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neuropsychologist report for difficult child 3
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<blockquote data-quote="Marguerite" data-source="post: 420505" data-attributes="member: 1991"><p>We had difficult child 3 assessed two years ago by a dream of a neuropsychologist. Well, I've been increasingly concerned over the last year or so by his increasing inability to cope with his already reduced school workload. Last year he was studying English, History & Geography - challenging for an autistic, so we blamed a lot of the problems on the curriculum material. This year - all his favourite subjects. Science subjects. It should be easy but it's not. First term (of four) has just finished, it's been a huge struggle with about one weeks' worth of work done for each subject, instead of 10 weeks' work.</p><p></p><p>So we have done several things. First - I organised a repeat assessment. She has not done a full assessment but instead focussed on the problem areas, in more detail. The result - brilliant in terms of valuable information that we can use.</p><p></p><p>Second - we got the doctor to increase the medications. It took the second increase, to four tablets a day, to finally tip difficult child 3 over into some level of function.</p><p></p><p>Third - I contacted a private tutor who specialises in kids with learning problems and coaches in study skills. They were only waiting on the neuropsychologist report to get started.</p><p></p><p>The neuropsychologist rang today, prior to sending her draft report. She needs to tweak it after talking to the school (she asked permission but the school is working with me in this - this school is marvellous, I wish I could clone them all and send them to you).</p><p></p><p>Gist of the report - for non-verbal problem solving, he's in the top 1% of the population. Two years ago this was the same.</p><p>Verbal skills - two years ago he was in the top 5%. Lower than the other areas but still good. The gap was noted. Now - much worse. MUCH worse. </p><p></p><p>His scores range from 2nd percentile to 99th percentile. A HUGE range. Splinter skills plus plus.</p><p></p><p>Executive function problems much worse. As long as the tasks were visual, he did brilliantly. As soon as he had to rely on auditory recall he began to falter. Trying to organise his thoughts into logical sequence - that was a very low score.</p><p></p><p>So it is no wonder he is having huge difficulty with any writing task more than a line or two, even when dealing with topics he is familiar with. But he is now having to perform at senior high school level which is almost equivalent to US college level. And he just can't do it. </p><p></p><p>Now we have evidence, we will see what we can do from here. But it is a big drop in just two years.</p><p></p><p>We see the pediatrician in a couple of weeks. The draft report will be interesting for him to see. By then I hope to have the study skills tuition started, and a return to speech therapy targetting specific areas of executive function.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile - the school year grinds on and difficult child 3 is just not keeping up. I talked to him today and explained how he is going to need help and he will need to really work with this help, in order to give his brilliant brain the best chance he can, of achieving what we know he is capable of. We may need to reduce his workload this year still further, in order to get him through the work. It is almost certainly going to need to be modified.</p><p></p><p>We have another week or more of school holidays, but I emailed the SpEd and Year Advisor anyway. I know at least one of them is checking emails over the break.</p><p></p><p>What had me really worried before we increased the medications - difficult child 3 was working on his Physics class notes. The work showed a standard sine wave on a graph. All measured out, labelled etc. The first question said, "What is the wavelength of this wave?" All he had to do was read off the number. But he just sat there looking at it. "I don't get it," he said. I don't understand what they want."</p><p></p><p>"Wavelength." I said. he looked puzzled. "Wave... length." </p><p>He snapped at me. "Stop making it complicated!"</p><p>I described a visit to the beach, said if he could take a 3-D snapshot and freeze it, then go into the water with a tape measure, how would he measure the wave length? It's the length between the wave crests, I said. or wave troughs - from the same point of one wave, to the same point on the next. He seemed tog et it, then returned to the diagram and said, "How do I do it here?"</p><p></p><p>"Wave... length." I said again.</p><p></p><p>When we saw the pediatrician, to ask for an increase in medications, difficult child 3 was getting exasperated with me again. "I would be able to do it better if she didn't make her explanations so confusing!" he shouted.</p><p>I just looked at him and said, "'Wave... length.' How is that complicated and confusing?"</p><p></p><p>He had the grace to look sheepish.</p><p></p><p>And now we have the answers we need. Not the ones I wanted, but the ones I feared. </p><p></p><p>Part of the problem is simply his brain not maturing evenly, and parts racing ahead while other parts lag behind at elementary level. Part of tis may be able to be remedied with remedial help, but a lot of it, we just have to wait until his brain matures. Now we have to work out how much we can help, and how much we have to wait. And if we wait - what do we do with him in the meantime?</p><p></p><p>As he's been getting more frustrated, he's also been getting more violent. he physically attacked me while we were away. He also verbally threatened me yesterday, but I responded to tat with, "Threaten me again and I will all the police. You are 17 - too old to do that and not face the consequences. Threats are very inappropriate and not a coping strategy, ever."