Moms of Kids with Learning Differences Message Board & Chat Room - NEW

Linda - posted on 06/07/2013

My son is now 15 and will be attending High School for the first time in September. He has been epileptic since age 5, but with very low seizure activity, and he is successfully medicated daily. The problem is that he has tested to a borderline low IQ, and as a result has been very much delayed in his academic learning. He was an abused child as an infant, and we were able to foster parent him until we adopted him at age 3 or so. He is physically a very handsome young man and very athletic. He competes very easily with other kids his age at an above average level. My main concern is for his social acceptance among other kids his age and all people going forward. I can sense now that his peers, even those he has grown up with since early childhood, seem to be distancing themselves from him. This is despite the fact that he is an incredibly loving, warm and very compassionate person to everyone. Please help if you can with any information available to help my son in his life going forward.l

Carol - posted on 06/30/2012

I was reading Betty's post & thought I would reply. My son had an IEP for reading when he was in 1st grade. I worked with the school & over the summers with him & by the time his 3 yr anniversary came up he was testing grade level if not higher. The instructors at our school was so happy for him & proud. We did not need to send him to any other school. I would be concerned if the district you child is in is only interested in keeping the special education for the funding. May want to speak to the school board about that. I know I would.

Carol - posted on 06/30/2012

I am new here. My stepdaughter is 13. Her IQ is 67 & even though she will be in the 8th grade at the start of the school year, she can do 4-5 grade work at best. She was diagnosed with Mild mental retardation at the age of 6 years old. I joined this group to get advice & tips to help push her as far as she can go. Glad to be here & look forward to hearing all the different things in this community.

Sara - posted on 06/24/2012

I really want to find a support group with parents of kids with LD and ADHD-Im exhausted and need to talk with other parents about the challenges

Kacy - posted on 09/01/2011

hello my name is kacy, my son is 11 and has adhd,,,,i believe has one or multiple types of learning disabilities, and the school does not help me at all...i want to know where to take him to have him tested for the learning disabilities but dont know who to take him to....any suggestions? i have spoken to family doctor and all he says is well lets increase his dosage for the adhd, how does this help? someone please help me, i am soo frustrated

MARY - posted on 05/26/2009

HELLO I AM A NEW MEMBER. I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO DO THIS,BUT I AM GOING TO TRY. I HAVE A SON THAT DOSE HAVE LEARNING PROBABLEMS. HE HAS HAD THIS FROM THE DAY THAT HE WAS BORN. WHEN HE WAS LEARNING TO RIDE HIS BIKE IT TOOK HIM LONGER TO DO THAT .THEN IT DID WITH MY OTHER SON . HE ALSO SO HAS SPEECH ,READING, YOU NAME IT MY SON HAS IT . THE DR. HAS SAID THAT HE IS MENTAL RETARDED THAT IS HARD FOR ME TO SWALLOW . A MOTHER NEVER WONTS TO HEAR THAT THERE CHILD IS MENTAL RETARDED . WE ARE WORKING WITH THIS IT HAS GOT TO WHERE THAT HE CAN NOT EVEN HARDLY READ ANYTHING ANYMORE. SO IF YOU MOTHERS OUT THERE CAN HELP ME . WILL U PLEASE LET ME I DO NEED HELP AND DO NOT NO WHAT TO DO. THANKS FOR LISTENING TO ME

MARY KIDD.

Kim - posted on 05/13/2009

Hi I am back my now 7 year old son has been tested and i have been told that he has Intellectual Disability they strongly recommended that hes school reviews his curent placement in a mainstream classroom but the school thinks he is better off in mainstream i dont know what 2 do. can u help plz

Betty - posted on 04/04/2009

I have read several posts on this site. My oldest daughter was diagnosed with non specific learning disabilities by the school. She was in spec ed for reading & math since the 4th grade. In 6th grade I decided to enroll her in the Sylvan program. They were able to diagnose her specific disability better than the school. All she needed was to be taught phonics using haptic style methods. Once they can read, that is most of the battle! I ended up financing the program & in 1 1/2 years, she was caught up to grade level. The schools are more concerned with keeping kids in the spec ed program so they get the funding every year that the child is in it. If you really want to help your child, get them to a Sylvan learning center asap!

