Watch D.O.G.S. is a program that engages fathers in schools. Positive male role models are important for boys as well as girls, and having a positive male influence in a learning environment can be a powerful experience for a child. Primarily, the Watch D.O.G.S program has been an elementary-level program, completely run by volunteers, not administered by the school directly but usually via PTA organizations. I am signing up as a volunteer for the Evergreen School District and will be present at Covington Middle School with my daughter for one entire day, if not more.
My takeaway from the introduction meeting is not necessarily how wonderful this program is, which is definitely the impression I got about the program. It's not really the potential or the thought of influencing a child's life. It's how many men were there, estimating about 30, and how many of those took volunteer forms to fill out. Some wanted to fill them out immediately. It was amazing.
I am thrilled with the level of dad involvement at Covington. We have all heard the stereotypical dad scenario, overworked and not interested in being too involved with the children because the wife has that handled. This day and age, that is not as much the situation. Between two-income households where both parents are working, changes in work hours, and shifts in the dynamics of child-rearing, you would think it was obvious why men have that stereotype. However, it is more common, even if not enough so, to see a dad that has the responsibility of homework, parent-teacher conferences, extracurricular activities and, yes, even being the one volunteering at the school.
Consider joining the Watch D.O.G.S. program in your school, or start one up! Show your kid, and all the kids out there, that there is a positive male role model in town, and it's you!
Showing posts with label academics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label academics. Show all posts
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Feet and legs and school conferences
Today was Alayna's appointment at Shriner's Children's Hospital in Portland, OR. We saw a great orthopedic surgeon who used to be the Chief of Staff at the Honolulu, Hawaii Shriner's hospital. It was a LONG visit. It started with checking in, I of course thought, "I'm not driving, I don't need my purse." Um... Yea, our insurance cards are in my purse. (Joe has fax the cards into the hospital tomorrow.) Thankfully they were really great about that. Joe had to fill out a limited power of attorney form for me to be able to bring Alayna in for any other appointments.
They called us back a bit early, which was great because we arrived a good 30 minutes before our appointment time. They took Alayna's height and weight and all of our papers. The first doctor who came in to see Alayna was a doctor who was studying here in the US from Australia. He was really nice. He asked us about Alayna's life, from birth to now. He pushed, pulled, and prodded her arms and legs checking her range of motion and reflexes. She has little to no reflexes in her arms. After all of that he had Alayna walked up and down the hallway to watch how she walks. She does walk with a heel-toe gait on her right foot most of the time, but her left foot is almost always flat. He also noticed our concerns with her hips.
We went back into the room and waited some more. The nurse who works with the doctor we'll be seeing came in to check on us and explain how everything will work. Since Shriner's in Portland is a teaching hospital we'll end up seeing LOTS of doctors. Around this time we also discovered that Shriner's has a little table with snacks out in the hallway. Coffee, hot water for cocoa and tea, ice water, goldfish crackers, fruit roll ups, crackers, raisins, etc. Bella had all sorts of snacks while we waited, LOL
Finally the doctor came in and did some of the same stretches as the first doctor. She also watched Alayna walk up and down the hallway. She ordered x-rays of Alayna's hips. At that time I took Bella up to the third floor to the Halloween party they were having for the kids at the hospital. Bella got to paint a pumpkin, eat cookies, pick a toy, and play. We headed back down to check on Alayna and walked in on the tail end of a VERY important conversation between the doctors, the physical therapists they brought in, and the nurse.
As far as Alayna's hips are concerned they ARE turned out, at this point the doctors think it would be best to leave them alone though as it's something that Alayna can live with. With her muscles, ankles, and feet we have three options; treatment depends on our goals. Prior to any treatment they want Alayna to go in for a gait lab, which basically means they're going to record her walking and running to determine how to best help her. On to the options.
Option 1. Leave them alone and find a way to help Alayna work around it; however people who have the same problems as Alayna tend to have a lot of problems with walking, running, and tiring quickly (which Alayna does have trouble with).
Option 2. Is to do casting. Alayna will go in for casts to be placed on both feet and ankles. They will stretch Alayna's muscles out and then put the casts on. Alayna will have the walking boot over the casts. The goal of the casts is to stretch her muscles little by little. She will wear the set of casts for 10-14 days at which point we'll go back up to the hospital and get the casts off. They'll stretch her ankles and feet again and then put on new casts. We'll do this for about 6 weeks. At which point Alayna will get braces to continue the stretching.
