others and the world around them. Difficulty responding to sensory information (noise, touch, movement, taste, sight) is common, and might include feeling overwhelmed or distressed by loud or constant low-level noise (e.g. in the classroom). Affected children may also show little or no response to these sensory cues. These 'sensory processing difficulties' are associated with behavior and socialization problems, and affect education, relationships, and participation in daily life. Sensory integration therapy (SIT) is a face-to-face therapy or treatment provided by trained occupational therapists who use play-based sensory-motor activities and the just-right challenge to influence the way the child responds to sensation, reducing distress, and improving motor skills, adaptive responses, concentration, and interaction with others. With limited research into SIT, this protocol describes in detail how the intervention will be defined and evaluated. This study is a two-arm pragmatic individually 1:1 randomized controlled trial with an internal pilot of SIT versus usual care for primary school aged children (aged 4 to 11 years) with ASD and sensory processing difficulties. Therapy will be delivered in clinics for SIT over 26 weeks (face-to-face sessions: two per week for 10 weeks, two per month for 2 months; telephone call: one per month for 2 months). Follow-up assessments will be completed at 6 and 12 months post-randomization. Results of this trial provide high-quality evidence on the clinical and cost effectiveness of SIT aimed at improving behavioral, functional, social, educational, and well-being outcomes for children and well-being outcomes for carers and families.<br />
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28785770">Voldent et al.</a> discusses how impairments in the social use of language are universal in ASD, but few standardized measures evaluate communication skills above the level of individual words or sentences. This study evaluated the Expression, Reception, and Recall of Narrative Instrument (ERRNI; Bishop, 2004) to determine its contribution to assessing language and communicative impairment beyond the sentence level in children with ASD. A battery of assessments, including measures of cognition, language, pragmatics, severity of autism symptoms, and adaptive functioning, was administered to 74 8- to 9-year-old intellectually able children with ASD. Average performance on the ERRNI was significantly poorer than on the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition (CELF-4). In addition, ERRNI scores reflecting the number and quality of relevant story components included in the participants' narratives were significantly positively related to scores on measures of nonverbal cognitive skill, language, and everyday adaptive communication, and significantly negatively correlated with the severity of affective autism symptoms. Results suggest that the ERRNI reveals discourse impairments that may not be identified by measures that focus on individual words and sentences. Overall, the ERRNI provides a useful measure of communicative skill beyond the sentence level in school-aged children with ASD.<br />
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<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0173936">MacFarlane et al.</a> conducted a study to examine deficits in social communication, particularly pragmatic language, are characteristic of individuals with ASD. Speech disfluencies may serve pragmatic functions such as cueing speaking problems. Previous studies have found that speakers with ASD differ from typically developing (TD) speakers in the types and patterns of disfluencies they produce, but fail to provide sufficiently detailed characterizations of the methods used to categorize and quantify disfluency, making cross-study comparison difficult. In this study we propose a simple schema for classifying major disfluency types, and use this schema in an exploratory analysis of differences in disfluency rates and patterns among children with ASD compared to TD and language impaired (SLI) groups. 115 children ages 4–8 participated in the study (ASD = 51; SLI = 20; TD = 44), completing a battery of experimental tasks and assessments. Measures of morphological and syntactic complexity, as well as word and disfluency counts, were derived from transcripts of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). High inter-annotator agreement was obtained with the use of the proposed schema. Analyses showed ASD children produced a higher ratio of content to filler disfluencies than TD children. Relative frequencies of repetitions, revisions, and false starts did not differ significantly between groups. TD children also produced more cued disfluencies than ASD children.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="493" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/f08c31ce-a666-4f3a-9f52-0773e644ce0b.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Examples of Pragmatic Skills</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Importance of Figurative Language</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27899711">Kalandadze et al</a> conducted a meta-analysis of studies that compare figurative language comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing controls who were matched based on chronological age or/and language ability. A total of 41 studies and 45 independent effect sizes were included based on predetermined inclusion criteria. Overall, individuals with autism spectrum disorder showed poorer comprehension of figurative language than their typically developing peers (Hedges' g = -0.57). Metaphors were more difficult to comprehend for individuals with autism spectrum disorder compared with typically developing controls than were irony and sarcasm. Our findings highlight the critical role of core language skills in figurative language comprehension. Interventions and educational programs designed to improve social communication skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder may beneficially target core language skills in addition to social skills. <br />
<a href="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/50f1e1d8-9e47-4c75-9def-f6b8a74bf628.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/50f1e1d8-9e47-4c75-9def-f6b8a74bf628.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28371082">Chahboun et al study</a> discusses the problems with figurative language comprehension. This issue has been often reported against strengths in the domain of structural language in individuals with high‐functioning autism. Accounts, however, differ when concerned with what causes these problems and whether figurative language processing is directly proportionate to structural language competence. Furthermore, little is known about whether understanding of non‐literal expressions is still atypical in the absence of structural language problems. Metaphor processing requires, among other things, an adequate level of structural language abilities. Our findings demonstrate that despite adequate language competence otherwise, there is still a developmental delay in our group of highly verbal participants with autism seen in the parallel performance by the young adult group with autism (age range = 16–22 years) and the control children group (10–12 years). This suggests a consistent problem with non‐literal language on the higher end of the spectrum, which persists also into young adulthood. The study highlights the need for special attention to figurative language comprehension in ASD in designing assessment and treatment protocols. The current results suggest a possible improvement with age and indicate how possible targeted intervention programmes can be designed that cater better for the needs of that specific group.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/b86872c7-e331-4451-ba8f-1197293d9b41.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="416" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Examples of Figurative Language</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Van%20Herwegen%20J%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=29942276">Van Herwegen</a> and<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Rundblad%20G%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=29942276"> Rundblad</a> discuss how previous studies have shown that comprehension of figurative language is impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, most studies have focused on lexicalized expressions and have only examined performance at one particular point in time, without examining how performance changes over development. The current study examined the comprehension of novel metaphor and metonymy in individuals with ASDs from a large age range, using both a cross-sectional (Experiment 1) and longitudinal design (Experiment 2). Performance in the ASD group was lower compared to typically developing (TD) controls, across all ages. Importantly, the results from Experiments 1 and 2 showed that, although chronological age was not a good predictor for performance of either novel metaphor or metonymy in the cross-sectional design, performance improved when longitudinal data was considered. Correlations between vocabulary knowledge, visuo-spatial abilities and figurative language comprehension abilities were also explored. <br />
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<a href="https://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=85967">Reynolds et al</a> completed a study for children with ASD. The study demonstrates marked deficits in the ability to initiate, maintain and sustain meaningful social interaction. While the social-emotional deficits represent a core set of problems, persons with ASD also demonstrate significant problems in initiating, sustaining and maintaining appropriate goal directed behaviors. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a construct that has been successfully applied to a range of skills that allow for the prediction of competent human social behavior. Executive Functions (EF) refer to constructs involving cognitive abilities necessary for initiating, sustaining and maintaining purposeful goal-oriented behavior. While both children and adults with ASD have previously shown to have atypical patterns of EF skills, little is known about EI in either children or adults with ASD. Moreover, there is no study examining the relationship between EI and EF that has been reported in individuals with ASD. The current study examined the relationship between EF and EI in children with ASD. Twenty children with ASD were compared to twenty neurotypical children on self-report and clinical assessments of EI and EF. Although the relationship between EF and EI was not statistically significant, results showed that children with ASD have deficits in interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills and overall EI when compared to their neurotypical peers. These results suggest that EF and EI are relatively independent domains of development that show compromise in persons with ASD and each may be necessary to support typical socially directed behaviors. <br />
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The study by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178116316237">Zimmerman et al</a> indicated that better concept formation and social inference skills were significantly associated with fewer anxiety symptoms for adults with high functioning ASD. Conversely, participants with better non-verbal reasoning, cognitive flexibility and social cognition reported more negative self-concept and lower self-esteem. Those with impaired Executive Functioning (EF) are more prone to anxiety, whereas those with stronger EF are more likely to experience negative self-concept. Screening for and monitoring mental-health concerns in people with ASD regardless of their level of EF are recommended.<br />
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The <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aur.1723">study by Lai et al</a> researched the neuropsychological profiles seen in children and adolescents with High Functioning ASD. The study found most were moderately impaired in verbal working memory (g = 0.67), spatial working memory (g = 0.58), flexibility (g = 0.59), planning (g = 0.62), and generativity (g = 0.60) except for inhibition (g = 0.41). Subgroup analysis showed that impairments were still significant for flexibility (g = 0.57–0.61), generativity (g = 0.52–0.68), and working memory (g = 0.49–0.56) in a sample of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) subjects without comorbid ADHD or when the cognitive abilities of the ASD group and the control group were comparable. <br />
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<img src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/f391ddf8-8907-4bbe-be69-e7e5819c857f.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" /> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Importance of Executive Functioning </span><br />
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<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10802-017-0394-2">Karalunas et al</a> conducted a study on Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ADHD and ASD are commonly comorbid, share genetic liability, and often exhibit overlapping cognitive impairments. Clarification of shared and distinct cognitive effects while considering comorbid symptoms across disorders has been lacking. In the current study, children ages 7–15 years assigned to three diagnostic groups:ADHD (n = 509), ASD (n = 97), and controls (n = 301) completed measures spanning the cognitive domains of attention/arousal, working memory, set-shifting, inhibition, and response variability. Specific processes contributing to response variability were examined using a drift diffusion model, which separately quantified drift rate (i.e., efficiency of information processing), boundary separation (i.e., speed-accuracy trade-offs), and non-decision time. Children with ADHD and ASD were impaired on attention/arousal, processing speed, working memory, and response inhibition but did not differ from controls on measures of delayed reward discounting, set-shifting, or interference control. Overall, impairments in the ASD group were not attributable to ADHD symptoms using either continuous symptom measures or latent categorical grouping approaches. Similarly, impairments in the ADHD group were not attributable to ASD symptoms. When specific RT parameters were considered, children with ADHD and ASD shared impairments in drift rate. However, children with ASD were uniquely characterized by a wider boundary separation. Findings suggest a combination of overlapping and unique patterns of cognitive impairment for children with ASD as compared to those with ADHD, particularly when the processes underlying reaction time measures are considered separately.<br />
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<img src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/258cb756-e866-44e6-81f4-1be761e0d0cc.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" /> <br />
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<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201775#auth-1">Demetriou</a> et al showed that evidence of executive dysfunction in ASD across development remains mixed and establishing its role is critical for guiding diagnosis and intervention. The primary objectives of this meta-analysis is to analyse executive function (EF) performance in ASD, the fractionation across EF subdomains, the clinical utility of EF measures and the influence of multiple moderators (for example, age, gender, diagnosis, measure characteristics). The Embase, Medline and PsychINFO databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies published since the inclusion of Autism in DSM-III (1980) up to end of June 2016 that compared EF in ASD with neurotypical controls. A random-effects model was used and moderators were tested using subgroup analysis. The primary outcome measure was Hedges’ g effect size for EF and moderator factors. Clinical sensitivity was determined by the overlap percentage statistic (OL%). Results were reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A total of 235 studies comprising 14 081 participants were included (N, ASD=6816, Control=7265). A moderate overall effect size for reduced EF (Hedges’ g=0.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.43–0.53) was found with similar effect sizes across each domain. The majority of moderator comparisons were not significant although the overall effect of executive dysfunction has gradually reduced since the introduction of ASD. Only a small number of EF measures achieved clinical sensitivity. This study confirms a broad executive dysfunction in ASD that is relatively stable across development. The fractionation of executive dysfunction into individual subdomains was not supported, nor was diagnostic sensitivity. Development of feasible EF measures focussing on clinical sensitivity for diagnosis and treatment studies should be a priority. <br />
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<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-017-3079-3">Freeman et al</a> discusses the lack of literature examining the relationship between executive and social functioning in children with ASD. Twenty-three school-aged children with ASD participated. Executive functioning was measured using the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition and Differential Ability Scales, Second Edition, and the teacher-rated Behavior Rating of Inventory of Executive Function. Independent assessors observed children’s social functioning on the playground while children with ASD and their peers completed a survey to measure peer friendships and rejections. Overall, poorer executive functioning was associated with increased playground isolation and less engagement with peers. This suggests that metacognitive skills such as initiation, working memory, and planning and organization are associated with children’s social functioning. <br />
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<a href="http://ijopr.com/index.php/ijopr/article/view/49">Ryan and Marshall</a> set out to understand executive functioning (EF) for learners with autism. We focus on learners with high functioning autism (HFA) and explore a common goal for an Autistic Spectrum Disordered (ASD) population is to increase independence, thus enabling access to experiences and opportunities similar to neuro-typical individuals. We suggest in a somewhat counterintuitive manner, educators may be preventing this development by being overly supportive. This can inhibit ASD learners by denying tools and opportunities to enable themselves. Executive functioning (EF) skills can be taken for granted by neuro-typical learners but are essential skills that need to be explicitly taught to those on the autism spectrum. Herein we support educators and understand the deficits that learners with high functioning ASD experience with EF skills and encourage all to set goals and design programming for students. <br />
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<img src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/badaaa1a-3554-49d6-803b-8a63a91aeabb.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" /> <br />
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I hope this post has been helpful. Autism in the educational setting is a huge topic to cover. I hope I did it some justice and supplied you with information you cannot typically find elsewhere in other blog posts. Please take the time to click on the links in the post as it contains the reference material used to write this post. As always, you are welcome to join us for more discussion on Autism in the educational setting at our FB group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/iep504assistance/">IEP/504 Assistance</a> for parents of public school students from all over the United States. <br />
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AESA also runs a special needs homeschool group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/HomescoolingSpecialKids/">Homeschooling Special (Needs) Kids</a>, and we also have a group for all parents and caregivers of special needs children called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpecialNeedsParentingAdvice/">Special Needs Parenting Advice and Support</a> where we discuss ALL things related to special needs care and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/EducatingGiftedStudents/">Educating Gifted Children</a> is where we discuss topics concerning gifted children and those that are twice exceptional (2e). I hope to see you there! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-89421356663981584612018-12-13T12:21:00.001-07:002018-12-27T21:44:09.310-07:00Interoception, Autism, and Food<br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I am sure you are asking yourself what the heck is interoception? I had not heard of it either until recently. Interoception, as we will be discussing today, did not really come about until the start of the 21st century. The overall definition has various interpretations; however, in this discussion, we will talk about inclusive interoception as an umbrella term to mean all experiences of sensation and consciousness that are the result of information to the brain by the central nervous system. <br /><br />Interoception <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4876111/">plays a role</a> in so many systems in the body such as: <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ejn.13598">pain</a>, <a href="http://orbilu.uni.lu/handle/10993/36168">medically unexplained symptoms</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301051115300958">anxiety</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945216303720">emotions in general</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5985305/">emotional regulation</a>, <a href="https://molecularautism.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13229-016-0104-x">decision -making</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00074/full">time perception</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666315002950">food and water intake</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/erv.2532">eating disorders</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-016-2848-8">self-awareness</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5887419/">consciousness</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11097-018-9578-7">addiction</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0092623X.2017.1405305">sexual functioning</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-018-3564-3">empathy</a>, <a href="https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nyas.13065">meditation</a>, and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02272/full">hypnosis</a>. <br /><br />Children with interoception can have <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=o0VvDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA165&dq=autism+interoception+food&ots=RHYXi4oNk_&sig=yMzz6dTJt5cJ100Gge9OMA4MxUE#v=onepage&q=autism%20interoception%20food&f=false">issues</a> with <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=o0VvDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA165&dq=autism+interoception+overeating&ots=RHYXi4pJc5&sig=aWt8mTUgfve9nscrQPzbfkblT4c#v=onepage&q=autism%20interoception%20overeating&f=false">food intake</a>. A child may have a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/erv.2504">high desire</a> for food to the point of eating when they are no longer hungry or the opposite problem, they <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=o0VvDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA165&dq=hunger+and+satiety+anorexia+nervosa+interoception&ots=RHYXi4qIh_&sig=Y95jTgAh3FL-930A7TU3cgbmvFY#v=onepage&q=hunger%20and%20satiety%20anorexia%20nervosa%20interoception&f=false">do not want to eat</a> and rarely, if ever, experience the <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00199/full">sensation of hunger</a>. Interestingly, I had one of each in this category. </span><br />
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<figure class="" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="ekr9" data-offset-key="bfrao-0-0" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; margin: 0px;"><div class="atomic-entity-wrapper atomic-entity-selected atomic-entity-align-right" data-aid="atomic_entity_wrapper" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: right; font-family: gdsherpa, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 20px; max-width: 50%; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;" tabindex="-1">
<div class="embedded-image loader embedded-image-container" style="box-sizing: inherit; outline-offset: 2px !important; outline: rgb(0, 166, 63) solid 2px !important;">
<img alt="Margaret Eating Fries" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/1824a1bb-7987-431b-aca8-0c3e6d0d7f1a.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: inherit; vertical-align: middle; width: 299px;" title="Margaret Eating Fries" /><br />
<figcaption style="background-color: #e8eaeb; box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; padding: 3px 5px;">Margaret Eating Fries</figcaption></div>
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</figure><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Margaret had many issues when she was young, and I knew they were odd, but I did not know what to make of her quirky behaviors. One of her quirky behaviors was her LOVE of french fries! That girl did not eat much. Heck, she was on the 3rd percentile for a long time in height and weight, but when it came to french fries (or a few other preferred foods) she would eat them until she vomited. <br /><br />I am not sure how many times I had to apologize to parents and staff at the McDonald's restaurant near us when Margaret ate too many fries and vomited in the Playplace. The parents would look at me and think Margaret had a stomach flu or something and the poor staff at the McDonald's were disgusted. I get it. I was too but I did not realize what was going on at the time. It would be another 6 months before I realized Margaret had MAJOR <a href="https://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-processing-disorder-checklist.html">sensory processing issues</a> and would be diagnosed with autism. Margaret's issues with overeating were due to interoception. When the pleasure center of her brain is turned on eating HIGHLY preferred foods, she would not receive internal signals saying she was full so she would keep eating until she vomited. </span><br />
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<figure class="" contenteditable="false" data-block="true" data-editor="ekr9" data-offset-key="6cgoi-0-0" style="box-sizing: inherit; clear: both; margin: 0px;"><div class="atomic-entity-wrapper atomic-entity-selected atomic-entity-align-left" data-aid="atomic_entity_wrapper" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; font-family: gdsherpa, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-right: 20px; max-width: 50%; position: relative; white-space: pre-wrap;" tabindex="-1">
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<img alt="Joseph FINALLY eating Stage 2 baby food @ 20 months" src="https://img1.wsimg.com/isteam/ip/61d5d4a4-5e42-433f-b38d-15d3f8e3a3a7/047cc51b-6dc2-45d2-9cf2-03889d89d26a.jpg/:/rs=w:1280" style="border-style: none; box-sizing: inherit; vertical-align: middle; width: 299px;" title="Joseph FINALLY eating Stage 2 baby food @ 20 months" /><br />
<figcaption style="background-color: #e8eaeb; box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-size: 14px; padding: 3px 5px;">Joseph FINALLY eating Stage 2 baby food at 18 months</figcaption></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Joseph was a complete opposite of Margaret. Where she would eat until she would vomit, Joseph would not eat. He was orally VERY defensive. Again, I know this now, but I had NO idea why he would not eat baby food! He would ONLY open his mouth for the nipple of a bottle. It wasn't until Joseph had OT to desensitize his mouth (again, no one explained about sensory processing disorder to me at that time) and work with a feeding therapist did Joseph get to a point where he could eat Stage 2 baby food without refusal or choking. He was 18 months before he started to eat any sort of food. I had no idea his sensory issues would be so profound. <br /><br />It was, and to some extent still is a CHORE to get him to eat! He would button his lips SHUT if you came at him with a spoon. He would even do that with the nipple of a bottle until he could feel the texture of the nipple and then he would open his mouth. He NEVER seemed to have an internal sense of hunger. Even now, he is about to be 11 years old, an though he is the size of a 6 year old in height, he weights only 45 pounds. He has seen a nutritionist since he was a year old and has supplements to add to his food to increase the calorie content of the food, yet he never appears to gain weight. Internally, he is rarely hungry. He has gotten up in the morning and would not request to eat anything until dinner (I experimented one day to see if there was ANY internal drive to eat; thankfully there is, barely). Joseph struggles to eat because he body and his brain do not tell him he NEEDS to eat nor does his body seem to light up the reward center of his brain by eating. Again, this is an issue with interoception. <br /><br />The concept of interoception has been around for awhile but the "new" science on interoception is taking the concept in interesting directions. New medical journal articles are coming out fairly regularly. I feel like we will be hearing more and more about our "8th sense" and how it impacts children with disabilities. <br /><br />All research for this article is embedded into the article's links. You are welcome to join us for more discussion on ADHD at our FB group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/iep504assistance/">IEP/504 Assistance</a> for parents of public school students from all over the United States, or at our homeschool group, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/HomescoolingSpecialKids/">Homeschooling Special (Needs) Kids</a>. We also have a group for all parents and caregivers of special needs children called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/SpecialNeedsParentingAdvice/">Special Needs Parenting Advice and Support</a> where we discuss ALL things related to special needs care. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-2455533870375203432018-11-17T10:11:00.000-07:002018-11-19T10:23:26.335-07:005 Ways Being a Preemie Impacts Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhm3NPm97mwWG4c8HtBJ-TjmoVg76Zy4WkbsHpmlaWxpJNXgAzxeRZT5oE4qJDpGtmhI-WIY9egO6wiYblMlvR2j9NkKVJHUOBcuAbkPR0qOHAToH7nkVcqIFaZ6Jf58trqoSzVFvcaiwx/s1600/BellyPicsinHuntsvilleHospital263-4+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhm3NPm97mwWG4c8HtBJ-TjmoVg76Zy4WkbsHpmlaWxpJNXgAzxeRZT5oE4qJDpGtmhI-WIY9egO6wiYblMlvR2j9NkKVJHUOBcuAbkPR0qOHAToH7nkVcqIFaZ6Jf58trqoSzVFvcaiwx/s320/BellyPicsinHuntsvilleHospital263-4+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
***Be aware, you can find more of my posts on learning disabilities and educational advocacy at my <a href="https://aesa.group/blog/">new blog on AESA</a>*** November 17th is National Prematurity Day. The topic of preemies impact my life in a huge way! My surviving quadruplets were born at 27 weeks. Due to their prematurity, we lost our daughter, Martha, the day after she was born. The other three children survived their premature arrival into the world, but that impacted them in every facet of their lives. Of course, at the time (a decade ago), I had no idea of the challenges my children would face. <br />
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<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18316-8">Did</a> you know 11% of all births worldwide occur before 37 weeks and that 2.5% of births happen before 32 weeks? Between 30 and 40 weeks of gestational age, a baby experiences growth of the cerebellum. When that process is interrupted, it can cause two of the five topics we will discuss today... motor coordination and cognitive (intellectual) problems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmkefyE5C7RPR-MPUtb-wd3tdV2IDx3HdEQgDA4NmZsmQl2QYk8WFWno5piDTg2N_KvcQatpsWqyNEFVzgNvO0zPfkvk2ndj9xZoOwTaCteGamBaHyFXFCe90dRmiJPx14Ct3dZA2Qmy_/s1600/Joseph+Margaret+and+James+8m.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmkefyE5C7RPR-MPUtb-wd3tdV2IDx3HdEQgDA4NmZsmQl2QYk8WFWno5piDTg2N_KvcQatpsWqyNEFVzgNvO0zPfkvk2ndj9xZoOwTaCteGamBaHyFXFCe90dRmiJPx14Ct3dZA2Qmy_/s400/Joseph+Margaret+and+James+8m.JPG" /></a> <br />
From top to bottom: Joseph, Margaret, and James @ 8m or 5m adjusted. <br />
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<u>Developmental/Cognitive Issues </u></h3>
Cognitive issues have been cited in many studies. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18316-8">One recent study</a> looks at the subtle forms of cognitive impairment that might be missed on standardized neuropsychological testing in both adults and children who were born prematurely with no brain lesions (damage). While another <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26937382">study</a> looked at children with enlarged cerebral ventricles in the brain, which point to changes in the white and grey matter in the brain (which my daughter has), causing developmental delays including cognitive delays. <br />
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So what kind of developmental delays might you see? It depends, but in general, children have been diagnosed with a variety of issues including <a href="https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/29516449">autism</a>, <a href="https://www.ejpn-journal.com/article/S1090-3798(17)31428-9/pdf">cerebral palsy</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27364183">intellectual delay</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891422216302219">visual perception</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891422216302219">visual motor integration</a> (which often leads to <a href="https://aesa.group/blog/f/dysgraphiasld-in-writing">dysgraphia</a>), <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09297049.2018.1477928">Executive Functioning Disorder/ADHD</a>, along with suffering academically in <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-41148-001">math and spelling</a>.<br />
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<h3>
<u>Language</u></h3>
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4668235/">Language-based disorders are prevalent</a> in premature infants. Preemies display slower rates of vocabulary growth, and by school age, children born preterm demonstrate language functioning below that of full-term peers. These weaknesses persist into later childhood and adolescence with one study showing weakness into <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-18316-8">adulthood</a>. At the same time, at every developmental level, there are striking individual differences in language outcomes in children born preterm. Why? Experimental studies have shown that a variety of visual information processing skills in preterm infants could be linked to an increased risk of receptive language outcomes. <br />
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<h3>
<u>Executive Functioning</u></h3>
Executive Functioning is such a massive topic I have a couple of <a href="https://aesa.group/blog/f/executive-functioning-and-related-conditions---part-1">blog posts</a> on the issue! The <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1087054713510349">hallmark of ADHD</a> is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303540/">executive functioning disorder</a>, but not all people who have Executive Functioning Disorder have ADHD. Having good Executive Functioning (EF) skills is critical for academic success. So what does EF do? <br />
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Executive functioning helps you:<br />
<ul>
<li>Manage time </li>
<li>Pay attention </li>
<li>Switch focus </li>
<li>Plan and organize </li>
<li>Remember details </li>
<li>Avoid saying or doing the wrong thing </li>
<li>Do things based on your experience </li>
<li>Multitask </li>
</ul>
Lacking EF has been <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00869/full">scientifically acknowledged</a> to be essential for academic success. A child only lacking EF skills may never show behaviors in the classroom; however, a child having the combination of Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and a lack of EF skills, will often have <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19411243.2018.1432447">behavioral events at school</a>. <br />
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<h3>
<u>Behavior </u></h3>
<a href="https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(17)31625-8/abstract">ADHD</a>, or lack of Executive Functioning control, is incredibly common in children who were born prematurely. Often the inattention and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09297049.2014.994486">impulsivity</a>, along with sensory issues that are not addressed (<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010440X17302365">also common in children with ADHD</a>), will cause a child to have <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09297049.2014.994486">behavior problems at school</a>. Many times the behavior is a cry for help due to a lack of support. If your child experiences behavior problems in school please visit us at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/IEPSpecialNeeds/">IEP/504 Assistance and Special Needs Parenting Advice</a> to get assistance with educational advocacy. <br />
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<h3>
<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dmcn.13738">Motor</a><u> (Gross and Fine)</u></h3>
Children who are born before 35 weeks run a risk of having gross motor impairments. The younger the baby, and the lower the weight of the baby at birth, increases the odds the child will have a gross motor impairment. One <a href="https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/ptc.2017-13">study</a> showed approximately 60% of premature infants displayed scores in the average range for gross-motor functioning by the time the child reached 2 years of age. This means up to 40% of children born prematurely could suffer a gross-motor impairment. <br />
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Prematurity impacts fine motor skills too. For extremely premature infants (those born before 28 weeks; like my children) they are at <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10995-016-2109-7">high risk for reading, math, and fine motor delay</a>. Even children born closer to term (29 weeks to 35 weeks) may still suffer some neurological effects of prematurity including <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/doaj/24115940/2018/00000001/00000002/art00001">fine</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037837821730614X">gross</a> motor skills. <br />
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I hope this shines a light on why it is so important to try and stop premature birth. It can cause a life time of issues. I will end with a picture of my children. They are now 10 years old and though they have challenges we face each day with a great amount of joy! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd79UL7HqY5or5zFAJTBHfFu77ozeeF5WVJJ3_lRHjlePSBJkj1xrmPuKRzwSanz8Sdc2TbLSqfP2KuwmmZujqIIJ7lkIP7o19zoOFaouVzCsmz2pk1Tqjd15a3sshnhVjPBrde5BO6FB9/s1600/20180204_113846.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd79UL7HqY5or5zFAJTBHfFu77ozeeF5WVJJ3_lRHjlePSBJkj1xrmPuKRzwSanz8Sdc2TbLSqfP2KuwmmZujqIIJ7lkIP7o19zoOFaouVzCsmz2pk1Tqjd15a3sshnhVjPBrde5BO6FB9/s400/20180204_113846.jpg" width="225" /></a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-2461040827153981342018-10-15T00:58:00.001-07:002018-10-15T00:58:28.160-07:00Arizona Exceptional Students Association<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8E5HUnMEAgILk12qO6zf7riWrULXAnxbWlivIPYD8Tal7d9LH8d53S6uqfcZetjhA9gY6rS1Lfdhb1etfRA7rL5GBcqvZR2bCX2fuYDAeqUGt5g23oYTWNUp9nvga9IltYO0YxzJ4Jna/s1600/AESA+Logo+Final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="645" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj8E5HUnMEAgILk12qO6zf7riWrULXAnxbWlivIPYD8Tal7d9LH8d53S6uqfcZetjhA9gY6rS1Lfdhb1etfRA7rL5GBcqvZR2bCX2fuYDAeqUGt5g23oYTWNUp9nvga9IltYO0YxzJ4Jna/s320/AESA+Logo+Final.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />I have been busy starting a new non-profit. The <a href="https://aesa.group/blog" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arizona Exceptional Students Association (AESA)</a> has been created and many of the posts on neurocognitive domains and other public school and homeschool related topics will be discussed there. I hope you stop by for a visit!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-44168009709180550342018-06-11T21:48:00.001-07:002018-06-11T21:48:46.177-07:00The Undiagnoseable Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdU0FTriC9zdP6NzrQ8seSJEXNMeE3iN1R1NObIPnGoGPJhFcWpcmjzlC_Apis-PhsoKmCslpWXjrphiE6IU7xvVY5SxI5nuw-rC12vcBucgHX8rqAiFipmpNvesqj-Q9cVdFEMSkHfOg/s1600/10366148_10204552525324056_6605689502140917475_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdU0FTriC9zdP6NzrQ8seSJEXNMeE3iN1R1NObIPnGoGPJhFcWpcmjzlC_Apis-PhsoKmCslpWXjrphiE6IU7xvVY5SxI5nuw-rC12vcBucgHX8rqAiFipmpNvesqj-Q9cVdFEMSkHfOg/s320/10366148_10204552525324056_6605689502140917475_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></div>
Nothing like having a medical mystery on your hands. Joseph, my baby D out of a set of quadruplets, was born 13 weeks early. The first 2 weeks of his life was so touch and go that my husband and I were told to wait on burying our daughter (baby c) that passed away the day after she was born. We waited and watched him though the clear plastic of the isolette hoping he would survive.<br />
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After 12 weeks in the NICU Joseph was the last of his surviving siblings to make it home. That night he came home for the first time he stopped breathing, turned blue, and I had to resuscitate him while my husband called the ambulance. This went on for about a month, the O2 monitor kept going off, before there was more testing. I was told Joseph had missed SIDS by the emergency room but in the end it was determined he was having "silent" reflux. That he was aspirating and he would need surgery to survive. This was my first clue that he may have a neurologic problem.<br />
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Once he got home, and a few surgeries later, life slowed down so I could research what was going on with my poor baby. Joseph, at 4 months old, was just a lump. He rarely ever made a sound. When you picked him up he was like a rag doll, he did not interact, I saw his eyes roll up in his head a few times, and the ONLY thing he did was twiddle his fingers in front of his eyes. All of these things I would bring up to the multitude of specialists Joseph saw but all the doctors just metaphorically patted me on my head and said he had a rough start to life and he would catch up by the time he was two.<br />
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This mom's instinct knew better! I knew there was more than I was being told and the specialists were no help. After researching online (Did I mention I have been called a Googlologist?) I determined Joseph had <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4949845/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">floppy baby syndrome</a>. I thought he might have a neurologic problem since I sometimes saw his eyes rolling up into his head, which a later found out is called <a href="http://mediphotos.blogspot.com/2012/01/appearance-of-sunset-sign-in-infant.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sun-downing</a>, to his neurologist and I was ignored.<br />
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I tried to explain my concerns to my husband but he trusted the doctors. So I kept fighting, kept researching, and I was determined I would not give up looking for answers.<br /><br />As Joseph started growing I noticed he was staying tiny in size. More tests were run. It was determined he had an underactive thyroid and tested positive for thyroid antibodies. Thankfully, this was something I did know about as I suffered from the <a href="https://hypothyroidmom.com/hypothyroid-testing-what-you-need-to-know-and-ask-for/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">same condition</a>, <a href="https://hypothyroidmom.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-hashimotos/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hashimoto's Thyroiditis</a>. I got him some thyroid medicine and we moved on.<br />
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Joseph was SUPER slow in hitting his milestones to roll over, it up, or crawl. After about 3 he was crawling but he still was not walking. I knew he has muscle issues from being a floppy baby but I did not know what else was wrong. After more researching and talking to his occupational and physical therapist I realized he might have ataxic cerebral palsy. I requested he get an <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146309.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MRI</a> to get a full brain scan to see if he had any type of brain damage.<br /><br />This is part 1 of a series on the difficulties of having a child that doesn't quite fit into a medical diagnosis. I hope I will be able to continue his story soon. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-35571303774993400432018-06-10T22:23:00.000-07:002018-06-10T22:32:04.719-07:00Executive Functioning and Co-morbid Conditions<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ym88kIQfjiY1L7ZLKerFVjoVwMpc7Qo0J9xfdePG8FlTfRNlUc57tqfh4zfpro96HlsJrH1U87ebWbPwR7zHV3V1mirT2-a2u7WYnhpK7PqSYFdeMxnTCGXjkjx6lOfmIxiRn2cVebbK/s1600/Executive-Function-e1489418053566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="350" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Ym88kIQfjiY1L7ZLKerFVjoVwMpc7Qo0J9xfdePG8FlTfRNlUc57tqfh4zfpro96HlsJrH1U87ebWbPwR7zHV3V1mirT2-a2u7WYnhpK7PqSYFdeMxnTCGXjkjx6lOfmIxiRn2cVebbK/s320/Executive-Function-e1489418053566.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of https://keystoliteracy.com</span></td></tr>
