Anyone caring for a child/loved one on the Spectrum?

[Grimm]

Two years ago the public school Roo was going to forced us to get her tested for ADHD. We did and got a diagnosis of ADHD with ODD. This was all based on spending an hour with the 'doctor' and her watching Roo play and act like a total knuckle head in a new environment with an indoor jungle gym. We took the diagnosis back to the school and asked for a 504 be done so we could get the needed help and support for Roo in the classroom. They sat on their asses and did nothing. It seemed like they wanted an excuse to ignore her in the classroom and complain about her behavior. That was when I decided to homeschool Roo. I spent the rest of the school year fighting for the 504 we never got and getting my ducks in a row to homeschool. I even found a homeschool co-op and signed up with the HSLDA.

Now we have finished our first full year homeschooling and Roo did well. We are finding what works for her and us as a family and her "ADHD" seems non existent but I have noticed a lot of behavior that screams ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). My concern now is how do I go about having Roo diagnosed or even evaluated? I know I most likely am on the Spectrum and it is normal for girls/women to get diagnosed late in life because of camouflaging or masking symptoms to fit in (appear normal or not be stigmatized) but no one seems to test older girl children past 4 years old.

We don't see the pediatrician until November and I don't trust the psychological medical community to give a true diagnosis as they failed on the ADHD diagnosis. Who do I take her to to get checked/diagnosed/'tested'?

 

[dademoss]

In my county in Ohio, I could direct you to some resources, but it's strictly a county thing here. Google "CASA" for your state/county and see if there is an advocate organization there. A "CASA", Court Appointed Special Advocate, is a volunteer that helps a child in foster care get the services needed on behalf of the court system. A group in your area may be able to direct you towards some resources.

 

[Supervisor42]

Two years ago the public school Roo was going to forced us to get her tested for ADHD. We did and got a diagnosis of ADHD with ODD. This was all based on spending an hour with the 'doctor' and her watching Roo play and act like a total knuckle head in a new environment with an indoor jungle gym. We took the diagnosis back to the school and asked for a 504 be done so we could get the needed help and support for Roo in the classroom. They sat on their asses and did nothing. It seemed like they wanted an excuse to ignore her in the classroom and complain about her behavior. That was when I decided to homeschool Roo. I spent the rest of the school year fighting for the 504 we never got and getting my ducks in a row to homeschool. I even found a homeschool co-op and signed up with the HSLDA.

Now we have finished our first full year homeschooling and Roo did well. We are finding what works for her and us as a family and her "ADHD" seems non existent but I have noticed a lot of behavior that screams ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). My concern now is how do I go about having Roo diagnosed or even evaluated? I know I most likely am on the Spectrum and it is normal for girls/women to get diagnosed late in life because of camouflaging or masking symptoms to fit in (appear normal or not be stigmatized) but no one seems to test older girl children past 4 years old.

We don't see the pediatrician until November and I don't trust the psychological medical community to give a true diagnosis as they failed on the ADHD diagnosis. Who do I take her to to get checked/diagnosed/'tested'?

Oh, please don't get her tossed into the 'disabled' bin.
I was fortunate enough to go to school before autism and ADHD were invented.
They knew I was dislexic. But they couldn't keep my attention.
I was definitely a poster-child of what would later become labeled ADD.
If I had a nickel for every report card I brought home that said: "Super daydreams in class" I could have retired 10 years early. I was a solid D+ student in everything, except science. Top of the class.
When I got in high-school one educator suggested: "maybe we're just boring him?"
They threw college level science, physics, biology stuff at me and I ate it up.
I hate to think what would have happened to me if I had been stuck in "Special class".
When I got out of high-school it didn't take people long to discover my 'gift'.
And it wasn't college!
Remembering the author's name that wrote 'Little Women', I could not do.
Remembering this, I can do:

Maybe have them spend some time diagnosing what is right with her instead of why they don't think she fits their form of "normal".

 

[Grimm]

In my county in Ohio, I could direct you to some resources, but it's strictly a county thing here. Google "CASA" for your state/county and see if there is an advocate organization there. A "CASA", Court Appointed Special Advocate, is a volunteer that helps a child in foster care get the services needed on behalf of the court system. A group in your area may be able to direct you towards some resources.

Thanks!