Option 3 (which no one is really fond of) is surgery. The surgery to loosen her muscles to allow her to walk flat on her feet would take about an hour and she'd go home later that day. The surgery to turn her feet in the way they should be would be about 3-4 hours. It would require a 3-4 day hospital stay, and Alayna would leave the hospital using a walker.
In the event that option 2 doesn't work, we may still end up with option 3.
Joe and I have decided that we're going to go with option 2. Obviously we're working our tails off to meet Alayna's needs so we don't really like option 1 at all, and option 3 seems to be REALLY invasive, especially considering that we have another option.
Shriner's is going to call us to schedule the gait lab. That'll be a good 2 hours, after the gait lab Alayna will get her first set of casts. We aren't sure how far out that will be scheduled, but the doctor said it could be up to 2 months. The plus side to that is we'll have established physical therapy at that point and it'll give us a couple months to see how regular PT and follow through of exercises will work in helping Alayna.
OK, onto school conferences.
Brooklyn:
OK, so Brooklyn did NOT tell anyone about what happened to her face. I've spoken with everyone possible about it. Miss Karla said she does talk to Brooklyn almost every day, but that Brooklyn did not come to her.
Brooklyn still rarely speaks in class. She has show some GREAT reading skills and excellent math skills. Her writing skills... Not so hot. She can write ALL of her letters upper and lower case. When it's writing time the kids draw pictures and then write a bit about what their pictures are about. Brooklyn just writes her alphabet (upper and lower case) along the bottom of her picture. We discussed how Brooklyn can write words at home, but generally asks us what words she should spell first. So, her teacher said she could start doing that with Brooklyn when she draws.
I feel better about Brooklyn's teacher after today's meeting. I'm still not 100% about her, but I definitely feel better about her. We're still working towards an IEP for Brooklyn. I'm a bit frustrated that it's taken so long, especially after they have been so great at getting Alayna's done so quickly.
Aiden:
Aiden is doing great. His teacher had a LOT of great things to say about him :) He has EXCELLENT math skills, although he still needs to focus on memorizing his multiplication facts (which is where he and his class are right now). His teacher said that she's confident that she can put anything possible in front of Aiden to read and she knows that he could read it and understand it. His writing is still a struggle, but we're working on that both at home and at school. He's going to start speech therapy at school with the speech therapist for the stuttering. He hasn't out grown it and it's getting in his way of reading aloud.
Alayna:
There's never anything bad to say about Alayna :) Her teacher had each of the kids make their own goals with math, reading, and other. Alayna's goals are: to get better at geometry, have better fluency in reading, and to get better at making friends. We decided to keep those goals, but just amend the friend one to "make at least one good friend". We also agreed on how we would help Alayna meet those goals both in the classroom and at home.
Alayna's mom also showed up at the conference, so that was great. We were able to talk to her about the options we were given at Shriner's and the contacts that Alayna's eye doctor prescribed. She agrees with us that casts would be the best option and that we should try the contacts.
We are FINALLY home, dinner is done, homework is done, and I am ready to crash!
They called us back a bit early, which was great because we arrived a good 30 minutes before our appointment time. They took Alayna's height and weight and all of our papers. The first doctor who came in to see Alayna was a doctor who was studying here in the US from Australia. He was really nice. He asked us about Alayna's life, from birth to now. He pushed, pulled, and prodded her arms and legs checking her range of motion and reflexes. She has little to no reflexes in her arms. After all of that he had Alayna walked up and down the hallway to watch how she walks. She does walk with a heel-toe gait on her right foot most of the time, but her left foot is almost always flat. He also noticed our concerns with her hips.
We went back into the room and waited some more. The nurse who works with the doctor we'll be seeing came in to check on us and explain how everything will work. Since Shriner's in Portland is a teaching hospital we'll end up seeing LOTS of doctors. Around this time we also discovered that Shriner's has a little table with snacks out in the hallway. Coffee, hot water for cocoa and tea, ice water, goldfish crackers, fruit roll ups, crackers, raisins, etc. Bella had all sorts of snacks while we waited, LOL
Finally the doctor came in and did some of the same stretches as the first doctor. She also watched Alayna walk up and down the hallway. She ordered x-rays of Alayna's hips. At that time I took Bella up to the third floor to the Halloween party they were having for the kids at the hospital. Bella got to paint a pumpkin, eat cookies, pick a toy, and play. We headed back down to check on Alayna and walked in on the tail end of a VERY important conversation between the doctors, the physical therapists they brought in, and the nurse.
