Understood helps with Understanding

https://www.understood.org/en


This is a fantastic website for anyone dealing with learning and attention issues. It's not only full of great articles, but the creators have designed a section called "Through Your Child's Eye".  This section contains a number of simulations relating to some of the main learning or attention issues addressed on the website.  Trying some of the games really opened my eyes to the difficulties Ryan may experience on any given day.  Now, trying to imagine my entire day, all day, every day, struggling like this left me exhausted.  I could not imagine dealing with some of these experiences all day long!

It's the little things: Top Secret

So...we have some very exciting news!!  It looks like Ryan will be joining his typical class for Science very soon!!  We'll know for sure when by the end of the week.  This is the most amazing news!  The more typical classes that Ryan returns to, means the more his brain is developing and can begin to handle a typical school workload.  Apparently his math skills are really taking off (Ryan has always had more strength in Math) and his teachers think he might be able to handle the science curriculum.  He will still have some accommodating for his writing and reading but this is truly exciting news.

Ryan also mastered another level in his tracing.  That's 2 levels in 2 weeks!  Apparently a new world record.  So after some initial struggle and frustration, it seems like things are falling into place.  We had a huge discussion about short term "pain" and longer term "gain".  I was glad to have some concrete examples relevant to his world.  All of this great news has renewed Ryan's motivation to stay in homework club and work really diligently at his program.  It's been tricky for the past couple of weeks - this was some much needed good news!!

Happy Thursday!

Anxiety

So this summer has been pretty busy to say the least.  Our family has weathered the storm of a life or death health emergency and have, very thankfully, come out on the other side in tact.  However, it hasn't come without some residual casualties.  My summer of reading with Ryan and reviewing comprehension activities and journaling are out the window.  This summer we read two passages and wrote two journals.  My daughter's bucket list summer of activities to do together on my days off are out the window too.  We did manage to salvage some family time and it was great - just not what we planned.  During this summer of the necessity of being flexible, of rolling with the punches, of figuring it out as we go, I forget that this doesn't always work for my kids.  Now, my kids have been SUPER awesome given the circumstances but recently my son's been having trouble sleeping.  WHAT?!  When did this start?  How come I didn't notice?

My mind starts racing to the obvious...medication.  Do we need to change it?  Do we need to stop it?  Then I started putting two and two together.  Funny, sleep issues only started when we started back to school shopping.  So I asked my son if anything was bothering him.  This lead into a discussion about the whole process for the first day of school.  Remember, we started at his new school in March.  This will be Ryan's fist "First Day of School" at PCS.  So, we reviewed the whole process, agreed that Dad would go with him to the gym for the Kick Off assembly with the principal and then show him where his classroom is.  Funny, he slept like a log that night.

Anxiety can rear it's ugly head with any child.  However, for a child with working memory issues changes to routine can be especially distressing.  Mostly because it's very hard to draw on past experiences...they simply can't always remember all of the details.  My son is usually very good at advocating for himself when he is not sure what's going on.  But sometimes he's not sure what's wrong himself.  Just because the adults know the game plan, we have to remember to take the time, in this world of never enough time, to remember to explain the plan to the kids - especially the kids who depend on routine.

Dyscalculia Demystified

Dyscalculia is often described as "Math Dyslexia".  When the capability of a child far out reaches a child's level of achievement, learning disorders are often suspected.  In the case of Mathematics, this is typically called Dyscalculia.  Here, children have a inability to connect the dots when it comes to math concepts, most notably regarding number sense.  Children dealing with Dyscalculia may also have issues with sense of time and sense of direction.  The following article, from the National Center for Learning Disabilities, provides a detailed explanation of Dyscalculia.

Hello Lovelies!  I did not quit.  Although, the thought did occur to me since it’s been so long since I've last posted.  June 7^th???  Holy smokes time flies.  Well, as life does, we've been thrown with a few curve balls and they certainly threw me for a loop.  I had an interesting conversation with the Special Education Officer for my District School Board last month.  She had absolutely NO interest in discussing the Arrowsmith program.  I was flabbergasted!  I really need to remember that just because I am enthusiastic about something and can totally see the logic and the utility, does not mean that everyone will share my vision.  In any case, unfortunately, she was quite misinformed and the conversation was not quite the place to educate her.  However, the statement she made, that “we cannot have individual programs for every student” just blew me away.  Why not?  Isn't that the very essence of an IEP?  Isn't that what Special Education has struggled towards for years?  Isn't one of the goals of education, particularly special education, to break out of the mold of one standard and allow children to develop and learn with the tools necessary for their growth and education?  So I was very disheartened to hear this attitude coming from someone on my board of education.  No wonder my struggles for Ryan have been so many and old ideas so hard to break away from.  I suppose this person could have meant commercialized programs.  We cannot bring in a commercialized program to meet every student’s needs.  I suppose I understand that.  However, we do use commercialized programs everyday within the schools and school board.  Here is where I face a lack of understanding because Arrowsmith individualizes itself, to meet the student’s needs.  Not every student has to go through the same programs or activities.  It all depends on where they are.  At the end of the day…isn't THAT what Special Education is supposed to be all about?  Meeting students where they are, right now, and giving them what they need to go beyond what they've been told they can do.  To do more than show students shortcuts to cope.  How about giving them tools to learn?