We are still in California in the sticks near the mountains. The school was in one county and we moved back in November to a different one. Since your information can't help me maybe post a short list here for your area might help someone else in this boat.

I'll call around and ask the pediatrician's office if they know. I'll check with the new school district to see how they handle ASD and I'll call the co-op in August when the office is open again.

We are thinking a support dog would be good for Roo but we want to make sure it will actually help so we don't end up with a third dog for nothing (though I'd love a new dog). I have been researching and if we did go this route it would be at least a year before we starting looking for a dog.

 

[rusty]

My 24 year old son is autistic. The school estimated his IQ at 79. This was after he did his senior year in 4 1/2 hours a week and graduated. His doctor tested him and said his IQ was around 160. He just taught himself to read and write Japanese. Never trust a public school to test anyone.

 

[Sentry18]

My Lieutenant has a son with autism who just made it to high school and a Sergeant with a son who is 4 year old on the spectrum. Both were diagnosed pretty early. The LT put his son into special school programs and he is doing quite well. The SGT is keeping his son at home and he is also doing well. Seems to me like how well they do is not based on the where or the how, but on the parent and what they are willing to do for the child. In that regard, I am sure your child will be just fine.

 

[Grimm]

Oh, please don't get her tossed into the 'disabled' bin.
I was fortunate enough to go to school before autism and ADHD were invented.
They knew I was dislexic. But they couldn't keep my attention.
I was definitely a poster-child of what would later become labeled ADHD.
If I had a nickel for every report card I brought home that said: "Super daydreams in class" I could have retired 10 years early. I was a solid D+ student in everything, except science. Top of the class.
When I got in high-school one educator suggested: "maybe we're just boring him?"
They threw college level science, physics, biology stuff at me and I ate it up.
I hate to think what would have happened to me if I had been stuck in "Special class".
When I got out of high-school it didn't take people long to discover my 'gift'.
And it wasn't college!
Remembering the author's name that wrote 'Little Women', I could not do.
Remembering this, I can do:

Maybe have them spend some time diagnosing what is right with her instead of why they don't think she fits their form of "normal".

Please don't get me wrong. I grew up just as Autism was starting to be diagnosed but the 'rule of thumb' was it only presents in boys (same with ADD at the time). My mom was a teacher (fifth grade) who had an ASD student in her class and she used my high school homework as a template for his lessons. She also built him a 'batcave' to help with his meltdowns after realizing why he would hide under her desk. The kid had a gift for math and science. My mom mentioned his parents both showed symptoms of ASD but not as severe as the boy.

ASD and ADHD does not mean 'dumb' or 'unteachable'. Roo was bumped up a grade from K to first when she started public school. She should be in fifth grade now (if I taught based on her abilities and current understanding of the material) but I want to make sure she has a firm foundation when she enters 'middle school'. She is still ahead for her age. She will be in fourth grade this August and we are focusing on her communication skills as she is having issues (always have even as a toddler).

She has a great grasp on reading and is very advanced in language arts. She just needs one on one help to focus even on the subjects she loves. She has no issues here at home but in a classroom of 30+ kids she has massive meltdowns and can't 'get it together' the way the teachers want. No issues of this kind when she was in the pre-K with a class size of 10-12 kids. I wish we could afford private school with small class sizes. She wants to go to school with other kids.

I feel Roo's education is being fulfilled at home at this time but want to make sure we have a proper diagnosis for the time when/if she goes back to a traditional school or college. I need to know what I am dealing with too so I can help her the best way I can. Poor thing scares most parents with her odd behavior when she plays with the neighbors and I want to help them better understand why she is odd (to them).

 

[Weedygarden]

If you have a Children's Hospital in your area, you may be able to get some testing done there. Your health insurance may pay for it as well. There is a Children's Hospital in the Denver area and people drive 100's of miles for care and evaluations for their children.

I know that the spectrum is treated differently school by school, school district by school district, county by county, state by state. The people in any Sped department can make a huge difference. I was always fortunate to work with excellent Sped educators.

I also know that not everyone with the spectrum presents the same. What often starts for a child is that educators realize that something is off, but many people just do not have the training it takes to identify it. When I was teaching, I tried to describe to parents things that happened, to see if I could get their insight about the child. Sometimes it was helpful, sometimes it was not. Sometimes parents thought I was just being negative. I was trying to reach their child and their child's needs.