As far as Alayna's hips are concerned they ARE turned out, at this point the doctors think it would be best to leave them alone though as it's something that Alayna can live with. With her muscles, ankles, and feet we have three options; treatment depends on our goals. Prior to any treatment they want Alayna to go in for a gait lab, which basically means they're going to record her walking and running to determine how to best help her. On to the options.
Option 1. Leave them alone and find a way to help Alayna work around it; however people who have the same problems as Alayna tend to have a lot of problems with walking, running, and tiring quickly (which Alayna does have trouble with).
Option 2. Is to do casting. Alayna will go in for casts to be placed on both feet and ankles. They will stretch Alayna's muscles out and then put the casts on. Alayna will have the walking boot over the casts. The goal of the casts is to stretch her muscles little by little. She will wear the set of casts for 10-14 days at which point we'll go back up to the hospital and get the casts off. They'll stretch her ankles and feet again and then put on new casts. We'll do this for about 6 weeks. At which point Alayna will get braces to continue the stretching.
Option 3 (which no one is really fond of) is surgery. The surgery to loosen her muscles to allow her to walk flat on her feet would take about an hour and she'd go home later that day. The surgery to turn her feet in the way they should be would be about 3-4 hours. It would require a 3-4 day hospital stay, and Alayna would leave the hospital using a walker.
In the event that option 2 doesn't work, we may still end up with option 3.
Joe and I have decided that we're going to go with option 2. Obviously we're working our tails off to meet Alayna's needs so we don't really like option 1 at all, and option 3 seems to be REALLY invasive, especially considering that we have another option.
Shriner's is going to call us to schedule the gait lab. That'll be a good 2 hours, after the gait lab Alayna will get her first set of casts. We aren't sure how far out that will be scheduled, but the doctor said it could be up to 2 months. The plus side to that is we'll have established physical therapy at that point and it'll give us a couple months to see how regular PT and follow through of exercises will work in helping Alayna.
OK, onto school conferences.
Brooklyn:
OK, so Brooklyn did NOT tell anyone about what happened to her face. I've spoken with everyone possible about it. Miss Karla said she does talk to Brooklyn almost every day, but that Brooklyn did not come to her.
Brooklyn still rarely speaks in class. She has show some GREAT reading skills and excellent math skills. Her writing skills... Not so hot. She can write ALL of her letters upper and lower case. When it's writing time the kids draw pictures and then write a bit about what their pictures are about. Brooklyn just writes her alphabet (upper and lower case) along the bottom of her picture. We discussed how Brooklyn can write words at home, but generally asks us what words she should spell first. So, her teacher said she could start doing that with Brooklyn when she draws.
I feel better about Brooklyn's teacher after today's meeting. I'm still not 100% about her, but I definitely feel better about her. We're still working towards an IEP for Brooklyn. I'm a bit frustrated that it's taken so long, especially after they have been so great at getting Alayna's done so quickly.
Aiden:
Aiden is doing great. His teacher had a LOT of great things to say about him :) He has EXCELLENT math skills, although he still needs to focus on memorizing his multiplication facts (which is where he and his class are right now). His teacher said that she's confident that she can put anything possible in front of Aiden to read and she knows that he could read it and understand it. His writing is still a struggle, but we're working on that both at home and at school. He's going to start speech therapy at school with the speech therapist for the stuttering. He hasn't out grown it and it's getting in his way of reading aloud.
Alayna:
There's never anything bad to say about Alayna :) Her teacher had each of the kids make their own goals with math, reading, and other. Alayna's goals are: to get better at geometry, have better fluency in reading, and to get better at making friends. We decided to keep those goals, but just amend the friend one to "make at least one good friend". We also agreed on how we would help Alayna meet those goals both in the classroom and at home.
Alayna's mom also showed up at the conference, so that was great. We were able to talk to her about the options we were given at Shriner's and the contacts that Alayna's eye doctor prescribed. She agrees with us that casts would be the best option and that we should try the contacts.
We are FINALLY home, dinner is done, homework is done, and I am ready to crash!
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Coursera.org Part 2
Well, I've finished my first week of class, and I have to say I'm very impressed with the set up. This is my professor, Mohamed Noor, http://fds.duke.edu/db/aas/Biology/noor
So, some of my fears before starting this course were:
1. That I would be totally lost and not have a CLUE what was being taught
2. That the course would be based on atheism (that they would try to disprove the existence of God by proving evolution)
3. That I wouldn't have time to listen to the lectures and complete the quizzes each week
What I've found is that:
1. I'm not lost, everything that has been taught so far is building upon basic high school biology, or was previously addressed in my high school biology classes.