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Executive functioning often comes up in my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/IEPSpecialNeeds/?ref=bookmarks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook group</a> where I provide free educational advocacy advice. Many schools fail to recognize a child with executive functioning issues even though it is common for children with ADD, ADHD, and Autism along with many other conditions. It is important a public school recognizes executive functioning problems and works with the child to put systems in place to help the child overcome their executive functioning issues. Without help from teachers and adults, along with having positive supports in place, many children will feel overwhelmed and shut down in the educational setting. Since the issue of executive functioning (EF) is so complex I have written another blog post to cover other areas of EF.<br />
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</h3>
<h3>
So what is executive functioning?</h3>
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<section style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.715em;">
<a href="https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/executive-function#1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Executive function</a> is a set of mental skills that help you get things done. These skills are controlled by an area of the <span id="goog_70945026"></span><span id="goog_70945027"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><a href="https://www.webmd.com/brain/picture-of-the-brain">brain </a>called the frontal lobe.<br />
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Executive function helps you:</div>
<ul>
<li>Manage time</li>
<li>Pay attention</li>
<li>Switch focus</li>
<li>Plan and organize</li>
<li>Remember details</li>
<li>Avoid saying or doing the wrong thing</li>
<li>Do things based on your experience</li>
<li>Multitask</li>
</ul>
When executive functioning isn’t working as it should, your behavior is less controlled. This can affect your ability to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Work or go to school</li>
<li>Do things independently</li>
<li>Maintain <a href="https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/default.htm">relationships</a></li>
</ul>
</section><section style="box-sizing: inherit;"><h3>
Types of Executive Function</h3>
Executive function can be divided into two groups:<br />
<ul>
<li>Organization: Gathering information and structuring it for evaluation</li>
<li>Regulation: Taking stock of your surroundings and changing behavior in response to it</li>
</ul>
For example, seeing a piece of <a href="https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/chocolate-answers">chocolate</a> cake on a dessert cart at a restaurant may be tempting. That's where executive functioning can step in. The organizational part reminds you that the slice is likely to have hundreds of calories. Regulation tells you that eating the cake conflicts with goals you may have, like eating less sugar or <a href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm">losing weight</a>.<br />
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<h3>
Problems With Executive Function</h3>
Some people are born with weak executive function. And people with <a href="https://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/default.htm">ADHD</a>, <a href="https://www.webmd.com/depression/default.htm">depression</a>, or <a href="https://www.webmd.com/children/guide/detecting-learning-disabilities">learning disabilities</a> often have weaknesses in it. I will discuss more on the various learning disabilities in a later section.<br />
<br />An injury to the front of the <a href="https://www.webmd.com/brain/ss/slideshow-concussions-brain-injuries">brain</a>, where the frontal lobe is, can harm your ability to stay on task. Damage from <a href="https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/default.htm">Alzheimer's disease</a> or strokes may also cause problems.<br />
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<b>Children and Executive Function</b><br />
<br />Problems with executive function can run in families. You may notice them when your child starts going to school. They can hurt the ability to start and finish schoolwork.<br />
<br />Warning signs that a child may be having problems with executive function include trouble in:<br />
<ul>
<li>Planning projects</li>
<li>Estimating how much time a project will take to complete</li>
<li>Telling stories (verbally or in writing)</li>
<li>Memorizing</li>
<li>Starting activities or tasks</li>
<li>Remembering</li>
</ul>
</section><br />
<h3>
Co-morbid Conditions of Executive Function Impairment </h3>
<div>
<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303540/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ADHD/ADD</a> is the hallmark condition for executive function impairment. The condition of ADHD/ADD is so pervasive in life it deserves its own blog post that will be coming at a later date. It is possible to distinguish someone with an executive function disorder from someone with ADHD by trying ADHD medication. Someone with true Executive Function Disorder will not improve on ADHD medication. My daughter, Margaret, is a great example of this. We also happen to know she has <a href="http://www.cerebralpalsy.org/about-cerebral-palsy/cause/hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)</a>. She has a cyst, or hole, in her right <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318139.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">frontal lobe</a>. The right frontal lobe controls reasoning, impulsivity, and emotional regulation. For her, ADHD medication would not improve her impulsivity and inattentiveness. She has a true executive function disorder versus ADHD but she also carries the medical diagnosis of ADHD. The ADHD label is appropriate since she has some ADHD characteristics too like always being in motion and people understand what <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/difference-between-executive-functioning-issues-and-adhd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ADHD entails versus executive function disorder</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023%2FA%3A1023052913110" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Autism is another co-morbid condition</a> that typically entails executive function disorder and/or ADHD. I am seeing more and more children with high-functioning autism being mislabeled as behavioral. I think much of this stems from <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2014-43030-001" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">poor executive functioning</a> and lack of addressing <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f8d4/fec71cdc2608d1c6c15d91e9b8c842156c28.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sensory issues</a>. In a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-017-3130-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">study released in 2017</a> showed children with Autism are often diagnosed with a host of learning and behavioral disorders including ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, and Disruptive Impulse Conduct Disorder. I think all of these are related to executive functioning disorder and untreated sensory problems. I often hear from parents in my Facebook group (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/IEPSpecialNeeds/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IEP Assistance and Special Needs Parenting Advice</a>) say teachers make comments about their child saying, "Your child could have made better choices this year." Really? I think this is an indication the teacher needs training. Obviously, the teacher does not understand how executive functioning works. Students NEED structure and rules in place to HELP them make good decisions.<br />
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Other conditions impacted by executive control issues include <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4351670/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891422216302736" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tourettes</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=GcLOCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA135&dq=executive+function+tourette&ots=JHkbyY8Xbd&sig=VTLUZyEwWE_R-i6naAZsujfBNP4#v=onepage&q=executive%20function%20tourette&f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Traumatic Brain Injury</a>, <a href="http://www.jad-journal.com/article/S0165-0327(15)30388-8/abstract" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Depression</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4289660/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fetal Alcohol Syndrome</a>, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/dmcn.13640" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Developmental Coordination Disorder</a>, and just being a <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2017/11/29/peds.2017-1958" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">preemie</a> can greatly increase a child's risk of having an executive functioning disorder.<br />
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<h3>
Signs of Executive Functioning Issues in Various Settings</h3>
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At the <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/executive-functioning-issues-what-youre-seeing-in-your-preschooler" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">preschool level</a> you may see:<br />
<br />
<b>At Home At School The Issue</b></div>
<div>
The child will respond Your child's answers Kids with EF issues have<br />
"yes" when asked to choose are rarely on topic problems quickly retrieving<br />
between two choices information to answer questions<br />
<br />
<b>At home At School The Issues</b></div>
Child is easily frustrated Child will get frustrated Kids with EF struggle to keep<br />
and quits without asking easily and give up when information in working memory<br />
for help their attempt is not perfect long enough to use the information<br />
<br />
<b>At Home At School The Issue</b><br />
Child cannot remember to Frequently raises hand but Children with EF issues cannot<br />
do multi-step directions can't remember the answer keep information in short-term<br />
or does not start task when called upon memory long enough to use it.<br />
<br />
<b>At Home At School The Issue</b><br />
When child is given several Child can't seem to master Children with EF can have task<br />
tasks to complete at once they simple classroom procedures initiation problems and problems<br />
freeze and stare like a deer like packing up at the end of problems with following multi-<br />
in headlights day step directions<br />
<br />
<br />
At the <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/executive-functioning-issues-what-youre-seeing-in-your-grade-schooler" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">elementary school level</a> you may see:<br />
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<b>At Home At School The Issue</b><br />
Child works on a project and Child can solve a math Children with EF deficits have<br />
gets interrupted then loses problem one way but when problems with switching gears<br />
interest in the project asked to solve the problem and can have a hard time learning<br />
another way they are not able new skills and/or tasks<br />
<br />
<b>At Home At School The Issue</b><br />
Child mixes up assignments Child has a desk of school is Children with EF have a hard time<br />
and forgets to bring home full of crumpled papers and keeping their things organized<br />
worksheets or books pencil stubs but folders and even when given organizational<br />
pencil box is empty tools<br />
<b><br />
</b> <b>At Home At School The Issue</b><br />
Child is insistent on eating Kids are trying to play a game Kids with EF can panic or feel<br />
pizza on Friday night since and Child argues how to play frustration when rules or routines<br />
that is traditionally pizza night and then makes up new rules are changed<br />
<br />
<b>At Home At School The Issue</b><br />
Child seems to focus on the Child cannot find the right Children with EF issues can have<br />
least important details of information in a math word a difficult time figuring out when<br />
what you have said problem in order to solve to look at the big picture versus<br />
the equation the details and which details to<br />
focus on<br />
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<h3>
<a href="https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/evaluations/types-of-tests/tests-for-executive-functioning-issues" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How</a> do you make the diagnosis of Executive Function Impairment?</h3>
<b>Tests That Assess Attention</b><br />
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Example: Test of Variables of Attention (<b>TOVA</b>) (ages 4 and up)<br />
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Similar tests include: Integrated Visual and Auditory CPT (<b>IVA-2</b>) (ages 6 and up), Conners Continuous Performance Test II (<b>CPT II</b>) (ages 6 and up)<br />
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What it measures: A child’s ability to <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/distractibility-inattention/how-kids-pay-attention-and-why-some-kids-struggle-with-it">pay attention</a>. (It also looks at <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/information-processing-issues/processing-speed-what-you-need-to-know">processing speed</a>and inhibitory control.)<br />
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Why it’s important: The ability to pay attention is a key executive function. Having trouble with attention is a hallmark of <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/understanding-adhd">ADHD</a>. While this test isn’t an assessment for ADHD, it might signal that a child has an attention issue. Learn more about the <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/community-events/blogs/expert-corner/2016/05/11/the-new-thinking-about-adhd-and-executive-functioning">link between ADHD and executive functioning issues</a>.<br />
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How it works: In the classic version, different letters flash on a computer screen. A child presses the space bar every time he sees the letter A. The test lasts for 15 to 20 minutes. (With CPT II, kids press the bar when they don’t see the letter.)<br />
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Kids who miss targets may be “zoning out” because of attention issues. But this test also looks at other skills that can impact attention. Missing targets might be the result of slow processing speed, for instance. Responding to the wrong targets might be a problem with focus or with inhibitory control. And if the child was doing well up to a certain point but then makes mistakes, he may have trouble sustaining attention.</div>
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<b>Tests That Assess Inhibitory Control</b><br />
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Example: <b>Stroop</b> Color and Word Test (ages 5 to 14; adult version starts at 15)<br />
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Similar tests: The Color-Word Interference Test of Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (<b>D-KEFS</b>) (ages 8 and up)<br />
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What it measures: A child’s ability to hold back on giving an automatic response, or the ability to think through something before acting.<br />
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Why it’s important: Inhibitory control is tied to <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/common-challenges/self-control/at-a-glance-3-types-of-self-control-issues">self-control</a>. It allows kids to think before they act. It also allows them to assess each new situation and consider the correct or most effective way to respond.<br />
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How it works: The evaluator shows a child the words for different colors written out. But the color of the ink doesn’t match the word that’s spelled out. For example, the word red might be written in green ink. As quickly as possible, the child must say the color she sees, as opposed to the word. The test is usually timed, so it also looks at processing speed.<br />
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Kids who haven’t learned to read yet may perform a similar task with shapes instead of words. In this case, the child might see a circle in red ink. She then has to say the color, not the shape.<br />
Tests That Assess Working Memory<br />
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Example: Digit Span and Spatial Span subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children (<b>WISC</b>) (ages 6 to 16)<br />
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Similar tests include: Working memory tasks in the Woodcock-Johnson (<b>WJ-IV</b>) Cognitive battery (ages 2 and up)<br />
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What they measure: The Digit Span test measures verbal <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/working-memory-what-it-is-and-how-it-works">working memory</a> (the ability to store information that’s heard). The Spatial Span test measures visual working memory (the ability to store information that’s seen).<br />
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Why they’re important: Working memory is an executive function that allows kids to hold onto new information in order to put it to use. (It’s also <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/distractibility-inattention/attention-how-its-different-from-working-memory">affected by attention</a>.)<br />
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How it works: With digit span, the evaluator dictates a series of numbers, and the child has to repeat them back in reverse order. If the examiner says “9, 6, 3,” the child has to repeat the sequence back as “3, 6, 9.” When working with younger kids, the evaluator might list a series of animals in size order, such as bee, dog and cow. The child repeats them back saying the biggest to the smallest animal.<br />
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With spatial span, the evaluator touches a series of blocks in a certain order. The child has to touch the blocks in the reverse order that the evaluator touched them.<br />
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If a child does poorly on the digit span version but well on the spatial span, it might mean she has working memory issues that are more language related. If it’s the other way around, it might mean she struggles with working memory just for visual-spatial tasks.<br />
Tests That Assess Organization and Planning Skills<br />
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Example: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15056306" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tower of Hanoi</a> (ages 5 and up)<br />
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Similar tests include: <b>The Tower Test of D-KEFS</b> (ages 8 and up); <b>Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test</b> (ages 6 and up); <a href="http://www.how-psychology-tests-brain-injury.com/executive-function-tests.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tower of London Test</a> (<b>TLT or TOL</b>)<br />
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What it measures: The ability to plan, sequence and organize information for problem-solving. It can also assess working memory and inhibitory control.<br />
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Why it’s important: Planning, <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/trouble-with-sequencing-what-you-need-to-know">sequencing</a> and organizational skills are key to following directions and completing tasks efficiently. They’re also important when it comes to participating in complex discussion. Kids with executive functioning issues often struggle with these skills.<br />
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How it works: A child must rearrange beads or disks to match a model while following specific rules. A rule might be that the child can’t place a larger bead on top of a smaller one. The goal is to complete the task in as few moves as possible.<br />
Tests That Assess Concept Formation<br />
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Example: <b>Matrix Analogies Test</b> (ages 5 to 17)<br />
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Similar tests: <b>Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test</b> (ages 4 to 18), <b>WISC-V</b> Matrix Reasoning (ages 6 to 16)<br />
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What it measures: The ability to form classes of items based on what they have in common; the ability to figure out patterns or relationships between objects.<br />
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Why it’s important: Concept formation allows kids to see relationships between things and develop ideas based on what they already know about them. It’s important for abstract thinking.<br />
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How it works: A child sees a grid of four boxes with pictures in them. The top row might have a big house next to a big apple. The box below the big house has a little house. The box under the big apple is empty. The child has to pick what logically belongs there (a little apple) from five choices. (The analogies are more complex for older kids.)<br />
Tests That Assess Set Shifting<br />
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Example: <b>Wisconsin Card Sorting Test</b> (ages 7 and up)<br />
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Similar tests include: The <b>Sorting Test of D-KEFS</b> (ages 8 and up); Minnesota Executive Function Scale (<b>MEFS</b>) (ages 2 and up; measures other executive functions as well); <b>Trail Making Tests</b><br />
What it measures: A child’s ability to shift from one task to another. It also measures concept formation.<br />
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Why it’s important: This executive function allows kids to shift their attention and move from one task or situation to another. This type of flexible thinking helps kids see new ways of doing things, or try something else when the first approach doesn’t work.<br />
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How it works: A child is shown a set of five cards. Each card has a different figure on it. The figures switch around with each problem. For example, in one problem the figures on the cards might be: three green stars, one red circle, two yellow blocks, four yellow crosses, and two red crosses.<br />
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The child sees four of the cards lined up in a row, and one by itself below. She’s told to match that card to one of the four above, but not told the rule for matching. (In other words, she doesn’t know whether to match by shape, color, number, etc.)<br />
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The child only gets feedback on whether she’s right or wrong in the match she makes. So through trial and error, she needs to figure out the rule herself. She’s scored by how many correct sorts she makes.<br />
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<b>Tests That Assess Word and Idea Generation</b><br />
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Example: <b>Controlled Oral Word Association Test</b> (ages 5 to 16)<br />
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Similar tests: <b>Verbal Fluency Test in the D-KEFS</b> (ages 8 and up); <b>Word Generation subtest in the NEPSY-II </b>(ages 3 to 16)<br />
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What it measures: The ability to think of words and generate ideas. (It also looks at set-shifting and processing speed in some versions.)<br />
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Why it’s important: Kids rely on executive functioning to solve problems. Being able to quickly come up with words and ideas is key to problem-solving.<br />
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How it works: A child names as many words as she can, based on a certain letter. For example, she might have to come up with words that start with M. Or, on a harder version of the test, she may have to name as many kinds of fruit and furniture as she can, in pairs. She might start with apple/chair or banana/couch, and so on.<br />
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<b>Another possible factor to consider when testing EF</b><br />
<b>The Picture Arrangement (PA) sub-test of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales (WAIS)</b> is <a href="http://www.how-psychology-tests-brain-injury.com/executive-function-tests.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">not really known as an executive test</a>. In the ‘bible’ of neuropsychological diagnostics, Lezak’s Neuropsychological Assessment (2004), this test is never described as an executive function test.<br />
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Remember,executive functions are really several different cognitive functions all humped together: concept formation, formulating a plan (planning), formulating a goal, sequencing the correct order of steps to take in order to reach a goal or follow a plan (logical reasoning), executing the steps and monitoring your own actions, mental flexibility to reformulate a plan and change the actions to reach your goal/plan and the ability to control your automatic, instinctive or impulsive reactions in order to follow your action plan consistently. In short, executive functions are functions that represent goal-directed actions: taking initiative, planning, executing actions, monitoring and self-correcting those actions.<br />
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The task requires several cognitive processes. First, you have to see all pictures in clear detail. Then you have to form several ideas about what is going on here. That’s what neuropsychologists call ‘concept formation’ or ‘formulating a plan’. Then you have to form a picture in your mind of a sequence of the 3 pictures. Not randomly, but guided by your plan or idea about what is going on in this story. Then you have to put these pictures in this planned order and finally, you have to check this whether it matches your plan/ideas. When the sequence is looking wrong, you will have to correct the order. Remember, in the PA test all pictures are separate pictures you can move around. I have programmed these pictures so that they are displayed on a computer screen and can be moved by the clinician. The patient has only to point at a picture and to point at where it should go. Except for planning, sequencing, and monitoring cognitive processes like visual perception, divided attention and memory all work together to do this task correctly.</div>
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Accommodation for Executive Function</span></h3>
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To begin, there are <a href="https://adayinourshoes.com/executive-functioning-iep-goals-accommodations/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">some questions to start you off </a>on your journey...</div>
<b>Questions to ask parents</b><br />
<ul>
<li>What tasks does your child need help with at home?</li>
<li>Does your child lose things?</li>
<li>How often do you need to explain how to do a task?</li>
<li>Does your child have trouble concentrating?</li>
<li>Can your child plan ahead for activities?</li>
<li>Does your child get upset with change?</li>
<li>Does your child often interrupt others?</li>
</ul>
<b>Questions for teachers</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Does the student get distracted easily?</li>
<li>Does the student have an organized backpack or locker?</li>
<li>Can the child fix their own mistakes?</li>
<li>Is the child aware of the consequences of their words or actions?</li>
<li>Does the student demonstrate incomplete or careless work?</li>
<li>Can the student develop plans and strategies?</li>
</ul>
<b>Goals for strengthening EF during Testing</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Student will develop the ability to attend to individual tasks and will improve processing speed through the use of timers and cueing utilized with the entire class in the general classroom.</li>
<li>Student will successfully complete 12 or more weeks of a proven cognitive enhancement program that addresses deficits in processing speed, short-term working memory, attention to detail, monitoring, sequencing and organization skills, with instruction, for at least 1 hour per day every weekday, to alleviate effects of executive functioning disorder deficits.</li>
</ul>
<b>Self-Awareness/Self Advocacy goals for an IEP</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Given a specific routine for monitoring task success, such as Goal-Plan-Do-Check, student will accurately identify tasks that are easy/difficult for him.</li>
<li>Given a difficult task, student will indicate that it is difficult.</li>
<li>Student will explain why some tasks are easy/difficult for him, help develop management strategies.</li>
<li>If tasks are difficult, Student will request help.</li>
<li>When he is more capable than the other child, Student will offer help to others.</li>
<li>If student has negative behaviors, debriefing session held at appropriate time and place and student is able to identify his triggers and possible strategies.</li>
</ul>
<b>Executive Functioning-Organizing goals for an IEP</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Given support and visual cues, student will create a system for organizing personal items in his locker/desk/notebook</li>
<li>To tell an organized story, student will place photographs in order and then narrate the sequence of events. Given visual cues and fading adult support, student will select and use a system to organize his assignments and other school work</li>
<li>Given a complex task, student name will organize the task on paper, including the materials needed, the steps to accomplish the task, and a time frame</li>
<li>Using learned strategies and given fading adult support, student will prepare an organized outline before proceeding with writing projects.</li>
<li>student will improve organization skills for classroom work and homework through specific, repetitive instruction, and use of (list SDIs or supports) and measured by a frequency or %</li>
</ul>
<b>Executive Functioning-Organizing goals for an IEP</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Given training in a self-regulatory routine and visual cues and fading adult supports, the student will accurately predict how effectively he will accomplish a task. For example, he will accurately predict:</li>
</ul>
~whether or not he will be able to complete a task<br />
~how many (of something) he can finish<br />
~his grade on tests<br />
~how many problems he will be able to complete in a specific time period; etc.<br />
<ul>
<li>Given a specific work checking routine, student will identify errors in his work without teacher assistance.</li>
<li>student’s rating of his performance on a 10-point scale will be within one point of the teacher’s rating.</li>
<li>Student will self-initiate editing activities to correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar on all typical classroom assignments in all settings</li>
<li>Student will self-edit his work to correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar on all typical classroom assignments in all settings to eliminate all errors from his work</li>
</ul>
<b>Problem Solving goals for an IEP-Executive Function</b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>Given training in and visual reminders of, self-regulatory scripts student will manage unexpected events and violations of routine without disrupting classroom activities</li>
<li>Student will use a structured recipe or routine for generating new ideas, or brainstorming to respond successfully to open-ended assignments</li>
<li>When faced with changes and/or transitions in activities or environments, student will initiate the new activity after {decreasing number of supports}</li>
<li>Given concrete training, visual supports and fading adult cueing, student will appropriately label flexible and stuck behaviors in himself</li>
<li>Given training and practice with the concept of compromise, and in the presence of visual supports, student will accept and generate compromise solutions to conflicts when working cooperatively with others.</li>
</ul>
<b>IEP goals for personal goal setting/ self-correction and improvement</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Student will participate with teachers and therapists in setting instructional and therapy goals</li>
<li>Given explicit instruction, visual reminders, and fading adult support, student will successfully distinguish target goals (doing well in school, making a friend, learning to read, graduating from school) from interfering goals (playing video games instead of doing homework)</li>
<li>Having failed to achieve a predicted grade on a test, student will create a plan for improving performance for the next test</li>
</ul>
I<b>EP goals for keeping track of time/planning/time management:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Given a routine, student will indicate what steps or items are needed and the order of the events</li>
<li>Student will learn (after helping to develop) a self-regulatory plan for carrying out any multiple-step task (completing homework, writing an essay, doing a project) and given practice, visual cues and fading adult supports, will apply the plan independently to new situations</li>
<li>Given a selection of 3 activities for a therapy or instructional session, student will indicate their order, create a plan on paper and stick to the plan</li>
<li>Given a task that he correctly identifies as difficult for him, student will create a plan for accomplishing the task</li>
</ul>
Another break down of <a href="http://jerichoschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_5887727/File/Special%20Education/ExecutiveFunctioning.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">accommodations</a>....<b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></div>
<div>
<b><br />
</b><b>Sustained Attention - ability to maintain attention despite distractibility, fatigue, or boredom</b></div>
<div>
Elementary Classroom Behavior</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Distractable</li>
<li>Inconsistent performance</li>
<li>Forgetfulness</li>
<li>Zoning out/daydreaming</li>
<li>Making careless mistakes</li>
<li>Difficulty completing assignments</li>
<li>Poor note-taking skills</li>
<li>Off task behaviors</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br />
Middle School Classroom Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Poor attention</li>
<li>"Zoning out"</li>
<li>Inconsistent performance</li>
<li>Difficulty with note-taking</li>
<li>Distractible</li>
<ul>
<li>Pays attention to everything and not just the target activity</li>
<li>Inability to stay on task</li>
</ul>
<li>Asks questions that were just answered</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Elementary Classroom Accommodations</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Provide frequent breaks</li>
<li>Establish eye contact with student</li>
<li>Break down tasks</li>
<li>Repeat information</li>
<li>Check for understanding</li>
<li>Rotate subjects</li>
<li>Check for understanding</li>
<li>Rotate students work areas</li>
<li>Use assistive technology</li>
<li>Provide preferential seating area near the teacher</li>
<li>Teacher should move around the room</li>
<li>Ask for the student to repeat back instructions/directions</li>
<li>Inject novelty into instruction</li>
<li>Use multi-sensory/hands-on materials</li>
<li>Present the questions first</li>
<li>Ask student to make predictions</li>
<li>Ask student to summarize information</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br />
Middle School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Inject novelty into instruction</li>
<ul>
<li>Games</li>
<li>Interesting and colorful material</li>
</ul>
<li>Provide visuals</li>
<li>Allow for breaks as necessary</li>
<li>Structure tasks and activities</li>
<ul>
<li>Rotate subjects</li>
<li>Complete homework in intervals</li>
</ul>
<li>Provide extra review for material covered at the end of a class period</li>
<li>Engage attention</li>
<ul>
<li>Through challenge (e.g. Few people know the answer to this...)</li>
<li>Active student participation</li>
</ul>
<li>Preferential seating</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Working Memory - Holding information in the mind while performing complex tasks</b></div>
</div>
<div>
Elementary School Classroom Behavior</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Student gets confused when too much information is presented</li>
<li>Has trouble remembering things (eg. phone numbers)</li>
<li>Student may lose track of what they are doing as they work</li>
<li>Student may forget what they need to retrieve when sent on an errand</li>
<li>May frequently switch tasks or fail to complete tasks</li>
<li>Difficulty keeping up with classroom lessons</li>
<li>Difficulty remaining attractive and focused for an appropriate length of time</li>
<li>Difficulty sequencing math word problems</li>
<li>Extreme difficulty solving problems mentally (eg. mental math)</li>
<li>Poor reading comprehension</li>
<li>Difficulty summarizing</li>
<li>Inconsistent performance</li>
<li>Difficulty following directions</li>
<li>Difficulty keeping track of a lot of information</li>
</ul>
<div>
Middle School Classroom Behavior<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Difficulty in keeping up with information to complete tasks</li>
<ul>
<li>May look like poor attention</li>
<li>Misses important pieces of information</li>
<li>Gets confused when too much information is presented at once or too quickly</li>
<li>Poor note-taking from lectures</li>
</ul>
<li>Extreme difficulty with solving problems mentally (e.g. mental math)</li>
<li>Difficulty with keeping up and maintaining conversations</li>
<li>Frequently asking questions</li>
<li>Difficulty sequencing</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
Elementary School Classroom Accommodations</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Teach visualizing techniques</li>
<li>Pre-teach and preview new information</li>
<li>Establish eye contact with the student</li>
<li>Give student a copy of class notes</li>
<li>Student should practice new skills in short sessions over the course of the day</li>
<li>Use graphic organizers</li>
<li>Use visuals</li>
<li>Chunk information</li>
<li>Use of mnemonics</li>
<li>Avoid extraneous comments and information</li>
<li>Color-code information and/or materials</li>
<li>Personalize the information taught</li>
<li>Have student design own tables and keys</li>
<li>Use a variety of tests that assess both recall and recognition</li>
</ul>
<div>
Middle School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Provide structured outlines</li>
<li>Provide visuals</li>
<ul>
<li>graphic organizers</li>
<li>pictures and charts</li>
<li>maps</li>
</ul>
<li>Promote note-taking to avoid memory overload</li>
<li>Chunk information to help student with comprehension</li>
<li>Allow frequent breaks</li>
<li>Provide class notes</li>
<li>Repeat key concepts/information</li>
<li>Pre-teach information</li>
<li>Encourage the use of post-its for questions that cannot be contacted immediately</li>
<li>Model relevant comments during conversations</li>
<li>Introduce memory strategies</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Inhibition - The ability to stop one's own behavior at the appropriate time (eg. stopping actions and thoughts)</b></div>
<div>
Elementary School Classroom Behaviors</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Difficulty waiting </li>
<li>Interrupts and disrupts group activities</li>
<li>Student may call out</li>
<li>Touching things or people</li>
<li>Makes careless mistakes</li>
<li>Displays hyperactivity</li>
<li>Acting on auto-piolet without reflection</li>
<li>Perseveration</li>
<li>Many false starts</li>
<li>Dives right into problems without pausing, reflecting, developing a strategy or game plan</li>
<li>Excessive talking</li>
<li>Unlike to reflect or self-monitor</li>
<li>Misinterprets directions</li>
</ul>
<div>
Middle School Classroom Behavior<br />
<ul>
<li>Calling Out</li>
<li>Touching Objects/Peers</li>
<li>Invading others personal space</li>
<li>Interrupting conversations</li>
<li>Making careless errors - written & verbal</li>
<li>Issues with directions (Not reading/misreading/misinterpreting)</li>
<li>Misinterpreting text</li>
<li>Attempting problem-solving without planning</li>
<li>Starting and stopping tasks repeatedly</li>
<li>Difficulty with perspective taking</li>
<ul>
<li>Understanding someone else's point of view</li>
<li>Often unaware of own behavior or impacts on others</li>
</ul>
<li>Difficulty with empathy</li>
<li>Difficulty knowing what to say and when to say it</li>
</ul>
High School Classroom Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Calling out</li>
<li>Not following directions</li>
<li>Inconsistent test performance</li>
<li>Touching things/other people</li>
<li>Restlessness</li>
<li>Over-active behaviors</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Elementary School Classroom Accommodations</div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Give an explicit and clear set of rules and expectations</li>
<li>Preferential seating near the teacher with frequent eye contact</li>
<li>"Catch" the student being good</li>
<li>Ignore the disinhibited response</li>
<li>Positive reinforcement plan</li>
<li>Use checklists</li>
<li>Have student hold the pencil up until directions are given</li>
<li>Have student repeat the directions</li>
<li>Have student verbalize how they will solve the problem before they begin</li>
<li>Give verbal reminders</li>
<li>Model your thought process</li>
<li>Ask questions to make student stop and think</li>
<li>Use visual cues (eg. stop sign, traffic light)</li>
<li>Emphasize procedures of an assignment</li>
<li>Identify the skill being work on</li>
</ul>
<div>
<div>
Middle School Classroom Accommodations</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Ask questions of students; when student answers question impulsivity is redirected</li>
<li>Repeat verbal information (Directions, assignments, and tasks)</li>
<li>Have student repeat back directions to ensure understanding</li>
<li>Emphasize on HOW to solve a problem - Don't just focus on the correct answer</li>
<li>Direct students to stop and think before acting/responding</li>
<li>Offer specific real-time feedback</li>
<li>Incorporate positive reinforcement/rewards as part of task/activity </li>
<li>Provide effective feedback</li>
<ul>
<li>Make eye contact with student</li>
<li>Give immediate feedback</li>
<li>Be specific</li>
</ul>
<li>Praise appropriate behavior</li>
<li>Identify the problem and use social stories and role-playing to determine the solution</li>
<li>Create a self-monitoring rating scale with the student</li>
<li>Encourage verbal mediation </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
High School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Ask the student to take a few seconds before answering the question</li>
<li>Students should be given an explicit, extensive, and clear set of rules and expectations along with giving reminders as needed</li>
<li>Ask the students to explain their plan for the task (e.g. Goals for accuracy and timeframe)</li>
<li>Seat student close to the teacher to facilitate monitoring of behavior</li>
<li>Catch student "being good"</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Organizing/Planning/Task Initiation - Organization is the ability to impose order on work, play, and storage spaces. Planning is the ability to manage current and future-oriented task demands. Task initiation is the ability to begin a task or activity and to independently generate ideas, responses, and or problem-solving strategies. </b><br />
Elementary School Classroom Behavior<br />
<ul>
<li>Student may forget homework assignments/materials</li>
<li>Student can be unprepared and unable to find materials</li>
<li>Student has messy desk/workspace</li>
<li>May get "stuck"</li>
<li>Appears to be daydreaming</li>
<li>Difficulty completing assignments in a timely manner</li>
<li>Difficulty expressing ideas in an oral and/or written format</li>
<li>Student approaches tasks in a haphazard manner</li>
<li>Difficulty in responding to open-ended questions</li>
<li>Performs better with multiple choice questions</li>
<li>Difficulty making decisions</li>
<li>Difficulty starting an assignment independently</li>
<li>Difficulty generating ideas, responses, and problem-solving</li>
<li>Difficulty with multi-step problem-solving</li>
</ul>
Middle School Classroom Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Doesn't begin tasks (e.g. just sit and stares when given directions)</li>
<li>Messy desk/notebook/locker/backpacks</li>
<li>Difficulty with unstructured tasks</li>
<li>Off task (e.g. Looks lost or Daydreaming)</li>
<li>Difficulty understanding what to do</li>
<li>Difficulty with time management</li>
<li>Difficulty understanding what to do</li>
<li>Overwhelmed by large amounts of information</li>
<li>Difficulty retrieving information spontaneously or answering open-ended questions</li>
<li>Difficulty handing in assignments on time</li>
</ul>
<br />
High School Classroom Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Blank Page</li>
<li>Task avoidance behavior such as leaving the classroom</li>
<li>Gives excuses on a constant basis</li>
</ul>
<br />
Elementary Classroom Accommodations<br />
<ul>
<li>Use a checklist for multi-step tasks</li>
<li>Demonstrate where to begin and what steps to follow</li>
<li>Use a timer to help student pace their work</li>
<li>Provide a model of completed projects</li>
<li>Have student verbalize a plan of approach before beginning an activity</li>
<li>Provide a "to-do" list</li>
<li>Use color-coded materials</li>
<li>Use schedules</li>
