Newbie Intro with writting question

[taxidermycoffeebeans]

[h=6] Hi! Thanks for welcoming me to the page. Intro: Son is 8 yrs old, ADHD/ODD, Concerta 27mg. Long history pointing to problem, but wasn't until his 7 yr old check up I finally got a Dr. to recognize the issue and questioned me on his behavior in front of her (finally displayed in front of a Dr, who also actually spent more than 5 minutes in the room with us! YEAH! I was soooo excited someone was going to finally listen and help!). All Dr. trips until then told us he was just all boy all the time. We were very lucky to have teachers that knew how to work with these wonderfully challenging kids. He was never sent home for his behavior, I did get daily updates, and he did spend some time in buddy rooms, and was sent to the principal only twice in the 3 years of public school. The first time he was sent was rather harmless, kindergarten coloring...repeatedly...on his desk and the teachers' desks...lesson learned: should never write HIS name on the teachers' desks...lol. (In their defense, it was in the first week of school, and previous behaviors unknown and no diagnosis yet. After our conference with teachers, they had figured out the whys and adjusted how they dealt with him on a day to day basis.) His "More at Four" teacher said he displayed symptoms they are told to watch for in ADHD children, and she knew how to work with it, Kindergarten teacher said many similar things and had same abilities (she even sent a very motherly note home with the perfectly engineered paper airplane that flew across the room for me to put in his "memoir box".) I've been fortunate and count my blessings for these wonderful educators (they do exist and are not figments of our imagination). First grade we moved to another state, our teacher was very patient with us as we were going through the diagnosis process that involved many observation periods, Dr. visits, and so many questionnaires for her, his previous teachers, and both my husband and myself. It was a very grueling process but worth every moment and I feel very confident that we got the correct diagnosis. We even were followed up for 4 months of parenting classes for the ADHD child. Oh, so helpful! It really shocked me how just a few minor tweeks in parenting and teaching made such a huge difference, and then combine it with the medication. I just want to cry at how much better everyday has become! I am even able to home school him! We chose to home school due to our travels not conforming to the traditional school holiday schedules, and he needs consistency...especially in the education area. The only part I struggle most daily with is the ODD combined with the ADHD. Meltdowns/tantrums (sometimes very violent ones) occur at various other times with multiple triggers. [/h] [h=6]
Writing seems to be his biggest struggle when it comes to school work. It often takes an hour or more to get him to write one sentence, even if the sentence is started for him. This is why I ventured to find any input on how to get him to overcome this writing issue. I've been dealing with it all year (this is also the issue that resulted in buddy rooms in 1st grade) I'm out of ideas, and my patience are frayed. I don't like the teacher that I become while battling this issue. What techniques can I try to help get him past this issue? He is very capable and smart. His handwriting is very good. I can tell (you can literally see him genuinely trying to focus and do the work correctly, but it just isn't happening for him) when he's having a rough day when he reads and writes his b's and d's backwards, and I back off the assignments requiring too much writing on those days, but most days he's fine with the letters. I have noticed an almost monthly pattern of good and bad weeks as well...but the writing as a whole is a real issue everyday. We even tried typing instead, but he often won't come up with a single word towards a sentence for more than an hour (way too long to be trying, but he's not trying during that time, he's fidgeting and scribbling, humming and, well anything BUT the assignment), even if we had just gone over a sentence verbally, he won't write it down, he "forgets" what he says and can't get the words back. How can we get the working memory to work better and help him to over come the writing avoidance? I know he can do it. He has done it on several occasions without a fuss or fight. (Example, last week we wrote a 2 paragraph biography on President Lincoln. Thirteen sentences! Day 1 research and take notes from books (done together) Day 2 write sentences from notes, one sentence on each note card. Day 3 organize the note cards to make the paragraphs, make sure they read and make sense together, make new ones or corrections as necessary on the cards, then copy the cards into paragraphs in his writing journal. Day 4 type and check for corrections and add details to the biography as necessary. Most days that he has to write a sentence on his own he has to use spelling or vocabulary words, I'll try to get it started for him after about 10 minutes. I'll tell him something that might make the word interesting to him, relating it to say lizards or soccer or basketball, and he'll just sit there and fidget or anything but try to write the sentence. Very frustrating. [/h]

 

[BusynMember]

Hi there, and welcome to the board. I'm sorry you had to come though, but the people here are great.