2. The teacher is neither trying to prove or disprove the existence of God. He even brought up examples of biologists who have a strong faith in a religion and explains of biologists who are atheists. Professor Noor stated that the proof of evolution itself neither proves or disproves the existence of God. I've also decided (as prior to this I was unsure) that I believe 100% that the theory of Evolution should be taught in ALL public schools. As well, the theory of evolution does NOT explain HOW or WHY life arose. It also doesn't state that humans evolved from chimpanzees, but that all things alive today evolved from a common ancestor. This doesn't directly disregard Creationism.
3. So far I have had enough time. This may change week to week depending on what we have going on. This week was particularly difficult as we had appointments on two afternoons AND a three day weekend. This next week may also be difficult as all day tomorrow (Monday, we have appointments) and again on Wednesday afternoon we have another appointment.
I'm very excited to see where coursera takes me. I doubt that any of the courses I plan to take will ever be useful in my life as far as employment, but they satisfy my love of learning without the added cost of taking random courses at a local college.
I'm sure that many people will find courses through coursera.org that WILL benefit their employ-ability making them more desirable to potential employees. My husband has found several offered courses that offer certificates that he could use for potential employment.
For me, this is just a way for me to have ME time; something MANY moms neglect. I can't always afford a night out with my girl friends, I can't always afford to go to the salon, or other activities to relax. And to be honest, 95% of the time I'd probably prefer to learn something new.
Keep an eye out for part 3 after mid-terms (around November 19th or so)
So, some of my fears before starting this course were:
1. That I would be totally lost and not have a CLUE what was being taught
2. That the course would be based on atheism (that they would try to disprove the existence of God by proving evolution)
3. That I wouldn't have time to listen to the lectures and complete the quizzes each week
What I've found is that:
1. I'm not lost, everything that has been taught so far is building upon basic high school biology, or was previously addressed in my high school biology classes.
2. The teacher is neither trying to prove or disprove the existence of God. He even brought up examples of biologists who have a strong faith in a religion and explains of biologists who are atheists. Professor Noor stated that the proof of evolution itself neither proves or disproves the existence of God. I've also decided (as prior to this I was unsure) that I believe 100% that the theory of Evolution should be taught in ALL public schools. As well, the theory of evolution does NOT explain HOW or WHY life arose. It also doesn't state that humans evolved from chimpanzees, but that all things alive today evolved from a common ancestor. This doesn't directly disregard Creationism.
3. So far I have had enough time. This may change week to week depending on what we have going on. This week was particularly difficult as we had appointments on two afternoons AND a three day weekend. This next week may also be difficult as all day tomorrow (Monday, we have appointments) and again on Wednesday afternoon we have another appointment.
I'm very excited to see where coursera takes me. I doubt that any of the courses I plan to take will ever be useful in my life as far as employment, but they satisfy my love of learning without the added cost of taking random courses at a local college.
I'm sure that many people will find courses through coursera.org that WILL benefit their employ-ability making them more desirable to potential employees. My husband has found several offered courses that offer certificates that he could use for potential employment.
For me, this is just a way for me to have ME time; something MANY moms neglect. I can't always afford a night out with my girl friends, I can't always afford to go to the salon, or other activities to relax. And to be honest, 95% of the time I'd probably prefer to learn something new.
Keep an eye out for part 3 after mid-terms (around November 19th or so)
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Be consistent with teachers when helping with homework
Curriculum night at Image Elementary was quick but helpful. This is the first year the kids are in public school since Aiden was at Roosevelt Elementary in the Vancouver School District. On top of that, Brooklyn hasn't been in school before, and Alayna is transitioning from private, Christian-centered school to public school. So much going on now. It's very confusing, and I want to be as effective in complementing in-class time as possible. Why? Because I believe education is the most important part of their life, what will make or break their success in the future. Nothing is more important.
Listening to the teachers, they each had the same graphic in each classroom: a triangle that connected "Students", "Teachers", and "Parents". The school is also pushing parental involvement because they know, like I do, that if students are left to their own devices, or they believe that teachers and parents don't know what each other are doing, students at their age will not be self-motivated enough to get a consistent application of the knowledge they are absorbing.