<li>Provide deadlines and timelines for assignments (be specific with exact times and dates)</li>
<li>Provide "how-to" templates</li>
<li>Break long-term assignments into sequential tasks</li>
<li>Use graphic organizers</li>
<li>Use brainstorming techniques</li>
<li>Place student in small groups with more organized peers to serve as a model</li>
<li>Provide access to assistive technology</li>
<li>Assign student planners and check for accuracy</li>
<li>Coordinate with the parents to generate a positive incentive homework plan</li>
<li>Provide access to assistive technology</li>
</ul>
Middle School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Provide explicit directions</li>
<li>Don't assume information is "obvious" to the student</li>
<li>Check for understanding</li>
<li>Create mental framework</li>
<ul>
<li>Provide template to help student organize the information as student hears it</li>
<li>Identify/Label steps and put it on an index card</li>
<li>Identify what to listen to</li>
<li>Color code</li>
<li>Categorize information</li>
</ul>
<li>Use multiple choice versus open-ended questions</li>
<li>Set time limits, use timelines, and checklists</li>
<li>Provide access to assistive technology</li>
<li><br /></li>
</ul>
<br />
High School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Demonstrate where to begin and what steps to follow</li>
<li>Provide "to do" list on index cards to provide external cues and encourage the development of routine</li>
<li>Encourage students to keep a "cookbook," or list of steps for routines, in a binder for reference</li>
<li>Set up time limits for completing a task. Use of a timer may increase the initiation of a task and the speed in which the task was completed</li>
<li>Provide access to assistive technology</li>
<li>Allow student to verbalize the expectations of the assignment and give them a chance ask questions concerning potential problems in completing the project </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>Emotional Regulation - The ability to regulate emotional responses by bringing rational thought to bear on feelings</b><br />
Elementary Classroom Behaviors<br />
<ul>
<li>Difficulty making or keeping friends</li>
<li>Emotional reactions are out-of-sync with the situation (small problem triggers huge emotional response)</li>
<li>May laugh hysterically, or cry easily, with little provocation</li>
<li>Temper tantrums and explosive outbursts</li>
<li>Bossiness</li>
<li>Easily upset/ overly-sensitive</li>
<li>Aggressive behavior</li>
<li>Rigid/ inflexible thinking</li>
<li>Emotional lability (rapid mood changes without cause)</li>
<li>Low frustration tolerance</li>
<li>Socially immature</li>
<li>Appears insensitive to other people's perspective and emotions</li>
</ul>
Middle School Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Tantrums</li>
<li>Crying</li>
<li>Laughing at inappropriate times</li>
<li>Calling out</li>
<li>Making irrational statements</li>
<ul>
<li> "Teacher hates me."</li>
<li> "Someone's laughing at me."</li>
</ul>
<li>Aggressive behavior physically and/or verbally</li>
</ul>
<br />
High School Classroom Behavior<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Often calls out in class without consideration of others</li>
<li>Lacks emotional regulation</li>
<li>Difficulty redirecting and refocusing once the child exhibits the lack of emotional control (e.g. temper tantrums, cursing, crying, extreme laughter, and etc.)</li>
<li>Exhibits unpredictable emotional response that is out-of-sync with the situation</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Elementary School Accommodations<br />
<ul>
<li>Use of social stories and narratives</li>
<li>Role-playing activities</li>
<li>Try to anticipate problem situations</li>
<li>Manage stimuli and antecedents that appear to lead to emotional outbursts</li>
<li>Provide opportunities to discuss upcoming situations that may provoke emotional outbursts</li>
<li>Teach coping strategies to manage emotions</li>
<li>Introduce self-monitoring strategies</li>
<li>Provide scripts of appropriate language and behaviors</li>
<li>Model self-statements</li>
<li>Provide breaks</li>
<li>Attempt to plan the child's optimal time of day</li>
<li>Utilize a positive reinforcement plan/behavioral interventions</li>
<li>Provide positive role models/ model appropriate emotional regulation</li>
<li>Provide as many opportunities as possible for physical activity</li>
<li>Give the student to write down concerns to discuss later</li>
</ul>
Middle School Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Model positive thoughts and behaviors</li>
<ul>
<li>Turn the negative and/or irrational thoughts/statements into positive ones</li>
<li>Identify possible positive outcomes</li>
</ul>
<li>Identify problem</li>
<ul>
<li>Discuss privately</li>
<li>Acknowledge frustrations</li>
<li>Use narratives and social stories</li>
<li>Offer the student the opportunity to write down their concerns for later discussion</li>
<ul>
<li>Set a specific time and place to discuss concerns</li>
</ul>
<li>Offer breaks from current (physical) setting</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
High School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Maintain consistency and predictability in terms of teaching methods</li>
<li>Include aspects of social-emotional learning to create a safe and supportive environment with student-centered classroom rules</li>
<li>Provide verbal and visual reminders</li>
<li>Encourage peer monitoring</li>
<li>Foster empathy among classmates; highlight strength and weaknesses</li>
<li>Plan small group activities that encourage positive and productive interaction</li>
<li>Clarify expectations in order to reduce the student's feeling of being overwhelmed</li>
<li>Communicate effective strategies with parents and consult specialists as needed (e.g. school psychologist, speech therapist, social worker, and etc)</li>
<li>Be aware of stressful situations (e.g. calling on student unexpectedly, public speaking, etc)</li>
<li>Help students create rating scale of 1-5 to help them evaluate problems and put them in perspective</li>
<li>Help students be aware of the consequences of their emotional outbursts on the learning environment </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>Self Monitoring - The ability to monitor one's own performance and to measure it against some standard of what is needed or expected</b><br />
Elementary School Classroom Behavior<br />
<ul>
<li>Makes careless mistakes</li>
<li>Rushes through work</li>
<li>Appears to lack pride in work</li>
<li>Disorganized</li>
<li>Difficulty check over work/proofreading</li>
<li>Work may be sloppy</li>
<li>Acts without thinking things through</li>
<li>Unaware of behavior and impact on others</li>
<li>Difficulty with time management</li>
<li>May have difficulty monitoring volume of voice</li>
<li>Difficulty with pragmatic language skills</li>
<li>Difficulty in empathizing</li>
<li>Procrastination</li>
<li>Missing deadlines</li>
<li>Difficulty in completing work</li>
</ul>
Elementary School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<ul>
<li>Provide student with a checklist</li>
<li>Use a timer</li>
<li>Graphic organizer</li>
<li>Use of a picture schedule</li>
<li>Breaks tasks down into steps</li>
<li>Provide a peer buddy</li>
<li>Check on student progress during a project</li>
<li>Role play different situations</li>
<li>Provide grading rubrics to define the quality of work</li>
<li>Provide reinforcements for using a self-monitoring checklist</li>
<li>Teach student to talk through a task</li>
<li>Provide self-monitoring questions (eg. Am I a space invader?)</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>Shift - To move freely from one thought/activity to another and to think flexibly in order to respond to the situation </b><br />
Elementary School Classroom Behavior<br />
<ul>
<li>Difficulty making transitions</li>
<li>Difficulty in starting a new task before the first task is complete</li>
<li>Difficulty switching gears (eg. addition and subtraction problems on the same page)</li>
<li>Repeats the same behaviors</li>
<li>Gives the same answers to different questions</li>
<li>Difficulty switching to a new topic or subject</li>
<li>Inflexibility</li>
<li>Difficulty with problems solving and conflict resolution</li>
<li>Failure to comply with task instructions</li>
</ul>
Middle School Classroom Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Stuck on a topic, idea, or activity</li>
<li>Repeating the same behavior after the task has changed</li>
<li>Driven by routine and consistency</li>
<ul>
<li>Needs the same seat</li>
<li>Wears the same color</li>
<li>Eating the same foods</li>
<li>Difficulty transitioning between classes</li>
<li>Unable to tolerate changes in schedule</li>
<li>Difficulty in transitioning within conversations</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<br />
High School Classroom Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Stuck on the previous task when working on the current task</li>
<li>Not being prepared for next activity</li>
<li>Student may sit and stare when given too much information at once</li>
<li>Non-participation</li>
</ul>
<br />
Elementary School Accommodations<br />
<ul>
<li>Give sufficient warning for upcoming transitions</li>
<li>Make the day as predictable as possible</li>
<li>Provide a break between activities</li>
<li>Guide students to highlight math signs before solving</li>
<li>Pause between different chunks of information</li>
<li>Emphasize where one piece of information ends and the next begins</li>
<li>Provide a stopwatch/timer</li>
<li>Model problem-solving techniques</li>
<li>Model self-talk strategies</li>
<li>Use of visual organizers, schedules, planners, and calendars</li>
</ul>
<div>
Middle School Accommodations</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Make the day as predictable as possible</li>
<li>Clearly separate different types of problems to help with task shifting</li>
<li>Identify new topic clearly</li>
<ul>
<li>Change where teacher stands for new topic</li>
<li>Change student's seat for new topic</li>
<li>Begin new unit after break</li>
<li>When presenting information stay away from general remarks</li>
</ul>
<li>Provide verbal feedback to individual students having difficulty shifting conversations and tasks</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
High School Classroom Accommodations</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Give ample notice to the student so they have time to accept transitions</li>
<li>Allow a few minutes of "downtime" between activities</li>
<li>Be consistent with expectations</li>
<li>Use a timer to break down classroom period to promote time management</li>
<li>Leave time at the end of the period to answer questions the student may have from that day's lesson</li>
<li>Use visual organizers, schedules, planners, and calendar boards to help learn routines and adapt to changes</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Abstract Reasoning/Concept Formation - The ability to make connections and to synthesize/categorize information </b></div>
<div>
Elementary School Classroom Behavior</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Difficulty with social problem solving</li>
<li>Difficulty with perspective taking</li>
<li>May ask the same questions repeatedly</li>
<li>Concrete, literal learners</li>
<li>Difficulty in what they cannot see, hear, or touch</li>
<li>Difficulty sorting/organizing information</li>
<li>Difficulty with abstract concepts</li>
<li>Difficulty with reading comprehension</li>
<li>Difficulty in determining the most important points in a lesson</li>
<li>Difficulty in summarizing information</li>
<li>Focus on details and miss the "big picture"</li>
<li>Difficulty in determining what is relevant or not</li>
<li>Difficulty in making inferences</li>
<li>Performs better during structured tasks</li>
<li>Struggles in unstructured tasks (eg. writing a story)</li>
<li>Difficulty in reading between the line and "catching on"</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
Middle School Classroom Behaviors<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Difficulty forming theories and solving problems</li>
<li>Difficulty in understanding what they cannot see, hear, or touch</li>
<li>Difficulty in understanding</li>
<ul>
<li>Figurative language</li>
<li>Ambiguous language</li>
<li>Multiple meaning words</li>
<li>Similies and metaphors</li>
<li>Humor and sarcasm</li>
</ul>
<li>Difficulty synthesizing information</li>
<li>Difficulty in determining important information</li>
<ul>
<li>Relevant versus irrelevant</li>
<li>Details</li>
<li>Main ideas</li>
<li>Related concepts</li>
</ul>
<li>Difficulty "reading between the lines"</li>
<li>Misses the "big picture"</li>
</ul>
</div>
<br />
Elementary School Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Multi-sensory lessons</li>
<li>Social Stories</li>
<li>Ask student to come up with a title of the story first</li>
<li>Give question prompts (eg. How might you best solve that?)</li>
<li>Provide explicit instruction (Don't assume it seems obvious)</li>
<li>Check for understanding</li>
<li>Ask student to repeat back information</li>
<li>Ask student to read questions first before reading a passage</li>
<li>Break down tasks into steps</li>
<li>Define the skills to be learned, list the steps for the skill, and then practice the skill in a variety of ways</li>
<li>Positive reinforcement plan for using defined skills</li>
<li>Model the thought process needed for the skills</li>
<li>Simulate social situations and role play</li>
<li>Highlight the most important details in one color and the supporting details in another color</li>
<li>Summarize and retell stories</li>
<li>Help student to sort and outline information (eg. outlines, venn diagrams, & graphic organizers)</li>
</ul>
Middle School Classroom Accommodations<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Don't assume what is "obvious" is obvious to the student</li>
<li>Scaffold questions</li>
<li>Use effective reading strategies</li>
<ul>
<li>Close reading</li>
<li>Graphic organizers</li>
<li>Teach how to summarize a story</li>
<li>Teach how to make predictions (inferencing)</li>
</ul>
<li>Use sorting and categorizing games</li>
<li>Identify fact or opinion</li>
<li>Identifying key concepts and ideas</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Some current research on Executive Functioning</h3>
<div>
In a 2018 paper by Angeliki Kallitsoglou, <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022219417691834" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Executive Function Variation in Children With Conduct Problems: Influences of Coexisting Reading Difficulties</a>, the author discusses the variations in executive functioning of children with reading problems, conduct problems, and children with both disabilities. </div>
<br />
<a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022219417691834" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abstract</a><br />
<br />
It is unknown whether children with conduct problems (CP) and poor reading (PR) skills exhibit more profound executive function impairments than children with CP only and whether such impairments are explained by coexisting PR. Executive functions were compared in four groups of 7- to 8-year-old children: 26 CP only, 35 PR only, 27 CP-PR, and 31 comparison (COM) children with neither CP nor PR. The Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale–28 and a sentence completion reading test were used to assess CP and PR skills. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Third Edition Backward Digit Span, the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test, and the Tower of London were used to assess three aspects of executive function: verbal working memory, response inhibition, and planning, respectively. The CP-PR group had lower verbal working memory than the CP-only and COM groups, but the difference was not significant after intellectual ability, inattention, and hyperactivity were controlled. The CP-PR group made more errors in the planning task (rule violations) than the COM and CP-only groups, but the difference was not significant after intellectual ability was controlled. No significant group differences were found in response inhibition. A specific PR group effect was found for verbal working memory. Children with CP-PR have more prominent executive function impairments that cannot be attributed to coexisting PR.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Assistive Technology for EF</h3>
<div>
There are numerous apps to help with executive functioning issues. The following list is from <a href="http://www.techpotential.net/attoolbox" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TechPotential.net</a>:</div>
<br />
Listening to Recorded Audiobooks. Audiobooks are recordings of human narrators reading aloud.</div>
<div>
<a href="https://go.learningally.org/link/">Learning Ally Link</a> (Mac, PC, iOS, Chrome)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Fire-Amazon-tablet/dp/B0083Q04IQ">Kindle Fire</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYsIvAwRLOA">Immersion Reading</a> (see e-text highlighted while listening to narrated audiobook)<br />
<a href="https://www.audible.com/sw">Audible app</a> (Mac, PC, iOS, Android, Windows Phone)<br />
<a href="http://omc.overdrive.com/">Overdrive Media Console</a> (borrow digital audiobooks and e-books from local libraries)<br />
________________<br />
Simple text-to-speech, E-readers with text-to-speech and other tools</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.textaloud.com/">TextAloud MP3</a> (PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.convenienceware.com/ghostreader.php">GhostReader</a> (Mac)<br />
<a href="http://www.naturalreaders.com/index.htm">NaturalReader</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.apple.com/accessibility/voiceover/">VoiceOver</a> and <a href="http://osxdaily.com/2012/09/15/speak-selected-text-with-a-keystroke-in-mac-os-x/">Speak Selected Text</a> (included in Mac operating system)<br />
<a href="https://help.apple.com/ipad/8/#/iPad9a247097">Speak Selection</a> and <a href="https://help.apple.com/ipad/8/#/iPadfd740569">Speak Screen</a> (included in iOS)<br />
<a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word-help/using-the-speak-text-to-speech-feature-HA102066711.aspx">Speak</a> command for Microsoft Word (PC)<br />
<a href="https://www.bookshare.org/cms/get-started/how-read-books/read-your-own">Bookshare Web Reader</a> extension (for Chrome on Mac, PC; Safari on Mac; Chromebook)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read2go/id425585903?mt=8">Read2Go</a> (iOS app for Bookshare books)<br />
<a href="http://www.voicedream.com/">Voice Dream Reader</a> (<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/en/app/voice-dream-reader-text-to/id496177674?mt=8">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=voicedream.reader&hl=en">Android</a> app for Bookshare books and other text)<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.benetech.android&hl=en">GoRead</a> (Android app for Bookshare books)<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ndu.mobile.daisy.full&hl=en">Darwin Reader</a> (Android app for Bookshare books)<br />
<a href="http://www.apple.com/ibooks/">iBooks</a> (Mac, iOS) - use device's built-in text-to-speech<br />
________________<br />
Read, Write & Study Software Suites<br />
<br />
Software that bundles multiple supports for reading, writing, and studying.<br />
<a href="http://www.kurzweiledu.com/">Kurzweil 3000</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.texthelp.com/">Read&Write</a> (formerly Read&Write Gold) (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/readwriteforgoogle/">Read&Write for Google</a> (Chrome extension) - for use in Google Drive on Mac, PC, Chromebook<br />
<a href="http://www.freedomscientific.com/LSG/index.asp">WYNN</a> (PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.claroread.com/">ClaroRead</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.donjohnston.com/products/solo/index.html">SOLO Literacy Suite</a> (Mac & PC) – comprises four interrelated applications: <a href="http://www.donjohnston.com/products/read_outloud/index.html">Read:OutLoud</a>, <a href="http://www.donjohnston.com/products/draft_builder/index.html">Draft:Builder</a>, <a href="http://www.donjohnston.com/products/write_outloud/index.html">Write:OutLoud</a>, and <a href="http://www.donjohnston.com/products/cowriter/index.html">Co:Writer</a><br />
<a href="http://www.bookshare.org/readingTools">Read:OutLoud-Bookshare Edition</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.readingmadeez.com/">Premier Literacy Productivity Suite</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
________________<br />
Resources for Alternatives to Printed Text - Electronic Text (E-text) and Narrated Audiobooks</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.bookshare.org/">Bookshare</a> (e-text) - eligibility required<br />
<a href="http://learningally.org/">Learning Ally</a> (formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic-RFB&D) (audiobooks, some with e-text) - eligibility required<br />
<a href="https://www.loc.gov/nls/">National Library Service</a> (audio materials) - eligibility required<br />
<a href="http://kindle.amazon.com/">Amazon Kindle</a> (e-text) - also see Immersion Reading in "Listening to Recorded Audiobooks", above<br />
<a href="http://www.audible.com/">Audible</a> (audiobooks)<br />
<a href="https://www.blio.com/">Blio</a> (primarily e-text in proprietary reader)<br />
<a href="http://www.coursesmart.com/">CourseSmart</a> (e-text in proprietary reader)<br />
<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/">Project Gutenburg</a> (e-text)<br />
<a href="http://nimac.privatereserve.com/">NIMAC</a> (e-text) - materials must be secured by a school; not available to individuals<br />
check local digital libraries (e.g., <a href="http://ncdl.lib.overdrive.com/">Northern California Digital Library</a>) to borrow downloadable audiobooks via <a href="https://app.overdrive.com/">Overdrive Media App</a> or other platforms<br />
check individual publishers for accessible online or e-text versions of textbooks<br />
_______________<br />
Graphic Organizer and Mind Map Software<br />
<br />
Outlining and mapping software can help students organize ideas for writing, take notes while reading, break a large project into smaller individual tasks, understand broad concepts or complex processes -- any information that benefits from a structured framework and clarifying the relationship between the whole and its parts. Some of these programs, apps, and web tools also include ready-made templates (and allow creation of custom templates) to scaffold a student's thinking and learning.<br />
<a href="http://www.inspiration.com/Inspiration">Inspiration</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inspiration-maps-vpp/id510173686?mt=8">Inspiration Maps</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.inspiration.com/Kidspiration">Kidspiration</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kidspiration-maps/id675321195?mt=8">Kidspiration Maps</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.inspiration.com/WebspirationClassroom">Webspiration</a> (online)<br />
<a href="http://www.xmind.net/">XMind</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page">Free Mind</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="https://www.mindmeister.com/">MindMeister</a> (iOS, Android, Chrome, online)<br />
<a href="https://www.mindomo.com/">Mindomo</a> (Mac, PC, Linux, Chrome, online)<br />
<a href="https://www.mindmup.com/">MindMup</a> (online)<br />
<a href="https://www.lucidchart.com/">LucidChart</a> (Chrome, online)<br />
<a href="http://www.simpleapps.eu/simplemind/">SimpleMind</a> (Mac, PC, iOS, Android)<br />
<a href="http://mindnode.com/">MindNode</a> (Mac, iOS)<br />
<a href="https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Learn-more-about-SmartArt-Graphics-6ea4fdb0-aa40-4fa9-9348-662d8af6ca2c">SmartArt Graphic</a> organization layouts built into Microsoft Word (2007 and later)<br />
Graphic organizer tools also included in some literacy software such as <a href="http://www.donjohnston.com/products/solo/index.html">SOLO</a> (<a href="http://www.donjohnston.com/products/draft_builder/index.html">Draft:Builder</a>), <a href="http://www.kurzweiledu.com/">Kurzweil 3000</a>, and <a href="http://www.texthelp.com/">Read&Write</a> (<a href="http://readwrite.texthelp.com/ReadAndWrite/V11.5/VideoTours/US/player/default.asp?video=fact_mapper">Fact Mapper</a>)<br />
________________<br />
Speech recognition (speech-to-text)</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.nuance.com/for-individuals/by-product/dragon-for-pc/index.htm">Dragon NaturallySpeaking</a> (PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.nuance.com/for-individuals/by-product/dragon-for-mac/dragon-dictate/index.htm">Dragon Dictate</a> (Mac)<br />
<a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Set-up-Speech-Recognition">Windows Speech Recognition</a> (included in Windows operating system)<br />
<a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5449">Dictation</a> and <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203085">Dictation Commands</a> (utilities built into Mac OS)<br />
<a href="https://help.apple.com/ipad/8/#/iPad997d9642">Dictate</a> and <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203084">commands</a> (utilities built into iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.nuance.com/for-business/by-product/dragon/dragon-anywhere/index.htm">Dragon Anywhere</a> (iOS, Android) - syncs custom words and macros with some Dragon desktop editions<br />
<a href="https://support.google.com/docs/answer/4492226?hl=en">Voice Typing</a> (Google Docs on Chrome browser)<br />
(also see MathTalk and SpeakQ, below, for other software that employs speech recognition)<br />
________________<br />
PDF Annotation<br />
<br />
Type on PDF version of worksheet, quiz, or other handout vs. handwriting on it.<br />
<a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2506#PDF">Preview</a> annotation toolbar - annotate PDF documents (included in Mac OS)<br />
<a href="http://skim-app.sourceforge.net/">Skim</a> - free PDF reader with annotation tools (Mac)<br />
<a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/reader.html">Adobe Reader version 11</a> - PDF reader with annotation tools and markups; discontinued 2015, replaced by Acrobat Reader (Mac, PC)<br />
<a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/products/pdf-reader.html">Acrobat Reader DC</a> - PDF reader w/ annotation tools, markups; replaces Adobe Reader (Mac, PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer">PDF-XChange Viewer</a> - annotate PDF documents (PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.foxitsoftware.com/Secure_PDF_Reader/">FoxIt Reader</a> - PDF reader with annotation tools (PC)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/claropdf-accessible-pro-pdf/id633997623?mt=8">ClaroPDF-Accessible Pro</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/claropdf-lite/id666770153?mt=8">ClaroPDF Lite</a> - PDF reader app w/ annotation tools; Pro has text-to-speech (iOS)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pdf-expert-5-fill-forms-annotate/id743974925?mt=8">PDF Expert</a> - PDF reader with annotation tools, text-to-speech (iOS)<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kami-formerly-notable-pdf/ecnphlgnajanjnkcmbpancdjoidceilk?utm_source=chrome-ntp-icon">Kami</a> (formerly Notable PDF) - PDF reader with annotation tools (Chrome)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/snaptype-for-occupational/id866842989?mt=8">SnapType for Occupational Therapy</a> - simple app to snap photo and annotate (iOS)<br />
<a href="https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/company/education-blog/august-2017/texthelp%E2%80%99s-new-pdf-reader-now-available/">PDF Reader</a> tool in <a href="http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/readwriteforgoogle/">Read&Write for Google</a> (Chrome extension) and <a href="http://www.texthelp.com/">Read&Write-WIndows</a> (PC) - PDF reader with text-to-speech and annotation tools<br />
________________<br />
Assorted Reading & Writing Supports<br />
<br />
Supports for spelling, grammar, word choice, reading level, and visual readability.<br />
<a href="http://www.dyslexiefont.com/">Dyslexie</a> and <a href="http://opendyslexic.org/">OpenDyslexic</a> - fonts designed to ease visual aspects of reading for those with dyslexia<br />
<a href="http://www.visualthesaurus.com/">Visual Thesaurus</a> - visual word map (online, Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.gingersoftware.com/">Ginger</a> - contextual spellchecker (online, PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.ghotit.com/">Ghotit</a> - contextual spelling/grammar checker with word prediction, other supports (Mac, PC, iOS, Chrome, Android, Linux)<br />
<a href="http://linguisoft.com/">Grammarian Pro2X</a> - grammar and spelling checker (Mac)<br />
<a href="http://donjohnston.com/cowriter/">Co:Writer</a> - standalone word prediction with topic dictionaries (Mac, PC, iOS, Chrome)<br />
<a href="http://www.goqsoftware.com/product-details/wordq/">WordQ</a> - word prediction, word lists, abbreviation/expansion (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.goqsoftware.com/product-details/wordq-and-speakq/">SpeakQ</a> - WordQ plus speech recognition (PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker/home.aspx">Clicker 7</a> - custom onscreen keyboards, talking word processor, word prediction, more (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker-apps/clicker-apps_home.aspx">Clicker Apps</a>: <a href="http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker-apps/clicker-sentences.aspx">Sentences</a>, <a href="http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker-apps/clicker-connect.aspx">Connect</a>, <a href="http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker-apps/clicker-docs.aspx">Docs</a>, <a href="http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/clicker-apps/clicker-books.aspx">Books</a> - each app focuses on a key Clicker 7 feature (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.cricksoft.com/us/products/docsplus/home.aspx">DocsPlus</a> - word banks, talking word processor, word prediction, mind mapping (online, Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.beelinereader.com/">BeeLine Reader</a> - text color gradients aid visual tracking, improve reading speed, reduce effort<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mercury-reader/oknpjjbmpnndlpmnhmekjpocelpnlfdi">Mercury Reader</a> - reduces webpage visual clutter for distraction-free reading (Chrome)<br />
<a href="http://www.focusandread.com/">Reading Focus Cards</a> - virtual index card-like reading guide to aid visual focus (Mac, PC)<br />
<a href="http://rewordify.com/">Rewordify</a> - automatically defines, or substitutes simpler words in place on webpages<br />
<a href="http://donjohnston.com/snap-read">Snap&Read Universal</a> - text-to-speech, convert image to text, and text leveling (simplify difficult words) (Chrome)<br />
________________<br />
Taking Notes & Organizing Notes</div>
<div>
<a href="http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/onenote/default.aspx">Microsoft OneNote</a> - digital notebook (PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome, online)<br />
<a href="http://www.growlybird.com/notes/">Growly Notes</a> - digital notebook (Mac, iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.evernote.com/">Evernote</a> - digital file cabinet (online, Mac, PC, iOS, Android)<br />
<a href="http://www.livescribe.com/">Livescribe smartpens</a> - pens link recorded audio to handwritten notes (works with Mac, PC, iOS, Android depending on model: <a href="http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/echo/">Echo</a>, <a href="http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/wifi-smartpen/">Sky Wifi</a> (discontinued 2016), <a href="http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/ls3/">Livescribe 3</a>)<br />
<a href="http://www.irislink.com/c2-2691-189/IRISPen-Express-7---USB-Pen-Scanner.aspx">IRISPen</a> - handheld scanning pen captures print text, transfers to computer (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="https://www.cpen.com/">C-Pen</a> - handheld scanning pen reads print text aloud, defines/translates words, captures print text for transfer to computer (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://mac2.microsoft.com/help/office/14/en-us/word/item/b624a96d-9d54-4513-969b-332f2bf1424c">Notebook Layout w/ Audio Notes</a> - link recorded audio with typed notes in Word (included with Microsoft Word for Mac 2008 & 2011 only)<br />
<a href="http://www.sonocent.com/en/">Sonocent Audio Notetaker</a> - software integrates audio recording, notes, slides, images, and annotations (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="https://www.sonocent.com/en-us/ios-recorder/">Sonocent Recorder</a> - companion app to Audio Notetaker; record and annotate audio (iOS, Android)<br />
<a href="http://luminantsoftware.com/iphone/audionote.html">AudioNote</a> - multi-functional notetaker app (iOS, Android, Mac, PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.gingerlabs.com/cont/notability.php">Notability</a> - robust notetaker app (iOS, Mac)<br />
________________<br />
Math & Science Notation, Graphing & Drawing</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.mathtype.com/en/products/mathtype/default.htm">MathType</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.mathmagic.com/">MathMagic</a> (Mac & PC) and <a href="http://www.mathmagic.com/">MathMagic Lite</a> (Mac, PC, iOS, Android)<br />
<a href="https://www.texthelp.com/en-us/products/equatio/">EquatIO</a> (Chrome)<br />
<a href="http://www.efofex.com/fxequation.php">FX Equation</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.efofex.com/fxgraph.php">FX Graph</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.efofex.com/fxdraw4.php">FX Draw</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.efofex.com/fxchem.php">FX Chem</a> (Mac & PC) - type chemical equations<br />
<a href="http://www.efofex.com/fxchemstruct.php">FX ChemStruct</a> (Mac & PC) - type chemical structure diagrams<br />
<a href="http://www.geogebra.org/cms/en/">GeoGebra</a> (Mac, PC, iOS, Chrome)<br />
<a href="https://www.desmos.com/">Desmos Graphing Calculator</a> (iOS, Android, Chrome, online)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/desmos-test-mode/id977381005?mt=8">Desmos Test Mode</a> (iOS) - restricted test-safe version of Desmos<br />
<a href="http://store.cambiumlearning.com/ProgramPage.aspx?parentId=074003433&functionID=009000008&pID=&site=itc">MathPad & MathPad Plus</a> (PC - discontinued)<br />
<a href="http://www.mathtalk.com/products.htm#mpbv">MathPad by Voice</a> (PC - discontinued)<br />
<a href="http://www.mathtalk.com/products.htm#mtsn">MathTalk</a> (PC)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/panther-math-paper/id547090551?mt=8">Panther Math Paper</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.modmath.com/">ModMath</a> (iOS)<br />
________________<br />
Math Concepts<br />
<br />
<a href="http://nlvm.usu.edu/">National Library of Virtual Manipulatives</a> (online, Mac, PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/mathematics/ebook_assets/vmf/VMF-Interface.html">McGraw-Hill Virtual Manipulatives workspace</a> (online)<br />
<a href="http://www.inspiration.com/Kidspiration/Details#Build-conceptual-understanding-in-math">Kidspiration-Math View</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.inspiration.com/InspireData">InspireData</a> (Mac & PC)<br />
________________<br />
Math Problem Solving and Processes<br />
<br />
Apps and resources to help understand and practice multistep problem solving and sequencing steps.<br />
<a href="http://www.regularberry.com/algebra-touch">Algebra Touch</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.regularberry.com/long-division-touch">Long Division Touch</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://math-42.com/">Math 42</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://idevbooks.com/index.php">Esa Helttula Math Apps</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/math">Khan Academy</a> (online)<br />
________________<br />
Assorted Aids for Managing Digital Distractions</div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.willmore.eu/software/isolator/">Isolator</a> - dims, blurs, or hides all but frontmost window to reduce visual distractions (Mac)<br />
<a href="https://hazeover.com/">HazeOver</a> - dims or hides all but frontmost window to reduce visual distractions (Mac)<br />
<a href="http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Other-Desktop-Enhancements/Dropcloth.shtml">Dropcloth</a> - dims or hides all but frontmost window to reduce visual distractions (PC)<br />
<a href="https://www.clarosoftware.com/screenruler">ScreenRuler</a> - dims entire webpage except for movable horizontal reading ruler to aid visual focus and tracking (Mac, PC)<br />
Screen Masking tool in <a href="http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/readwriteforgoogle/">Read&Write for Google</a> - dims entire webpage except for movable horizontal reading ruler (Chrome)<br />
Screen Masking tool in <a href="http://www.texthelp.com/">Read&Write</a> - dims entire webpage except for movable horizontal reading ruler (Mac, PC)<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/mercury-reader/oknpjjbmpnndlpmnhmekjpocelpnlfdi">Mercury Reader</a> - reformat "main article" text on webpage, removes visual clutter (ads, images) (Chrome)<br />
Simplify Page tool in <a href="http://www.texthelp.com/north-america/readwriteforgoogle/">Read&Write for Google</a> - reformats "main article" text on webpage, removes visual clutter (ads, images) (Chrome)<br />
<a href="https://getadblock.com/">AdBlock</a> - browser extension prevents ads from loading to webpages (Safari, Chrome browsers)<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/text-mode/adelhekhakakocomdfejiipdnaadiiib?hl=en-US">Text Mode</a> - replaces webpage images and videos with gray rectangles for uncluttered, text-only reading (Chrome)<br />
<a href="https://selfcontrolapp.com/">SelfControl</a> - restricts access to selected websites for preset times (Mac)<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/stayfocusd/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji?hl=en">StayFocusd</a> - restricts access to selected websites for preset times (Chrome)<br />
<a href="https://getcoldturkey.com/">Cold Turkey</a> - restricts access to selected apps, websites for preset times (Mac, PC)<br />
<a href="http://www.rescuetime.com/">RescueTime</a> - tracks time on apps, websites (Mac, PC)<br />
________________<br />
Assorted Aids for Attention and Executive Functioning</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.vibralite.com/">VibraLite</a> - watches with multiple customizable vibration alerts<br />
<a href="http://www.watchminder.com/">WatchMinder</a> - watch with multiple customizable vibration alerts, messages<br />
<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205890">Reminders</a> - simple but capable to-do list with alerts included with Macs and iOS devices<br />
<a href="http://www.wunderlist.com/">Wunderlist</a> - task manager app (online, Mac, PC, iOS, Android)<br />
<a href="http://www.droptask.com/">DropTask</a> - visual task manager app (online, Mac, PC, iOS, Android)<br />
<a href="https://trello.com/">Trello</a> - visual taskboard for managing tasks and workflow (online, iOS, Android)<br />
<a href="http://www.lib.umn.edu/help/calculator/">Assignment Calculator</a> - break down large projects into manageable chunks (online)<br />
<a href="https://library.csun.edu/rpc/">Research Project Calculator</a> - break down large projects into manageable chunks (online)<br />
<a href="http://www.copilotsystems.com/">CoPilot</a> - breaks assignments into sequence of tasks and schedules them on calendar according to learning style and study preferences (online)<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/30-30/id505863977?mt=8">30/30</a> - task timer app employs a modifed very of the <a href="http://pomodorotechnique.com/">Pomodoro Technique</a> (iOS)<br />
<a href="http://www.brili.co/">Brili Routines</a> - "routine manager" with prompts to assist staying on task (Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Pebble, online)<br />
<a href="http://octopus.watch/">Octopus by Joy</a> - icon-based task scheduler watch designed for young kids (shipping late summer 2017) (iOS, Android)<br />
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<h3>
Wrap-up</h3>
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<div>
I hope you found this post helpful and full of ideas. I like doing these posts since two of my children struggle with severe executive functioning issues. Completing this post helps to remind me to give them grace when they are having executive functioning problems (practically every minute of every day!) and how EF issues impact their learning. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-45749330318703631992018-04-02T01:00:00.000-07:002018-04-03T00:01:15.276-07:00World Autism Awareness Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<h3>
Happy Autism Awareness Day! </h3>
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Nothing much exciting here though! Autism awareness day, with having three kids with autism, is EVERY DAY! It is just another day for us. Autism makes our days forever varied and interesting. We run a busy schedule of homeschooling, therapy, and social activities each week. The Autism life keeps me busy but I would not have my kids any other way. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-82196375241756198282017-09-12T14:27:00.000-07:002018-05-02T13:51:12.259-07:00Why I Love/Hate iPads - Apps for the Kindle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFLvTblNF_ZramMR4x9LSH-0jQCIXwi0XCWL45jUD6uHtOI5hj3092sxwzxyYYDlmI68G6DmyuS9WeDEetO4z9jI_jqgVZwypyiEqazIoM1AVAX4VLTV0IhqHA3Vob6IZTw7h1hfZWHFV/s1600/Apple+Expensive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZFLvTblNF_ZramMR4x9LSH-0jQCIXwi0XCWL45jUD6uHtOI5hj3092sxwzxyYYDlmI68G6DmyuS9WeDEetO4z9jI_jqgVZwypyiEqazIoM1AVAX4VLTV0IhqHA3Vob6IZTw7h1hfZWHFV/s1600/Apple+Expensive.jpg" /></a></div>
Oh Apple! How I LOVE your wonderful product and the AMAZING array of educational apps; HOWEVER the cost is <span style="color: #f4cccc;">astronomical</span>! By the time you get a new <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Apple-iPad-mini-4-128GB-Wi-Fi-Gold/46815620?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=6799&adid=22222222227034179440&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=72621385952&wl4=pla-141834543392&wl5=9029989&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=114435253&wl11=online&wl12=46815620&wl13=&veh=sem" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">iPad mini</a> 4 plus <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/AppleCare-Protection-Plan-for-iPad/15148937" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">protection</a> (because, let's be serious, your child WILL break it at some point!) and a <a href="http://www.otterbox.com/en-us/ipad-mini-4/defender-series-case/apl2-ipad-mini-4.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">STURDY case</a> you are looking at spending at least $450! Wow! It PAINS me to put something that expensive in the hands of a child; not to mention a child with impulse control issues! Even on the cheap end you are still looking at $250 (used iPad with no protection). We do have iPads at my house but mostly they are limited to ONLY being used while sitting down and completing homeschool work or working on Apple-only educational apps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOST5BbHnrviElYCkd_u17c130BZbdTjcGVU27K6YLEQODoTNOUNbqEDIbCtoGpcxkKEPbaPEZ25ZEA1rYIywzmegQefR9joM1OmfsPYZbWjKKte5c3RNLBfo0LJf90xmsFDy1-9ogIx1/s1600/Kindle+Kids+Edition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="480" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOST5BbHnrviElYCkd_u17c130BZbdTjcGVU27K6YLEQODoTNOUNbqEDIbCtoGpcxkKEPbaPEZ25ZEA1rYIywzmegQefR9joM1OmfsPYZbWjKKte5c3RNLBfo0LJf90xmsFDy1-9ogIx1/s320/Kindle+Kids+Edition.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kindle Kids Edition</td></tr>
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So what's the solution? My friend, the Kindle! We got the children a Kindle when they were four! Now <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J90MSDS/ref=s9_acss_bw_cg_tabcppt_md1_w?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=XSY32EXGY48ER7HZNFYD&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=34db1920-9a40-41d4-8477-ca388f9fb509&pf_rd_i=6669703011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindle has a child's version</a> with a huge rubbery case built in, and you know what else? The Kindle comes with a TWO YEAR replacement warranty through Square Trade for only $100! Nothing else to buy! Just so you know, I have dealt with Square Trade MANY times over the years and I have never had an issue with them. Now, what I don't like about this edition, it seems a bit slower, you have to use Amazon Free Time from what I can tell, and the Kindle functions are limited. For the younger set, from 3 to 6 years old, I think this would be fine; however, for an older child, I would move to another version of the Kindle.<br />
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If you are wanting a tablet for an older child (and this is what I got my children) then you want to buy the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Tablet-Alexa-Display-Black/dp/B01J90OPDO?th=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kindle Fire 7</a>. To get the up-sized version, 16 GB with no ads, it's $85.00 (this is the non-sale price). Once you add in other things like a case, mini SD card, and the THREE year protection plan for $15.00 so you are looking at a total of around $150. So a used iPad, with no protection, will cost a minimum of $250, or you can buy a loaded Kindle with three years of protection for $150. With three kids, I want to save my $300 and have three years of protection!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7mf0kwtZl_u7L4HyRKquUdk3FWpo0xO0Rub_yRjGvlQ17bwNh-60zoUgDXKAOMkG4S38F_8zmD_LuzdZrsdROe5XS6mWLbREb4wsVUP2p2_DSHmcjp3-xtNwyyNg_6Ta4pyXX88vL8ld/s1600/Kindlefire7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="385" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja7mf0kwtZl_u7L4HyRKquUdk3FWpo0xO0Rub_yRjGvlQ17bwNh-60zoUgDXKAOMkG4S38F_8zmD_LuzdZrsdROe5XS6mWLbREb4wsVUP2p2_DSHmcjp3-xtNwyyNg_6Ta4pyXX88vL8ld/s320/Kindlefire7.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kindle Fire 7</td></tr>
