Does this sound like anything you've come across? - Learning Disorders Message Board

Shmolissa · 01-21-2005, 05:06 PM

I am pretty sure that my son has some kind of a learning disorder but I'm not sure what to request to have him tested for. The following is a list of his symptoms:
1) He sounds out words but when spelling them adds in letters that don't even remotely sound like they fit in the word. Eg: adding f into the word read
2) He can study his spelling lists for hours but still not be able to spell the words when tested
3) He gets upset easily when doing school work and will cry if it requires effort.
4)He is in the 1st grade for the second time and has been printing for 3 years now but his letters are still very difficult to read.

On a positive point, he is however very good in math, and if presented with a topic that really interests him can stick with it for hours.

If this sounds like anything you have come across can you please give me some idea of what we should be looking into.
Thank you
Melissa

sammieP · 01-22-2005, 03:01 PM

I was apparently like this when i was younger, i dont remember personally but when i was looking into if i was dyslexic or not there was a questionair that my mother had to fill in and all the symptoms pointed to early dyslexia eg bottom crawling down the stairs instead of walking, i had speach therapy untill i was six (i dont remember this eaither!) i could sound out a word when spelling but would add f's or change s's to f's, i would study my box of words with my mum for hours but then when she asked me to spell them i wouldnt be able to, i would get frustrated, scream, cry and often have tantrums because i could not understand why i couldnt do it!

I hated school work and would cry when my mum told me i had to do it, probrably because i knew i would get frustrated, i would often pull at my hair because i thought it would help my brain work (i was young and assumed that if i did this it would turn it on lol

)

I do not wish to worry you or say that this is what your son has, i am not qualified to do this but have you thought of having him checked for dyslexia?

Sorry if ive written too much or rambled, hope this has helped a little, please keep me updated, i would like to know how he is getting on.

Shmolissa · 01-25-2005, 02:28 PM

Thank you very much for your input. I may just look into that.
Melissa

kenziesmom · 03-16-2005, 11:49 AM

I saw this note and wanted to respond as my 4th grade son has the same problem with adding letters where they don't belong in spelling. My son has a reading disorder and it is a visual thing he can see great but when he reads his brain interprets it as something completely different. Please convince the schoold to test him now while he is in the first grade and they can do more my son started showing signs of this at the same age and I tried to convince them to test him at the school he was in back then but they insisted he was to young I finally got him in a school that agreed to test him and he is 10 yrs old at the end of his 4th grade year and can barely read or write at a beginning second grade year until now he was just falling farther and farther behind hopefully now he will get help but if the school won't test him push the issue you have a right to test him and the school has to provide that testing either within the school or by an outside source which is where we are also headed now to get more recommendations on how to help him. I think if it had been cought sooner he wouldn't be so far behind now. I also wanted to add he is really good math so it isn that he isn't smart he just needs help. He also has a writting disability which acounts for his hand writing being so hard to read. good luck on your son I hope this helps

KB3 · 03-04-2006, 05:25 PM

Believe it or not, you have rights, esp. in public schools, even if your school does not share with you what they are. If you believe your child has a learning disability--be it reading, writing, ADHD, whatever you have the right to have the school district test. Just write a formal letter to the principal sdaying you want a full psychological evaluation due to XY and Z problems--they have 60 school days to preform said eval.

Or you can privately test-if you are unsure where to go approach your pediatricain with your concerns and they can recommend or go to a childrens hospital in your area-

Advantages of the school testing is they pay, advantages of private testing--it's private and you can decide to show the school your results or not, depending on what they find..sometimes if the child has adhd or anxieties parents would as soon keep this to themselves.

Having a 3rd grader diagnosed with a reading writing learning disability and ADHD the summer b4 2nd grade, I know what this is like. For 3 years the school told me he was fine was reading great, even after diagnosed with dyslexia-now in 3rd grade at a new school they tell me he's reading at a first grade level. Don't accept no until you get the answers you need, it would be better to get the help now than wait until your child is behind and frustrated with school.

P.S. Every week we study spelling words and he still will get 1 or 2 wrong if we don't study them at all he gets half of them wrong. He hates to read, and it is difficult for him to write stories. The school wanted to remove him to a Child development center and I fought them. He was so frustrated in school bc he had disabilities and wasn't helping him, they thought the adhd was his only issue...