I recommend you take your precious child to see a neuropsychologist for intensive testing and suggestions from a good professional on how he may best learn. School testing is kind of "iffy." However, the school WILL have to test him if you want help. I would just trust the neuropsychologist testing over the school testing. My daughter, who is now 15, wa diagnosed with visual and auditory processing problems, which made writing and reading confusing for her when she was young. She got A LOT of good help at school and is now a good writer! Her working memory has also improved as she gets sort of tutoring at school in her study hall. Your son may have similar issues and it is not his fault that he can't pick things up as fast as some and it is not your responsibility to try to be a teacher. The school has resources to help him.

If he does not have an IEP, I would ask for IEP testing in writing ASAP. There IS help and hope.

HUgs!!

 

[buddy]

Hi there and congratulations on getting such good evaluations and plans for him. Sounds like you are a very in tune and understanding parent. It is interesting, many of us here say that ODD typically just describes the resulting behavior due to an underlying issue or issues and it sounds like you are stating the exact same thing. You say he has nice writing so maybe it is not a motor issue but that really needs to be evaluated by an Occupational Therapist (OT) (Occupational therapist) because if it takes him longer and different ways to make the letters he could have motor planning problems or visual planning problems. I would do this kind of evaluation as one part of my investigation (if you haven't already of course)

What seems even more likely to me is that he has an issue with formulating the language for writing. The task of thinking of what we want to say then formulating it into writing then getting it on the paper....takes a few trips to different areas of the brain and along the way the brain wiring can be a little challenged. These kinds of conditions are really common co-morbid conditions with ADHD and I suspect that there are a couple of parents here who will come along (if not on the weekend...make sure you make a comment on this thread to pull it up to the front for people who are here more during the week...there are some amazing moms here who have struggled with these issues with their kids)...

So, again if it was me, I would have an assessment for Learning Disability (LD) done (a writing disability) and just to make sure, an Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) (speech language pathology) evaluation done to make sure formulation of language is not a concern. (and I already mentioned the Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation because these folks really see this stuff a LOT).

My son also has a terrible time writing more than a few words and sentences without a lot of prompting. For non-writing classes (where the focus is not on learning how to do handwriting) he uses a scribe...an adult writes what he says. If your son can tolerate the training and the frustration when a computer gets it wrong....using a voice to text program could help. Microsoft has it built in to most computers and dragon naturally speaking is really nice and not super expensive. The goal of writing is on the expression and getting ideas out and if there is a true interference due to a learning disability of some sort, then finding a way to help them express themselves can be a huge breakthrough and can lower frustration. You suggest (wont know for sure until an evaluation though) that he has the mechanics of writing down, so as he gets better at the formulation of his sentences and paragraphs through adapted means.... when he gets older, you can then work on his actually writing/typing himself...if he develops a hate and frustration he may not be willing to work on it later, just MHO to build success in any way right now.


I dont know your situation (if you are from the USA or if you are in the USA from time to time??) if you have an issue with finding places for an evaluation maybe you could coordinate with a time you are there. Do you maintain a permanent address in the USA? If so, then you can arrange for a free evaluation through the public school system. That means you would have to be around for a while (and you might be able to explain things to the department and maybe they would work with you on that) so they could help identify issues for you at no cost. With yoru traveling (is it a military situation?) setting up therapy is not likely a choice but at least they could give recommendations. If it is a military situation, there are parents here who can help you because they have gone through special needs issues with their kids. Overall if there is some way to do private testing and connect with therapy where you are most of the time that would be ideal. But I realize not every lifestyle works for that kind of situation. Some kind of consulting situation to give you ideas (once you have a diagnosis there would likely be online groups too to help give ideas)....

Well, just rambling, I know the frustration and how I can lose my patience when he is losing his with me....and I tend to be ineffective. We do much better when I can reduce frustration the ways I have explained to you.....by cutting down on the amount of actual writing he has to do, allowing his ideas to get onto paper through scribing (my writing it or an adult at school) and helping him to create the drafts. In the end, when a draft is made, he often copies it but that is less frustrating for him because the formulation and editing parts are completed. He then gets the handwriting practice.