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The problem with a Kindle? It is not as fast to cruise the internet as an iPad. It does not look as sleek. The bigger problem? Not as many cool app developers! I really wish someone would get on the Kindle platform and make some truly great educationally based apps. Does that mean there are not any? Heck no, they are just harder to find! So let me give you a list of the apps we have used over the years with the Kindle to help get you started. I hope you find the list helpful! Let me know what games and apps you use that I may have missed!<br />
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3rd Grade Math Genius, 4th Grade (Kindle Tablet Edition), 4th Grade Science Reading Comprehension Free, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Roppy-Chop-Studios-Grade-Quest/dp/B014ND54YQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246003&sr=1-3&keywords=3rd+grade+learning+apps&refinements=p_72%3A2479575011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">3rd 4th Grade Quest</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Maribou-Inc-10x10-Word-Search/dp/B0713YYWM9/ref=pd_sim_405_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M7JCJST3650CPW4MS446" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10x10 Word Search</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Brown-Christmas-Anniversary-Peanuts/dp/B00YD2DD32/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246395&sr=1-2&keywords=charlie+brown" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Charlie Brown Christmas (50th Anniversary - Interactive Book)</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/AB-Math-games-kids-grownups/dp/B0077EDRS4/ref=pd_sim_405_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=44T29PRYVS5R4N6V324G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AB Math</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abby-Monkey%C2%AE-Adventure-Preschool-Kindergarten/dp/B00CXNRA5U/ref=pd_sim_405_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=44T29PRYVS5R4N6V324G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abby Monkey®: ABCs First Phonics and Letter Sounds</a>, ABC 123 Fun, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Age-of-Learning-Inc-ABCmouse-com/dp/B00IMQFIZ6/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1505235379&sr=8-13&keywords=kindle+apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ABCMouse</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Coin-USD-Educational-learning/dp/B00K73NX0Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246556&sr=1-1&keywords=amazing+coin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazing Coin (USD): Educational Money learning & counting games for kids</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Sight-Words-Frequency-Increase/dp/B00T1XMGR2/ref=pd_sim_405_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P7V9NSKENFCWH4QCP65Z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Advanced Sight Words: High Frequency Words</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Animal-Math-Games-Kids-Skills/dp/B00I8NIJUY/ref=pd_sim_405_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RXBKPY4KT0VD0Y55Q4CG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Animal Math Kids Math Games</a> (there are several levels for this), Art Class with Dr. Panda, Avokiddo Emotions - Dress, Feed and Play with Animals, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Buildandteach-com-BT-Handwriting-with-Dnealian/dp/B00771I32W/ref=pd_sim_405_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GTA90DZ2SW2YKTJ2W2JC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BT Handwriting with Dnealian</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Miniclip-com-Bowling-King/dp/B00KKEYOTE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505247879&sr=8-2&keywords=pba+bowling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bowling King</a> (great hand-eye and turn taking), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BrainPOP-Jr-Movie-Week/dp/B009UYUEN0/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1505247960&sr=8-4&keywords=brainpop+app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BrainPOP Jr</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ClockStone-STUDIO-Bridge-Constructor/dp/B016WE48UK/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505248737&sr=1-1&keywords=bridge+constructor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bridge Constructor</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/But-Not-Hippopotamus-Boynton-Interactive/dp/B00YDXZXL6/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505248770&sr=1-1&keywords=but+not+the+hippopotamus" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">But Not the Hippopotamus</a> (interactive story), Caillou Check Up, Caillou House of Puzzles, Caillou Let's Pretend, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chuggington-Traintastic-Adventures-Preschool-Kindergarten/dp/B00AQX1KFU/ref=sr_1_3?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505248816&sr=1-3&keywords=chuggington+free+games" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Chuggington Traintastic Adventures</a> (It says free but you need to purchase the app), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Teazel-Limited-Coloring/dp/B0160IYMSG/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505248906&sr=1-2&keywords=coloring+apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coloring</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cubistry-3D-Match-2-Game/dp/B01AIWYJN8/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246855&sr=1-2&keywords=cubistry+for+kindle+fire+free" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cubistry</a> (good hand-eye coord. if you can get them interested), Cut the Rope, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dezol-Inc-CVC-Word-Recognition/dp/B011JMJ32S/ref=pd_sim_405_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P1YMAGDM87PMTDVXWRR9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CVC Word Recognition</a>, Angry Birds, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PBS-KIDS-Daniel-Tigers-Night/dp/B00G5LBBU6/ref=pd_sim_405_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H4RHDCJ80B7C3W3T9FJ3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger's Day & Night</a> (there are a lot of Daniel Tiger apps), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Tigers-Neighborhood-Play-Home/dp/B009S984J8/ref=pd_sim_405_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0HMYZ79F9B3H6TN68G7V" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Play at Home</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/WeWantToKnow-AS-DragonBox-Algebra-12/dp/B00CEK37K4/ref=pd_sim_405_51?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MCV1JN72RBDAWM5W7CGV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DragonBox Algebra 12+</a>, Dora ABCs Vol2: Rhyming Words, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ripside-LLC-Elevation-Moon/dp/B00LMNUB2G/ref=pd_sim_405_50?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MCV1JN72RBDAWM5W7CGV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elevation Moon</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Originator-Inc-Endless-Alphabet/dp/B00FN64M2S/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246703&sr=1-2&keywords=endless+alphabet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Endless Alphabet</a>(great game), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Originator-Inc-Endless-Reader/dp/B01CDBP0DK/ref=pd_sim_405_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=RXBKPY4KT0VD0Y55Q4CG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Endless Reader</a> (great game), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Busy-Bee-Studios-Even-Monsters/dp/B009RAP2AC/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246764&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=even+mosters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Even Monsters Get Sick</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Evernote-Corp-stay-organized/dp/B004LOMB2Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246812&sr=1-1&keywords=evernote" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EverNote</a> (Note taking app), Farkel Dice - Free (can also use it to work on adding up the dice), First Grade (Kindle Tablet Edition), First Grade Learning Games (Full version), First Grade Math, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/SungLab-Flasia-HD/dp/B01N5XDQYV/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249001&sr=1-1&keywords=flasia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Flasia HD</a> (cool drawing app), Fourth Grade Learning Games Free, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Halfbrick-Studios-Pty-Ltd-Fruit/dp/B005HSL626/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249069&sr=1-2&keywords=fruit+ninja" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fruit Ninja</a> (great hand-eye and impulse control), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Good-Night-Wubbzy-Bedtime-Counting/dp/B00E3UTUNQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249213&sr=1-1&keywords=good+night+wubbzy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Good Night Wubbzy: Bedtime Counting</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Budge-Studios-Goodnight-Caillou-Activities/dp/B00ZRVAUUM/ref=sr_1_9?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249123&sr=1-9&keywords=good+night" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goodnight Caillou - Bedtime Activities</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Green-Eggs-Ham-Dr-Seuss/dp/B004NWLM8K/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249248&sr=1-1&keywords=green+eggs+and+ham+app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green Eggs and Ham</a> - Dr. Seuss (Interactive Book), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Stovepipe-Interactive-HappyMath-Multiplication-Rhymes/dp/B00AQNRPZE/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247004&sr=1-1&keywords=happy+math" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Happy Math Multiplication Rhymes</a> (never too early to start if they like the songs, rhymes are dumb but can work), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tamalaki-Hidden-Object-Mystery-Society/dp/B00RCT2FRI/ref=sr_1_8?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247062&sr=1-8&keywords=hidden+Object" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hidden Objects</a> (good for visual discrimination; for older children), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fingersoft-Hill-Climb-Racing/dp/B00CSR2J9I/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247252&sr=1-1&keywords=hill+climb+racing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hill Climbing Racing</a> (good for lessons in physics/gravity), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Grinch-Stole-Christmas-Seuss/dp/B004Q2PMCO/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249287&sr=1-2&keywords=how+the+grinch+stole+christmas+app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How The Grinch Stole Christmas</a> (interactive Book), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Was-So-Mad-Little-Critter/dp/B005GFXZL0/ref=sr_1_4?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249335&sr=1-4&keywords=i+was+so+mad+little+critters" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Was SO Mad</a> - Little Critter (Interactive Book), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Its-Great-Pumpkin-Charlie-Brown/dp/B00YD4R8H2/ref=sr_1_3?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246395&sr=1-3&keywords=charlie+brown" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown</a> (Interactive book), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Intermediate-Sight-Words-Frequency-Increase/dp/B00QOSTJRM/ref=pd_sim_405_52?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GTA90DZ2SW2YKTJ2W2JC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Intermediate Sight Words: High Frequency</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Itsy-Bitsy-Spider-Duck-Moose/dp/B006OOMDH4/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247511&sr=1-2&keywords=itsy+bitsy+spider" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Itsy Bitsy Spider</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Just-Go-Bed-Little-Critter/dp/B00AAHODNS/ref=sr_1_4?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247552&sr=1-4&keywords=just+go+to+bed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Just Go To Bed - Little Critter</a> (Interactive Book), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bejoy-Mobile-Kaleidoscope-Drawing-Pad/dp/B00823EFEY/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247597&sr=1-1&keywords=kelidescope" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kaleidoscope Drawing Pad</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Intellijoy-Kids-ABC-Letter-Phonics/dp/B00XVWC75U/ref=sr_1_3?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246586&sr=1-3&keywords=abc+phonics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kids ABC Letter Phonics</a>, Kids A-Z, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Doodle-2-Color-Draw/dp/B00BJCM3S0/ref=sr_marpr_7?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505235517&sr=1-7&keywords=kindle+apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kids Doodle 2</a>, Kids Measurement Science Lite, Kids Paint, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Letters-and-Numbers-Railroad-HD/dp/B007N529T0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505247717&sr=8-2&keywords=letters+and+numbers+railroad" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Letters and Numbers Railroads</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oceanhouse-Media-Inc-Critter-Collection/dp/B00881LT2G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505247820&sr=8-2&keywords=little+critter+story+collection+app" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Little Critter Collection #1 and #2</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lightbot-Inc-Programming-Puzzles/dp/B00LVDC27Y/ref=pd_sim_405_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PBR74K5NEJD7Z32R38Z3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lightbot : Programming Puzzles</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/BeiZ-Lolas-Math-Train-FREE/dp/B008D395LQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1505247766&sr=8-2&keywords=lola+math+train" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lola's math Trains FREE</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Adventure-Madagascar-Math-Free/dp/B00CUIREAO/ref=sr_1_19?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505244980&sr=1-19&keywords=3rd+grade+learning+apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Madagascar Math Ops Free</a>,<span style="color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"> </span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bingo-Drills-Challenge-Learning-Fourth/dp/B00FOIZS8W/ref=pd_sim_405_27?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P1YMAGDM87PMTDVXWRR9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Math Bingo and Math Drills Pre-K to Fourth Grade</a>, Math Claw Machine: Sweet Games, Math Jungle, Math is Easy, MathOpen Cool Math Game, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/SPIN-FALL-Medieval-Math-Battle/dp/B00GFYOA8S/ref=pd_sim_405_33?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MCV1JN72RBDAWM5W7CGV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Medieval Math Game</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Preschool-All-One-Learning-Kindergarten/dp/B00EUUQ172/ref=pd_sim_405_13?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=44T29PRYVS5R4N6V324G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Preschool All-In-One Learning A to Z - Letters and Alphabet School Adventure</a>, Preschool to 5th Grade, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thumbstorm-LLC-Math-Slicer-Pro/dp/B00EBASADE/ref=pd_sim_405_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZPEXFBB68ZRBYSPP32ZN" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Math Slice Pro</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/TapToLearn-Math-Vs-Zombies-2/dp/B00L8X0CRO/ref=pd_sim_405_35?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PBR74K5NEJD7Z32R38Z3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Math Vs Zombies</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/THUP-Games-LLC-MathSchool-Sunshine/dp/B008OZTIK6/ref=pd_sim_405_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=QVA67YEN1DDTBH3T37CQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monkey MathSchool Sunshine</a> (this was a favorite), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/THUP-Games-LLC-Preschool-Lunchbox/dp/B004DPC5Y2/ref=pd_sim_405_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=0HMYZ79F9B3H6TN68G7V" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monkey Preschool Lunchbox</a> (THUP makes several of these games), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/THUP-Games-LLC-Monkey-Adventure/dp/B009LT2LC6/ref=pd_sim_405_30?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PCA5M48VHKGWG40DPEK1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monkey Word School Adventure</a>, Montessori Family and Feelings, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Movable-Alphabet-Approach-Language/dp/B01JQ6WVTQ/ref=pd_sim_405_14?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=44T29PRYVS5R4N6V324G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montessori Movable Alphabet</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Words-Phonics-for-Kids/dp/B0077CPGE4/ref=pd_sim_405_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GTA90DZ2SW2YKTJ2W2JC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Montessori Words & Phonics for Kids</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Loud-Crow-Interactive-Inc-Moo/dp/B00YFP8WW4/ref=sr_1_90?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247413&sr=1-90&keywords=interactive+books" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Moo, Baa, La La La! - Boynton</a> (interactive Book), Moose Math (fun game), Multiplication Flashcard Quiz and Match Game (Boring but works), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/MATH-Domain-Development-Multiplication-Memorizer/dp/B010OVEZXC/ref=sr_1_4?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246003&sr=1-4&keywords=3rd+grade+learning+apps&refinements=p_72%3A2479575011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Multiplication Memorizer</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PBS-KIDS-Video/dp/B009P8EMCK/ref=sr_1_5?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505235517&sr=1-5&keywords=kindle+apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PBS Kids Video</a>, Pair Up Free - Language Development..., Paperama (great game to think spatially), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Entertainment-One-Ltd-Peppa-Pig/dp/B00OOQN170/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249397&sr=1-1&keywords=peppa+PAINT" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peppa Pig Paintbox</a>, Pet Bingo (another great game by Duck Duck Moose), <span style="font-size: 15px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Literacysoft-com-Phonics-Reading-McGuffey-I/dp/B01E5XI0ZY/ref=sr_1_17?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505246282&sr=1-17&keywords=1st+grade+learning+apps&refinements=p_72%3A2479575011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phonics and Reading with McGuffey</a>,</span> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hadron-Solutions-India-Pvt-Ltd/dp/B007ZU3OE2/ref=sr_1_5?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249438&sr=1-5&keywords=pick+the+odd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pick the Odd One</a> (great game for preschoolers; logic), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Childrens-Publishing-Planets-Edition/dp/B00AIBZVAK/ref=pd_sim_405_52?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MCV1JN72RBDAWM5W7CGV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Planets (Kindle edition)</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PBS-KIDS-Video/dp/B009P8EMCK/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249545&sr=1-2&keywords=pbs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PBS KIDS video</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Loud-Crow-Interactive-Inc-PopOut/dp/B005CWM2YI/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249507&sr=1-1&keywords=popout+peter+rabbit" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PopOut! The Tale of Peter Rabbit </a>(interactive Book), Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Games Free, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Tree-Games-Quell-Reflect/dp/B01H5S0WXY/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249618&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=queel" target="_blank">Quell </a>(puzzle game), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/RopenFly-Dusk-Till-Dawn-Free/dp/B008LVCUCQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249658&sr=1-1&keywords=ropenfly" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rope'n'Fly - From Dusk Till Dawn</a> (first game I let my kids play that has very mild violence, when the character falls apart, when you fail; great for teaching gravity, physics, and hand-eye coordordination plus reflexes), Science Quest - Fourth Grade, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Science-Quest-Sixth-Grade-Quiz/dp/B00KJUZAE2/ref=sr_1_26?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505245072&sr=1-26&keywords=3rd+grade+learning+apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Science Quest - Sixth Grade</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Bradford-Second-Grade-Learning/dp/B00BBFTAMC/ref=pd_sim_405_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=44T29PRYVS5R4N6V324G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Second Grade Learning Games</a> (there are several grades/levels to this app), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sight-Words-Games-Flash-Cards/dp/B00BSPH1CQ/ref=pd_sim_405_15?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P1YMAGDM87PMTDVXWRR9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sight Words Games & Flash Cards vol 1: Kids Learn to Read</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Simply-LearningAid-Fractions-Math-Basics/dp/B00C0WDKMQ/ref=pd_sim_405_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=44T29PRYVS5R4N6V324G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Simple Fractions</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Choice-of-Games-Sixth-Detective/dp/B019M2IB1G/ref=pd_sim_405_91?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=DJ43KV4P9MYFAHKWDKA4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sixth Grade Detective</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/STFJ-LLC-Spelltower/dp/B00BM7DV6K/ref=pd_sim_405_34?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PBR74K5NEJD7Z32R38Z3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spelltower</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Russell-Pinson-Stack-the-Countries/dp/B00G4A6VZS/ref=pd_sim_405_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4DAK9WF04KV38MAZJ1VR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stack the Countries</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Russell-Pinson-Stack-the-States/dp/B00DZYXTRY/ref=pd_sim_405_15?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P7V9NSKENFCWH4QCP65Z" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stack the States</a> (1 and 2), S<a href="https://www.amazon.com/PBS-KIDS-Super-Why-Adventures/dp/B013PTUEXA/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505244828&sr=1-1&keywords=Super+why" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UPER WHY!</a>, Simple Sight Words (Free), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kids-Doodle-2-Color-Draw/dp/B00BJCM3S0/ref=sr_marpr_7?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505235517&sr=1-7&keywords=kindle+apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Simple Sight Words Sentence Builders</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jundroo-LLC-SimpleRockets/dp/B00ELOOYZI/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249691&sr=1-1&keywords=simple+rockets" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Simple Rockets</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/SpongeBob-Marbles-Slides-Fire-Edition/dp/B0081UCIRY/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249768&sr=1-1&keywords=spongebob+marble" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spongebob Marbles & Slides</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Starfall-Education-LLC-Learn-Read/dp/B009RRXXRY/ref=pd_sim_405_27?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JC6J78MQE7TJTV87H69D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Starfall</a> (there are a few of these), ABCs, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/PBS-KIDS-Super-Why-Adventures/dp/B00BBF4NX8/ref=sr_1_4?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249801&sr=1-4&keywords=super+why" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Super Why: ABC Adventures</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Monster-Phonics-Learn/dp/B01HDXUH0O/ref=pd_sim_405_22?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P1YMAGDM87PMTDVXWRR9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teach Your Monster to Read </a>(Great One!), The Berenstain Bear's Collection (there are several), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinkrolls-Kings-Queens-Logic-Physics/dp/B01N8UWXUO/ref=pd_sim_405_24?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MCV1JN72RBDAWM5W7CGV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thinkrolls Kings & Queens</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinkrolls-Logic-Physics-Puzzles-Kids/dp/B00O1YSGR0/ref=pd_sim_405_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=7Y6GD0KX4QQD7T2HJA0C" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thinkrolls 2 - Logic and Physics Puzzles for Kids</a>, Toca Collection (there are several including <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toca-Boca-Kitchen-2/dp/B00ZU33BBC/ref=pd_sim_405_19?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K88FSY7PJCH0ZEVNPM40" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toca Kitchen</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toca-Boca-Lab-Elements/dp/B00I0WHVZW/ref=pd_sim_405_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=9HMARHVTTP31RQT5GAZ2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toca Elements</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toca-Boca-Lab-Plants/dp/B072KHJYRP/ref=sr_1_2?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505244783&sr=1-2&keywords=toca+lab" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toca Labs</a>, T<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toca-Boca-Life-School/dp/B01FE8HBVS/ref=pd_sim_405_9?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MN78J8DG4HCMST2KMFXF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">oca School</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toca-Boca-Nature/dp/B00U688KRG/ref=pd_sim_405_7?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E5EAEVAQHM98Q7RWG0J0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toca Nature</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Toca-Boca-Pet-Doctor/dp/B00J4HO3OO/ref=pd_sim_405_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VYY707F7A544F2P1BFA9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toca Pet Doctor</a>), Toddler Sing and Play, Trucks by Duck, Duck, Moose, Wheels on the Bus by Duck, Duck, Moose, Where's My Perry?, Where's My Water?, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wonster-Words-Phonics-Spelling-Kids/dp/B00KHZZO5O/ref=sr_1_1?s=mobile-apps&ie=UTF8&qid=1505249914&sr=1-1&keywords=wonster+words" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wonster Words</a> (WELL WORTH the $15 for a Lifetime Subscription!!!), <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Maribou-Inc-Word-Market/dp/B071ZNDYCK/ref=pd_sim_405_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E431B0FG99CBKT5CCX6P" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Word Market</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Qublix-Games-Word-Wizards/dp/B00ZYDJ2RK/ref=pd_sim_405_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=PCA5M48VHKGWG40DPEK1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Word Wizards</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Wizard-Premium-Learn-Letters/dp/B00QH32FUM/ref=pd_sim_405_17?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=P1YMAGDM87PMTDVXWRR9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Writing Wizard Premium - Kids Learn to Write Words and Letters</a> (Great game), Wubbzy The Superhero, and Wubbzy's Space Adventure.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-17037231962858860742017-08-29T16:01:00.001-07:002017-08-29T16:01:06.576-07:00Why I Think You Are Enough To Homeschool Your Special Needs Children<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihohAkApWpZmvs5xAwOkHF2SgbAsjpmxB3i27JK3jq3NHQMCJGg0iyoBnOtOQT7StAoknBUgK1S-1yLVt_IPv-2_6ZyS6Hpu2ESbJDmfBdcHAO4KJQ0KZOujx6UfMW501ctXz3nNmbCmZo/s1600/21105698_10209537999117785_4288340553608451255_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihohAkApWpZmvs5xAwOkHF2SgbAsjpmxB3i27JK3jq3NHQMCJGg0iyoBnOtOQT7StAoknBUgK1S-1yLVt_IPv-2_6ZyS6Hpu2ESbJDmfBdcHAO4KJQ0KZOujx6UfMW501ctXz3nNmbCmZo/s320/21105698_10209537999117785_4288340553608451255_n.jpg" width="176" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James studying Life of Fred</td></tr>
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I LOVE reading other people's blog posts and insights on homeschooling! It is always interesting to see different people's perspectives. One item that recently got my attention is a post by Pam Barnhill titled "<a href="https://edsnapshots.com/homeschool-consistency/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dear Self: Why you stink at homeschool consistency</a>." I wanted to post my thoughts on this as a mom that homeschools her VERY differently-abled children.<br />
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In her article she says:<br />
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<span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Homeschooling won’t work unless you do it consistently. As in most days. As in not taking off more unplanned days in a year than your husband would be expected to take from his job.<br /><br />Go ahead — count up his paid time off — that’s your grace period for the school year (not counting your holidays and planned time off). Anything more than that you can consider “excessive.” Hey, I promised you tough love.</span><br />
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I have to say I don't agree with this. First off, I am an unschooler; well, kinda. I look at my children and ask them what they want to study. Knowing them, their interests, and learning issues I select a few different curriculum for them to try and test-drive. They have the final selection. I want to give them control over what they are learning since I OFTEN feel like I am not doing enough! I mean, there are three of them with learning difficulties and just one of me. In the end, I had to remind myself of a few simple facts.</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>If the kids were on homebound from a public school the school would only offer 4 hours a week of instruction (one hour a day, Monday through Thursday). If you question the school on this, their justification is, that direct instruction is MORE EFFECTIVE than classroom instruction. </li>
<li>Even a public school only completes 180 days of instruction per year. Why do I feel compelled to do more?</li>
</ol>
<div>
Now, for the record, I will address item two first; I tend to homeschool some over the weekends and all throughout the year. Do I keep track of the days or hours? No, in my state we are not required. I homeschool this way for the children so they do not forget the information (got two with memory issues). I do keep a record book on what we have covered, but it for my records. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For item one, dang, it took me awhile to come to grips I was enough to educate my children! I remind myself the public school thinks one hour a day, four days a week is enough, AND I KNOW I provide more direct instruction to my children each week per child! Does it feel like enough, no; but, in reality I know it is. How? When I had to enroll my children into public school last year to qualify for money from my state to homeschool my children were tested. ALL the teachers and administrators were IMPRESSED by the amount of knowledge my children had for their learning difficulties. That, that right there, let me know I was on the right tract. Do you know how often I directly teach my children? About an hour a day, 5 to 6 days a week, and they are learning! They spend about another hour or so a day, on their own, reading or playing educational games. That is all I homeschool in a day! Will that always be enough learning for them? I doubt it, but it does work for us to at least fourth grade. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Then Pam goes on to discuss a few main points:<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #d0e0e3;">You lack good morning habits</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Okay, I think there is a point here. It is good to have a habit or routine. I do have a schedule for my children but in that schedule there is free time, outside play time, and time to hang out with their parents besides meal times.</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #d0e0e3;">You don’t treat your homeschooling as a job</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>This I am GLAD about! I mean my job was STRESSFUL! I do not want to approach homeschooling with the same feelings of stress I felt for my job. I also want homeschooling to bring me joy. I don't know about you, but I did not have a lot of joy going on in my job. I want homeschooling to be as fun as possible, for both me and my children, while still engaging them in learning. Do watch that you are homeschooling more days than not but I can't begin to tell you how much learning we can manage in the car or in a doctor's office! I have the kids chant times tables in the long car rides or practice their American Sign Language in the doctor's office. Learning CAN be done on the go!</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #d0e0e3;">You are ruled by perfectionism</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Bawhahaha! I WAS ruled by perfection, but the quads have beaten it out of me! LOL No, really, I was a VERY perfectionistic person and wanted to have everything in a certain way/spot. I still have some issues with that. Heck, I was just telling my husband I wanted my own tool bag so I can have my own tools in it. I want to know where the tools are, and that I can ONLY get mad at myself if I have something missing. Silly? A bit; however, it would make me happy. I feel this way about homeschooling sometimes too. I NEED something to get a lesson done (usually these are ingredients for a chemistry experiment) and if I can't get what I need then I WON'T get the lesson completed. After awhile I figured out, if I do not have what I need, I can look for the experiment on YouTube. Did you know there are a TON of videos on there showing a vast array of chemical reactions??? There is no need for me NOT to do the lesson. We can watch the video. Is it as fun, no; however, we still get the lesson covered and this tired mom can hit the store over the weekend and pick up what I'm missing. I guess what I am saying is: Where there is a will, there is a way!</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #d0e0e3;">You don’t have a plan</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>I should mention here, I rarely have a firm plan. I mean I schedule out our time, but it is something like this:</li>
<ul>
<li>8am - Get up and Get Ready</li>
<li>8:30am - Eat breakfast</li>
<li>9:00am - Life of Fred</li>
<li>10:00am - Occupational Therapy</li>
<li>11:00am - CodaKid</li>
<li>12:00pm - Fix and Eat Lunch (follow by free time)</li>
<li>2:00pm - Grammaropolis</li>
<li>3:00pm Science</li>
<li>4:00pm Outside Play</li>
<li>5:00pm - Tutor (along with free time)</li>
<li>6:15pm - Dinner</li>
<li>8:00pm - Get Ready for Bed</li>
<li>8:30pm Daddy Time (He reads, play a game, or covers History for me)</li>
<li>9:00pm - Bedtime!</li>
</ul>
<li>The schedule above is James's schedule for today. You see we cover some subjects, have some free time, have some play time, and some time with Daddy. Notice Science is general because I have not completely decided what we are going to cover. I ask James what he wants to cover or investigate in science and we study his topic of interest. In my state there is a homeschool requirement that we teach Reading, English, Science, Social Studies, and Math. There is nothing in the law stating how much time I have to spend on each topic, what topics we are studying each day, nor do I have to meet the educational requirements for my son's grade (he is basically in fourth grade). So I tend to study the things the kids want and in the order they want to cover them. I just make sure we cover each of the five subjects required by the law each week. Simple! I write the things we study (even Life Skills, YouTube videos, and educational apps) in my planner for each child. According to my state law there is no need to keep a record, but I do anyways, so we can look back and see what we have accomplished in a year. Homeschooling, is often, only as complicated as you make it. Keep it simple on yourself and your children!</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #d0e0e3;">You’re trying to do it alone</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>This is the closing point of Pam's article. I completely agree with her! It is SO hard to homeschool your children without someone to bounce ideas off of when you get stuck! Teachers have each other in the public school system and they get professional development. What do we get? Maybe a homeschool conference and Pinterest (which is sometimes hard to live up to!) for our professional development! Not in the same league at all! The best things I can tell you to do is to network with other homeschooling parents. Hopefully this means you can find yourself a local buddy. Having another harried mom you can visit ,and have some caffeine with, is super nice! I'm still working on finding a local buddy. I do network with large homeschool groups. This includes a few local groups I created along with a few larger groups on Facebook. The best one I like is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/specialneedshomeschooling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Special Needs Homeschool</a>. It is a large group and many of the parents in there are happy to help point you in the direction. If you need to help with curriculum choices or just to help you figure out your homeschooling style (I'm eclectic or modified unschooling) Special Needs Homeschool will help you out. There are a few Facebook pages I really like including: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EclecticHomeschoolers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Eclectic Homeschooling</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/homeschoolingunschooling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschooling/Unschooling</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PracticalHomeschooling/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Practical Homeschooling</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HomeschoolSnark/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homeschool Snark</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/seahomeschoolers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SEA Homeschoolers</a>. These are a suggestion just to get you started! Keep looking for more resources that fit your needs!<br /><br />I would love to hear you opinion and I hope you found this post helpful. </li>
</ul>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-75038024302716919792017-08-29T07:18:00.002-07:002017-08-29T07:18:44.215-07:00For the Audio Learner<br />
<br />
Joseph is my audio learner. He can learn ALL sorts of information from a song or singing a small rhyming ditty. He just AMAZES me what he can learn from song since he LOVES to hum and tap a beat! He was counting money today. This is a super hard task for him. He has been watching this YouTube video on money so while he was sorting money he hummed the music from the money video. This is how my little guy thinks! I swear, I think he hears EVERYTHING I say to him in more of a melody (tone and modulation of my voice) than the actual words. So here are some resources to help you audio learner get started:<br />
<br />
<h3>
Literature</h3>
For a $15 annual fee you can stream many books from <a href="http://www.myaudioschool.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Audio Homeschool</a>. They have Classic books, old-time radio theater, historical radio and television broadcasts, and more make My Audio School a treasure trove for educators, parents and students alike. Each book on My Audio School is broken down, chapter by chapter, allowing children to listen to their daily assignments in manageable chunks. Links are provided for those who prefer to read the book online, or for parents who want to burn a book to CD, subscribe in iTunes or download it to an MP3 player.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.bookshare.org/cms/bookshare-me/who-qualifies">Bookshare</a> is an awesome program but you have to have someone verify your disability (school psychologist, psychologist, or doctor) and Bookshare is only for a limited range of disabilities such as dyslexia, low vision, blindness, or a physical disability that prevents you from holding a book.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.audible.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Audible</a> is an audio book services that is available to anyone. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NB86OYE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl1&tag=hiphomes-20&linkId=286bc299a8a22cf7d6847dd047e992b0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon </a>has a subscription service that costs $14.95 per month. That gives you 2 credits for the first month and then one credit per month plus 30% off any additional purchases.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Math</h3>
These <a href="https://www.educents.com/memory-joggers-addition-and-subtraction-rhyming-cards-26059.html#m_product_tabs_description">Addition</a> and Subtraction rhyming cards help to teach your child their facts with little rhymes and hand clapping.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.timestales.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Times Tales</a> uses multiplication stories to help your child remember their upper times tables.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.singnlearn.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sing and Learn</a> offers an array of audio resources across multiple grades.<br />
The BBC has a ton of audio resources for learning including <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/learning/schoolradio/podcasts">podcasts</a>, a program called <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01wrmhd/episodes/player">Numbertime</a> (teaches Pre-K math)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mathstory.com/mathsongs/mathsongs.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mr.R's World of Math</a> and Science has math and science songs, poems, and stories.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.flocabulary.com/">Flocabulary</a> offers a variety of subjects put to song and video over a range of grade levels along with books and CD.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A+ Interactive Math</a> has an auditory component to its lessons. The visual lessons and graphics are all accompanied by the audible explanation. Every question is read every lesson is spoken, it is simple and easy to follow and incredible comprehensive! Before you begin you can take the Adaptive Placement Test to see where your child is at and what learning gaps they have.<br />
<br />
<h3>
History</h3>
<a href="https://www.themysteryofhistory.com/product-category/the-mystery-of-history-volume-i/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Mystery of History</a> is a religious based instruction but it has a nice audio component (MP3 download) so your audio learner can listen along with reading the text. The audio version comes in $10 instructional segments making it very affordable. <br />
<br />
<br />
This list is FAR from complete. There are a TON of resources out there! I would love to hear what you have found. I will also keep coming back to this post and updating it over time. As always, the links to the various resources are embedded into the post and I look forward to hearing from you!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-3609201695517356112017-08-10T16:52:00.000-07:002017-08-11T11:49:29.695-07:00The Burden of the Sibling of Special Needs Children<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXPg8BuoimR6aQtKfllPQUScOTzq78rw64utIErZsa636mdrOtzh3t4EBBJvocLhXgExL4gXOUTZxG2mMOsSl3YtBFOpipBUNXz5aniJGPhUIFdWPCqckJIDnRByD98daHeUMITWo1_IR/s1600/KidsTherapy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1052" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXPg8BuoimR6aQtKfllPQUScOTzq78rw64utIErZsa636mdrOtzh3t4EBBJvocLhXgExL4gXOUTZxG2mMOsSl3YtBFOpipBUNXz5aniJGPhUIFdWPCqckJIDnRByD98daHeUMITWo1_IR/s400/KidsTherapy.jpg" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From L to R: Margaret, James, & Joseph</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In my case all the children are special needs but James is, by far, the highest functioning child of my three surviving quadruplets. Though it feels vastly unfair I have all ready told him he may have to be the caretaker of his brother and sister one day. Nothing like that settling into a nine year old's psyche. Sigh! I wish I could live forever and not saddle him with this possible burden but I doubt I will live to be <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methuselah" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Methuselah's</a> age!<br />