We as parents can challenge our children in ways the school cannot or will not. We can also create confusion when different messages are being given to a child. Ever heard an adult say, "You'll never use that kind of math in the real world," and really mean it? They were probably told that by peers or parents and that's how they approached their learning. These same kids either didn't get to advanced algebra or calculus, or they did and never did anything with it. They really needed to know that calculus and scientific careers go hand in hand, that trigonometry and programming complement each other. They needed to hear that if you know how to write in correct grammar with a large vocabulary you can be a news correspondent, a presidential speech writer or a cutting-edge blogger. And they needed to understand that it really does improve their ability to make money, enjoy their work and share their skills with the world.
It seems reasonable that the easiest thing we can do as parents is make the language, tone and encouragement that the teachers give their students a common practice during school work at home. When a teacher helping a student with a math problem is saying, "You're on the right track, you just need to try this and you'll have it," but when the student is home his or her parent is saying, "You know this. Why is it you can't just do the work like I know you can? I think you're just being lazy," there is a clearly mixed message between educational authorities.
Good teachers are trained to be and will consistently be positive and encouraging to a student. As they get older, you can adjust your approach depending on how your child works best (some kids end up working better when they're challenged to do it right and seeing where they got it wrong; it's a fact). But again it has to be consistent with what the school is doing with your child. If you believe your teacher is not teaching the way that is best fitting with your older child's learning habits, you need to be willing to work with them to make it right.
So think about how you are speaking when you are trying to get a pesky math sheet done with an 8-year-old, a book report flushed out with a 6th grader, or even a penmanship page with a kindergartner. Are you telling them how much you think they could do but are not, or are you telling them they're on the right track and you know they can get it if they try again? Are your words positive, encouraging and motivating? Or are they discouraged because you've just told them they are lazy and not trying? You have an effect on their ability to learn in the classroom because you are their parents. No matter how much they may say they don't care about what you think, they do. They always do.
For more ideas on how to give positive, constructive feedback to a student, whether helping with homework or homeschooling, check out the following references:
Listening to the teachers, they each had the same graphic in each classroom: a triangle that connected "Students", "Teachers", and "Parents". The school is also pushing parental involvement because they know, like I do, that if students are left to their own devices, or they believe that teachers and parents don't know what each other are doing, students at their age will not be self-motivated enough to get a consistent application of the knowledge they are absorbing.
We as parents can challenge our children in ways the school cannot or will not. We can also create confusion when different messages are being given to a child. Ever heard an adult say, "You'll never use that kind of math in the real world," and really mean it? They were probably told that by peers or parents and that's how they approached their learning. These same kids either didn't get to advanced algebra or calculus, or they did and never did anything with it. They really needed to know that calculus and scientific careers go hand in hand, that trigonometry and programming complement each other. They needed to hear that if you know how to write in correct grammar with a large vocabulary you can be a news correspondent, a presidential speech writer or a cutting-edge blogger. And they needed to understand that it really does improve their ability to make money, enjoy their work and share their skills with the world.
It seems reasonable that the easiest thing we can do as parents is make the language, tone and encouragement that the teachers give their students a common practice during school work at home. When a teacher helping a student with a math problem is saying, "You're on the right track, you just need to try this and you'll have it," but when the student is home his or her parent is saying, "You know this. Why is it you can't just do the work like I know you can? I think you're just being lazy," there is a clearly mixed message between educational authorities.
Good teachers are trained to be and will consistently be positive and encouraging to a student. As they get older, you can adjust your approach depending on how your child works best (some kids end up working better when they're challenged to do it right and seeing where they got it wrong; it's a fact). But again it has to be consistent with what the school is doing with your child. If you believe your teacher is not teaching the way that is best fitting with your older child's learning habits, you need to be willing to work with them to make it right.
So think about how you are speaking when you are trying to get a pesky math sheet done with an 8-year-old, a book report flushed out with a 6th grader, or even a penmanship page with a kindergartner. Are you telling them how much you think they could do but are not, or are you telling them they're on the right track and you know they can get it if they try again? Are your words positive, encouraging and motivating? Or are they discouraged because you've just told them they are lazy and not trying? You have an effect on their ability to learn in the classroom because you are their parents. No matter how much they may say they don't care about what you think, they do. They always do.
For more ideas on how to give positive, constructive feedback to a student, whether helping with homework or homeschooling, check out the following references:
- Some basics from the Department of Education's Learning Partners program.
- More homework basics from the University of Illinois Urban Extension program.
- Focus on Effectiveness, part of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, on Reinforcing Effort (Dr. Mel Levine)
- WikiHow.com article on how to get kids to do homework.