Kristal - posted on 03/13/2009

Quoting Yoruba:

Hello I am a new member. I don't know where to start because I don't really know what questions to ask. My son had a speech delay, he didn't start talking until he was almost 4. When he was in kindergarden he had problems putting on his clothes and shoes correctly, and he doesn't follow directions either. Now that he is iseven and in the first grade he is still working with the special education teachers because he has a form of a speech delay. But he is also has a delay in reading and math. The teachers are really helpful here. They are going to do a test his reading in January and if he doesn't pass they are going to determine what type of reading disability he has. I guess my question is I see on here so many different possibilities from dyslexia to auditory and visual processing. Which one should I be concentrating on so that I could help him.

If you want to start now talk to his teachers and ask what you can do at home to help him.  When you get the testing done then you will know where to zero in on so you can be more effective.

Lori - posted on 02/21/2009

genetics testing too!

Lori - posted on 02/21/2009

This may not be the most helpful information, but I would at the very least ask any, and ALL questions and look into every possible related disease online to check his symptoms because most places will test mostly with simple tests and not neccessarily consider all options. I'd also stay extremely involved with what they are doing, because a lot of them have pushed us by the wayside if we aren't constantly involved. I'd also get involved in teaching him at home also alongside them teaching. My sons have learned so much quicker with my help than what they've learned at school with so called trained teachers helping them.

Lori - posted on 02/21/2009

I am sick of the early intervention system. They state things about my son that I don't see and then when I explain to him that he's missed a lot of school they tell me no he hasn't , well I know if he has or has not! They tell me he is delayed because of mild retardation, I've worked around enough retarded or whatever the new name for it is, and he doesn't fit the description. I happen to know dyslexia and comprehension runs in our family but not retardation, so I asked my son how they teach him and he complained that they teach him once and if he doesn't know the answer they tell him the answer, he complains they don't even wait for him to think about it! I've had two sons in this program for years, and I completely distrust the whole system! They told me my other son was also always going to be set back , he is now in normal classes getting almost straight A's for 3 years now.

Kim - posted on 02/10/2009

Hi I a new member.I have never done this before. I have 2 boys aged 7 and 10, my 7 year old has a learning disorder did not start talking till 4, had a lot of trouble making friends and still dose as i have been told that mently he is 4-5 years old he also has ADD. He has been put into main stream school where my 10 year has no learning disorders but becuse scored lower then my 7 year old the school put my 10 year old in a compeset class and yet the one who needs the help cant get him in. My 7 year old has been going to speech and ot since 3 years old.He will need on going speech as he gets to a point and stops like he hits a wall and cant go ahead anymore he then usaly starts to drop behind and we have to teach him every thing all over it only happens with speech. What can i do and is there more then just a learning diffcaulty.

Amy - posted on 01/01/2009

A great book to read "A Special Education" by Dana Buchman. Very helpful. I have three children with language based learning differences. I have found you need to have highly qualified teachers who can work on both issues and help you to work on both issues. Speech Therapy and Occupational Therapy are important as well. I would spend time looking for the right professionals to help guide you. Also read everything you can get your hands on, especially if you are requesting services from your school district.

Michele - posted on 11/29/2008

Yoruba, one test that our son was given that narrowed down the trouble he was having with reading was the Woodcock-Johnson test. It's administered by psychologists and neuropsychologists. Is there a children's hospital near you that has a rehabilitation department? I'd talk to my pediatrician if I were you. Tell him you want to get your son tested for processing disorders too. I'd also get your son to a neurologist right away.



If he's already 7 you're running low on time as far as early intervention is concerned.

Yoruba - posted on 11/26/2008

Hello I am a new member. I don't know where to start because I don't really know what questions to ask. My son had a speech delay, he didn't start talking until he was almost 4. When he was in kindergarden he had problems putting on his clothes and shoes correctly, and he doesn't follow directions either. Now that he is iseven and in the first grade he is still working with the special education teachers because he has a form of a speech delay. But he is also has a delay in reading and math. The teachers are really helpful here. They are going to do a test his reading in January and if he doesn't pass they are going to determine what type of reading disability he has. I guess my question is I see on here so many different possibilities from dyslexia to auditory and visual processing. Which one should I be concentrating on so that I could help him.