<br />
All this was brought up last night during dinner. James was discussing that he wanted to visit Tokyo. He was talking rather animatedly about the subject and then stopped and looked at me and asked, "What would I do with Joseph?" I asked him what he meant and he said he would worry about taking Joseph with him and how would he keep Joseph safe if he was not there. At that moment, my heart broke a little. It makes me sad that James thinks Joseph is so disabled he would not consider taking Joseph with him. Joseph is actually quite a smart little guy. And James was concerned on who would watch Joseph while he was gone!<br />
<br />
James asked me if I could watch Joseph. I told him, if I was around, of course I would watch him! Then he asked what he should do if I was not around and I said he would have to find a reliable caretaker for him. Margaret said she wanted to go to Tokyo too. James said he would take her ONLY if she would listen to him and stay close. That is brave of him since Margaret is the wanderer and I can see her getting distracted and lost in Tokyo. <br />
<br />
This conversation poignantly reminded me that having disabled sibling(s) may be a life-long burden for one of the other children. I am going to do the best I can to plan for Margaret and Joseph. I pray James will find, and marry, a very understanding wife! In the meantime, we live our life with purpose and plan for the future.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-361383034695698162017-08-01T21:25:00.001-07:002017-08-10T11:34:27.426-07:00Educational Versus Medical: Why You Need to Understand the Difference!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAZzXDaNTFB2ABnhkSLIEP4X8LtkDwaluUtYRV-Ue5LJNzCqtYOjUKrOaMF8ekVHjHfH5gfga6hNEtH9zz6GleyeILlpPe7K4YLFSw4ohDxGXM6XTqaYKZ3WQC8bJJUzRmtuURGPYe4fi/s1600/occupationaltherapy_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="1600" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoAZzXDaNTFB2ABnhkSLIEP4X8LtkDwaluUtYRV-Ue5LJNzCqtYOjUKrOaMF8ekVHjHfH5gfga6hNEtH9zz6GleyeILlpPe7K4YLFSw4ohDxGXM6XTqaYKZ3WQC8bJJUzRmtuURGPYe4fi/s640/occupationaltherapy_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: www.samuelmerritt.edu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Medical Versus Educational Diagnosis</h4>
<div>
The word diagnosis is thrown around a lot when it comes to educational issues. This is VERY important: the school CANNOT make a MEDICAL diagnosis for your child! When the school says your child has autism and they will provide special education services to your child they are NOT medically diagnosing them with autism! What the school is saying is that your child fits the educational definition of autism as defined by your state. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Under federal law (IDEA) there are only <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/20/1401" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">13</a> categories that are recognized. These are autism, emotional disturbance, hearing impairment (including deafness), intellectual impairment, other health impairments, orthopedic impairment, specific learning disabilities, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment (including blindness). A school will only provide special education services IF your child falls into one of these categories. Also, each state may have further refined how each category is defined making things more complicated.<br />
<br />
A medical diagnosis is made when someone fits a medical definition for a condition. This definition is found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM V). We are currently on the fifth edition. The medical diagnostic criteria for autism is:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Diagnostic Criteria for 299.00 Autism Spectrum Disorder</a><br />
<ul>
<li>Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text):</li>
</ul>
<ol>
<li style="text-align: left;">Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, ranging, for example, from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back-and-forth conversation; to reduced sharing of interests, emotions, or affect; to failure to initiate or respond to social interactions.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction, ranging, for example, from poorly integrated verbal and nonverbal communication; to abnormalities in eye contact and body language or deficits in understanding and use of gestures; to a total lack of facial expressions and nonverbal communication.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Deficits in developing, maintaining, and understand relationships, ranging, for example, from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit various social contexts; to difficulties in sharing imaginative play or in making friends; to absence of interest in peers.</li>
</ol>
There is more to the definition but you get the idea.<br />
<br />
You will often see a doctor use a ICD 10 billing code. <a href="https://www.dr-bob.org/tips/dsm5a.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Autism</a> is <a href="http://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/F01-F99/F80-F89/F84-/F84.0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">F84.0</a>. For medical billing you WANT SPECIFICALLY F84.0 versus F84.5 which is Asperger's syndrome. Why? Because your insurance company will probably reimburse you for F84.0 but not for F84.5! It is very important to pay attention to medical billing codes! Medical billing codes dictates what an insurance company will cover in the way of therapy and equipment. If you ever want to look at </div>
<h4>
<br />
Related Services</h4>
These are the services you get from a school district like occupational, speech, and physical therapy. These are the most common related services but there are <a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/relsvcs.faqs.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">many more</a> that you can get in the educational setting. I want to explain the difference between medical therapy and educational therapy. This is VERY important for parents to understand since it is the source of many disagreements parents have with their local school district.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Medical versus Educational Model of Therapy</h4>
<b>Educational Model</b><br />
<a href="http://www.believetherapies.com/single-post/2014/05/05/Educational-vs-Medical-Models?p=1114" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The</a> Educational Model focuses on the skills impacting educational performance in all subject areas. Deficits are addressed through an Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan that is agreed upon by the school-age child’s educational team. This model will focus solely on the outcome that enables a child to benefit from his/her educational program. Therefore, the school therapist(s) [Physical Therapist (PT), Occupational Therapist (OT), Speech Therapist (ST), or a combination thereof] will direct therapy so the child will gain skills to maximize his/her opportunities within the school environment. Therapy services are provided in school and most often within a group or classroom setting.<br />
<br />
Eligibility: Eligibility for related services must be based on assessment, an educational need for service, and there must be approval of the IEP team.<br />
<br />
<b>Medical Model</b><br />
<a href="http://www.believetherapies.com/single-post/2014/05/05/Educational-vs-Medical-Models?p=1114" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The</a> Medical Model generally focuses on the impairment regardless, of severity level to ensure that the child can successfully perform the basic activities of daily living (i.e., putting on their clothes, feeding themselves, speaking clearly their wants and needs, walking). Services are performed on a one-on-one basis in an outpatient clinic.<br />
<br />
Eligibility: The physician or other certified practitioner along with a child’s parents/ guardian and licensed therapist determine the severity and impact on developmental areas or self-care skills and develop a Plan of Care (POC) for the therapist to follow.<br />
<br />
<b>Why is this Important?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Personally, I prefer medical therapy. Why? The child gets direct one-on-one service with a therapist, there is no need to call a meeting to determine service, and the parent gets to help determine the goals of the therapy while educational therapy has the goals determined by others. I have rarely had my children in public school to take advantage of educational therapy. We tends to stick with medical therapy. When they were small (4 years old) we got both educational therapy through the school and medical therapy from our insurance. Yes, you can do both! I HIGHLY urge you to do both if you have the opportunity! Why? Because it is practically impossible to get too much therapy! Therapy is VITAL to resolve educational and sensory issues that impair learning! Even now, while we homeschool, therapy is the main goal for my children; not academics! They can learn better when their issues are addressed so it's worth spending the time on therapy.<br />
<br />
I know this is a brief explanation but I hope this helps you understand the subtle but important differences in the medical versus educational model of therapy. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. You can also join my Facebook group at<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1163197790438862/?ref=bookmarks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> IEP Assistance and Special Needs Parenting Advice. </a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1163197790438862/?ref=bookmarks" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br /></a>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-36235893765331544112017-07-11T22:05:00.001-07:002017-07-11T22:05:32.443-07:00Fluid Reasoning: What Does it Mean?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuL4cpVrGtY8iyixMYg0s2OepdTpSPPNyAO7sk7F-vsSNetAfG-hRa2-nAnc3HnpP174M7Nf3B5d84Fqx0weflXEynPHT9WKDASf_sfrgntS53Ns25f5BY2CDL6QzElOhLNKr-Ycy_YxqW/s1600/brainCogs-750x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuL4cpVrGtY8iyixMYg0s2OepdTpSPPNyAO7sk7F-vsSNetAfG-hRa2-nAnc3HnpP174M7Nf3B5d84Fqx0weflXEynPHT9WKDASf_sfrgntS53Ns25f5BY2CDL6QzElOhLNKr-Ycy_YxqW/s320/brainCogs-750x500.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credit: education-evaluations.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Fluid reasoning. I often see this listed on neuropsychological and psycho-educational testing but what does it mean and how does it impact education? Fluid reasoning is the ability to solve new/unusual problems without relying completely on past experiences and information. <a href="http://southcountychildandfamily.com/fluid-reasoning-index-measure/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fluid</a> reasoning is related to math achievement, written expression, and to a lesser degree, reading skills. <br />
<br />
James, my most academically skilled child has a relative weakness in fluid reasoning. He falls into the borderline range (below low average) with a standard score of 74. James is a great problem solver as long as the problem is straightforward. If you confuse him in ANY way in the problem he has NO idea how to find the solution. This is an example of a problem with fluid reasoning skills. Margaret has a fluid reasoning standard score of 85 which puts her in the low average range. I know her fluid reasoning ability is greatly impacted by her inattention (executive functioning) issues. Joseph scored a 79, which is right at the borderline/low average score range, meaning his fluid reasoning impacts his learning.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/working-memory-and-fluid-reasoning-same-or-different/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Working</a> memory impacts fluid reasoning. Many tests that determine fluid reasoning use one of two methods to determine fluid reasoning. One is using a rapid-timed test. This method relies more heavily on someone's capacity for working memory. The second method uses an untimed test. The untimed method does not rely as much on working memory and gives more time to use other cognitive functions to complete the task. I know for Joseph, due to his slow processing speed, he can show his intelligence and fluid reasoning skills better with an untimed test. If you have a child with impaired processing speed it is important you ask for some of the testing to be untimed to allow your child to show their ability!<br />
<br />
<b>What is the Impact of Fluid Reasoning?</b><br />
<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2594388" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fluid</a> intelligence or fluid reasoning tends to be lower in children who met the criteria for the following psychiatric disorders: bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional disorder, conduct disorder, substance use disorders, and specific phobia. James, my child with the lowest fluid reasoning score, has ADHD and Autism along with battling low levels of depression so I see this correlation personally. Academically, here are some things you may see your child exhibit if they are struggling with fluid reasoning:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=F82cBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=fluid+reasoning+academics&ots=6n7lT7PqE3&sig=_MEHAzvrJFmYOz2unM59d_461ig#v=onepage&q=fluid%20reasoning%20academics&f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Has</a> difficulty with recognizing, forming, and understanding concepts.</li>
<li>Has difficulty with determining a relationship in a pattern.</li>
<li>Has difficulty with drawing conclusions from information that is given to them.</li>
<li>Has difficulty with understanding the consequences of an issue or action.</li>
<li>Has difficulty with solving complex problems.</li>
<li>Has difficulty with understanding and using "and logic."</li>
<li>Has difficulty with understanding and using "or logic."</li>
<li>Has difficulty with following a logical pattern through to the end.</li>
<li>Has difficulty with math and math reasoning.</li>
<li>Needs to rely on language to help with comprehension of new concepts and complex problems.</li>
<li>Displays difficulty with using past knowledge in new situations.</li>
<li>May appear confused with demands when given a task.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div>
<br />
<b>What can be done to help my child learn?</b><br />
Classroom modifications, whether the child is homeschooled or in a public school setting, are important things to consider to help your child succeed in their education. Here are some examples of classroom modifications:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=F82cBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=fluid+reasoning+academics&ots=6n7lT7PqE3&sig=_MEHAzvrJFmYOz2unM59d_461ig#v=onepage&q=fluid%20reasoning%20academics&f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rely</a> more on verbal instruction than visual instruction or aids.</li>
<li>Pair verbal instruction with visual information so you can verbally explain what the child is viewing.</li>
<li>Ask clear, concise questions versus open-ended questions.</li>
<li>Rely more on verbal responses versus production of graphic material.</li>
<li>Test verbally for knowledge whenever possible.</li>
<li>Ask students to show all their work when possible and give partial credit if they can show the correct process.</li>
<li>Explain to the child how they will be graded on an assignment so they understand the assignment requirements.</li>
<li>Use a testing strategy familiar with the child and keep the questions simple and straightforward.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Besides classroom modifications here are some classroom accommodations to help your child/student:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=F82cBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=fluid+reasoning+academics&ots=6n7lT7PqE3&sig=_MEHAzvrJFmYOz2unM59d_461ig#v=onepage&q=fluid%20reasoning%20academics&f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Provide</a> all instructions for tasks verbally if the child is verbal.</li>
<li>Encourage the child to verbalize thought processes to help clarify their thinking.</li>
<li>Rely on the students verbal memory skills to teach problem solving though repetition and recall (<a href="https://www.brainscape.com/blog/2015/08/role-drill-practice-education/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">kill and drill</a>).</li>
<li>Teach strategies for problem solving including giving the proper sequence of a process so it can be memorized.</li>
<li>Provide repetition and review of concepts to ensure over-learning of concepts.</li>
<li>Teach mechanical arithmetic in an organized, simple, step-by-step fashion with verbal instruction.</li>
<li>Use real objects and manipulative when teaching concepts.</li>
<li>Teach using strategies that increase understanding and learning, such as verbalizing thought processes on a problem or procedure, along with providing lists of steps to take to complete a concept or task.</li>
<li>Teach problem-solving techniques in the context where they will most likely be applied.</li>
<li>Teach and emphasize reading comprehension so the student can learn to read and re-read material for learning comprehension.</li>
<li>Teach verbalizing strategies to help the student organize written work into sequential steps.</li>
<li>Adjust the difficulty of the task where possible and keep instruction simple and straightforward.</li>
<li>When teaching concepts avoid complex instruction, figurative language, and complicated or lengthy directions/instructions.</li>
<li>Watch for problems with organizational skills and social skills since these are often impaired.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/22067985/accommodations-for-cognitive-and-academic-deficits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Locate</a> a peer helpers to help the child stay on task.</li>
<li>Start a task and complete one example with the child so the child has a correct model to use to solve the rest of the work.</li>
<li>Provide a practice test with questions similar to the actual test.</li>
<li>Weight grades in favor of concrete information and skills acquired instead of creative use or application of concepts and skills.</li>
<li>Due to difficulty with deductive reasoning, the student may experience problems using a learned procedure or rule to solve problems, so provide various examples of how the rule or procedure can be used across different situations. </li>
<li>Due to difficulty with inductive reasoning, the student may experience confusion with discovery learning in which the student is expected to arrive at a rule to explain examples, so the student appears to work best when a rule is stated or a well defined set of steps is established to solve a problem.</li>
<li>To promote understanding and generalization in use of a rule or procedure, clearly describe the rule or procedure and provide numerous concrete examples.</li>
<li>Break complex tasks or procedures into component parts.</li>
<li>Help the student sort our relevant from irrelevant information when solving a problem.</li>
<li>Move slowly when presenting new information and tie new concepts into previously mastered
concepts and information.</li>
<li>Teach new information in groups or families and clarify how the items or examples are alike.</li>
<li>Provide a routine or practiced sequence for approaching a difficult or complex task.</li>
<li>Provide structured opportunities for the student to use a concept or skill in real life contexts.</li>
<li>Consider using a teaching assistant, volunteer or peer tutor to work individually with the
student to teach and demonstrate a new skill or concept.</li>
<li>Explain the purpose of an assignment in order to make the task meaningful to the student, since they may not independently perceive the relationship between completing a task and greater
learning outcomes.</li>
<li>Make an effort to explain in clear, concrete terms why a procedure is being used in a
particular problem.</li>
<li>The student demonstrates reasoning difficulties that might impede understanding of instruction.
A study guide might be beneficial to help the student organize information, identify the most relevant information and provide a conceptual framework to understand instruction (or passage
reading).</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Here are some specific suggestions for math:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Documents/IDEAS%202014%20Handouts/Cognitive%20Functioning%20and%20Psychological%20Processing.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Documents/IDEAS%202014%20Handouts/Cognitive%20Functioning%20and%20Psychological%20Processing.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Model</a> problem solving through talking aloud.</li>
<li>Teach math mnemonic strategies that specifically identify the steps for solving problems.</li>
<li>Teach patterns and relationships such as skip-counting or patterns on 100s chart to help learn multiplication facts. </li>
<li>Attach number-line to desk to help with number sense and pattern recognition. </li>
<li>Specifically teach the way a number or problem can be represented.</li>
<li>Provide manipulatives in order to help make information concrete and less abstract.</li>
<li>Have students explain their strategies when problem solving to expand solving options.</li>
<li>Require the student to show their work.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Documents/IDEAS%202014%20Handouts/Cognitive%20Functioning%20and%20Psychological%20Processing.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here</a> are some specific suggestions for reading and reading comprehension:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Use graphic organizers to help summarize information.</li>
<li>Model self-monitoring skills while reading, demonstrating how to stop and
ask oneself if material/words have been understood.</li>
<li>Teach cues for identifying main ideas such as looking for transition words.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Documents/IDEAS%202014%20Handouts/Cognitive%20Functioning%20and%20Psychological%20Processing.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Some</a> suggestions for writing strategies:<br />
<ul>
<li>Use graphic organizers to help sequence information for effective
communication.</li>
<li>Model brainstorming for generation of ideas.</li>
<li>Explicitly teach about genres and writing to an audience.</li>
<li>Present models of good writing with guidance in determining why the writing was effective for its purpose.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Current Studies on Fluid Reasoning</b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022096516302995" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fluid</a> reasoning, beyond any other cognitive or numerical ability, predicts future math performance. This study by <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022096516302995" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Green</a> et al. (2016) is small, only 69 kids, but the results of the study showed children with higher levels of fluid reasoning have a higher likelihood of showing higher levels of math achievement beyond what can be explained by age, vocabulary, or spatial reasoning skills.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a study by <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289616302215" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pagani</a> et al. (2017), all most 5,000 students at the 7th grade level had their scores in fluid reasoning examined and tracked in Canada. As students dropped out of school or failed to graduate within two years after expected graduations their fluid reasoning scores were examined. It was found that for every standard deviation a child fell below the norm increased their risk of dropping out of school before graduation by 21%! This shows you how big an impact fluid reasoning can have on a child and a low score in fluid reasoning IS a learning disability!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21622965.2017.1317490" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dehn</a> (2017) acknowledges the strong relationship between working memory and fluid reasoning. What was interesting is he went further and conducted neuroimaging (brain scans) and found the prefrontal cortex is active during fluid reasoning/working memory tasks. This area of the brain (dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex) is the SAME area that controls attention and inhibition. So if your child has ADHD then they likely have lower working memory and fluid reasoning abilities since that is the same area of the brain. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A watershed model was proposed by <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393216302895#f0005" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kievit</a> et al. (2016) to show the interdependent relationship of fluid intelligence (fluid reasoning) with processing speed and working memory. This paper says that white matter organization affects processing speed and processing speed affects fluid intelligence. Again, I see this in my children. I suspect Joseph has diffuse white matter brain injury across his entire brain. He does have the lowest processing speed and; therefore, low fluid reasoning. Margaret, who I KNOW has diffuse white matter brain injury to part of her brain has a low score for processing speed (but higher than Joseph) and, again, I see an impact to her fluid reasoning.<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Wrap Up</b></div>
<div>
I hope this post has been helpful! As always, the links to resource material are embedded into the post for your reading pleasure! Researching the impacts of fluid reasoning has been valuable to me since I am the teacher of my children. It explains many of the issues I see in my children and their learning process. I hope you will be able to find ways to help improve your child's learning! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-68520228142685689752017-07-09T17:19:00.001-07:002017-07-09T17:19:44.638-07:00Feeling Recharged For Homeschooling!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U2G_qXB73smGR6MP61AULfnhrnzp52h8garthFLGANLMilh5RK7enpFLA2x0UqTBMtbD1K86XlBO4hqRyhvSCXncXL3n-JTS-u61-O6ixwj4myYnU34VdJo1w2Ngk3YF7Oo8djzKzJVh/s1600/5702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-U2G_qXB73smGR6MP61AULfnhrnzp52h8garthFLGANLMilh5RK7enpFLA2x0UqTBMtbD1K86XlBO4hqRyhvSCXncXL3n-JTS-u61-O6ixwj4myYnU34VdJo1w2Ngk3YF7Oo8djzKzJVh/s320/5702.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credit: Homeschool-Life.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My blog has been slow since I have been working on many things including my children being in a public school online. Once we got done spending our time in public school online to qualify the Empowerment Scholarship I think we all needed a break! So we took a break and just relaxed for a bit. Now that July is upon me, my thoughts are back to homeschooling, and what we are going to do this school year. This year I was able to attend my local homeschool convention. I <i>must</i> say, if you have never gone to one, GO! I feel recharged and full of some good ideas to help my children! What a great way to feel to start the next academic phase of my children's education! <br /><br />I was able to attend several workshops at the Arizona Families for Home Education (AHFE) convention. There were some that I thought were a real stand out and I wanted to share with you some of the ideas I learned. One of the workshops I liked was <a href="https://www.theetiquettefactory.com/products_sections.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Monica Irvine's</a> discussion on scheduling. Having multiples we live, and died, by the schedule from the time we brought the children home until they were five and I went back to work for awhile. I have tried to make a schedule once or twice before but we did not stick to it. This year, since I have the addition of ESA money, it is vitally important to make a schedule and stick with it. A schedule will be the only way we can time manage our day with therapy and the schooling that needs to be completed. The second, and truly most important thing I learned, is to make sure I schedule some fun time in with the children. I often forget that the kids need some time to just have fun with me versus being the person always making them do the not so fun things in life (grooming, cleaning, and school). I will be putting game/fun time with mom into our schedule this year so that will be my commitment to them!<br /><br />The workshop by <a href="http://www.heatherhaupt.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Heather Haupt</a> discussed why movement helps the brain to form neural connections. I have experience this first hand! The way I got Margaret to learn spelling words was to make a cheer out of them. Joseph likes to march to the letters or drum. He LOVES drumming ALL OVER EVERYTHING! LOL So he taps out a beat on the table as the learns his words. Now I know why this is an effective teaching technique for them and I need to work on incorporating more movement into their lessons.<br /><br /><a href="http://heretohelplearning.com/hometohome/ask-beth/notes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beth Mora</a> gave a great presentation on how to develop an educational plan for children with ADHD, Dyslexia, and <a href="http://heretohelplearning.com/hometohome/dysgraphia/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dysgraphia</a>. Honestly though, her S.O.A.P. method is great for any child with a disability or not. She explains we need to study our children. We need to understand their quirks, when they learn best, how they learn best, their <a href="http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/children/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">love language</a>, and to put all the information into a notebook. By doing this we can remind ourselves WHY we are homeschooling in those tough moments and HOW we can help our children best by using their love language. She covered a lot more but her lecture notes can be delivered to your email box by simply clicking on her name. I hyperlinked all the speakers to their website.<br /><br />Overall, I really enjoyed the convention. There was a lot of great moments, I got to meet a lot of great parents, and I am looking forward to the next convention in October for special needs and gifted students. I am hoping I can get a speaking engagement there so I can discuss the Empowerment Scholarship, the law, how to advocate for your children with their doctors/therapists, how to interpret testing in IEPs or testing completed by neuropsychologists or psychologists for the homeschool environment, how to teach multiple disabled children at one time, and how to fit therapy and everything else into your day. I know I would be happy to share what I have learned homeschooling my children since they have been old enough to sit up in a high chair. I have learned a lot over the last ten years and would love to share!<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-91247153205180988142017-06-11T20:29:00.000-07:002017-06-14T23:16:07.907-07:00The Fun (NOT!) Of Online Public School for Special Needs Children<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxriVRafJTXZAPERayyvd_4AB1KLnpkvc7ybvHy9kK06O_j_LikoP8uHzGpiOZnKoAuxsKDPN1LL1Ayk6ID6b-2-a4NsR_s70J0ltWwymK49WpThXtAHVGVVmBZWUyTGha9KFweN3vUX6r/s1600/stuent_on_computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxriVRafJTXZAPERayyvd_4AB1KLnpkvc7ybvHy9kK06O_j_LikoP8uHzGpiOZnKoAuxsKDPN1LL1Ayk6ID6b-2-a4NsR_s70J0ltWwymK49WpThXtAHVGVVmBZWUyTGha9KFweN3vUX6r/s400/stuent_on_computer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image from EducationNews.org</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It has been awhile since I was last able to post. So many things have happened with the online public school my children were attending. I will explain the challenges I have seen in having children with special needs trying to complete an online public education. <br />
<br />
One of the first problems that comes to mind is: Do the online public schools realize they MUST follow IDEA? Right before Christmas break I was able to get the IEPs for the children completed with the school. As a parent who has not had their children in online public school before I did not really understand the 2 tiers of service offered by the school. There was no real continuum of service at the school. You either get A or B; there is no other choice!<br />
<br />
James was placed in Tier A. There he was expected to attend two online classes a day and still carry the load of online lessons. This was not what I was initially told. I was told he would no the classes and the lesson would be completed in the class. Nope. Margaret was placed in Tier A for English and Tier B for Math. The common core math concepts taught (base 10, confusing work problems, and multiple ways shown to solve a problem were confusing) were WAY over Margaret's head. She was not learning anything. Her dyscalculia is quite severe. :( Joseph was placed in Tier B. The pace there was WAY behind and WAY too slow! Joseph would never learn much information of quality and he would never have caught up (or had a chance to catch up) with the pace he was being taught.<br />
<br />
The biggest issue I had with the school was the expectation I was to drive all the children to their various therapies AND get them back in time to make it to their online classes. One therapy for Joseph was 45 minutes away, one way, for a 45 minute therapy. I complained to the school and was told they would only reimburse me for part of my travel expenses. Nope, that is wrong! Via IDEA, there is regulations on how much I would be reimbursed (think IRS mileage expense). Anyways, it was either fight the system to get therapists to come to my home OR pull the children from the school. So I pulled the children.<br /><br />In Arizona we have the Empowerment Scholarship. This gives me the money the state would pay a school to educate the children and I get to decided (within limits) how to spend the money. This will allow me to pick how the children will be taught, get them tutors, aides, and other help. I am quite excited about the prospect and so are the children!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-76190003457004925632016-11-07T23:24:00.000-07:002017-07-11T22:12:29.295-07:00Working Memory: The RAM of the Brain<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9uz2JIFy_5bcNLhgsiy3ltO1rudl525V_Ag64OwC-fOy00sryVKyNji7h7UP46K9vn9yqzZCbi0XWbpHa8n4NPkSdHqPoTJpFpOzTmiO7wwhnsrx3epLs1I71BlP88dfsAfvAuY5BSuU/s1600/working-memory-2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9uz2JIFy_5bcNLhgsiy3ltO1rudl525V_Ag64OwC-fOy00sryVKyNji7h7UP46K9vn9yqzZCbi0XWbpHa8n4NPkSdHqPoTJpFpOzTmiO7wwhnsrx3epLs1I71BlP88dfsAfvAuY5BSuU/s400/working-memory-2.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">http://examinedexistence.com</span></td></tr>
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So what the heck is working memory? I think of it as the RAM of our human computer, our brain. James has a relative weakness in his working memory. His score on the WISC -V was a <a href="http://cityschooldistrictofalbany-rtib.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/8/1/12815490/_____psychometric_conversion_table.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">standard score</a> of 85; however, a score of just 79 is considered borderline. So this is quite a low score, overall, for James who is my highest cognitively-abled child. Margaret got a standard score of 62. This puts her in the severely impaired. Joseph has a standard score of 79. If you knew him you might find this surprising since he is SO slow due to his processing speed. Over time though, I have noticed that both Margaret and Joseph are both quite impaired. I know now it is in different way. Margaret has major working memory problems but is much faster at processing information. Joseph on the other hand is SUPER slow in processing speed BUT he mas better working memory and long term memory. Over time, I think, this will serve him better.<br />
<br />
<h3>
So what exactly is working memory? </h3>
<a href="http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~ashas/Cognition%20Textbook/chapter6.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The</a> computer, so useful a metaphor in cognitive psychology, offers an intuitively appealing model for thinking about the nature and structure of working memory.<br />
<br />
Simplifying the workings of a computer, there are two means by which information is stored, the hard disk and random-access memory (RAM). The hard disk is the means by which information is stored permanently in a stable and reliable form; all software programs, data files, and the operating system of the computer are stored on the hard disk. To use this stored information you must retrieve it from the hard disk and load it into RAM. Now for the analogy: the information stored in the hard disk is like long-term memory, RAM corresponds to working memory.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How well does this metaphor fit with actual human working memory structure and function? The evidence is not all in, but cognitive and neuroscience approaches to the study of working memory have in many ways revolutionized the types of questions that can be asked and provided new insights into how working memory works.<br />
<a href="http://examinedexistence.com/what-is-working-memory-in-the-human-brain/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br />
Working</a> memory is the mind’s ability to keep information for a short span of time, as you utilize such facts for the tasks and activities you need to do. It makes use of two lobes: the frontal lobe, which is responsible for planning, reasoning, emotions, problem-solving, movement and speech; and the parietal lobe, which governs the perception of stimuli such as pain, pressure, touch and temperature.<br />
<br />
Since working memory is naturally brief, it makes use of attention and memory, but only for a short span of time. It is considered the foundation of the mind’s <a href="http://mommax6.blogspot.com/2016/03/executive-functioning-and-impact-on.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">executive function</a>, a group of mental processes that allows an individual to solve problems, plan ahead, pay attention and organize activities.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://examinedexistence.com/what-is-working-memory-in-the-human-brain/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">There</a> are two types of<a href="http://examinedexistence.com/how-to-improve-your-working-memory/"> working memory</a> used by all individuals. They are:<br />
<br />
1. Visual-Spatial Working Memory<br />
<br />
<a href="http://examinedexistence.com/what-is-working-memory-in-the-human-brain/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Defined</a> as the brain’s ability to use an ‘imaginary sketchpad,’ it enables a person to visualize something – and keep it in his mind’s eye. Individuals can use this type of working memory to remember images, sequences and patterns. It is also useful for computing mathematical equations in the mind.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.simplypsychology.org/working%20memory.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The</a> visuo-spatial sketch pad (inner eye) deals with visual and spatial information. Visual information refers to what things look like. It is likely that the visuo-spatial sketch pad plays an important role in helping us keep track of where we are in relation to other objects as we move through our environment (<a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Human_Memory.html?id=fMgm-2NXAXYC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baddeley, 1997</a>).<br />
<br />
As we move around, our position in relation to objects is constantly changing and it is important that we can update this information. For example, being aware of where we are in relation to desks, chairs and tables when we are walking around a classroom means that we don't bump into things too often!<br />
<br />
The sketch pad also displays and manipulates visual and spatial information held in long-term memory. For example, the spatial layout of your house is held in Long Term Memory (LTM). Try answering this question: How many windows are there in the front of your house? You probably find yourself picturing the front of your house and counting the windows. An image has been retrieved from LTM and pictured on the sketch pad.<br />
<br />
Evidence suggests that working memory uses two different systems for dealing with visual and verbal information. A visual processing task and a verbal processing task can be performed at the same time. It is more difficult to perform two visual tasks at the same time because they interfere with each other and performance is reduced. The same applies to performing two verbal tasks at the same time. This supports the view that the phonological (verbal) loop and the sketch pad (visual) are separate systems within working memory.<br />
<br />
2. Auditory/Verbal Working Memory<br />
<br />
This area of working memory makes use of the mind’s phonological or sound system. A good example is repeatedly dictating a phone number while dialing it. While it cannot be retained while doing a certain a task, it is touted by many as a common learning disadvantage in most activities like tasks that make use of verbal working memory include comprehension and language activities.<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
The phonological loop is the part of working memory that deals with spoken and written material. It consists of two parts. The phonological store (linked to speech perception) acts as an inner ear and holds information in speech-based form (i.e. spoken words) for 1-2 seconds. Spoken words enter the store directly. Written words must first be converted into an articulatory (spoken) code before they can enter the phonological store.<br />
<br />
The articulatory control process (linked to speech production) acts like an inner voice rehearsing information from the phonological store. It circulates information round and round like a tape loop. This is how we remember a telephone number we have just heard. As long as we keep repeating it, we can retain the information in working memory.<br />
<br />
The articulatory control process also converts written material into an articulatory code and transfers it to the phonological store.<br />
<br />
<h4>
How is your working memory?</h4>
<span style="color: #ffd966;"></span>Have you ever wondered if you have a good working memory? If so, take this test to find out!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;">IS (5 x 3) + 4 = 17? BOOK</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;">IS (6 x 2) - 3 = 8? HOUSE</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;">IS (4 x 4) - 4 = 12? JACKET</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;">IS (3 x 7) + 6 = 27? CAT</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;">IS (4 x 8) - 2 = 31? PEN</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #ffd966;">IS (9 x 2) + 6 = 24? Water</span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #ffd966;"><a href="http://www-psych.stanford.edu/~ashas/Cognition%20Textbook/chapter6.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">To</a> take this test yourself, cut out a window in a blank sheet of paper so that it exposes only one line at a time. For each line, determine whether the arithmetic is correct or not: say, out loud, “yes” or “no.” Then look at the word that follows the problem and memorize it. Move through each line quickly. After you have finished all the lines, try to recall the words in order. The number you get correct is an estimate of your working memory capacity. Very few people have a working memory as high as 6; the average is around 2 or 3.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<h4>
Working Memory and the Brain</h4>
</div>
<div>
<a href="http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic951140.files/howDoesWMworkInClassroom-alloway2006.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A good example</a> of an everyday activity that uses
working memory is mental arithmetic. Imagine, for
example, attempting to multiply two numbers (e.g., 43,
27) spoken to you by another person, without being able
to use a pen and paper or a calculator. First of all, you would need to hold the two numbers in working memory.
The next step would be to use learned multiplication rules
to calculate the products of successive pairs of numbers,
adding to working memory the new products as you
proceed. Finally, you would need to add the products
held in working memory, resulting in the correct solution.
To do this successfully, it is necessary to store the two
numbers, and then systematically apply multiplication
rules, storing the intermediate products that are
generated as we proceed through the stages of the
calculation. Without working memory, we would not be
able to carry out this kind of complex mental activity in
which we have to both keep in mind some information
while processing other materials. Carrying out such
mental activities is a process that requires effort and prone to errors.
A minor distraction such as an unrelated thought
springing to mind or an interruption by someone else is
likely to result in complete loss of the stored information,
and so in a failed calculation attempt. As no amount of
effort will allow us to remember lost information, the only course of action is to start the calculation again.
Our abilities to carry out such calculations are limited by
the amount of information we have to store and process.