- Larry Ferlazzo's three-part series on engaging parents in education as posted on Education Week's blog.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
An education in futility via the Department of Education
According to the Department of Education for FY 2009, the cohort default rate for all student loans was 8.8 percent, and for for-profit schools (like the ones I went to) it is 15 percent. Wait, did I read that right? 8.8 percent overall, but 15 percent just for for-profit schools? In the data, that's a larger percentage than the other school categories. With a higher rate of default in the last few years, you would think that there would be more ways designed to get people out of default. Boy, that would be great.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Amazing news!!
Well, the average person probably wouldn't find this "amazing" news, but to us, that is exactly what it is!
Today was Brooklyn's intake appointment for a new behavior modification therapy. There's a bit of back story that's required before I get into today's exciting news.
*Back story: A little more than18 months ago Brooklyn started behavior modification therapy for the first time. At the time, I had NO idea what to expect or what my concerns actually were. All I knew is that my almost 4 year old was completely uncontrollable. She was aggressive, impulsive, didn't listen, had massive meltdowns at the store, and was like a 120+mph wild ball of energy. The therapist diagnosed Brooklyn with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). The more I learned about ODD, the more I thought "there's NO way Brooklyn has ODD." You see, Brooklyn was not intentionally defiant.
After about 5 months of this, I went back to our pediatrician, again in tears, BEGGING for help. The therapy wasn't working. As I desperately tried to keep my daughter from tearing down the walls (she instead alternated between shredding the paper over the exam table, jumping off of the exam table, and ripping things from her sister's hands), our pediatrician suggested we consider trying medication for ADHD. This was the first time ADHD was brought up. Previous to this, I will admit I thought ADHD was a bunch of bull poo. I thought it was an over diagnosed excuse for insanely out of control children with crappy parenting. The doctor wrote out a prescription for 5mg of Adderall. 2 weeks later I still hadn't filled the prescription... That was the night that Brooklyn drank about 1/4 of my espresso while I was making dinner. That was also the first time Brooklyn sat still during dinner, ate her food in one sitting, and went to bed without a knock-down-drag-out battle. The next day we filled the prescription.
I can tell you, I INSTANTLY noticed a difference in Brooklyn's behavior. My 120+mph wild ball of energy was now a 60mph ball of less energy. It wasn't perfect, but it brought things down to such a level that it FELT perfect. We stopped the useless behavior modification therapy; 6 months wasted. But, as time progressed, I began to notice that the Adderall was not the magic-cure-all I had hoped. So, back to the pediatrician we went, this time armed with research. Research about Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning Autism) in girls and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Our pediatrician said no way to both suggestions and upped Brooklyn's Adderall to 10mg.
I continued my research online. I KNEW it wasn't just ADHD, there was something else. The more research I did, the more I kept coming back to Aspergers/high functioning Autism. Again, our pediatrician again said no way. You see, Brooklyn doesn't have severe social issues, therefore our pediatrician said it was highly unlikely. So, I compiled more information, printing out a 15 page Aspergers checklist and completing it based on what my husband and I saw daily in Brooklyn. And that is when I made an appointment with a different pediatrician for a second opinion.
And, for the first time, I felt like at least half of what I was saying was being listened to. Again, I was told it was unlikely that it was Aspergers, but that SPD was a possibility. We were referred to a different therapy location for NEW behavior modification therapy. I have to tell you, I didn't think it would do much good. But, it was a starting point. You see, our insurance wont approve of Autism OR SPD evaluations until we can prove that it's necessary. So, we went into the appointment today.
That ends the back story.
Onto today's appointment. We arrived 15 minutes early so I could fill out the MOUNTAIN of paperwork. Mental health history, health history, family mental health history, family health history.... Well, you get the idea. They picked up our paperwork and about 10 minutes later we were called back for our appointment. I explained my concerns with Aspergers and SPD and we discussed Brooklyn while the therapist tried her best to engage Brooklyn (it did NOT happen) and observed Brooklyn playing with Bella and Aiden. Finally, after about 90 minutes the therapist said to me "I am not comfortable making any type of diagnosis after just one visit, but I believe that Brooklyn IS on the spectrum. ADHD is not the only thing going on with her." That would be the autism spectrum. I cried. Not because I was worried or scared, but because I KNEW. And finally my concerns were being listened to. Finally someone saw what I saw. FINALLY!
Finally I could start working in the right direction to getting my daughter the help she needs to over come the bumps along the road of life. This was truly the best news I could have received. Even now, hours later, I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest. We have a game plan.
The plan isn't big, the plan isn't fancy, but it's a plan.