Dont know if that would work for you, but it is a start. Nice to meet you, glad you found us!

 

[confuzzled]

maybe he would benefit from using graphic organizers (just google it--some look like flowcharts, some like outlines--you dont say how old he is, we like the "flowcharts" best) and from there, maybe he would benefit from using a dictation program (dragon dictate or the like) to take the written part away and allow him to get his ideas to flow freely. if thats too expensive, how about letting him orallly use a tape recorder for now--make it a game, and play it back, and then "guess" what should be changed (editted) or something along those lines.

and i wouldnt just rule out that because his handwriting is good that he doesnt struggle--its conceivable that he exhausts himself making it good. it would be worth having an Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation if you can swing it....there are sometimes helpful tweaks they can offer that are easy to implement....pencil grips, posture activites, etc. (of course, only helpful if thats the issue--if it more of a memory related thing then probably not so much).

just a few thoughts

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Hi and welcome to the board.

My son, who is now 16, had the same writing issues as your son which, while present earlier on, didn't really become a stumbling block until 2nd grade. The neat handwriting is usually a reason to not assume dysgraphia, but as we have all seen here, there are no absolutes when it comes to our difficult children. My son's handwriting was not great, but it was not the classic illegible style associated with dysgraphia.

Someone mentioned graphic organizers - great idea. We used those regularly for years! When difficult child was put in the "resource" language arts room in 4th grade, his frustration level (which often led to the rages and meltdowns) drastically improved. Before every writing assignment - even those requiring just 2 or 3 sentences - began with the "star" graphic orgaizer (here's a link to a whole bunch of g.o. styles http://www.enchantedlearning.com/graphicorganizers/spider/ ). Looking at it from his perspective, looking at a blank piece of paper that needed to be "filled" with a writing assignment either presented orally or written on the board, was daunting to a child with a writing disorder. Looking at a page with a big circle in the middle and a few smaller circles didn't present as overwhelming because he knew he just needed to fill in a couple words in each circle to actually begin (which is most of the battle!).

I find it interesting that he was able to do the Lincoln project but not a three sentence assignment. But the Lincoln project was broken down in pieces. difficult child was able to have me as a homework scribe through 5th grade (my signature at the bottom of the assignment was by word that it was his work). He began 6th grade, no home scribe, having classroom notes provided by the teacher - which was really hit or miss - oral presentations allowed for lengthy written assignments, and the ability to use a keyboard. By the end of 8th grade his disability had improved greatly. Little by little he had begun to take notes. The act of trying to handle it himself actually improved his overall difficulties.

That is not to say that it is easy for him now that he's a sophomore in high school. He still struggles with "gathering and organizing" his thoughts prior to a lengthy assignment. However, if it's free writing, he takes off! At the end of his freshman year of high school, he had the thickest writing folder in his English class. His teacher allowed him a lot of liberty with writing assignments and he went wild! Like many kids with learning disabilities, nothing wrong with the intellect, just the ability to share it!

With the proper diagnosis and tools, writing disabilities can make little impact on our children's ability to succeed in school. Learning keyboarding is really important. Being given an electronic speller or alphasmart type of technology is important to many kids. A good Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation is important because suggestions on working with or overcoming specific areas of the students disability will be the outcome.

Again, welcome to the board. I can tell you that I, many times, was tempted to home school my difficult child because I saw what he could accomplish with one on one attention. However, in his case, so many of his other issues were tied to learning how to get along in a group, understanding he wasn't the only consideration, how to control his anger and frustration, etc., were issues he needed to learn in school. My thought process was that he would be given the change to succeed in the future if he learned to function in a larger group. Also, he has some social inadequacies that can really only be overcome if he's part of a larger group. But that was specific to my child. But it sure was tempting to end all the phone calls, homework angst, etc. It was pretty hairy for a number of years...