Multiplying larger numbers (e.g., 142 and 891) “in our
heads” is for most of us out of the question, even though
it does not require greater mathematical knowledge than
the earlier example. The reason we cannot do this is that
the storage demands of the activity exceed the capacity
of working memory.<br />
<br />
In an experimental setting, an individual’s working memory capacity is reliably assessed by tasks in which the individual is required to process and store increasing amounts of information until the point at which recall errors are made. An example of such a task is reading span, in which the participant makes judgments about the semantic properties of sentences while remembering the last word of each sentence in sequence. Tasks of short-term memory, in contrast, place menial demands on processing and are often described as storage-only tasks. Verbal short-term memory is traditionally assessed using tasks that require the participant to recall a sequence of verbal information, such as digit span and word span. Visuo-spatial short-term memory tasks usually involved the retention of either spatial or visual information. For example, in the Visual Patterns Test, the participant is presented with a matrix of black and white squares and has to recall which squares were filled in. The Corsi blocks task is an example of a spatial memory task, and participants have to recall the sequence of blocks that are tapped. Individual differences in the capacity of working memory appear to have important consequences for children’s ability to acquire knowledge and new skills.<br />
<br />
<b>Working Memory, Reading, and the Dyslexia Connection</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.workingmemorymatters.com/reading-and-spelling-difficulties-dyslexia.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Children may be described as dyslexic</a> if their reading, writing and spelling skills are significantly worse than those of their typically developing peers. Dyslexia is now understood as a problem with Verbal Working Memory, where the Phonological Loop (verbal short term memory) does not function as it should, and the verbal portion of the Central Executive, responsible for concentration, attention, planning and other executive functions, is also affected.<br />
<br />
Some symptoms of dyslexia arise as a direct result of poor Verbal Working Memory, such as poor reading, spelling, verbal comprehension, difficulty learning sequences and problems with organisation. Children with learning difficulties may also suffer from a lack of confidence and poor self-esteem.<br />
<br />
A full diagnostic assessment is required to discover your child's pattern of strengths and weaknesses. This can be done by request a full psycho-educational testing from the school. If you homeschool you can request testing from your local school district under the Child Find guidelines, you can request a referral from your child's pediatrician to a pediatric psychologist, or you can request a referral and evaluation from a neuropsychologist. <br />
<br />
What is Reading Comprehension?<br />
Comprehension describes the interactive process between the reader and the text. Children with similar decoding and word recognition skills may vary in their understanding of material because their comprehension skills are at different levels. Listening and reading comprehension depend on language and cognition. Listening comprehension also depends on well-developed auditory skills. Prerequisite skills are:<br />
<ul>
<li>vocabulary</li>
<li>grammatical skills</li>
<li>pragmatic skills</li>
<li>meta-linguistic awareness</li>
<li>shared understanding (social; cultural)</li>
<li>attention; sequencing</li>
<li>monitoring</li>
<li>working memory</li>
</ul>
When Working Memory skills are poor, children will struggle to retain information they read or hear for long enough to integrate it with existing understanding. This is particularly important when listening to, or reading, sentences with embedded clauses. Center-embedded clauses can be really difficult because this structure creates three sections to be analysed, overloading children with poor Working Memory. As we hear or read new information, we continually recode the material into chunks, discarding irrelevant detail and retaining the gist. Working Memory is crucial for this level of processing and enables us to manage longer texts. Working Memory is crucial for generating inferences because the reader needs to keep in mind a representation of the relevant section of text, while conducting searches for information, either in long term memory or other places in the text, before checking that the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inference" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">inference</a> makes sense. Working Memory is also crucial for monitoring that incoming information makes sense. Children need to notice words they don't understand as well as contradictions and anomalies. Strategies to clarify information they don't fully understand may involve looking back to check that a word has been read correctly, or formulating and asking clarifying questions, all of which place demands on Working Memory.<br />
<br />
<b>Working Memory and Math (Dyscalculia)</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cne.psychol.cam.ac.uk/exploring-working-memory-in-maths-anxiety-and-dyscalculia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It was found</a> that the children in the dyscalculia and maths anxiety groups showed different types of working memory impairment. The dyscalculia group, when compared to the typically developing group, performed worse on the visual-spatial working memory task. This agreed with previous research which showed a link between developmental dyscalculia and poor visual-spatial working memory ability<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945213001688">3</a>. The maths anxiety group, on the other hand, were more impaired in verbal working memory than the dyscalculia group. The maths anxiety group was also impaired in visual-spatial tasks but only when a higher working memory load was used (i.e. there were a large number of objects to be memorized). This finding supports the idea that anxiety may use up working memory resources which leads to poor maths performance<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Ashcraft/publication/11931053_The_relationship_among_working_memory_math_anxiety_and_performance/links/545a741a0cf25c508c3192d5.pdf">4</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Working Memory and General Academic Performance </b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.pearsoned.com/education-blog/working-memory-classroom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Let’s say</a> a child, Margaret, is presented with a mental math calculation such as, “find the sum of 2, 5, and 10”. She must remember all of numbers that need to be added, hold that information in mind while adding the numbers and ignoring distractions in her environment, and then produce the sum of 17. Children with poor working memory like Margaret might miss the middle number and produce a sum of 12. For reading comprehension of a passage, Margaret would need to read each sentence and hold them in mind while also making sense of their meaning. She would need to simultaneously process and store the information in the passage over a short time period. Common failures of working memory during academic tasks are reflected in skipping letters or words, blending together different words or sentences, and losing track of sentences or numbers (Holmes et al., 2010). All these working memory related failures result in Margaret being unable to correctly calculate a math problem or make sense of a reading passage.<br />
<br />
It is estimated that 80% of children with poor working memory struggle with math, reading, or both (Gathercole & Alloway, 2008). Further, low achievers are three times more likely and students with special educational needs are six times more likely to have low working memory compared to typical learners (Holmes et al., 2010). What this tells us is that the majority of students that perform poorly in school or that require additional support have working memory deficits. It is these kids who become overloaded during regular classroom activities, such as those involving multi-step instructions, and miss important learning opportunities (Gathercole & Alloway, 2008). It is these children with low working memory that we find staring out the window with their minds wandering (Kane et al., 2007) when tasks get too tough and working memory gets overloaded.<br />
<br />
<b>Working Memory Training...Real or Hype?</b><br />
<a href="http://pps.sagepub.com/content/11/4/512.short" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Working memory training</a> information is ALL over the place on the internet. There are a TON of programs on how to increase working memory. Sadly, there is nothing that can really help with poor working memory. There has been research showing memory training is more helpful in reading versus math. There has been no research showing memory training helps overall cognitive ability. You can do programs training working memory but the effects have been shown to be short term and with the high cost of the programs it just is not worth pursuing.<br />
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</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Sign of Working Memory Deficits</h3>
<a href="http://www.gemmlearning.com/can-help/working-memory/symptoms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">If your child</a> exhibits 3 or more of these behaviors in this checklist there may be some cause for concern:<br />
<ul>
<li>A need to re-read text</li>
<li>Test anxiety, especially on multiple choice tests</li>
<li>A need for more time and repetition</li>
<li>Inconsistent performance</li>
<li>Lack of focus and attention deficit disorders</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cogmed.com/working-memory-checklist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Is</a> easily distracted when working on or doing something that is not highly interesting.</li>
<li>Has trouble waiting his/her turn, for example in a conversation or when waiting in line to get help.</li>
<li>Struggles with reading comprehension and has to read through texts repeatedly to understand.</li>
<li>Struggles with problem solving that require holding information in mind, for example mental math calculations.</li>
<li>Is inconsistent in remembering math facts.</li>
<li>Struggles with completing tasks, especially multiple step tasks.</li>
<li>Has difficulty remembering long instruction given in several steps, for example following recipes, directions or school/work assignments.</li>
<li><a href="http://canlearnsociety.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/LC_Working-Memory_N2.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Struggles</a> to understand the context in a story or a conversation.</li>
<li>Has difficulties when planning and organizing something that needs to be done in separate steps.</li>
<li>Has difficulty staying focused during cognitive demanding tasks but attends well when cognitively demands are minimal.</li>
<li>Has difficulty integrating new information with prior knowledge.</li>
<li>When called on, forgets what he/she was planning to say.</li>
<li>Has difficulty taking notes and listening at the same time.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div>
Several of these working memory-specific symptoms are associated with multiple learning diagnoses, and indication of how critical working memory is to many learning abilities.<br />
<br />
Learning Efficiency<br />
Academic success is dependent on a number of skills working at a high level, many of which involve working memory: for instance, being able to retain information in class, reading with comprehension, and attention stamina.<br />
<br />
Attention Deficits<br />
Poor working memory skills impacts attention because if students cannot hold information as it is coming at them, it is harder to engage. These children tend to be more easily distracted and are often diagnosed as having <a href="http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/inattentive-type" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">inattentive ADD</a>.<br />
<br />
Reading and Dyslexia<br />
Several of the symptoms above impact reading — both in learning to decode, and in reading efficiency for comprehension. Most of the time in reading though, the true difficulty is phonological awareness. An inability to retain text while reading more often not due to inefficient and exhausting decoding, not working memory problems.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h3>
Testing for Working Memory</h3>
<div>
One of the most common tests used to determine working memory capacity is the <a href="http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/wisc-v/WISC-VInterpretiveReportSample-1.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WISC V</a> (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children®-Fifth Edition). This test has a whole subsection for Working Memory. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another test that may be used is the <a href="http://www.helloq.com/tests/test-library/wais-iv.html#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WAIS IV</a> (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale®- Fourth Edition). This test also has a subsection for Working Memory testing. <br />
<br />
Both tests are highly recognized and work well in measuring Working Memory. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
Working Memory Accommodations and Modifications</h3>
MONITOR THE STUDENT </div>
<div>
• <a href="http://canlearnsociety.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/LC_Working-Memory_N2.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ask the student</a> to verbalize their steps in completing tasks they often struggle to complete. This can provide important information about where the breakdown is occurring and what supports are likely to work best. </div>
<div>
• Evaluate the working memory demands of learning activities. A student with working memory difficulties will need more support as tasks get longer, become more complex, have unfamiliar content or demand more mental processing. </div>
<div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
REDUCE THE MEMORY LOAD </div>
<div>
• Break tasks into smaller chunks. One task at a time is best, if possible. </div>
<div>
• Reduce the amount of material the student is expected to complete. </div>
<div>
• Keep new information or instructions brief and to the point, and repeat in concise fashion for the student, as needed. </div>
<div>
• Provide written directions for reference. </div>
<div>
• Simplify the amount of mental processing required by providing several oral “clues” for a problem and writing key words for each clue on the board or interactive whiteboard. This way the student does not have to hold all of the information in mind at once. </div>
<div>
• Increase the meaningfulness of the material by providing examples students can relate to. </div>
<div>
• Provide information in multiple ways: speak it, show it, and create opportunities to physically work with it or model it. </div>
<div>
• Develop routines, such as specific procedures for turning in completed assignments. Once a routine is practiced repeatedly, it becomes automatic and reduces the working memory demand.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
REPEAT AND REVIEW </div>
<div>
• Be prepared to repeat information. </div>
<div>
• Use visual reminders of the steps needed to complete a task. </div>
<div>
• Provide opportunities to repeat the task. </div>
<div>
• Encourage practice to increase the amount of information encoded into memory. </div>
<div>
• Teach students to practice in short sessions, repeatedly throughout the day. Spaced practice is more
effective than massed practice. Have students practice new skills or information in short sessions
over the course of the day rather than in one long session. For example, give the student a set of key
facts to review for a few minutes two or three times during the school day, and encourage them to
review again at home both at night and in the morning. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
USE ADVANCE ORGANIZERS </div>
<div>
• Use advance organizers and teach students how to use them. For example, KWL (What I Know, What I
Want to Know, What I Learned) is a graphic organizer that helps students focus on what is to be learned.
This tool activates prior knowledge, helps generate questions to explore and then assists students to
connect what they learn to what they already know. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TEACH STEP-BY-STEP STRATEGIES </div>
<div>
• Teach one strategy at a time in brief, focused sessions. </div>
<div>
• Teach students when, where, why and how to use the strategy</div>
<div>
• Review and activate prior knowledge. </div>
<div>
• Be overt and explicit. </div>
<div>
• Model and think aloud. </div>
<div>
• Have skilled students model steps.</div>
<div>
• Encourage use and practice. </div>
<div>
• Evaluate and recognize effort and success. </div>
<div>
• Encourage self-monitoring. </div>
<div>
• Promote transfer to other situations, times,
activities and groups.<br />
<br />
ENCOURAGE THE USE OF MEMORY AIDS </div>
<div>
• Use visual posters, e.g. of multiplication tables. </div>
<div>
• Create posters of commonly used words. </div>
<div>
• Provide instructions in written form – could be a handout, whiteboard, or simply a sticky note. </div>
<div>
• Provide a key word outline to refer to while you are teaching. </div>
<div>
• Encourage the use of checklists for multi-step tasks (e.g., steps for editing written work, timelines for
assignments). </div>
<div>
• Encourage students to make lists of reminders regularly. </div>
<div>
• Use graphic organizers to teach new concepts and information. When the student can picture how
the ideas are interrelated, they can be stored and retrieved more easily. </div>
<div>
• Consider educational technology that reduces the demand on working memory, such as calculators,
word processors, spell-check devices, grammar-check devices, and voice dictation and text readers. </div>
<div>
• Use rhymes, songs, movements and patterns, such as ’30 days hath September’ rhyme for
remembering the number of days in each calendar month. Music and physical routines linked to fact
learning can help students memorize faster and act as a cue for retrieving specific information. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
PAUSE, PARAPHRASE, SUMMARIZE AND ALLOW TIME </div>
<div>
• Stop at least two times per lesson and request a quick summary from students – “what have we
learned so far?” – followed by quick notes on the board. Research overwhelmingly indicates that at
least 40% of total learning time needs to be spent reviewing new material. </div>
<div>
• Request students to paraphrase, or have another student paraphrase verbally delivered directions.
Research has repeatedly shown that youth are more likely to “hear” and “remember” if they hear their
own voice or a peer’s voice. </div>
<div>
• Allow time for rehearsal and processing. </div>
<div>
• Allow extra time for the student to retrieve information. These students benefit from advance warning
that they will be asked a question. </div>
<div>
• Avoid open-ended questions. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
GET PHYSICAL </div>
<div>
• Active participation with the material such as repeatedly hearing it, seeing it and moving it, holds the
information in working memory so it can move to long-term memory. Let the students move around,
use hands-on material and put information on file cards so they can be manipulated. </div>
<div>
• Wherever possible, use games such as Jeopardy® and Scrabble®, drama and art to reinforce
concepts. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
COLOR CODE </div>
<div>
• Physical coding, such as consistent colors for different subject areas, can act as triggers to help
students remember information.
o Try coding when teaching new concepts: when teaching sentence structure nouns are always
red, verbs are always green etc.
o Spelling – highlight difficult parts of new words. </div>
<div>
• Vocabulary – teach new words in categories or families and color code the categories.
o Encourage the use of colored pens or highlighters (remember, yellow is the LEAST effective). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
MAKE OVERT LINKS </div>
<div>
• Try to get the students to link new information to prior knowledge – encourage drawing, writing and
verbal reflection. The use metaphors, analogies, imagery or induced imagery (where the image is
generated by the individual, rather than given to them) can help. </div>
<div>
• Start each lesson with a quick review of the previous lesson – always write down key words as the
students recall information to model “trigger words”. </div>
<div>
• End each lesson with a summary of what was learned. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
KEY WORDS </div>
<div>
• Teach students to listen for key words. Post the words in the classroom and frequently use them as
cues while you teach. </div>
<div>
• Often students with working memory difficulties also exhibit word and information retrieval difficulties.
They frequently experience the “tip of the tongue” phenomenon, or may produce the wrong details
within the correct concept. The student may need additional time to retrieve details when answering
a question. Cues may be necessary to help them focus on the correct bit of information or word. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
TEST TAKING </div>
<div>
• Allow extra time, or reduce the number of questions. </div>
<div>
• Consider requiring recognition vs. recall. </div>
<div>
• Teach students to scan the test and plan their time allocation. </div>
<div>
• For essay tests, teach students to create an outline, write key words in point form and then expand on the
key words and ideas. </div>
<div>
• Where possible, allow students to use reference sheets during tests (e.g., math formula, chronologies
of events), or encourage students to create reference sheets at home, to rehearse the information
frequently and then to rewrite the information at the beginning of the exam before attempting to answer
the questions. </div>
<div>
• A student with difficulties sustaining working memory often needs frequent short breaks. Breaks typically
only need to be one or two minutes in duration. Observing when the student’s ability to focus begins to
wane will help determine the optimal time for a break. </div>
<div>
• Use technology such as word processors, speech-to-text, and text-to-speech programs to reduce
working memory demand, and allow for additional time to complete tasks. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
REINFORCE LEARNING PREFERENCES </div>
<div>
• Encourage self-reflection for yourself and the student. What worked for me? What could I do next time? If
this strategy worked for this task, could I use it anywhere else? </div>
<div>
• Many software programs and applications can provide rehearsal in an entertaining fashion and are often
less demanding of working memory.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Wrap Up</h3>
I hope this article has been helpful. Please click on the embedded links for source material. I know this has helped me understand the importance of Working Memory and I hoped it helped you do the same. Please leave any questions or comments below. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-64278635604424759402016-10-15T00:00:00.000-07:002016-10-15T00:00:35.801-07:00October Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Time to come of the shadows and stigma of pregnancy and infant loss. Though it hurts me to talk about my daughter I would not have it any other way. She was here, she was alive, and she deserves to be remembered. I love you my sweet baby Martha. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-67808755331468942152016-10-07T11:52:00.001-07:002016-10-07T14:58:55.144-07:00Why Does It Take So Long For Special Education Services? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPP0pz9OahIySfyfGMdegO3-uD6CXuHtcqW9wOUF4094E5mrY2JoHec8RhyphenhyphenNyAUZwqkk9CxoMeEd3DJYiuuJys_tpaCOJv3Gr2DYMg7IMojtLF-ujqz1jkh9PpJZiO3mkl8-nKpB6E82C/s1600/P4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPP0pz9OahIySfyfGMdegO3-uD6CXuHtcqW9wOUF4094E5mrY2JoHec8RhyphenhyphenNyAUZwqkk9CxoMeEd3DJYiuuJys_tpaCOJv3Gr2DYMg7IMojtLF-ujqz1jkh9PpJZiO3mkl8-nKpB6E82C/s320/P4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I had to enroll the children into an online public school. I needed to do this to take advantage of my of state's program called the Empowerment Scholarship. It is a program where parents basically waive their rights to FAPE so parents can get a pot of money to send their child to private school or homeschool. We will be going back to homeschooling after our short visit to public school.<br />
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Being in the public school has definitely showed me areas where my children are weak academically! I submitted the request for special education testing within the first week of school (first week of August). The way my state works is that you have a MET (Multidisciplinary Evaluation Team) I meeting to discuss educational concerns and for the parent to turn over any information on your child to show a disability. I had been writing the blog posts on neurocognitive domains just so I could better explain my children to the team. First round went to me since the MET group said my kids were suspected of having a learning disability. They decided that there was more testing they needed/wanted to do so the team could appropriately classify them for special education. That meeting happened on August 17th.<br />
<br />
So the days passed and I waited to hear from the school specialists. I heard from the one by one. I set appointments with them and took the kids to be tested or specialists come here. Two weeks the kids went though various tests. The MET II meets were set for October 4th and 5th. I took Joseph and James's together and the next day was Margaret's meeting. I asked for a copy of the meeting materials that any of the other team members would have access to before the meeting. This allowed me to be on even ground. I was able to read the reports the say before. Is it bad to say I laughed?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6-okJd3RUkxA6X5cl0QSIvYTeYBFJIDcomMDu8PO0Wbme-umnmYoehbAy23H-RLkCth72tpyeEhKDa2heUa7pwgC23aAFAehHToCbDevZ8-VNdCAfvO2A6vrZ8uhoPcq-EM76tkMCwPE/s1600/Cornholio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6-okJd3RUkxA6X5cl0QSIvYTeYBFJIDcomMDu8PO0Wbme-umnmYoehbAy23H-RLkCth72tpyeEhKDa2heUa7pwgC23aAFAehHToCbDevZ8-VNdCAfvO2A6vrZ8uhoPcq-EM76tkMCwPE/s320/Cornholio.jpg" width="320" /></a>Why did I laugh? Because the reports pointed out SO starkly many of the things I knew to be "wrong" with my children. Here are some comments from James's report... From the psychologist, "Mom managed the full schedule of the home very well." Why thank you! I try though I often wonder how I really do. "He (James) presented as friendly, helpful, talkative, and was a bit of a squirrel/tease at time, which is reportedly not unusual for him." I have to admit I found this funny. Yes, James is talkative and he often plays around which makes it hard to tell sometimes when he is being serious. "He was fidgety throughout both sessions, moving about his chair, twisting his shirt into a variety of positions, even lifting it over his head a few times and once taking it off." ROFL This really got me! I see James pull his shirt over his head quite often lately. He reminds me of the character on Bevis and Butthead. LOL His shirt was bothering him so much he pulled his shirt all the way off! Yes, my baby still has sensory issues and has a problem being still due to sensory and ADHD issues.<br />
<br />
During his testing for speech she talks about how he turned backwards in his chair several times and only turned around to look at pictures as needed. "Depite the busy-ness of his body, he still presented as having a calm demeanor. Ja attempted to peek between the barriers this SLP had set up to block his view of the test booklets, when the SLP adjusted them to close the small crack, Ja responded by smiling, chuckling, and saying "Darn it!"" This is James and his perfectionist attitude. He has anxiety if he thinks he is doing something wrong. "Ja does become "stuck" on topics of high interest..." Yes, yes he does! This is part of his autism and lack of cognitive flexibility. "Eye contact was appropriate at time, but fleeting to non-existent at other times." Very much a typical autism trait. "He was quite verbose and frequently used tangential speech; he required ongoing verbal cues to limit the number of his extraneous comments and keep on-topic." LOL Yes, James has a LOT to say but only 50% of the time would I say he is on topic.<br />
<br />
You can see how these things are both hard to hear yet funny because you know these professionals are seeing your child for the first time. I know all these things about James and in the homeschool environment I can build the environment to suit his needs. I can do some of that in the online public school but his inattention, internal dialog, his dysgraphia, his sensory issues, and his math calculation problems, and I am sure I missing other things, are ALL issues that impede his learning, even online. I could only imagine if I sent him to a regular brick-and-mortar school what would happen to him with his inability to sit and pay attention along with his general disruptive behavior.<br />
<br />
Margaret and Joseph had worse results in their reports. After about four hours discussion there are a couple of things I forgot for James. I think James may have a specific learning disability in math calculation (<a href="http://mommax6.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-is-dyscalculia-and-dysgraphia.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dyscalculia</a>) and I know he has a specific learning disability in written expression (<a href="http://mommax6.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-is-dyscalculia-and-dysgraphia.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dysgraphia</a>). We will need to cover this on or before his IEP is formulated.<br />
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<br />
In the end the MET II team has decided these special education eligibility categories belong to the children so far...<br />
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James: Primary: Autism; Secondary: OHI - ADHD (I need to see about adding the SLD: math calculation and SLD: written expression)<br />
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Margaret: Primary: Autism; Secondary: SLD: math calculation, SLD: math problem solving, SLD: written expression, OHI - ADHD<br />
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Joseph: Primary: Multiple Disability with Severe Sensory Impairment (Autism and Visual Impairment fall under here along with Joseph's problems with math and writing); Secondary: OHI - Ataxic Cerebral Palsy<br />
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Do these things shock me in any way? No. It is a bit hard to read in a report where everything is written so starkly in black and white. I am thankful the school has identified most, if not all, the children's needs. Now we are waiting (and it can be up to 30 more days) to work on developing the IEP for the children. Then the fighting will really begin. LOL Once our 100 days are up in public school, near the end of January, I will look at how the kids are doing in school. I highly suspect that I will be pulling Margaret and Joseph back out of public school for homeschooling once again. I cannot wait! The pace of public school is just too fast for them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-27460425331535974282016-10-06T21:43:00.000-07:002019-02-22T10:28:20.384-07:00Did you know <a href="http://www.phschool.com/eteach/social_studies/2003_05/essay.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">65% of the population</a> are visual learners? Now, what do you do when you have a child that has vision loss in one eye, reduced peripheral vision in the other eye, BUT is STILL a visual learner? Think about that for a minute. Yes, Joseph, my son with only one "good" eye, is a visual learner. Joseph has problems with visual-spatial reasoning among other visual processing issues. As it turns out, all my children have visual-spatial problems. They all score in the 5 to 18 percentile in visual-spatial reasoning. So how does an issue with visual-spatial reasoning impact learning? I hadn't a clue so I wrote this post to understand! Hopefully you, dear reader, will find it helpful too!<br />
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In a paper by <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982212002709#">Franceschini</a> et al., there is a strong correlation to visual-spatial attention and learning to read. The children who had the most difficulty with visual-spatial discrimination had most difficulty in learning to read and often went on to be diagnosed with dyslexia. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475213000601#">Mayer</a> et al., found a correlation in visual-spatial reasoning, along with cognitive ability and problem-solving skills, were the deciding factors in determining the scientific reasoning skills of elementary school students. What I really found interesting was the paper by <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/desc.12138/full" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tosto </a>et al., which studied the visual-spatial abilities of several sets of 12 year old twins. By 12, a bit over half of your visual spatial skills you got from your parents (genetics) but the rest is learned (this was true for both boys and girls). The part of the paper I found interesting is that the same pathways in the brain for visual-spatial reasoning is used for math and science. Who knew? This explains a lot as to why children with <a href="http://mommax6.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-is-dyscalculia-and-dysgraphia.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">developmental dyscalculia</a> have issues with processing visual-spatial information.<br />
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<h4>
What are the signs of <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_158281296"></span>Visual Processing Disorder<span id="goog_158281297"></span></a>?</h4>
<div>
There are <a href="http://www.ldonline.org/article/25152/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EIGHT types of visual processing disorders</a>. These are:<br />
<b>Visual Discrimination</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Can't match clothing, socks, or cutlery, especially when the differences are subtle</li>
<li>Doesn't noticing the similarities and differences between certain colors, shapes and patterns</li>
<li>Will not see differences between similar looking letters and words (eg b / d, b / p, 5 / S, won’t / want, car / cat)</li>
<li>Will have a hard time reading maps</li>
</ul>
</div>
<b>Visual Figure-Ground Discrimination</b><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/figure-ground-perception.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Struggles</a> to find information on a busy blackboard</li>
<li>Finds it hard to copy work from the board as the child keeps losing his place when copying</li>
<li>Loses his/her place on the page while reading</li>
<li>Has poor dictionary skills</li>
<li>Struggles with map work</li>
<li>Struggles to find personal items in a cluttered place</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Visual Sequencing</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Has difficulty <a href="http://www.adlit.org/article/25152/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">using</a> a separate answer sheet</li>
<li>Cannot stay in the right place while reading a paragraph. Example: skipping lines, reading the same line over and over</li>
<li>Problems reversing or misreading letters, numbers and words</li>
<li>Has difficulty understanding math equations</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>Visual Motor Processing</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Has difficulty writing within lines or margins of a piece of paper</li>
<li>Struggles to copy from a board or book</li>
<li>When moving around often bumps into things</li>
<li>Has problems participating in sports that require well-timed and precise movements in space</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Visual Closure</b><br />
<ul>
<li>The inability to know what an object is when only parts of it are visible</li>
<li>Not recognizing a picture of a familiar object from a partial image. Example: A truck without its wheels</li>
<li>Misidentifying a word with a letter missing</li>
<li>Not recognizing a face when one feature (such as the nose) is missing</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Spatial Relationships</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Difficulty getting from one place to another</li>
<li>Has a problem spacing letters and words on paper</li>
<li>Cannot judge time</li>
<li>Reading maps and giving directions are difficult</li>
<li>Difficulty in <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022219417690354" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">math</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div>
Plus there are other vision processing disorders like <a href="http://irlen.com/what-is-irlen-syndrome/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Irlen Syndrome</a>, <a href="http://www.dyslexia-reading-well.com/visual-dyslexia.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">visual dyslexia</a>, and <a href="http://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/visual-processing-disorder.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">visual dyspraxia</a>.<br />
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<h4>
<b>Who Diagnoses Visual Processing Disorders and How to Treat It?</b></h4>
This is hard to determine. Visual Processing Disorder is NOT a learning disability be itself. It is only a learning disability IF it interferes with the learning process. Ah, the fun of public education! If you homeschool it is easier because you can implement the accommodations and modifications at home to see if academic function improves.<br />
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If you are looking to pursue a diagnosis look for an opthamologist, vision specialist, vision therapist, or a neuropsychologist. One of these professionals should be able to run the psychometric tests needed to make a diagnosis.<br />
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<a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/treatment-options/treatment-options-for-visual-processing-issues" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">There are three kinds of therapies</a> that are important to be aware of as you’re considering ways to help your child with visual processing issues.<br />
<br />
Optometric vision therapy: It’s important to note that there is more than one kind of <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/alternative-therapies/vision-therapy-what-it-is-and-how-it-works">vision therapy</a>. Optometric vision therapy has been proven to help with vision problems that involve eye movements or eye alignment. These eye coordination issues are <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/visual-processing-issues/6-common-myths-about-visual-processing-issues">different from visual processing issues</a>. Visual processing issues involve the way the brain processes the information the eyes take in.<br />
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You may hear some kinds of optometric vision therapy referred to as “orthoptic vision therapy.” Both can help with eye muscle and eye alignment. These kinds of therapy can help with vision problems such as convergence insufficiency (when the eyes don’t work together properly when trying to focus on a nearby object).<br />
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Optometric vision therapy doesn’t “cure” learning and attention issues. But if your child has vision problems in addition to dyslexia and other issues, resolving vision problems can help him devote more energy to finding strategies that can help with the way his brain processes information.<br />
<br />
Behavioral vision therapy: This is different from optometric vision therapy. Behavioral vision therapy involves eye exercises that are designed to improve visual perception. These eye exercises are also designed to improve visual processing skills. But there is no scientific research that shows this kind of therapy helps the brain process visual information. For that reason, behavioral vision therapy is considered a <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/alternative-therapies/what-makes-a-treatment-controversial">controversial treatment</a> for learning and attention issues.<br />
<br />
Anecdotal evidence suggests that it may help some children. But be wary of any treatment that claims to “cure” learning and attention issues. Learn more about how to know <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/alternative-therapies/controversial-treatments-knowing-whats-reputable">when a treatment is reputable</a>.<br />
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Educational therapy: Children with visual processing issues may benefit from <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/therapies/what-you-need-to-know-about-educational-therapy">educational therapy</a>. This type of therapy teaches kids strategies for working around their weaknesses. Learning how to approach problems can reduce frustration, increase self-confidence and lead to greater success in school.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<b>What are appropriate accommodations or modifications? </b></h4>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.ldonline.org/article/25153" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Use</a> books, worksheets and other materials with enlarged print</li>
<li>Read written directions aloud. Varying teaching methods (written and spoken words; images and sounds) can help promote understanding</li>
<li>Be aware of the weakness but don't overemphasize it. While helping a child work on the weakness is important; it is just as important to build other skills and function in any setting</li>
<li>Break assignments and chores into clear, concise steps. Often multiple steps can be difficult to visualize and complete</li>
<li>Give examples and point out the important details of visual information (the part of a picture that contains information for a particular question)</li>
<li>Provide information about a task before starting to focus attention on the activity</li>
<li>Allow student to write answers on the same sheet of paper as the questions or offer opportunities for student to explain answers orally</li>
<li>Provide paper for writing and math work that has darker or raised lines to make the boundaries more distinct</li>
<li>Organize assignments to be completed in smaller steps instead of one large finished product</li>
<li>Use a ruler as a reading guide (to keep focus on one line at a time) and a highlighter (to immediately emphasize important information)</li>
<li>Provide a tape recorder to supplement note-taking</li>
<li>Color code important information</li>
<li>Have a proof-reading buddy for all written materials</li>
<li>Use a tape recorder when getting important information</li>
<li>Before writing letters or essays, create an outline to simplify and organize ideas</li>
<li>Have a proofreading buddy for notes and essays</li>
</ul>
<br />
I hope you found this post helpful. I had initially started this post just to discuss visual-spatial processing but as I started to research the subject I found there was so much more to cover! I think I did a decent job overall to cover everything in a broad way. If I missed anything please let me know! I you have any questions you can contact me on the blog or though Facebook.<br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-46431610221021570722016-09-14T22:06:00.000-07:002018-03-31T17:50:19.260-07:00What is Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia?<br />
<br />
So what exactly is a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) in Math or Writing? The Office of Special Education for the U.S. Department of Education is encouraging schools to use the words Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia in Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and 504s. The excerpt from the letter below contains the link to the whole document.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://ceesty.com/wYVije" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) has received communications from stakeholders, including parents, advocacy groups, and national disability organizations, who believe that State and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs) are reluctant to reference or use dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in evaluations, eligibility determinations, or in developing the individualized education program (IEP) under the IDEA. The purpose of this letter is to clarify that there is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility determinations, or IEP documents.</a><br />
<br />
So now that the terms Dyscalculia and Dysgraphia have been sanctioned for use lets looks at what exactly are these little-known disabilities.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Dyscalculia </h2>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ro8QyhIghrSOgVluSAEu8DKlONsMi8Y9fDt4Dze4X26D59zrTRarb9-2vbUCcccVnZB13dgiAi0WxCn5qCfPsSefSsee_vjraDbS4-ik7O6rKIIDkJND0bvjCugjNXkyTCQsS0YkZk_0/s1600/dyscalculia+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="70" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ro8QyhIghrSOgVluSAEu8DKlONsMi8Y9fDt4Dze4X26D59zrTRarb9-2vbUCcccVnZB13dgiAi0WxCn5qCfPsSefSsee_vjraDbS4-ik7O6rKIIDkJND0bvjCugjNXkyTCQsS0YkZk_0/s320/dyscalculia+logo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.k12academics.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
Dyscalculia is defined as difficulty acquiring basic arithmetic skills that is not explained by low intelligence or inadequate schooling. About <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3514770/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5% of children in primary schools</a> are affected. Dyscalculia does not improve without treatment. Many people with dyscalculia have associated cognitive impairment (e.g., impairment of working memory and <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945213001688" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">visuospatial skills</a>), and 20% to 60% of those affected have other diagnosed conditions such as dyslexia or attention deficit disorder.<br />
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<a href="http://ceesty.com/wYVodY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Currently (January 2015) a search for ‘dyscalculia’ on the Department for Education’s website gives 0 results as compared to 44 for dyslexia</a>, so the definition below comes from the American Psychiatric Association (2013):<br />
<br />
Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) is a specific learning disorder that is characterized by impairments in learning basic arithmetic facts, processing numerical magnitude and performing accurate and fluent calculations. These difficulties must be quantifiably below what is expected for an individual’s chronological age, and must not be caused by poor educational or daily activities or by intellectual impairments.<br />
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Because definitions and diagnoses of dyscalculia are in their infancy and sometimes contradictory, it is difficult to suggest a prevalence, but research suggests it is around 5%. However, ‘mathematical learning difficulties’ are certainly not in their infancy and are very prevalent and often devastating in their impact on schooling, further and higher education and jobs. Prevalence in the UK is at least 25%.<br />
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Developmental Dyscalculia often occurs in association with other developmental disorders such as dyslexia or ADHD/ADD. Co-occurrence of learning disorders appears to be the rule rather than the exception. Co-occurrence is generally assumed to be a consequence of risk factors that are shared between disorders, for example, working memory. However, it should not be assumed that all dyslexics have problems with mathematics, although the percentage may be very high, or that all dyscalculics have problems with reading and writing. This latter rate of co-occurrence may well be a much lower percentage.<br />
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Typical symptoms of dyscalculia/mathematical learning difficulties:<br />
<ul>
<li>Has difficulty when counting backwards.</li>