1. We will be meeting with a psychiatrist to discuss options for medication for the ADHD, I'd like to consider herbal options as they tend to have much less dangerous side effects than pharmaceutical stimulants. I don't think we'll be able to get Brooklyn off of medication completely any time soon. Without the medication Brooklyn is a mess; that's really the only way to describe her off of her Adderall. But, the hope is that we can find the best fit for her to give her the ability to attend school without any issues.
2. We will be starting therapy with a therapist who works with ADHD and Autism. There are 3 goals here, to teach Brooklyn some type of impulse control, to help Brooklyn be able to function well enough in school to reach her academic potential, and to prove to our insurance company that a full Autism evaluation at either OHSU or Providence is necessary.
3. As soon as school starts we will be requesting a full IEP for Brooklyn, especially an OT (occupational therapy) evaluation, as they would be best able to deal with the sensory issues.
So, good news hearing that our daughter most likely has Autism.
Today was Brooklyn's intake appointment for a new behavior modification therapy. There's a bit of back story that's required before I get into today's exciting news.
*Back story: A little more than18 months ago Brooklyn started behavior modification therapy for the first time. At the time, I had NO idea what to expect or what my concerns actually were. All I knew is that my almost 4 year old was completely uncontrollable. She was aggressive, impulsive, didn't listen, had massive meltdowns at the store, and was like a 120+mph wild ball of energy. The therapist diagnosed Brooklyn with Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). The more I learned about ODD, the more I thought "there's NO way Brooklyn has ODD." You see, Brooklyn was not intentionally defiant.
After about 5 months of this, I went back to our pediatrician, again in tears, BEGGING for help. The therapy wasn't working. As I desperately tried to keep my daughter from tearing down the walls (she instead alternated between shredding the paper over the exam table, jumping off of the exam table, and ripping things from her sister's hands), our pediatrician suggested we consider trying medication for ADHD. This was the first time ADHD was brought up. Previous to this, I will admit I thought ADHD was a bunch of bull poo. I thought it was an over diagnosed excuse for insanely out of control children with crappy parenting. The doctor wrote out a prescription for 5mg of Adderall. 2 weeks later I still hadn't filled the prescription... That was the night that Brooklyn drank about 1/4 of my espresso while I was making dinner. That was also the first time Brooklyn sat still during dinner, ate her food in one sitting, and went to bed without a knock-down-drag-out battle. The next day we filled the prescription.
I can tell you, I INSTANTLY noticed a difference in Brooklyn's behavior. My 120+mph wild ball of energy was now a 60mph ball of less energy. It wasn't perfect, but it brought things down to such a level that it FELT perfect. We stopped the useless behavior modification therapy; 6 months wasted. But, as time progressed, I began to notice that the Adderall was not the magic-cure-all I had hoped. So, back to the pediatrician we went, this time armed with research. Research about Aspergers Syndrome (high functioning Autism) in girls and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Our pediatrician said no way to both suggestions and upped Brooklyn's Adderall to 10mg.
I continued my research online. I KNEW it wasn't just ADHD, there was something else. The more research I did, the more I kept coming back to Aspergers/high functioning Autism. Again, our pediatrician again said no way. You see, Brooklyn doesn't have severe social issues, therefore our pediatrician said it was highly unlikely. So, I compiled more information, printing out a 15 page Aspergers checklist and completing it based on what my husband and I saw daily in Brooklyn. And that is when I made an appointment with a different pediatrician for a second opinion.
And, for the first time, I felt like at least half of what I was saying was being listened to. Again, I was told it was unlikely that it was Aspergers, but that SPD was a possibility. We were referred to a different therapy location for NEW behavior modification therapy. I have to tell you, I didn't think it would do much good. But, it was a starting point. You see, our insurance wont approve of Autism OR SPD evaluations until we can prove that it's necessary. So, we went into the appointment today.
That ends the back story.
Onto today's appointment. We arrived 15 minutes early so I could fill out the MOUNTAIN of paperwork. Mental health history, health history, family mental health history, family health history.... Well, you get the idea. They picked up our paperwork and about 10 minutes later we were called back for our appointment. I explained my concerns with Aspergers and SPD and we discussed Brooklyn while the therapist tried her best to engage Brooklyn (it did NOT happen) and observed Brooklyn playing with Bella and Aiden. Finally, after about 90 minutes the therapist said to me "I am not comfortable making any type of diagnosis after just one visit, but I believe that Brooklyn IS on the spectrum. ADHD is not the only thing going on with her." That would be the autism spectrum. I cried. Not because I was worried or scared, but because I KNEW. And finally my concerns were being listened to. Finally someone saw what I saw. FINALLY!