Sharon

 

[taxidermycoffeebeans]

Thank you for all the responses so far! I hadn't even considered using the word webs for just a sentence or two... I will give a go next week! AWESOMESAUCE! As for all the additional evaluations, yes, we are limited where we are at the moment, not to mention limited as anything we do must be through a referal from our PCM (Primary Care Manger) and it takes time for approval, then to get in to the appointments. (example, I had an unexplained issue of gaining 30 pounds in 6 weeks while keeping detailed logs of foods and activities. It took 6 weeks to get an appointment with my PCM, two months for the referal papers to arrive, then the specialist was booked 4 months out! Very aggravating process.) We are a military family. If I could figure out how to get my signature on here from my bio, that may have helped describe our situation a little more. I am still learning my way around the site. Patience please. We got the diagnosis close to the end of his first grade year, so we started on a 504 for managing the behavioral skills, but by the time that happened, school was almost out. Homeschooling this year for the first time, he is 8 yo and in second grade. There is no other school involved here, no 504, no IEP's. Calvert Home School system is being used. We love it, but it is writing intense. I have talked with their education advisers on that, and they do emphasis that many of the smaller writings can be done verbally, as long as he is understanding the material. I do see that when he writes, it sticks with him better, comprehension is reinforced with it, so I try not to let him "out" of those assignments too much. He seems to write when he wants. I know it's part of the condition, it just wears on me quite a bit when I know he is quite capable. He is on grade level with all subjects. Has always been able to do his grade level work without outside help (other than the constant redirection back to his tasks). He did have speech therapy for "inappropriate for age inter dental "s" and "z"" in Kindergarten, but with our move, we lost that as it was not through the schools. He scored on level for his reading and writing and was rated 90% therefore it was deemed not an educational hindrance, even though they were teaching with phonics, and if you mispronounce/incorrectly form the words, you will misspell them ("th" instead of "s" I saw this in his homework constantly, and it continues to be a problem that we work on with the skills the speech therapist gave us on our last visit).

I am excited to be able to try the word web approach next week, and I will be sure to post our results! Thank you!

 

[soapbox]

Well, it sounds like your difficult child is an "ADHD plus" child... where ADHD may be a correct diagnosis (diagnosis), but only ONE diagnosis and there are more. Meltdowns. Overload. The shadow of ODD... (a diagnosis that in my opinion is a "place holder" for... "we don't quite know what is causing this"). been there done that.

Please consider...
1) 50% of kids with ADHD also have Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). You may or may not actually get that diagnosis - not everyone out there knows about it or how to diagnosis it, but... a thorough Occupational Therapist (OT) evaluation would be a good place to start. Check for both sensory issues, and motor skills issues. There are a wide range of possibilities, and the Occupational Therapist (OT) test results are of use to others who will see or deal with your child. Plus, the Occupational Therapist (OT) has therapies that help, and can suggest accommodations and interventions for home and school.

2) many kids with ADHD also have a learning disability... dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalcula, and whatever else goes on that list... so keep an eye out.

3) 70% of kids with ADHD plus a Learning Disability (LD), also have an Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) - auditory processing disorder. To make things even more confusing, kids can get an ADHD diagnosis and not even BE "adhd"... the Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) alone can cause symptoms that look like ADHD. But Auditory Processing Disorders (APD) symptoms do not respond to ADHD medications. So, if your son has APDs at all, it will likely be in addition to the ADHD. Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD) is another term that gets used... things are always in transition in the medical world! A Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) (speech language pathologist) can do the initial screenings, advanced audiology specialists do thie diagnosis on this one.

Others have suggested a neuropsychologist evaluation or other comprehensive evaluation. I agree. But in the mean time... We were told - and confirmed by experience - that it pays to get the Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and Occupational Therapist (OT) reports done FIRST. These cover areas that most comprehensive evaluations do not look at... but if you show up with the reports already done, they WILL use them.

 

[buddy]

even though they were teaching with phonics, and if you mispronounce/incorrectly form the words, you will misspell them ("th" instead of "s" I saw this in his homework constantly, and it continues to be a problem that we work on with the skills the speech therapist gave us on our last visit).