<li>Has a poor sense of number and estimation.</li>
<li>Has difficulty in remembering ‘basic’ facts, despite many hours of practice/rote learning.</li>
<li>Has no strategies to compensate for lack of recall, other than to use counting.</li>
<li>Has difficulty in understanding place value and the role of zero in the Arabic/Hindu number system.</li>
<li>Has no sense of whether any answers that are obtained are right or nearly right.</li>
<li>Tends to be slower to perform calculations. (Therefore give less examples, rather than more time).</li>
<li>Forgets mathematical procedures, especially as they become more complex, for example ‘long’ division.</li>
<li>Addition is often the default operation. The other operations are usually very poorly executed (or avoided altogether).</li>
<li>Avoids tasks that are perceived as difficult and likely to result in a wrong answer.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=325.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Weak</a> mental arithmetic skills.</li>
<li>High levels of mathematics anxiety.</li>
<li>When <a href="http://ceesty.com/wYVo3W" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">writing</a>, reading, and recalling numbers, may make mistakes: number additions, substitutions, transpositions, omissions, and reversals</li>
<li>Difficulty with abstract concepts of time and direction</li>
<li>Inability to recall schedules and sequences of past or future events</li>
<li>May be chronically early or late</li>
<li>Inconsistent results in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division</li>
<li>Inability to visualize, appear absent-minded, or lost in thought</li>
<li>Inconsistent mastery of math facts</li>
<li>Difficulty with left and right orientation</li>
<li>Difficulty following sequential procedures and directions in math steps</li>
<li>Slow in understanding math concepts in word problems</li>
<li>Confuse operations signs or perform them in the wrong order</li>
<li>Confuse part to whole relationships</li>
<li>Difficulty keeping score during games </li>
<li>Limited strategic planning ability</li>
</ul>
Since mathematics is very developmental, any insecurity or uncertainty in early topics will impact on later topics, hence to need to take intervention back to basics.<br />
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<h4>
So what can be done to help a child with Dyscalculia?</h4>
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<a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/treatment-options/treatment-options-for-dyscalculia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">There</a> aren’t specific therapies for kids with dyscalculia. But you may want to explore <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/therapies/what-you-need-to-know-about-educational-therapy">educational therapy</a>. This type of therapy helps kids with different kinds of learning and attention issues develop strategies for working around their issues and dealing with frustration. An educational therapist may be able to help your child get better at working with numbers.<br />
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Kids with dyscalculia may have trouble reading and articulating the language of math. In these cases, <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/therapies/what-you-need-to-know-about-speech-therapy">speech therapy</a> could be helpful.<br />
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Kids with dyscalculia may also have trouble with visual-spatial skills. For example, they may struggle to judge distances between objects. If this is the case for your child, you might want to explore <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/therapies/what-you-need-to-know-about-occupational-therapy">occupational therapy</a> and/or vision therapy.<br />
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Children with dyscalculia may be dealing with other issues that emotional therapy can help with. For example, ADHD and dyscalculia often co-occur. So it may be recommended that your child try therapies to <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/treatment-options/treatment-options-for-adhd">address aspects of his ADHD</a>.<br />
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These kinds of therapies may lessen some of your child’s anxiety about school and make it easier for him to perform in class. The same may be said for <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/partnering-with-childs-school/emotional-support-at-school/how-to-help-your-child-get-emotional-support-at-school">psychological counseling</a> if dyscalculia takes a toll on your child’s self-esteem or causes anxiety or stress.<br />
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<h4>
Classroom Accommodations and Modifications</h4>
<ul>
<li>Allow extra time on tests. Children with dyscalculia will often feel rushed during standard-length math tests. If possible, avoid timed tests of basic facts like multiplication tables, which can be a roadblock for LD kids.</li>
<li>Provide frequent checks during classwork. It can be especially heartbreaking for an LD student to finish an entire worksheet, only to be told that every answer is wrong and he’ll need to do it again. Instead, teachers should check after every problem, or every three or four. This way, children can learn from mistakes before moving forward.</li>
<li>List the steps for multi-step problems and algorithms. Post clearly numbered step-by-step instructions on the board, or give students a copy they can keep at their desk.</li>
<li>Keep sample problems on the board. Students should also copy them down in a notebook for reference.</li>
<li>Use individual dry-erase boards for students to work at their desks. Students can complete one step of a problem at a time, erasing any mistakes they may make.</li>
<li>Use plenty of brightly colored, uncluttered reference charts and diagrams.Children with dyscalculia benefit from visual representations of math problems whenever possible.</li>
<li>Whenever possible, allow calculator use. When testing more complex concepts than addition or subtraction, allow students to use calculators to make these basic steps quicker and more accessible. Then, students can focus on showing what they know — not how good they can add in their head.</li>
<li>Reduce the number of assigned problems. Assigning ten problems, rather than a full page, is enough to assess students’ understanding.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.ncsall.net/index.html@id=325.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Avoid</a> memory overload by assigning manageable amounts of practice work as skills are learned.</li>
<li>Build retention by providing review within a day or two of the initial learning of difficult skills.</li>
<li>Provide supervised practice to prevent students from practicing misconceptions and "misrules."</li>
<li>Reduce interference between concepts or applications of rules and strategies by separating practice opportunities until the discriminations between them are learned.</li>
<li>Make new learning meaningful by relating practice of subskills to the performance of the whole task, and by relating what the student has learned about mathematical relationships to what the student will learn next.</li>
<li>Reduce processing demands by preteaching component skills of algorithms and strategies.</li>
<li>Teach easier knowledge and skills before difficult ones.</li>
<li>Ensure that skills to be practiced can be completed independently with high levels of success.</li>
<li>Help students to visualize math problems by drawing.</li>
<li>Give extra time for students to process any visual information in a picture, chart, or graph.</li>
<li>Use visual and auditory examples.</li>
<li>Use real-life situations that make problems functional and applicable to everyday life.</li>
<li>Do math problems on graph paper to keep the numbers in line.</li>
<li>Use uncluttered worksheets to avoid too much visual information.</li>
<li>Use rhythm or music to help students memorize.</li>
<li>Use distributive practice: plenty of practice in small doses.</li>
<li>Use interactive and intensive practice with age- appropriate games as motivational materials.</li>
<li>Have students track their progress; which facts they have mastered and which remain to be learned.</li>
<li>Challenge critical thinking about real problems with problem-solving.</li>
<li>Use manipulatives and technology such as tape recorders or calculators.</li>
</ul>
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<h3>
What would be a goal for the IEP when you have Dyscalculia?</h3>
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Goal writing is always a pain. Is the goal <a href="https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/smart-goals.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SMART</a>? What's a good goal? Often I struggle to come up with goals. I found some help!<br />
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<a href="http://specialed.about.com/od/IEP-Math-Goals/a/Iep-Math-Goals-For-Operations-In-The-Primary-Grades.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Common Core Aligned Goals for Kindergarten and First Grade</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/iep_instruct_svcs/stds-based_iep/smg_mathematics.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Virginia SMART goals (2009)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.usd320.com/programs/specialed/documents/IEP%20Goal%20Bank.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goal and Objective Bank - Covers more than math</a><br />
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<a href="http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/2nd-grade/goals/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2nd and 3rd Grade Math Goals</a><br />
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<a href="https://goalbookapp.com/toolkit/browse#?subjects=Math" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Goal Bank (Tons of Goals for ALL Grades and Subjects)</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.allsaintsba.com/SECOND_GRADE_MATH.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2nd Grade Math Goals</a><br />
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<h4>
What else can I do to help my child?</h4>
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Embrace technology when your child has dysgraphia and/or dyscalculia! There are great apps that can be used to help you and your child. Here are some apps/software you may find helpful:<br />
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Dyscalculia<br />
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<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/modmath/id821892964?ls=1&mt=8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ModMath</a><br />
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<a href="http://learningabledkids.com/mathematics/mathematics.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Math Cirriculum for Dyscalculia</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/common/ckeditor/filemanager/userfiles/Dyscalculia_resources.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Policy, Research, Identification and Intervention for Maths Learning Difficulties and Dyscalculia</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.dyscalculia.org/math-tools" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Math Programs and Apps for Dyscalculia</a><br />
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<a href="https://photomath.net/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Photomath - Camera Calculator App</a> (Apple and Android)<br />
<h2>
Dysgraphia </h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.augustafamily.com/</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.dysgraphia.facts.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dysgraphia</a> is a specific learning disability that affects how easily children acquire written language and how well they use written language to express their thoughts. Dysgraphia is a Greek word. The base word graph refers both to the hand’s function in writing and to the letters formed by the hand. The prefix dys indicates that there is impairment. Graph refers to producing letter forms by hand. The suffix ia refers to having a condition. Thus, dysgraphia is the condition of impaired letter writing by hand, that is, disabled handwriting and sometimes spelling. Impaired handwriting can interfere with learning to spell words in writing. Occasionally, but not very often, children have just spelling problems and not handwriting or reading problems.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rBK8v0hxdiqQ5DbhI7LjFnHMRLQ8ch6jk688jFxsF_L0pfqt76I-8ezrQYeQWENq_bhcPQJ6S-csegghPV_MH-WvZlj7Yk6xLBP_fIW-KGLWRUyBCufN3-WokAn9GuS8cCzTnWL7yqr0/s1600/James+Math+Handwriting+09.27.160002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7rBK8v0hxdiqQ5DbhI7LjFnHMRLQ8ch6jk688jFxsF_L0pfqt76I-8ezrQYeQWENq_bhcPQJ6S-csegghPV_MH-WvZlj7Yk6xLBP_fIW-KGLWRUyBCufN3-WokAn9GuS8cCzTnWL7yqr0/s640/James+Math+Handwriting+09.27.160002.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a handwriting sample for James in Math. Notice the poorly shaped and<br />
spaced letter formations. Also notice the mixed of capital and lower case letters.<br />
James can read at a 12.5 grade level at 8 but he had to look on the paper to find an "H"<br />
so he could copy the letter. He has has problems with number formation too. </td></tr>
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<a href="http://dyslexiasd.org/factsheets/dysgraphia.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">There</a> are several different kinds of dysgraphia. Some people with dysgraphia have handwriting that is often illegible and shows irregular and inconsistent letter formations. Others write legibly, but very slowly and/or very small. When these individuals revert to printing, as they often do, their writing is often a random mixture of upper- and lowercase letters. In all cases of dysgraphia, writing requires inordinate amounts of energy, stamina, and time. Dysgraphia can interfere with a student’s ability to express ideas. Expressive writing requires a student to synchronize many mental functions at once: organization, memory, attention, motor skill, and various aspects of language ability. Automatic accurate handwriting is the foundation for this juggling act. In the complexity of remembering where to put the pencil and how to form each letter, a dysgraphic student forgets what he or she meant to express. Dysgraphia can cause low classroom productivity, incomplete homework assignments, and difficulty in focusing attention. Emotional factors arising from dysgraphia often exacerbate matters. At an early age, these students are asked to forego recess to finish copying material from the board, and are likely to be sent home at the end of the day with a sheaf of unfinished papers to be completed. They are asked to recopy their work but the second attempt is often no better than the first. Because they are often bright and good at reading, their failure to produce acceptable work is blamed on laziness or carelessness. The resulting anger and frustration can prevent their ever reaching their true potential.<br />
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Common symptoms of dysgraphia include:<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/understanding-dysgraphia#item3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The</a> </span><a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/dysgraphia-what-youre-seeing" style="font-weight: normal;">symptoms of dysgraphia</a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> fall into six categories: visual-spatial, fine motor, language processing, spelling/handwriting, grammar, and organization of language. A child may have dysgraphia if his writing skills lag behind those of his peers and he has at least some of these symptoms:</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4726782/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Visual-Spatial Difficulties</a><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble with shape-discrimination and letter spacing</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble organizing words on the page from left to right</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Writes letters that go in all directions, and letters and words that run together on the page</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has a hard time writing on a line and inside margins</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble reading maps, drawing or reproducing a shape</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Copies text slowly</span><br />
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<a href="http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=2360710" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fine Motor Difficulties</a><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble holding a pencil correctly, tracing, cutting food, tying shoes, doing puzzles, texting and keyboarding</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Is unable to use scissors well or to color inside the lines</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Holds his wrist, arm, body or paper in an awkward position when writing</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4335466/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Language Processing Issues</a><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble getting ideas down on paper quickly</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble understanding the rules of games</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has a hard time following directions</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Loses his train of thought</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.nesca-news.com/2013/04/common-warning-signs-of-dysgraphia-in.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spelling Issues/Handwriting Issues</a><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has a hard time understanding spelling rules</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble telling if a word is misspelled</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Can spell correctly orally but makes spelling errors in writing</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Spells words incorrectly and in many different ways</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble using spell-check—and when he does, he doesn’t recognize the correct word</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Mixes upper- and lowercase letters</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Blends printing and cursive</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble reading his own writing</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Avoids writing</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Gets a tired or cramped handed when he writes</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Erases a lot</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02687038.2015.1041095" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grammar and Usage Problems</a><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Doesn’t know how to use punctuation</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Overuses commas and mixes up verb tenses</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Doesn’t start sentences with a capital letter</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Doesn’t write in complete sentences but writes in a list format</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Writes sentences that “run on forever”</span><br />
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<a href="http://ldx.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/01/08/0022219415617167.abstract" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Organization of Written Language</a><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Has trouble telling a story and may start in the middle</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Leaves out important facts and details, or provides too much information</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Assumes others know what he’s talking about</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Uses vague descriptions</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Writes jumbled sentences</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Never gets to the point, or makes the same point over and over</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Is better at conveying ideas when speaking</span><br />
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Does Dysgraphia occur with other learning disabilities?<br />
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<a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/read.dysgraphia.facts.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Children</a> with impaired handwriting may also have attention-deficit disorder (ADHD)—inattentive, hyperactive, or combined inattentive and hyperactive subtypes. Children with this kind of dysgraphia may respond to a combination of explicit handwriting instruction plus stimulant medication, but appropriate diagnosis of ADHD by a qualified professional and monitoring of response to both instruction and medication are needed<br />
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Dysgraphia may occur alone or with dyslexia (impaired reading disability) or with oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD, also referred to as selective language impairment, SLI).<br />
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Dyslexia is a disorder that includes poor word reading, word decoding, oral reading fluency, and spelling. Children with dyslexia may have impaired orthographic and phonological coding and rapid automatic naming and switching. Phonological coding refers to coding sounds in spoken words in working memory. Phonological coding is necessary for developing phonological awareness—analyzing the sounds in spoken words that correspond to alphabet letters. If children have both dysgraphia and dyslexia, they may also have difficulty in planning sequential finger movements.<br />
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OWL LD (SLI) are disorders of language (morphology—word parts that mark meaning and grammar; syntax—structures for ordering words and understanding word functions; finding words in memory, and/or making inferences that go beyond what is stated in text). These disorders affect spoken as well as written language. Children with these language disorders may also exhibit the same writing and reading and related disorders as children with dysgraphia or dyslexia.<br />
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<h4>
<a href="http://www.ldonline.org/article/6202/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">So what can be done to help a child with Dysgraphia?</a></h4>
There are <a href="http://www.ldatschool.ca/literacy/developing-interventions-for-students-with-writing-disabilities-addressing-the-most-complex-academic-problem/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">many things</a> that can done for remediation with dysgraphia. Here is a list of possible accommodations and modifications:<br />
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<b>Accommodations</b><br />
<ul>
<li>When considering accommodating or modifying expectations to deal with dysgraphia, consider changes in</li>
<li>The rate of producing written work</li>
<li>The volume of the work to be produced</li>
<li>The complexity of the writing task</li>
<li>The tools used to produce the written product</li>
<li>The format of the product</li>
<li>Change the demands of writing rate</li>
<li>Allow more time for written tasks including note-taking, copying, and tests</li>
<li>Allow students to begin projects or assignments early</li>
<li>Include time in the student's schedule for being a 'library assistant' or 'office assistant' that could also be used for catching up or getting ahead on written work, or doing alternative activities related to the material being learned.</li>
<li>Encourage learning keyboarding skills to increase the speed and legibility of written work.</li>
<li>Have the student prepare assignment papers in advance with required headings (Name, Date, etc.), possibly using the template described below under "changes in complexity."</li>
<li>Adjust the volume</li>
<li>Instead of having the student write a complete set of notes, provide a partially completed outline so the student can fill in the details under major headings (or provide the details and have the student provide the headings).</li>
<li>Allow the student to dictate some assignments or tests (or parts of tests) a 'scribe'. Train the 'scribe' to write what the student says verbatim ("I'm going to be your secretary") and then allow the student to make changes, without assistance from the scribe.</li>
<li>Remove 'neatness' or 'spelling' (or both) as grading criteria for some assignments, or design assignments to be evaluated on specific parts of the writing process.</li>
<li>Allow abbreviations in some writing (such as b/c for because). Have the student develop a repertoire of abbreviations in a notebook. These will come in handy in future note-taking situations.</li>
<li>Reduce copying aspects of work; for example, in Math, provide a worksheet with the problems already on it instead of having the student copy the problems.</li>
<li>Change the complexity</li>
<li>Have a 'writing binder' option. This 3-ring binder could include:</li>
<li>A model of cursive or print letters on the inside cover (this is easier to refer to than one on the wall or blackboard).</li>
<li>A laminated template of the required format for written work. Make a cut-out where the name, date, and assignment would go and model it next to the cutout. Three-hole punch it and put it into the binder on top of the student's writing paper. Then the student can set up his paper and copy the heading information in the holes, then flip the template out of the way to finish the assignment. He can do this with worksheets, too.</li>
<li>Break writing into stages and teach students to do the same. Teach the stages of the writing process (brainstorming, drafting, editing, and proofreading, etc.). Consider grading these stages even on some 'one-sitting' written exercises, so that points are awarded on a short essay for brainstorming and a rough draft, as well as the final product. If writing is laborious, allow the student to make some editing marks rather than recopying the whole thing. On a computer, a student can make a rough draft, copy it, and then revise the copy, so that both the rough draft and final product can be evaluated without extra typing.</li>
<li>Do not count spelling on rough drafts or one-sitting assignments.</li>
<li>Encourage the student to use a spellchecker and to have someone else proofread his work, too. Speaking spellcheckers are recommended, especially if the student may not be able to recognize the correct word (headphones are usually included).</li>
<li>Change the tools</li>
<li>Allow the student to use cursive or manuscript, whichever is most legible</li>
<li>Consider teaching cursive earlier than would be expected, as some students find cursive easier to manage, and this will allow the student more time to learn it.</li>
<li>Encourage primary students to use paper with the raised lines to keep writing on the line.</li>
<li>Allow older students to use the line width of their choice. Keep in mind that some students use small writing to disguise its messiness or spelling, though.</li>
<li>Allow students to use paper or writing instruments of different colors.</li>
<li>Allow student to use graph paper for math, or to turn lined paper sideways, to help with lining up columns of numbers.</li>
<li>Allow the student to use the writing instrument that is most comfortable. Many students have difficulty writing with ballpoint pens, preferring pencils or pens which have more friction in contact with the paper. Mechanical pencils are very popular. Let the student find a 'favorite pen' or pencil (and then get more than one like that).</li>
<li>Have some fun grips available for everybody, no matter what the grade. Sometimes high school kids will enjoy the novelty of pencil grips or even big "primary pencils."</li>
<li>Word Processing should be an option for many reasons. Bear in mind that for many of these students, learning to use a word processor will be difficult for the same reasons that handwriting is difficult. There are some keyboarding instructional programs which address the needs of learning disabled students. Features may include teaching the keys alphabetically (instead of the "home row" sequence), or sensors to change the 'feel' of the D and K keys so that the student can find the right position kinesthetically.</li>
<li>Consider whether use of speech recognition software will be helpful. As with word processing, the same issues which make writing difficult can make learning to use speech recognition software difficult, especially if the student has reading or speech challenges. However, if the student and teacher are willing to invest time and effort in 'training' the software to the student's voice and learning to use it, the student can be freed from the motor processes of writing or keyboarding.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>Modifications</b><br />
<ul>
<li>For some students and situations, accommodations will be inadequate to remove the barriers that their writing problems pose. Here are some ways assignments can be modified without sacrificing learning.</li>
<li>Adjust the volume</li>
<li>Reduce the copying elements of assignments and tests. For example, if students are expected to 'answer in complete sentences that reflect the question,' have the student do this for three questions that you select, then answer the rest in phrases or words (or drawings). If students are expected to copy definitions, allow the student to shorten them or give him the definitions and have him highlight the important phrases and words or write an example or drawing of the word instead of copying the definition.</li>
<li>Reduce the length requirements on written assignments -- stress quality over quantity.</li>
<li>Change the complexity</li>
<li>Grade different assignments on individual parts of the writing process, so that for some assignments "spelling doesn't count," for others, grammar.</li>
<li>Develop cooperative writing projects where different students can take on roles such as the 'brainstormer,' 'organizer of information,' 'writer,' 'proofreader,' and 'illustrator.'</li>
<li>Provide extra structure and intermittent deadlines for long-term assignments. Help the student arrange for someone to coach him through the stages so that he doesn't get behind. Discuss with the student and parents the possibility of enforcing the due dates by working after school with the teacher in the event a deadline arrives and the work is not up-to-date.</li>
<li>Change the format</li>
<li>Offer the student an alternative project such as an oral report or visual project. Establish a rubric to define what you want the student to include. For instance, if the original assignment was a 3-page description of one aspect of the Roaring Twenties (record-breaking feats, the Harlem Renaissance, Prohibition, etc) you may want the written assignment to include:</li>
<ul>
<li>A general description of that 'aspect' (with at least two details)</li>
<li>Four important people and their accomplishments</li>
<li>Four important events - when, where, who and what</li>
<li>Three good things and three bad things about the Roaring Twenties</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
What would be a goal for the IEP when you have Dysgraphia?</h3>
Back to that goal question again. Sometimes they are so hard to come up with them on your own so I thought I would include some ideas.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://learningabledkids.com/iep_training/example_iep_goals_for_copying.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IEP Goals for Writing , Keyboarding, and Copying</a><br />
<br />
Did you know these were the only goal examples I could readily find. If you find any others please let me know!<br />
<br />
A little off topic but important to know...How to get the school OT to treat handwriting issues.<br />
<a href="http://www.wrightslaw.com/blog/ot-services-in-the-iep-handwriting/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">OT Services in the IEP: Handwriting</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
Apps to help those with Dysgraphia</h4>
<a href="http://www.snaptypeapp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SnapType</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vanaia.scanwritr&hl=en" target="_blank">ScanWritr</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nuance.com/for-individuals/mobile-applications/dragon-dictation/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DragonDictation</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.letterschool.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LetterSchool</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.getphorm.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Phorm</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Information on Assistive Technology</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://todaycms.s3.amazonaws.com/ndipat/5f/061bc01a268ebb4a50acb7d8a5aedd/at-and-education.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">General information on AT</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://learningabledkids.info/assistive-technology/assistive_technology_writing/assistive-technology-for-dysgraphia-and-writing-disabilities/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Your Child’s Key to Great Writing: Assistive Technology for Dysgraphia and Writing Disabilities</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ijcea.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/13-Onintra-Poobrasert.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Journal Article on Assistive Technology for Dysgraphia - June 2015</a><br />
<br />
<br />
I hope you found this information useful. This article was written mostly for the public school crowd but MANY of these ideas can be used and utilized by the homeschooling parent. This article is littered with links! Please click on all the links. Some are used a reference to the material quoted in the article. Other links are to items I found interesting but not specifically needed for this article. Please leave any comments or question you might have. I will answer them as promptly as I can!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-83129733812255902792016-06-22T16:21:00.001-07:002017-07-25T22:35:48.125-07:00Lack of Effort or Slow Processing Speed?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtTtBGDJvppIlnVhHiNPztnMi9gwHFpyPzegGR8S-vtmkScE9lvjCh6c-vJhoehAlX3hpKUUMzJhM7yBp9cRjSk9EQcwOeLJYbwBc-wKeSb_W1kDlzsLf7WzUOTFSSxWS0SGHwV3wvZOK/s1600/13332954_10206077991099747_1341973499430523163_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtTtBGDJvppIlnVhHiNPztnMi9gwHFpyPzegGR8S-vtmkScE9lvjCh6c-vJhoehAlX3hpKUUMzJhM7yBp9cRjSk9EQcwOeLJYbwBc-wKeSb_W1kDlzsLf7WzUOTFSSxWS0SGHwV3wvZOK/s320/13332954_10206077991099747_1341973499430523163_n.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids at the aquarium. From Left to Right is<br />
Joseph, James, and Margaret</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Slow Processing Speed. What the heck is that and what does it mean for my child??? I know I was wondering that same thing when Margaret and Joseph tested as having profound processing speed problems. Margaret tested as profound (60) on the WISC-IV for memory processing speed and is a relative weakness for her. Joseph tested in the 0.1 percentile in processing speed (standard score of 45; there is no lower score). Joseph's processing speed is slower than his other neurocognitive abilities suggest which is not surprising since many of the processing speed tests depend on visual skills (Joseph is blind in one eye along with working memory). I think Margaret and Joseph developed their issues with processing speed due to their <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378378216301396" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">premature birth and very low birth weight</a>. James was blessed to have tested average (89) on processing speed. With two kids having VERY impaired processing speeds I needed to find out what this means for me and for them.<br />
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: cyan;"> What is the Impact of Slow Processing Speed? </span></h4>
<a href="http://forestheightslodge.org/what-is-processing-speed--dr-rich-mangen.html" target="_blank">Don’t</a> automatically presume that the child is being oppositional, ‘lazy’, unmotivated, etc. because he/she takes longer to initiate or complete a task, or to respond to a task demand. Keep in mind the possibility that his/her behavior is the result of slow processing speed. <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/information-processing-issues/processing-speed-what-you-need-to-know" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Processing</a> speed is the pace at which you take in information, make sense of it and begin to respond. This information can be visual, such as letters and numbers. It can also be auditory, such as spoken language. It is important to be alert to the possible emotional impacts that a child can experience in the face of slowed processing speed, and to provide emotional support and encouragement, as well as practical interventions.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://forestheightslodge.org/what-is-processing-speed--dr-rich-mangen.html" target="_blank">Slow</a> processing speed can cause negative impact to three main areas of someone's life. These are <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0tpsPGii0Yq9LdcT9ABoFGYCALsyFd5Xpqf4JRMo953hmQnnuPQxVdLcpM3D-pRrVChRTMirVmm0RpYRYk30BILPsNPxZdrXbT2_8KmPx-D_8i-uyH-VIs0eMPZzVXyGMsnSrfJCaILd/s1600/Blog_kid_parent_lazy_book_front-1024x643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0tpsPGii0Yq9LdcT9ABoFGYCALsyFd5Xpqf4JRMo953hmQnnuPQxVdLcpM3D-pRrVChRTMirVmm0RpYRYk30BILPsNPxZdrXbT2_8KmPx-D_8i-uyH-VIs0eMPZzVXyGMsnSrfJCaILd/s320/Blog_kid_parent_lazy_book_front-1024x643.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.ilslearning.com/2015-02-lazy-child-learning-challenge/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ilslearning.com</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
academic, social, and self-esteem. Academically, slow processing speed can lead to the following types of problems: slowed execution of easy academic tasks; slowed acquisition of new material; becoming overwhelmed by more complex academic demands; the need for extra time in responding to even well-practiced and automatic tasks; and difficulty making correct conceptual decisions quickly. <br />
<br />
Socially, slow processing speed can lead to difficulty keeping up with normal give-and-take conversations among peers or with adults, or appearing to be ‘not-with-it’ by others, with the potential of being made fun of or mislabeled as a result. <br />
<br />
With respect to self-esteem, the fallout from the problems described above can have a negative impact on self-esteem, leaving a child vulnerable to feelings of incompetence, self-consciousness, and/or depression. Many children with slow processing speed wrongly end up feeling that they are stupid, because they are aware that it takes them longer to get things done, or to understand some concepts.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/information-processing-issues/processing-speed-what-you-need-to-know" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Examples</a> of slow processing speed, when a child with slow processing speed sees the letters that make up the word “house,” she may not immediately know what they say. She has to figure out what strategy to use to understand the meaning of the group of letters in front of her. It’s not that she can’t read. It’s just that a process that’s quick and automatic for other kids her age takes longer and requires more effort for her.<br />
<br />
Saying too many things at once can also pose a challenge. If you give multiple-step directions—“When you come downstairs, bring your notebook. And can you also bring down the dirty glasses, and put them in the dishwasher?”—a child with slow processing speed may not follow all of them. Having slow processing speed makes it hard to digest all that information quickly enough to finish the task.<br />
<br />
Slow processing speed impacts learning at all stages. It can make it harder for young children to master the basics of reading, writing and counting. And it impacts older kids’ ability to perform tasks quickly and accurately.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="color: cyan;">Slow Processing Speed, 2e, and ADHD</span></h2>
<br />
There is a <a href="http://www.2enewsletter.com/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">newsletter for twice exceptional children (Gifted/2e)</a> that has a WONDERFUL <a href="http://www.2enewsletter.com/article_2013_05_slow_processing.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">article on slow processing speed</a> written in May 2013. In the article Steven Butnik, Ph.D outlines the issues with slow processing speed. It is common for gifted students to have slow processing speed. Slow processing speed itself is not a disability. <br />
<br />
Children with the predominantly inattentive subtype of ADHD may have a sluggish cognitive tempo. They typically daydream, stare off, and appear spacey. They may be mentally foggy, underactive, slow moving, and lethargic. Their work is often slow and error prone. Their brain activity shows patterns of under arousal in the portion of the brain associated with focus and planning.<br />
<br />
In addition, children with ADHD typically exhibit poor executive functions, brain-based behaviors that contribute to effective functioning. (see my <a href="http://mommax6.blogspot.com/2016/03/executive-functioning-and-impact-on.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">blog post on executive functioning</a>) Executive functioning is often impaired in ADHD individuals.<br />
<br />
Some children take more time to complete tasks due to trouble with activation. A student may not begin a task due to problems organizing time or materials, or due to reluctance, uncertainty, lack of confidence, or anxiety. Other children may take more time to complete tasks because of problems maintaining focus. While time is passing, these students may be distracted or daydreaming, drawn to other, more interesting stimuli.<br />
<br />
<div>
Effort includes processing speed as well as mental stamina. When effort is a problem, the child’s work pace is very slow and he may complain that his “brain is very tired.” When the problem is emotional, on the other hand, children find it hard to regulate their feelings. They might melt down when starting to work or encountering a frustrating task; or they may refuse to work, be argumentative, or have tantrums.<br />
<br />
Problems in working memory can add to the time it takes a child to complete tasks. After reading a paragraph, a child with poor working memory may forget what she just read and need to read it again; or he may stop working on a class assignment because he forgot the directions. Finally, when action is a problem, the child has trouble sitting still, fidgets with objects, or may want to stand or walk around when working.<br />
<br />
An additional issue that children with ADHD face is having a poor sense of time. For them, time seems to go more slowly during the tasks they feel are boring while moving more quickly for tasks they find interesting. When planning work tasks, a child with ADHD may underestimate how long the task will take; and when playing, the child may be unaware of how much time has passed. Taken together, poor executive functions and poor time sense can make homework take hours to complete and create major stress. Trust me on the stress! Even homeschooling I can have issues with poor time management and starting work. I can only image if I sent my children to public school! You can see in the image below how processing speed effects the effort (number 3) needed for executive functioning along with working memory (number 5). It is easy to see how executive functioning is impacted.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsXrTIimebLR-7Pq1NhyphenhyphenVP1s0lV2X5HBdtWm4trpxUuRuEhFiE_FUb7gBZ1Iq8iTE5apijidLMYLhiEnZA0TgMPHZ5ZR4SbEkUdGXJkELCMpZJNxUi_GP3p0jb13YTpNxSlUR0_26kYS7/s1600/S+Processing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsXrTIimebLR-7Pq1NhyphenhyphenVP1s0lV2X5HBdtWm4trpxUuRuEhFiE_FUb7gBZ1Iq8iTE5apijidLMYLhiEnZA0TgMPHZ5ZR4SbEkUdGXJkELCMpZJNxUi_GP3p0jb13YTpNxSlUR0_26kYS7/s640/S+Processing.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy of 2enewsletter.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h2>
<span style="color: cyan;"><br />
</span></h2>
<h3>
<span style="color: cyan;"> How to Test for Slow Processing Speed?</span> </h3>
So how do we test processing speed? I highly recommend in seeing a neuropsychologist. If you cannot then I suggest seeing a developmental pediatrician or pediatric psychologist. In the <a href="http://mommax6.blogspot.com/2016/03/executive-functioning-and-impact-on.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">executive function blog post</a> I explain why. If you need to the school to preform the testing then I highly suggest you tell the school you want testing in executive functioning, memory (working, long-term, and short-term), sustained attention, and processing speed. At public schools you cannot specify they use specific tests, but if they ask, tell then you want the <a href="http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000310/wechsler-intelligence-scale-for-children-fourth-edition-wisc-iv.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children ® - Fourth Edition (WISC ® -IV)</a>.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: cyan;"> Who can administer this test?</span></h3>
Tests with this qualification require a high level of expertise in test interpretation, and can be conducted by individuals with:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A doctorate degree in psychology, education, or closely related field with formal training in the ethical administration, scoring, and interpretation of clinical assessments related to the intended use of the assessment.</li>
OR
<li>Licensure or certification to practice in your state in a field related to the purchase of the test.</li>
OR
<li>Certification by or full active membership in a professional organization (such as APA, NASP, NAN, INS) that requires training and experience in the relevant area of assessment.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: cyan;"> More Information and Training on Score Reading</span></h3>
On <a href="http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000310/wechsler-intelligence-scale-for-children-fourth-edition-wisc-iv.html#tab-details" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WISC-IV's on page</a>, at the bottom of the page next to the product details tab, there are a couple of other great tabs you may want to research. Under the Resource tab there are several technical reports. A couple that caught my eye included <a href="http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/WISC-IV/WISCIVTechReport6.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Technical Report #6: Using the Cognitive Proficiency Index in Psychoeducational Assessment</a> and <a href="http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/pdf/wisciv/WISCIVTechReport5.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Technical Report #5:WISC–IV and Children’s Memory Scale</a>, and <a href="http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/pdf/wisciv/WISCIVTechReport2.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Technical Report #2: Psychometric Properties</a>. There are also some <a href="http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000310/wechsler-intelligence-scale-for-children-fourth-edition-wisc-iv.html#tab-training" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">training on WISC-IV Interpretation & WISC-IV Integration</a> along with a training on advanced topics of WISC-IV. Don't forget to peek at the <a href="http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000310/wechsler-intelligence-scale-for-children-fourth-edition-wisc-iv.html#tab-faq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FAQ tab</a> while you are there. There is also a <a href="http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/pdf/wisciv/WISCIV_DC_4.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Processing Speed Damian Case Study</a> that has been produced. I think it provides wonderful information if you are curious to see if your child has processing issues.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: cyan;"> So how do we read the WISC-IV report?</span></h3>