I served on a committee at my school for years, where teachers would come with concerns about students--behavior, academic ability, emotional, physical, others. We as a team would ask lots of questions and make some suggestions. It was a process. Really, no one on this team wanted to put a child in a box, they wanted to provide help, but we also had a very caring principal. In a school system, relative to a Special Ed. diagnosis, there is a process which is mandated by law. The process is usually about 6 months in length, starting with meetings to discuss observed behaviors and to investigate further. No more children coming to school and within a few days they are put into Special Ed. because the teacher cannot figure it out or cannot be bothered. I've known teachers who did not want to be bothered and were not in the right profession.

I have had students with something off. These are the young people who kept me awake at night. What could I do to help them get this or that?

One young man I knew was in a school (not my school, his mother was a friend) with narrow thinking about him. Mother took him to Children's Hospital in Denver. They called the school to get insight, and their report was just about word for word what the school had been saying. It was so frustrating for the family, who was seriously trying to get some diagnosis so that they could get good care for their son. It seemed as though the testing was more of an interview with the school. Be aware of this, in case you end up feeling that any reports you get in the future sound almost word for word, the same as other reports.

 

[Weedygarden]

Oh, please don't get her tossed into the 'disabled' bin.
I was fortunate enough to go to school before autism and ADHD were invented.
They knew I was dislexic. But they couldn't keep my attention.
I was definitely a poster-child of what would later become labeled ADHD.
If I had a nickel for every report card I brought home that said: "Super daydreams in class" I could have retired 10 years early. I was a solid D+ student in everything, except science. Top of the class.
When I got in high-school one educator suggested: "maybe we're just boring him?"
They threw college level science, physics, biology stuff at me and I ate it up.
I hate to think what would have happened to me if I had been stuck in "Special class".
When I got out of high-school it didn't take people long to discover my 'gift'.
And it wasn't college!
Remembering the author's name that wrote 'Little Women', I could not do.
Remembering this, I can do:

Maybe have them spend some time diagnosing what is right with her instead of why they don't think she fits their form of "normal".

What you and many people may not realize is that people with dyslexia are often in the genius range with their IQ. Their brain just does not process reading the same as the rest of ours do. Albert Einstein is a perfect example of someone who was probably dyslexic. I was a reading teacher for many years and worked with children who struggled with reading. I had someone try to tell me that dyslexic people were not smart. That is absolutely not true. They are usually brilliant.

I have known a few truly dyslexic people in my life. A school classmate of mine for 12 years is a good example. People think the letters look jumbled up. It is the sounds in the head. Bob often mispronounced words, still does. When we sound out words, the sounds are in sequence. It doesn't work like that for a dyslexic. Something is messed up in phonological awareness. Oh how Bob struggled in school, but with the help of caring classmates, he graduated from h.s. I have a cousin who often mispronounces words. I know he struggled in school, but I have no idea what happened, because it was never discussed with me. Knowing how he mispronounces words, I have long thought he is probably dyslexic as well.

I probably should have been a Special Ed. teacher. I have many credits towards Special Education and am probably within one or two classes of being able to be certified in Special Ed. I just had a different focus when I was in school. There were many children in the school I taught in who were sent to me from other teachers, without much previous school success. My goal with everyone of them was for them to be educated, to the best of my ability and theirs. That was my job and I took it very seriously. I had a few students who came to me with low IQ's. One girl came to me in first grade with no ability to write her name. Her kindergarten teacher just sent her to the back of the room and instead of beginning the process of identifying what was wrong, passed her on. I knew day 1 that something was not right. IQ was around 45. She will never be able to learn to read. She is in a self contained program, with low student teacher ratios, teaching her life skills.

 

[Meerkat]

People have been dealing with children with mental disabilities since time began.
Most parents didn't worry too much abour their kids mental conditions til past 50 years when the drugs became the parents. Or the teachers had to deal with kids who parents with working mothers.
One of mine neve slept and neither did I. I ask the doctor if he could see anythign wrong with her,he checked her out said no. Then she did a nimber on the room and he said she needs a little medicine. I said no way will she ever be on drugs, and left.She grew out of the over active ways. I'd make a bet that many of these Antifa are on or have been on drugs since childhood.Being a parent is not easy. People today want everything perfect and thats just not life.
Not saying yours is of course. Just saying all kids are not the same.And 99% of kids on drugs today don't need them.