With budget cuts etc...there is a huge push not to see kids with simple artic issues in the school for the very reason you mentioned. Most of us push that though because at least for us old timers we have seen the connection to reading/writing challenges. But for s and r sounds....in MN there would have to be several other sounds out too....no child would qualify in grade K for only an S since it is still within normal range to be developing an s sound....not in a school setting right now but I think as a stand alone sound they have to be age 9 before they can qualify. As a mom though, if I saw a connection to how my child actually heard that (many can hear the s/th in others so do not have spelling errors...it only affects their production of the sound) I would be aware of it and work on discrimination activities....you probably saw enough to work on it at home anyway. It would also be a red flag to me connecting to other writing challenges. It is probably good you are working with him because he could be one of those guys who falls thru the cracks with more subtle learning issues that end up looking like behavior problems alone.

you probably have heard this already, but many kids with more mild issues (at least relative to obviously disabled kids) do well through to grade 3,4 or 5 when the level of material takes huge leaps linguistically. In a school setting there is also a huge leap in terms of being much more independent and navigating socially on their own to a higher degree. I only mention it for awareness sake in case your situation changes in the future.

Glad you have some new ideas to try. Sometimes it is just enough that WE are re-energized. I find I can face the same challenges much better when I can come here and let it out. Hope you feel that too. I think you and any military family who has unique learner needs to work with are really to be admired. Thank you as a family for your service.

 

[taxidermycoffeebeans]

Yes, if it weren't for hubby and I staying on top and playing on the same sheet of music, he certainly may have been one to "slip through the cracks" and been labeled as just a problem child. I might could agree about the auditory confusion as it is something I can related to even though I've never been diagnosed. I hate seminars, I don't get much out of them, give it to me in writing and let me learn hands on. difficult child seems to be about the same way, better learning with hands on, and reading comprehension seems to be very good in my opinion. He does have a hard time summarizing stories verbally, especially in the order of events, but can tell you the main idea. The Concerta medications (27mg) seem to work very well for him for his activity level and impulse except when it is something he doesn't want to do (like writing. He snaps through math, social studies, science, and art). As I look back on the Lincoln project from last week, I may have him write his sentences on note cards too, as they are small and not as intimidating to look at as a large sheet of paper. Hoping my enthusiasm about the word web will be contagious for the writing.

I do consider my difficult child to be on the milder end of the spectrum of issues as I've seen and heard of so many cases with so many complex issues. Nonetheless, I do still need some of the same supports to lean on and bounce ideas on, as I am only human and I get tired and need help from time to time, too. There are so many different moving pieces and hoops that we have to jump through to make sure ANY of our children get the care and attention the need to grow and develop. It's a wonder ANY of our children (easy child and difficult child) succeed.

One other thing I recently talked over with another friend with a couple of difficult child, is allowing our dog to sit in on class more. Our German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) sat beside him during the writing of the paragraphs (which he completed in 30 minutes after we got them in order and corrected...13 sentences in all!). She sat beside him and he would rub her ears for a minute or two, then back to copying, she'd lay down, he'd start to increase in activity level, she sat up and put her head in his lap before he could get up and he rubbed her ears a minute, and he went back to work! I hadn't really given it much thought before until I sat back and tried to take an outside look at it. Don't know if this was a one time thing or if he will continue to respond in that way to her, or if she would do it again. He goes to sleep with her...rubbing her ears, and will rub her ears when being still around the house. Has anyone ever used a dog for assistance...as a service dog, not as a therapy dog, with ADHD/ODD in a classroom? Just a thought for future plans to put him back in public school as soon as we get back to the Continent. We only have a few more years of active service remaining (I can see the retirement light at the end of a much shorter tunnel!)

My son does also have big issues with personal safety recognition...an impulsive issue...you know, the type of that child that even though he knows not to chase a ball into the road, would not stop to think about what he's doing and stop to check for a car first. And we have had that issue as well as unbuckling to retrieve (a toy) while the car is moving....he would even do this when he was in a 5 point harness carseat! smart lil bugger..we had a complex one too, so we thought...chuckles now, but aggravating then.

 

[buddy]

That is a really cool observation! It sounds much more comforting than even the commonly used "fidget" that kids with adhd or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are often allowed to use (something to hold, jiggle, touch, rub, etc....). I know of programs that have brought dogs in for all of the kids but have not heard of this for individual children...in this manner anyway. Would be really cool to know if is done though.