<h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small; font-weight: normal;">This gets a bit more technical. Please ask questions in the comment section and I will try to answer them as best as I can considering this is NOT my area of expertise (I am not a psychologist nor have I had training). </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Processing speed is an element of intelligence, as measured by many tests of cognitive ability, including the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (4th Edition). Scores for both the Working Memory and Processing Speed subtests make up the WISC-IV’s Cognitive Proficiency Index. These abilities are separate from the WISC-IV’s General Abilities Index, a measure of core intelligence derived from an individual’s Verbal Comprehension and Perceptual Reasoning Indices (verbal and nonverbal abilities).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Each of these three subtests taps different abilities that contribute to the Processing Speed score. </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Coding, which requires children to draw symbols, is heavily influenced by grapho-motor demands. Children with poor handwriting or dysgraphia may struggle with this task. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Symbol Search has less emphasis on motor output but requires rapid differentiation of abstract symbols. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Cancellation, the supplemental Processing Speed subtest, makes use of concrete images rather than symbols.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">According to</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal;"> <a href="http://vbida.org/PDFs/WorkingMemoryProcessingSpeedClassroom.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Steven M. Butnik, Ph. D., LCP</a>, t</span></span><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">he </span><a href="http://vbida.org/PDFs/WorkingMemoryProcessingSpeedClassroom.pdf" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Processing Speed subtest</a><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;"> assesses the abilities to focus attention and quickly scan, discriminate between, and sequentially order visual information. It requires persistence and planning ability, but is sensitive to motivation, difficulty working under a time pressure, and motor coordination. It is related to reading performance and development. It is related to Working Memory, in that increased processing speed can decrease the load placed on working memory, while decreased processing speed can impair the effectiveness of Working Memory.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">The Working Memory subtest assesses the ability to hold new information in short-term memory, concentrate, and manipulate that information to produce some result or reasoning processes. It is important in higher-order thinking, learning, and achievement. It can tap concentration, planning ability, cognitive flexibility, and sequencing skill, but is sensitive to anxiety too. It is an important component of learning and achievement, and ability to self-monitor. </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tests of educational achievements make use of processing speed on subtests that measure academic fluency. For example, the </span><a href="http://www.hmhco.com/hmh-assessments/clinical-and-special-needs-assessment/wj-iv" rel="nofollow" style="font-weight: normal;" target="_blank">Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement</a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> include three subtests of fluency:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Reading Fluency. For three minutes the student quickly reads simple sentences and answers yes or no to each.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Writing Fluency. Using three words and a picture, the student quickly writes simple sentences for seven minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Math Fluency. The student rapidly performs simple calculations for three minutes.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal;">Children who have trouble activating, are inattentive, or have sluggish cognitive tempo may struggle on all of these tasks. Children with slow motor output would have less trouble on Reading Fluency but would do more poorly on the Math and Writing Fluency tests. Working memory problems would likely have a greater impact on Math Fluency than on the other fluency tasks.<br />
<br />
A subset of children with reading disorders display marked difficulties with verbal and visual processing speed and that may indicate a subtype of reading disorder. Individuals with impairments in both RAN (rapid automatic naming) and phonemic awareness had the most severe reading problems when matched on phonological skills. Individuals with worse RAN scores had poorer performance on timed word recognition and comprehension tests.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<br />
<span style="color: cyan;"> Other tests that measure Processing Speed and Working Memory</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">So there are <a href="http://vbida.org/PDFs/WorkingMemoryProcessingSpeedClassroom.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">other tests that measure processing speed and working memory</a>. Other tests that may be used at the school include the </span></span><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.hmhco.com/hmh-assessments/clinical-and-special-needs-assessment/wj-iv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement</a>, </span><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000392/wechsler-adult-intelligence-scalefourth-edition-wais-iv.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition </a></span><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000392/wechsler-adult-intelligence-scalefourth-edition-wais-iv.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(WAIS-IV)</a> and the </span><a href="http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000102/wechsler-preschool-and-primary-scale-of-intelligence--fourth-edition-wppsi-iv.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence™ - Fourth Edition </span><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">(WPPSI™ - IV)</span></a>.<span style="font-size: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> The last test , the WPPSI, is for children ages 2.5 years to about 7.5 years old. Each of these tests have components that can measure processing speed.<br />
<br />
The Woodcock Johnson IV can measure cognitive processing speed and working memory. </span></span><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Cognitive Processing Speed is the ability to quickly perform both simple and complex cognitive tasks, particularly when measured under pressure to sustain controlled attention and concentration. This cluster includes </span><span style="font-size: normal; font-weight: normal;">Letter-Pattern Matching (locating and circling two identical letter patterns in a row of 6 patterns) and Pair Cancellation (locating and marking a repeated pattern as quickly as possible). </span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: normal;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: normal;"><a href="http://vbida.org/PDFs/WorkingMemoryProcessingSpeedClassroom.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In</a> the WJ-IV the short-term memory subset measures the ability to capture and hold information in immediate awareness and then use it or manipulate it to carry out a goal. This cluster includes Verbal Attention (answering specific sequence questions when provided with a series of animals and digits from an audio recording) and Numbers Reversed (holding a span of numbers in immediate awareness while performing a mental operation on it).</span></span><br />
</h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXRVFmCp4HIjr8J-JqI58E4wVFuzZ841DExzgycpPPvrHZzSe0eNZ69Z9G6zFz7pkhcUyH2Q5U8tQrXCmxz51Jfbw33-ElFOCXist4RaR65IBbTOY2QQNSC5lSB676vSCTOlfqhpb7we4/s1600/Slow-Workers.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXRVFmCp4HIjr8J-JqI58E4wVFuzZ841DExzgycpPPvrHZzSe0eNZ69Z9G6zFz7pkhcUyH2Q5U8tQrXCmxz51Jfbw33-ElFOCXist4RaR65IBbTOY2QQNSC5lSB676vSCTOlfqhpb7we4/s320/Slow-Workers.png" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtsy of <a href="http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/slow-working-students/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CultofPedagogy</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: cyan;"> Processing Speed's Impact on Learning and Emotional Issues</span></h3>
Slow processing speed is not a learning disorder. To be considered to have a learning disorder, a student must have the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Average or better intelligence</li>
<li>Patterns of substantial processing differences</li>
<li>A significant difference between abilities and achievements.</li>
</ul>
However, research has shown that processing speed is linked to reading development and reading performance. Specifically, processing speed may be a factor in these situations:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022219414547221#articleCitationDownloadContainer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reading disorders</a> such as dyslexia</li>
<li>A subset of reading disorders in which individuals display marked difficulties with verbal and visual processing speed</li>
<li>Grapho-motor problems (dysgraphia). Individuals with dysgraphia have serious trouble forming letters and numbers; their handwriting is slow and labored; they may have trouble with spacing between words; they mix upper- and lower-case letters; etc. Because neatness only comes with their taking much time, their written work can be very strained and painful.</li>
</ul>
So what does slow processing speed look like? Kids might have trouble with:<br />
<ul>
<li>Finishing tests in the allotted time</li>
<li>Finishing homework in the expected time frame</li>
<li>Listening or taking notes when a teacher is speaking</li>
<li>Reading and taking notes</li>
<li>Solving simple math problems in their head</li>
<li>Completing multi-step math problems in the allotted time</li>
<li>Doing written projects that require details and complex thoughts</li>
<li>Keeping up with conversations</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSx3WnV-xVSXM6Zlcbt8fkmtCtjAfXCVxwSdePAu0Tua4kXjznBaeSB4pAd00jgAvfzLbV03TMYM5U9LDd7Ae2YrWp1VEkOFBh1Fnszgtu0iJvdBTsqjQNVMdNA8QlsEcckA6TsN-mvH2/s1600/S+Processing+Examples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSx3WnV-xVSXM6Zlcbt8fkmtCtjAfXCVxwSdePAu0Tua4kXjznBaeSB4pAd00jgAvfzLbV03TMYM5U9LDd7Ae2YrWp1VEkOFBh1Fnszgtu0iJvdBTsqjQNVMdNA8QlsEcckA6TsN-mvH2/s320/S+Processing+Examples.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Image courtesy of <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/edpriority/kids-who-cant-keep-up" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sideshare.net</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">Parents and teachers may notice that a child</span>:<br />
<ul>
<li>Becomes overwhelmed by too much information at once</li>
<li>Needs more time to make decisions or give answers</li>
<li>Needs to read information more than once for comprehension</li>
<li>Misses nuances in conversation</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://bitsofwisdomforall.com/2010/11/22/how-does-processing-speed-affect-learning/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Recognize</a> simple visual patterns and in visual scanning tasks</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Take tests that require simple decision making</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Perform basic arithmetic calculations and in manipulating numbers, since these operations are not automatic for them</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Perform reasoning tasks under time pressure</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Make decisions that require understanding of the material presented</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Read silently for comprehension</li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Copy words or sentences correctly or to formulate and write passages</li>
<li>Has trouble executing instructions if told to do more than one thing at once</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: orange;">Some key things to note</span>:<br />
<ul>
<li>Slow processing speed can affect the ability to make decisions quickly.</li>
<li>Trouble with processing speed can affect a child’s executive functioning skills.</li>
<li>Having your child evaluated can reveal problems with processing speed.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="color: orange;">So what can I do to help my child learn?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> <br />
The <a href="http://www.etfo.ca/Multimedia/Webcasts/SpecialEducation/Pages/Processing%20Speed.aspx">key instructional strategy</a> for students with slow processing speed is to reduce the time pressure associated with a task. This can be done in three essential ways:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Give the student more time for their work</li>
<li>Allow longer response time for the student to respond orally to questions in class</li>
<li>Complete seatwork assignments in class</li>
<li>Allow suficient time to make decisions when offered a choice of activities</li>
<li>Allow extra time for tests, usually time and a half</li>
<li>Provide extra time for the student to complete in-class assignments</li>
<li>Develop keybording skills</li>
<li>During writing intensive exercises allow the use of a computer or other word processor</li>
<li>Reduce the amount of work the student is required to do.</li>
<li>Shorten the assignment so it can be accomplished within the time allotted</li>
<li>Focus on quality of productions, rather than quantity</li>
<li>Shorten drill and practice assignments that have a written component by requiring fewer repetitions of each concept</li>
<li>Provide copies of notes rather than requiring the student to copy from the board in a limited time</li>
<li>Allow student to answer orally for written tests and other assignments when possible</li>
<li><a href="http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/pdf/wisciv/WISCIV_DC_4.pdf">Provide</a> direct and explicit instruction in strategic problem solving, reading fluency, and organizational strategies</li>
<ul><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV2ZVgMyxP0EDcN4MfltCThA8TaNcQ3CwUn6fJsisczvicg-oIBG86CqixJpyr5Zg2Jo0JRSzrNy140xy2gL6vzT43e_MtcOEfUBix3PwFwweJrEwTIleiuybLLdI6YOk_SfNj1rNVNlG/s1600/SlowProcessingBook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV2ZVgMyxP0EDcN4MfltCThA8TaNcQ3CwUn6fJsisczvicg-oIBG86CqixJpyr5Zg2Jo0JRSzrNy140xy2gL6vzT43e_MtcOEfUBix3PwFwweJrEwTIleiuybLLdI6YOk_SfNj1rNVNlG/s320/SlowProcessingBook.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I haven't read it but it looks interesting.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li>For example, teach him how to use graphic organizers to plan writing assignments or to enhance reading comprehension. Help him improve his visual imagery so as to support visual working memory, and show him how to use mnemonics such as acronyms, acrostics, and pegwords to learn new information.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
Build the student’s efficiency in completing work through building automaticity.<br />
<ul>
<li>Provide instruction to increase the student’s reading speed by training reading fluency, ability to recognize common letter sequences automatically that are used in print; and sight vocabulary</li>
<li>Provide timed activities to build speed and automaticity with basic skills, such as:<br />
reading a list of high-frequency words as fast as possible and calculating simple math facts as fast as possible</li>
<li>learning simple math calculations through flash cards, educational software exercises, and music</li>
<li>charting daily performance for speed and accuracy</li>
</ul>
Train the student in time management techniques to become aware of the time that tasks take.<br />
<ul>
<li>Teach the student to use a stopwatch or to record his or her start and end times for assignments to monitor the time spent on each activity. Set a goal for the student to gradually reduce the time needed to do these tasks.</li>
</ul>
ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES:<br />
<a href="http://www.etfo.ca/Multimedia/Webcasts/SpecialEducation/Pages/Processing%20Speed.aspx">Assessment strategies</a> emphasize power tests that focus on the knowledge the student has, rather than on speed tests to complete a large number of questions within a limited time.<br />
<ul>
<li>Emphasize accuracy rather than speed in evaluating the student in all subject areas</li>
<li>Replace timed tests with alternative assessment procedures</li>
<li>Allow extra time for tests and exams. Give the student supervised breaks during the test</li>
<li>Provide a reader or text-to-voice software to read test questions to the student to accommodate for slow reading fluency</li>
<li>Provide a scribe or voice-to-text software to record the student’s answers on tests to accommodate for slow writing fluency</li>
<li>Use test formats with reduced written output formats (e.g. multiple choice, True / False, fill in the blank) to accommodate for slow writing fluency</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I hope you have found this blog post helpful. I know it was for me in researching and writing it. I learned a lot about myself and a lot about my children. Please feel free to leave comments including any questions or concerns. I will answer to the best of my ability. </div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-37205591794752418062016-06-10T11:09:00.000-07:002017-10-08T14:18:18.724-07:00Ideas for Homeschooling a Preschooler or Kindergartener<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="dfuj3" data-offset-key="efrm4-0-0">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5zSACJ7lJuIkdTjeIQnA_isfwIaZZIEeIELaIQcgh1nCy4iJoRpybFGb2w9QZ14S1uxMY7I_Wb97TEfXYNlqf6Gt0krGsZTMmeHONlkumF0l5wn-_p77h2UqH_DeSV84YHCbCyWe3DKD/s1600/teaching-motivation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5zSACJ7lJuIkdTjeIQnA_isfwIaZZIEeIELaIQcgh1nCy4iJoRpybFGb2w9QZ14S1uxMY7I_Wb97TEfXYNlqf6Gt0krGsZTMmeHONlkumF0l5wn-_p77h2UqH_DeSV84YHCbCyWe3DKD/s1600/teaching-motivation.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo Credit: https://onlinestudyaustralia.com</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Three to six is so young! The name of the game is to keep it fun and simple. Here is what I suggest for preschool and Kindergarten activities. <br />
<br />
Below are some links for pre-writing activity worksheets, information on pencil grips, scissor skills, crossing mid-line activities, and hand strengthening exercises. Maybe do one per day. It depends on your child but the hand strength and hand-eye (visual motor) coordination needs to be there or a lot of one-on-one help will be required. If you are concerned about handwriting talk to your Occupational Therapist. They should be able to help with hand strength, grip, and/or special tools to help handwriting. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/dynamic.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.kidzone.ws/prek_wrksht/dynamic.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elmorekt/ot-kids-pre-writing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/elmorekt/ot-kids-pre-writing/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://teachingmama.org/prewriting-activities-for-preschoolers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://teachingmama.org/prewriting-activities-for-preschoolers/</a><br /><br />
<a href="https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/writing/writing-readiness-pre-writing-skills/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://childdevelopment.com.au/areas-of-concern/writing/writing-readiness-pre-writing-skills/</a><br />
<br /><a href="https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog/should-i-get-a-pencil-grip">https://www.yourkidsot.com/blog/should-i-get-a-pencil-grip</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/scissor_skills.htm">http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/scissor_skills.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.myteachingstation.com/worksheets/kindergarten/scissor-skills">https://www.myteachingstation.com/worksheets/kindergarten/scissor-skills</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/activities-for-crossing-the-midline.html">http://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/activities-for-crossing-the-midline.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.growinghandsonkids.com/crossing-midline-exercises-for-kids.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.growinghandsonkids.com/crossing-midline-exercises-for-kids.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/hand-strength-35-fun-activities-for-kids/">https://theinspiredtreehouse.com/hand-strength-35-fun-activities-for-kids/</a><br />
<br />
Work on colors and numbers. This can be done by watching TV shows like Team Umizoomi, Blues Clues, Peg + Cat, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Super Why, Word World, Veggie Tales and other educational shows. I HIGHLY recommend letting them watch TV IF it's educational. We use PBS and stream TV. To stream TV you can use a laptop connected to your TV via HDMI cable, have a smart TV, or use a device like a ROKU. We use ROKU and have for about 10 years. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon have a TON of appropriate kid programming with little to no commercials. YouTube can be good source also but you have to monitor it. There is a KidsTube app that's more appropriate for private viewing. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/youtube-kids/id936971630?mt=8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/youtube-kids/id936971630?mt=8</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.youtube.kids&hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.youtube.kids&hl=en</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">There are songs for learning....</span><br />
This is a good site for ANY teaching song.<br />
<a href="http://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.songsforteaching.com/preschoolkindergarten.htm</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/explore/preschool-songs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/explore/preschool-songs/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/preschool_kindergarten_videos.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/preschool_kindergarten_videos.html</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">Apps</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/best-preschool-apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/best-preschool-apps</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://coolmomtech.com/2014/08/best-educational-apps-for-preschoolers-back-to-school-tech-guide-2014/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://coolmomtech.com/2014/08/best-educational-apps-for-preschoolers-back-to-school-tech-guide-2014/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.icanteachmychild.com/the-10-best-iphoneipad-apps-for-preschoolers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.icanteachmychild.com/the-10-best-iphoneipad-apps-for-preschoolers/</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">Therapy apps</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://nspt4kids.com/parenting/our-10-favorite-speech-and-language-apps-for-kids/" target="_blank">http://nspt4kids.com/parenting/our-10-favorite-speech-and-language-apps-for-kids/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.smartappsforkids.com/2013/08/top-free-apps-for-language-therapy.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.smartappsforkids.com/2013/08/top-free-apps-for-language-therapy.html</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.webpt.com/blog/post/ipad-and-tablet-apps-pediatric-occupational-therapist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.webpt.com/blog/post/ipad-and-tablet-apps-pediatric-occupational-therapist</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/rarollston/ot-therapy-apps/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/rarollston/ot-therapy-apps/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.aota.org/practice/manage/apps.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.aota.org/practice/manage/apps.aspx</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://dexteria.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://dexteria.net/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.webpt.com/physical-therapy-apps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.webpt.com/physical-therapy-apps</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/lasenders/gross-motorptpe-apps/" target="_blank">https://www.pinterest.com/lasenders/gross-motorptpe-apps/</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">For PE/physical therapy we use this YouTube channel</span><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga</a><br />
<br />
I hope this gives you some ideas. More likely than not special needs kids will needs LOTS of repetition to be able to acquire new information and to shift it to long term memory for storage. The name of the game is to switch stuff up, keep it fun, and to teach them without them knowing. I hope this has been a help. Please leave comments below. Thanks!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-78282641283506230682016-05-05T10:14:00.001-07:002017-10-08T14:22:58.975-07:00Civil Rights and Disabilities in Public Schools<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Interesting and sad report! Staffing level at the Office of Civil Rights has been dropping significantly at the same time OCR complaints are at a record high (p. 8). The number of complaints over restraints and seclusion, used as a discipline measure for disabled children, is also at an all time high (p. 9). Highlights (lowlights really) from the 2011-2012 school year include: Only 50% of our country’s public high schools offer calculus and only 63% offer physics; A quarter of high schools with the highest percentage of black and Latino students do not offer Algebra II; a third of these schools do not offer chemistry; Students with disabilities are more than twice as likely to receive an out-of-school suspension (13%) than students without disabilities (6%); and about 40% of school districts do not offer preschool program with 57% of school districts that operate public preschool programs offer only part-day preschool (p. 16). There were about 4,800 complaints sent to the OCR in 2015 concerning students with disabilities on a 504 (p. 33). This is 46% of ALL complaints filed with the ORC in 2015 (p. 8. 33 &; 34)!!! It can take 120 to 256 DAYS to complete a case! This about this in terms of a school year. You lose most if not all of the school year to resolve the issue (p. 34). There were 1,489 complaints concerning FAPE (p. 35). These complaints include students with disabilities not being taught core subjects like math, science, and social studies because they were being pulled out for special education services. <br />
<br />
Bullying of disabled students, with 552 complaints, was the second largest issue in 2015 (p. 36) due to schools failing to respond to bullying complaints. On October 21, 2014, the OCR issues a Dear Colleague letter and fact sheet regarding the obligation under Section 504 and Title II and their implementing regulations for schools to respond appropriately to bullying of students with disabilities. These documents clarify that if a student with a disability is being bullied, federal law requires schools to take immediate and appropriate action to investigate and, as necessary, take steps to stop the bullying and prevent it from recurring. Regardless of the basis of the bullying, schools must remedy the effects of bullying on the services that a student with a disability receives (such as special education or other disability-related services) to ensure that the student continues to receive FAPE (p. 36). <br />
<br />
There were 214 complaints due to lack of access to programs, services, and facilities. Lack of access occurred in several school districts. One example is a school keeping students of disabilities segregated from all the other students including recess and lunch. Another case involved a school failing to have a sign language interrupter at school events after parental requests were ignored. One school district rescinded their offer for a gifted program after the district learned a child had a disability. Another school district refused to provide a registered nurse for a diabetic baseball player on travel to away games. There are too many examples to list here. <br />
<br />
This is a very interesting read. I did not even cover all the other issues OCR covers. If you can take the time to read the report. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/ocr/report-to-president-and-secretary-of-education-2015.pdf">http://www2.ed.gov/about/reports/annual/ocr/report-to-president-and-secretary-of-education-2015.pdf</a><br />
<br />
If you ever need to file a report, hopefully you will not, the link is below. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html">http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-49643251188021502802016-03-21T12:19:00.000-07:002016-05-16T10:33:31.141-07:00Letter Request Initial Educational Testing per IDEA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, I know I homeschool but I still engage in educational advocacy for others. Why? Because I feel like I have a lot to offer others in the way of service, and to be honest, I HATE seeing how public schools abuse/misuse special needs students! So my help for today is how to request educational testing. You must request the start of educational testing! Should you<a href="http://www.isbe.state.il.us/spec-ed/conf/2015/handouts/legalsession-2.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> HAVE to</a>? NO! See <a href="http://www.leagle.com/decision/In%20FDCO%2020140331B59/RODRIGUEZ%20v.%20INDEPENDENT%20SCHOOL%20DISTRICT%20OF%20BOISE%20CITY,%20NO.%201" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.paed.uscourts.gov/documents/opinions/12D1045P.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here,</a> <a href="https://casetext.com/case/long-v-district-of-columbia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7690/urlt/ESEUpdateTwoIDEATopics.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="https://casetext.com/case/ej-v-san-carlos-elementary-school-district-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> on the case law. BUT most schools will do nothing until you speak up and start advocating for your child! Here is a sample letter to request testing by the school district. <br />
<br />
Please double check the law quoted in here since the regulations can move from time to time. I hope you find this helpful!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;">Dear</span> (<span style="color: #ffd966;">Principal,Guidance Counselor, or School Psychologist's name</span>),<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">I would like to request comprehensive educational testing for my child ________________ who is in _____ grade at __________________school. </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;">I would like a full psycho-educational evaluation together with appropriate testing for learning disabilities. I request my child be tested in all suspected areas of disability (34 CFR 300.304), including the areas</span> <span style="color: #f1c232;">(in this area to add any specific disability such as of auditory processing, executive function, OT, speech and language, reading disability, etc)</span><span style="color: #93c47d;">.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #93c47d;">I understand I need to sign a consent form so the school can conduct the evaluation (34 CFR 300.300). If I do not hear from you in three days I will call to set up a time to sign the consent form. </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;">After testing, and at least 5 days prior to attending the IEP team meeting to discuss the testing results [34 CFR 300.613(a)], I request I have a chance to review the result and ask any questions I have with the evaluator so that I may be an active part of the team (34 CFR 300.321).<br /><br /> </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;">I understand the school system has 60 days to complete testing and hold a meeting to discuss eligibility [34 CFR 300.301(c)(1)(i)]. Please note, at the IEP meeting I will be recording the meeting and any subsequent IEP meetings. I want to make sure I do not miss anything and an audio recording will help me immensely. I look forward to meeting with you on that date. </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;"></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: #93c47d;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="color: #f1c232;">(your name) </span></h3>
When you deliver your letter to the school you need to do so in one of two methods.<br /><br />Method 1: Write the letter and print out two copies. Take one copy to the post office and send the letter certified mail with signature card and return receipt. Once you get the signature card back take it and staple it to the other copy you saved. This copy should then be placed in a file folder, or better yet, hole punched and put into a three ring binder you use and organize for your child each year.<br /><br />Method 2: Print off two copies. Take both copies into the front office and ask the secretary to stamp both copies as received with the school stamp WITH DATE! You will give her one of the copies to deliver and the other will be retained for your files.<br />
<br />
It is important you keep up with ALL paperwork and have it stored in one place. I also like to scan all paperwork and store it in a cloud. I like Dropbox for this purpose because it accepts all file types (so audio records along with paper docs) and it is easy to share files if I wish to do so. I am not associated with Dropbox in any way. I just like their product. :) I hope this helps. If you have questions please write me a post. I will answer your questions to the best of my abilities.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5606885818508074615.post-54124511353774363972016-03-10T17:02:00.000-07:002017-11-01T08:25:03.410-07:00Executive Functioning and Its Impact on Learning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Executive functioning is a complex issue. I know since all my children have executive functioning issues! The real question is how does executive functioning issues impact learning in both the homeschool and public education environment?<br />
<br />
First, let's discuss homeschool. It is easier, when you homeschool, to address executive functioning issues because you can tailor a child'e learning environment around their disabilities.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<h2>
<b>So what is executive functioning?</b></h2>
<a href="http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/executive-function" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WebMD</a> defines executive functioning as a set of mental skills that help you get things done. These skills are controlled by an area of the brain called the frontal lobe.<br />
<br />
Executive function helps you:<br />
<ul>
<li>Manage time</li>
<li>Pay attention</li>
<li>Switch focus</li>
<li>Plan and organize</li>
<li>Remember details</li>
<li>Avoid saying or doing the wrong thing</li>
<li>Do things based on your experience</li>
</ul>
<br />
When executive function isn’t working as it should, your behavior is less controlled. This can affect <br />
your ability to:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ8nDXobTcGtuoKsowufuRbrCa2Mui3G_7ZDiJEsyPKE9SOvY5uTnCaMDwOmjp2st5Taws2kdaF1X89M2vh9Lz8kUKNm72tjfrVEFQp1DQDdGq0UsZh3ycEvWqXWWZS4uo9GP8RIPP109/s1600/neuropsychologist-understanding-the-direct-and-indirect-effects-of-brain-dysfunction.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJ8nDXobTcGtuoKsowufuRbrCa2Mui3G_7ZDiJEsyPKE9SOvY5uTnCaMDwOmjp2st5Taws2kdaF1X89M2vh9Lz8kUKNm72tjfrVEFQp1DQDdGq0UsZh3ycEvWqXWWZS4uo9GP8RIPP109/s320/neuropsychologist-understanding-the-direct-and-indirect-effects-of-brain-dysfunction.png" width="320" /></a>
<li>Work or go to school</li>
<li>Do things independently</li>
<li>Maintain relationships</li>
</ul>
<div>
This is a huge problem for children with ADHD, depression, and learning disabilities. These conditions are often associated with issues with executive functioning. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h2>
<b>How does executive functioning impact homeschool?</b></h2>
When you have a child with executive functioning problems you cannot expect them to manage their time, day, or classwork. They will have a difficult time organizing information and paying attention to the task at hand. They will have problems with switching between tasks and are <i>horrible</i> multi-taskers. This means you will need to give them more one-on-one attention in both tasks and academics. For my three children this means I have to teach them all separately. They cannot be taught as a group in reading and math. We do these separately. For science, history, and social studies we learn these together. I often have James or Margaret read while the others listen and ask questions. Since retaining information is also an executive function issue and an issue with working memory (another common problem with EF and in my children) we often will repeat the same lesson 2 to 4 times in the same week. This helps the children to retain the information they are learning. This is something I can do in a homeschool setting that would not typically occur in the public school setting.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>How does executive functioning impact school?</b></h2>
Executive functioning in a public school setting can be a nightmare and this is one of the reasons why I enjoy homeschooling. It is often called by parents an "invisible" disability. The signs are often subtle but there. Then there is the challenge for parents to figure out the symptoms are issues of executive functioning and request a school district to test for EF issues. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So which tests can tell if a child has a problem with executive function issues? Well, the sky is the limit! LOL There are a LARGE verity of tests, partially because EF covers so many functional areas, so it is hard to say which test could be used to test your child. Some of the <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/317596-overview#a3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more common tests</a> are:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Wisconsin Card Sorting Test</li>
<li>Category Test</li>
<li>Stroop Test</li>
<li>Trail Making Test-B</li>
<li>WAIS Subtests of Similarities and Block Design</li>
<li>Porteus Maze Test</li>
<li>Multiple Errands Test (MET)</li>
<li>Serial Sevens</li>
<li>Mini-Mental State Exam</li>
</ul>
These tests should be used in conjunction with other other testing to examine Intellectual functioning, Academic achievement, Language processing, Visuospatial processing, Attention/ concentration, Verbal learning and memory, Visual learning and memory, Speed of processing, Sensory-perceptual functions, Motivation, and Personality assessment. All of these tests play a role in defining issues with executive functioning and other learning disabilities. Most of these tests are best completed by a neuropsychologist. I promise you a school district will never have a neuropsychologist on staff no matter what they say. If it does ever happen someone please let me know but I feel confident in my statement. Why? It is because a neuropsychologist is a specialist and schools tend to only employ psychologist for testing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h2>
<b>What is a neuropsychologist and how are they different from a school/typical psychologist?</b></h2>
There are basically <a href="http://www.bgcenter.com/bgqa/assessment1.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">three types of psychology</a>: clinical, school, and neuropsychology. Clinical psychologists assess and treat children with a wide variety of psychological problems, but particular with emotional/behavioral issues. They may be found working in hospitals, community health centers, or private practice. Although most clinical psychologists are generalists, who work with a wide variety of populations and problems, some may specialize in a specific population and specific disorders (e.g. attachment or post-traumatic stress disorder). They are trained in universities or professional schools of psychology and may not be very familiar with school settings. Clinical psychologists provide both assessment and treatment (psychotherapy).<br />
<br />
School psychologists are involved in enhancing the development of children in educational settings. They assess children's psychoeducational abilities and recommend actions to facilitate student learning and overall school functioning. They are typically trained in the Schools of Education at universities and work in school systems, community-based agencies, or private practice. A few may specialize in a particular school-related problem such as learning disabilities or ADHD. While specializing in educational issues, they may not be well trained in medical-based disabilities and disorders. School psychologists usually administer both norm-based psychological tests and criterion-referenced educational (achievement) tests. <br />
<br />
Neuropsychologists represent a specialized discipline within the field of psychology that mostly focuses on cognition (the ability to think, remember, learn, etc.) in relation to the effects of brain damage and organic brain disease. A neuropsychologist can administer standardized psychological and neuropsychological tests to patients in private office and hospital settings.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Why is a neuropsychologist examination helpful? </b></h2>
A <a href="http://www.div40.org/pdf/PedNeuropscyhBroch3.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pediatric neuropsychologist</a> work closely with schools to help them provide appropriate educational programs for the child. There are <a href="http://www.dphilpotlaw.com/html/Neuropsych_vs_Psychoeducational.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">five major reasons</a> why a thorough neuropsychological evaluation performed by an pediatric neuropsychologist is superior to a psychoeducational evaluation. These are the inadequate range of a psychoeducational evaluation, the training of the personnel performing psychoeducational evaluations, the narrow focus of psychoeducational evaluations, the level of performance model employed in psychoeducational evaluations, and the failure of psychoeducational evaluations to assess brain behavior relationships. The school and general psychologist tend to focus on achievement and skills needed for academic success. Generally, they do not diagnose learning or behavior disorders caused by altered brain function or development.<br />
<br />
Even in the homeschool setting this testing is very helpful to the parent so the parent can understand the learning deficits and strengths of their child. This will help the parents to better teach their child in the home setting.<br />
<br />
Children are referred by a doctor, teacher, school psychologist, or other professional because of one or more problems, such as:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Difficulty in learning, attention, behavior, socialization, or emotional control; </li>
<li>A disease or inborn developmental problem that affects the brain in some way; or </li>
<li>A brain injury from an accident, birth trauma, or other physical stress. </li>
</ul>
<br />
A neuropsychological evaluation assists in better understanding your child’s functioning in areas such as memory, attention, perception, coordination, language, and personality. This information will help you and your child’s teacher, therapists, and physician provide treatments and interventions for your child that will meet his or her unique needs.<br />
<br />
A pediatric neuropsychologist can evaluate school-age child many areas such as: <br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>General intellect </li>
<li>Achievement skills, such as reading and math </li>
<li>Executive skills, such as organization, planning, inhibition, and flexibility </li>
<li>Attention </li>
<li>Learning and memory </li>
<li>Language </li>
<li>Visual–spatial skills </li>
<li>Motor coordination </li>
<li>Behavioral and emotional functioning </li>
<li>Social skills </li>
</ul>
Some abilities may be measured in more detail than others, depending on the child’s needs. A detailed developmental history and data from the child’s teacher may also be obtained. Observing your child to understand his or her motivation, cooperation, and behavior is a very important part of the evaluation. Emerging skills can be assessed in very young children. However, the evaluation of infants and preschool children is usually shorter in duration, because the child has not yet developed many skills.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>So what can the results from the testing tell you?</b></h2>
<br />
By comparing your child’s test scores to scores of children of similar ages, the neuropsychologist can <br />
create a profile of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. The results help those involved in your child’s care in a number of ways. <br />
<br />
Testing can explain why your child is having school problems. For example, a child may have difficulty reading because of an attention problem, a language disorder, an auditory processing problem, or a reading disability. Testing also guides the pediatric neuropsychologist’s design of interventions to draw upon your child’s strengths. The results identify what skills to work on, as well as which strategies to use to help your child. <br />
<br />
Testing can help detect the effects of developmental, neurological, and medical problems, such as epilepsy, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, or a genetic disorder. Testing may be done to obtain a baseline against which to measure the outcome of treatment or the child’s development over time. <br />
<br />
Different childhood disorders result in specific patterns of strengths and weaknesses. These profiles of abilities can help identify a child’s disorder and the brain areas that are involved. For example, testing can help differentiate between an attention deficit and depression or determine whether a language delay is due to a problem in producing speech, understanding or expressing language, social shyness, autism, or cognitive delay. Your neuropsychologist may work with your physician to combine results from medical tests, such as brain imaging or blood tests, to diagnose your child’s problem. <br />
<br />
Most importantly, testing provides a better understanding of the child’s behavior and learning in school, at home, and in the community. The evaluation can guide teachers, therapists, and you to better help your child achieve his or her potential.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<b>Wrap up</b></h2>
<br />
Links have been included in the blog to the sources of my information. Some of the information comes from personal experience. All of my children have executive functioning issues. The executive functioning is also impacted by their working memory issues and ADHD. Knowing my children have executive functioning issues has really given me a lot of patience since I now understand their limitations and issues. I don't get so annoyed when I have to repeat myself 6 times or get angry when I ask for a task to be completed and it never gets done. I understand now and know the problem. It has made me think about how I parent my children, my expectations of them working independently, and what I need to do to help them in the future. <br />
<br />
I am including a link to a list of accommodations written up by a school district in New York that covers all areas of executive functioning and has accommodations from Kindergarten to 12th grade. It is a great resource for both the homeschooled and public schooled child. The link can be found <a href="http://www.jerichoschools.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_5887727/File/Special%20Education/ExecutiveFunctioning.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a> and it is a PDF. I am also including a link (click <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/b3lhq6phkucbqei/M%20Report%20Redacted.pdf?dl=0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>) to a redacted version of Margaret's last neuropsych report. It is not as comprehensive as it could be because all my children had neuropsych testing completed three years ago but it gives you a good idea how a report should be written and what to expect. I hope this has been help and always feel free to send me questions in the comment section!<br />
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