</p><p>To his credit, he stopped. But it is another indication of how much he is struggling.</p><p></p><p>Marg</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Marguerite, post: 420505, member: 1991"] We had difficult child 3 assessed two years ago by a dream of a neuropsychologist. Well, I've been increasingly concerned over the last year or so by his increasing inability to cope with his already reduced school workload. Last year he was studying English, History & Geography - challenging for an autistic, so we blamed a lot of the problems on the curriculum material. This year - all his favourite subjects. Science subjects. It should be easy but it's not. First term (of four) has just finished, it's been a huge struggle with about one weeks' worth of work done for each subject, instead of 10 weeks' work. So we have done several things. First - I organised a repeat assessment. She has not done a full assessment but instead focussed on the problem areas, in more detail. The result - brilliant in terms of valuable information that we can use. Second - we got the doctor to increase the medications. It took the second increase, to four tablets a day, to finally tip difficult child 3 over into some level of function. Third - I contacted a private tutor who specialises in kids with learning problems and coaches in study skills. They were only waiting on the neuropsychologist report to get started. The neuropsychologist rang today, prior to sending her draft report. She needs to tweak it after talking to the school (she asked permission but the school is working with me in this - this school is marvellous, I wish I could clone them all and send them to you). Gist of the report - for non-verbal problem solving, he's in the top 1% of the population. Two years ago this was the same. Verbal skills - two years ago he was in the top 5%. Lower than the other areas but still good. The gap was noted. Now - much worse. MUCH worse. His scores range from 2nd percentile to 99th percentile. A HUGE range. Splinter skills plus plus. Executive function problems much worse. As long as the tasks were visual, he did brilliantly. As soon as he had to rely on auditory recall he began to falter. Trying to organise his thoughts into logical sequence - that was a very low score. So it is no wonder he is having huge difficulty with any writing task more than a line or two, even when dealing with topics he is familiar with. But he is now having to perform at senior high school level which is almost equivalent to US college level. And he just can't do it. Now we have evidence, we will see what we can do from here. But it is a big drop in just two years. We see the pediatrician in a couple of weeks. The draft report will be interesting for him to see. By then I hope to have the study skills tuition started, and a return to speech therapy targetting specific areas of executive function. Meanwhile - the school year grinds on and difficult child 3 is just not keeping up. I talked to him today and explained how he is going to need help and he will need to really work with this help, in order to give his brilliant brain the best chance he can, of achieving what we know he is capable of. We may need to reduce his workload this year still further, in order to get him through the work. It is almost certainly going to need to be modified. We have another week or more of school holidays, but I emailed the SpEd and Year Advisor anyway. I know at least one of them is checking emails over the break. What had me really worried before we increased the medications - difficult child 3 was working on his Physics class notes. The work showed a standard sine wave on a graph. All measured out, labelled etc. The first question said, "What is the wavelength of this wave?" All he had to do was read off the number. But he just sat there looking at it. "I don't get it," he said. I don't understand what they want." "Wavelength." I said. he looked puzzled. "Wave... length." He snapped at me. "Stop making it complicated!" I described a visit to the beach, said if he could take a 3-D snapshot and freeze it, then go into the water with a tape measure, how would he measure the wave length? It's the length between the wave crests, I said. or wave troughs - from the same point of one wave, to the same point on the next. He seemed tog et it, then returned to the diagram and said, "How do I do it here?" "Wave... length." I said again. When we saw the pediatrician, to ask for an increase in medications, difficult child 3 was getting exasperated with me again. "I would be able to do it better if she didn't make her explanations so confusing!" he shouted. I just looked at him and said, "'Wave... length.' How is that complicated and confusing?" He had the grace to look sheepish. And now we have the answers we need. Not the ones I wanted, but the ones I feared. Part of the problem is simply his brain not maturing evenly, and parts racing ahead while other parts lag behind at elementary level. Part of tis may be able to be remedied with remedial help, but a lot of it, we just have to wait until his brain matures. Now we have to work out how much we can help, and how much we have to wait. And if we wait - what do we do with him in the meantime? As he's been getting more frustrated, he's also been getting more violent. he physically attacked me while we were away. He also verbally threatened me yesterday, but I responded to tat with, "Threaten me again and I will all the police. You are 17 - too old to do that and not face the consequences. Threats are very inappropriate and not a coping strategy, ever." To his credit, he stopped. But it is another indication of how much he is struggling. Marg [/QUOTE]
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