(hope I didn't sound like his issues were not significant, I actually feel opposite as you stated. I only meant that kids with more invisible, not in your face issues can be missed or neglected in terms of the level of service they really do need)

Glad you can see the light....keep safe and happy till that time, OK??

 

[taxidermycoffeebeans]

(hope I didn't sound like his issues were not significant, I actually feel opposite as you stated. I only meant that kids with more invisible, not in your face issues can be missed or neglected in terms of the level of service they really do need)

Oh, no buddy! I didn't take it that way at all! I guess I should have worded it more along the lines of "I count my blessings that I have only his ADHD/ODD to deal with at the moment, and that it doesn't seem to be extreme." (Because I really don't think I could handle much more added to his mix of interesting behaviors, especially since I've just entered a period of my life of unexpected moods and room temperature changes...lol...we may be going through puberty and full fledged life change at the same time. I hope my husband can keep up with both of us in a few years! ROFL)

 

[InsaneCdn]

Service dogs in schools... I have heard of it, but not for ADHD... one case I knew of was an epileptic kid, with a formally trained service dog. Another was NT but major physical handicaps - the (again, formally trained) service dog kept the kid safe from physical bullying, and retrieved things that dropped etc.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

If you look at the issue from your son's eyes - he is given a writing assignment, which immediately puts him on alert because he has difficulty in the norm - his heart beats a little faster, a tad bit of anxiety comes out and then pup shows up - immediately he is put at ease by the comforting normalcy and personal touch - anxiety levels out and the writing doesn't appears as daunting.

 

[susiestar]

I have a TON of ideas, so it may take several posts to get it all out. I can't type a lot now but will be back soon.

PLEASE remember that an adhd child often will fidget when thinking or trying to concentrate. Neither of my boys can concentrate well with-o something to fidget with. thank you isn't even adhd and he needs the fidgets. I am using fidget to refer to a small toy or object that can be fiddled with and can keep fingers occupied. We had an Occupational Therapist (OT) try to get us to buy some thigns but they looked like what a party store sells for about 3-4 times the price. I went to a party store and bought a bunch of small balls, toys, etc... and always have a few different fun erasers for them. (Recently our dollar store had erasers shaped like dice - ten erasers for a dollar! and they are a HUGE source of delight and fidgeting for the whole family!)

Homeschooling offers a whole new world for learning. I don't know the system you are using, but have/am homeschooling kids for different reasons at different times. The approach you use and remembering that kids do well when they CAN and not when they want to, will go a very long way toward making homeschooling great for both of you. I haven't used many set curriculum but have used elements of some for different topics. I often did what are called thematic units. I took the concepts and wrapped them up into a subject of interest. When my oldest was in second grade we did a lot of dinosaur math, writing assignments, etc.... We also did a lot of other themes and it really helped him understand how the different subjects (math, english, etc...) all relate to each other. Wiz and I actually would go out to dinner and plan the themes we wanted to use for the next few months at least 2 times a year. He needed to feel that he could control his education (brought on largely by abuse he suffered at the hands of the adults in his school for grades k-1) and this really helped. He also saw that his input was welcomed and that I truly cared about what he was interested in.

If you don't already do a lot of science experiments, this is an amazing way to learn that will strengthen the bond between you. I can suggest some excellent books of experiments and even if they don't seem like lessons, they are or can be. If you need help figuring out how to put things together, send me a private message (pm) with specifics and I will help as much as I can. My dad was a science teacher so I have a ton of info about science experiments/projects. Also NEVER forget that cooking is chemistry and many other types of science and also is math.

A great way to enrich the curriculum is to have him do practical math as you shop and go through everyday life. I hear many many kids who go to traditional schools asking why they have to learn math and many don't make the connection between life and math and science. Homeschool kids often have a much better grasp of this.

I have to go but will add more later!

Some books that will help:

The Explosive Child by Ross Greene - seems counter-intuitive but it WORKS for our difficult children. Not a long/heavy read and super helpful.

What Your Explosive Child is Trying to Tell You by Dr Doug Riley. Amazing book that helps you understand what is behind the explosions and helps you figure out why your child is raging/exploding/tantrumming and helps figure out what is needed to help him through the problem. Dr. Riley is a member of this board andd pops in sometiems with very helpful info.