Finally I could start working in the right direction to getting my daughter the help she needs to over come the bumps along the road of life. This was truly the best news I could have received. Even now, hours later, I feel as if a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest. We have a game plan.
The plan isn't big, the plan isn't fancy, but it's a plan.
1. We will be meeting with a psychiatrist to discuss options for medication for the ADHD, I'd like to consider herbal options as they tend to have much less dangerous side effects than pharmaceutical stimulants. I don't think we'll be able to get Brooklyn off of medication completely any time soon. Without the medication Brooklyn is a mess; that's really the only way to describe her off of her Adderall. But, the hope is that we can find the best fit for her to give her the ability to attend school without any issues.
2. We will be starting therapy with a therapist who works with ADHD and Autism. There are 3 goals here, to teach Brooklyn some type of impulse control, to help Brooklyn be able to function well enough in school to reach her academic potential, and to prove to our insurance company that a full Autism evaluation at either OHSU or Providence is necessary.
3. As soon as school starts we will be requesting a full IEP for Brooklyn, especially an OT (occupational therapy) evaluation, as they would be best able to deal with the sensory issues.
So, good news hearing that our daughter most likely has Autism.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Kindergarten
Today was Brooklyn's Kindergarten orientation. It went well. She had a bit of an issue separating from me at first, but did great. They took all the kids off on a tour of the school, they go to play in the gym while meeting the PE teacher and play in the music room while meeting the music teacher The parents got to learn about Kindergarten curriculum.
Apparently I was the only person in the room who had questions about what happens when your child knows all of the things you plan to teach them.
With writing the teachers were talking about how they'd do handwriting practice every day and that the initial focus was to get the kids to draw a picture, then add details in, then add in letters for the beginning word sounds, then words, then sentences, then finally sentences with details. Um.. Brooklyn's writing sentences. I was the only one with a question about the teachers meeting the needs of kids who have already passed those areas.
With reading they mentioned that they have kids who range in skill from about the age of 3-8 and that they were prepared to meet the need of the kids in those skill levels. Brooklyn's reading Kindergarten-1st grade 1 page "stories". I was the only one who's child is already reading.
In math... They are going to teach the kids how to count objects, to understand the idea of numbers. That they'll eventually teach the kids how to add small numbers (like the dots on a domino, how many are on the left, how many are on the right, how many total). Then, towards the end of the year they'll finally get to do actual addition. Brooklyn is doing double digit addition with no carrying, and double digit subtraction with no borrowing. She can count objects to over 100... I was the only person who had questions about the teachers meeting the needs of kids who have already passed those areas.
The principal, assistance principal, and Kindergarten teachers say they shouldn't have a problem meeting Brooklyn's needs curriculum wise. I really hope they can. I don't want to have to butt heads with the school to make sure that her academic needs are being met.
There were no complaints from anyone about Brooklyn's behavior. Although, I don't know if she actually interacted with the other students. But, my baby girl is well on her way to being a Kindergartner!!
Apparently I was the only person in the room who had questions about what happens when your child knows all of the things you plan to teach them.
With writing the teachers were talking about how they'd do handwriting practice every day and that the initial focus was to get the kids to draw a picture, then add details in, then add in letters for the beginning word sounds, then words, then sentences, then finally sentences with details. Um.. Brooklyn's writing sentences. I was the only one with a question about the teachers meeting the needs of kids who have already passed those areas.
With reading they mentioned that they have kids who range in skill from about the age of 3-8 and that they were prepared to meet the need of the kids in those skill levels. Brooklyn's reading Kindergarten-1st grade 1 page "stories". I was the only one who's child is already reading.
In math... They are going to teach the kids how to count objects, to understand the idea of numbers. That they'll eventually teach the kids how to add small numbers (like the dots on a domino, how many are on the left, how many are on the right, how many total). Then, towards the end of the year they'll finally get to do actual addition. Brooklyn is doing double digit addition with no carrying, and double digit subtraction with no borrowing. She can count objects to over 100... I was the only person who had questions about the teachers meeting the needs of kids who have already passed those areas.
The principal, assistance principal, and Kindergarten teachers say they shouldn't have a problem meeting Brooklyn's needs curriculum wise. I really hope they can. I don't want to have to butt heads with the school to make sure that her academic needs are being met.
There were no complaints from anyone about Brooklyn's behavior. Although, I don't know if she actually interacted with the other students. But, my baby girl is well on her way to being a Kindergartner!!
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