The Out of Sync Child by Kranowitz. This explains sensory integration disorder and how sensory problems work and hwo to help them. Can be very detailed but is invaluable, esp as a staggering percentage of adhd kids have sensory problems (tags on clothing, textures, picky eating, seeks or avoids various types of sensory stimulation) and sensory breaks actually enhance learning. I will post more about this later.

The Out of Sync Child Has Fun by Kranowitz. PACKED with truly fun things to provide the sensory input that our kids need - and with info on how to do those things as cheaply as possible!

This last is more for you. MANY if not most of us have a lot of anger to deal with. Why our child with all the problems? Why do they do what they do? and more and more sources of frustration/anger. THe more we, the parents, add emotion to a situation with a difficult child, the more emotion the child will bring. Then everyone is upset. She's Gonna Blow!:Real Help for Moms Dealing iwth Anger by Julie Ann Barnhill was hugely helpful for me. I was a screamer. My family screamed but I saw that it was hurting my kids. This book was different from a lot of others because it helped me know the signs that I was getting angry and then helped me see them BEFORE I exploded. From there it helped me figure out how to STOP the explosion before it happened. There are physical symptoms that you are getting angry and learnign to identify the early signs was instrumental in helping me go from a screamer to a listener - which benefitte my entire family not just Wiz and I.

You may not have anger problems. I just know that I did and that many of us have a lot of times when we don't know how to appropriately express anger. Most of us were taught that nice girls don't get angry, and that just is so harmful to you and to the entire family.

Welcome to our family! This truly is the place where you can get ideas, help, hope, and people who have truly been there done that and will NOT judge you at all.You are doing some amazing things with and for your son, and ti is great to meet you!

 

[taxidermycoffeebeans]

I am typing the name of those books into my phone's memo pad and will look for them at our library! Especially the last one for me! LOL

I am loving home schooling him because I can go at his pace. There are many days we don't finish our lesson, and that's okay, because he is still learning, and yes, we do incorporate our everyday lessons with life experiences. I think it is easier for home schoolers to do this because we are more in tune with what is being taught in the classroom. We also make our school mobile a few times a month. He loves going to the zoo, and will actually work very well there from me (mobile schools are so much fun! I love the looks of curiosity and envy I get from other parents, I've even had a few stop and ask questions like "isn't it hard?" or "what made you choose...?" ). One would think too many distractions, but the area we've found to work is under a canopy with tables by the bird section out of the way for most passerbys, but very near bathrooms and birds. It is used for parties and by schools for lunch when they take field trips, which we've only encountered on one visit, and we were pretty much done when they got to the canopy. He loves listening to the birds while he works. We put a birdhouse he made outside our classroom, and he loves trying to identify them. I am trying to find a local birdwatching group that'll accept young children to get him involved more with birds, while the interest is still there. He is also very into triathlons. (He's not very fast, but he loves them). There's just not many safe places for him to learn to ride...we've got to teach him how to shift gears. We had to graduate from the single speed to the multi-speed as his feet were literally flying off the pedals as he was trying to go faster, poor little guy. I can't keep up with him when he runs, but I send him out so far (x many markers) on the running/walking (only) path then he runs back to me. I get 3 miles done, and well...no telling how much more he does than that! Swimming we don't do as often as I'd like, but when we do, he does a couple laps before we go off and play. I can't take him in the ocean as I'm not a strong enough swimmer to feel confident to keep up with him and keep him within safe boundries. He does have safety/impulse issues that I have to keep in mind when we go out like that, and has hit/fell into a moving truck while on his bike (with me following him, very traumatic for both of us.)

I'm rambling now. So, I'm going to sign off for now. It's just nice to share experiences and worries, and know I can vent and get new ideas. Thank you to all!

 

[taxidermycoffeebeans]

Update! I am so excited! Word Web Wonders! He is writing a narrative this week. Word web done on Friday. Writing sentences on notecards from the web today. Tomorrow, we will write our paragraph from the notecards, one sentence at a time. Thank you for reminding me of the WordWeb tool. So far, so good.

 

[buddy]

So cool!