 

[Weedygarden]

People have been dealing with children with mental disabilities since time began.
Most parents didn't worry too much abour their kids mental conditions til past 50 years when the drugs became the parents. Or the teachers had to deal with kids who parents with working mothers.
One of mine neve slept and neither did I. I ask the doctor if he could see anythign wrong with her,he checked her out said no. Then she did a nimber on the room and he said she needs a little medicine. I said no way will she ever be on drugs, and left.She grew out of the over active ways. I'd make a bet that many of these Antifa are on or have been on drugs since childhood.Being a parent is not easy. People today want everything perfect and thats just not life.
Not saying yours is of course. Just saying all kids are not the same.And 99% of kids on drugs today don't need them.

It hasn't been all that long that everyone is expected to at least graduate from h.s. My grandparents all had 8th grade educations, and both grandmothers went and took courses, one in teaching and one in accounting. In the "olden days" as I used to say as a child, someone who didn't do well in school was not expected to be educated and would usually do manual labor--farming, machine word, carpentry, housework.

Medication? I have only had a couple students who if they came to school without their medication, then I wished I had some. One child who has serious problems can sure wreak havoc in a classroom and take all the attention from other children and their ability to learn, and wears a teacher out in no time. I have seriously had a couple of students who by noon, I was so done, so exhausted.

Sometimes children who have such serious problems end up doing time, being felons. I have known a few of them. One is a nephew whose teachers wanted to have him evaluated and whose parents were advised that he could not focus and maybe could benefit from medication. No, no medication for their only son. He later self medicated, and this is often the case. His parents keep everything hush hush, but I have found his photo online for several serious arrests and his prison photo. He is out now and a pipe fitter. His mother brags on him like he is the best person in the world. When someone goes on and on about their grown child, about how wonderful they are, when what you know about them has been questionable, know that there is a reason you have a gut feeling about them and their problems. As I told another family member, no one wants to talk about the pain their child has caused them.

 

[Meerkat]

It hasn't been all that long that everyone is expected to at least graduate from h.s. My grandparents all had 8th grade educations, and both grandmothers went and took courses, one in teaching and one in accounting. In the "olden days" as I used to say as a child, someone who didn't do well in school was not expected to be educated and would usually do manual labor--farming, machine word, carpentry, housework.

Medication? I have only had a couple students who if they came to school without their medication, then I wished I had some. One child who has serious problems can sure wreak havoc in a classroom and take all the attention from other children and their ability to learn, and wears a teacher out in no time. I have seriously had a couple of students who by noon, I was so done, so exhausted.

Sometimes children who have such serious problems end up doing time, being felons. I have known a few of them. One is a nephew whose teachers wanted to have him evaluated and whose parents were advised that he could not focus and maybe could benefit from medication. No, no medication for their only son. He later self medicated, and this is often the case. His parents keep everything hush hush, but I have found his photo online for several serious arrests and his prison photo. He is out now and a pipe fitter. His mother brags on him like he is the best person in the world. When someone goes on and on about their grown child, about how wonderful they are, when what you know about them has been questionable, know that there is a reason you have a gut feeling about them and their problems. As I told another family member, no one wants to talk about the pain their child has caused them.

This is a new age and time.

 

[Supervisor42]

My 24 year old son is autistic. The school estimated his IQ at 79. This was after he did his senior year in 4 1/2 hours a week and graduated. His doctor tested him and said his IQ was around 160. He just taught himself to read and write Japanese. Never trust a public school to test anyone.

Did they ever give him a chance to find what his proficiency was?
For every deficiency there is often a hidden proficiency. (ever heard of a 'savant'?)
Just because a kid doesn't meet standards for "normalcy" does not mean that they cannot be a great contributor to society.
Leonardo da Vinci is a prime example:

...was an Italian polymath of the Renaissance whose areas of interest included science and invention, drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, paleontology, and cartography. He has been variously called the father of palaeontology, ichnology, and architecture...

All of his notes are written backwards:

Most of Leonardo's writings are in mirror-image cursive.[147][45] Since Leonardo wrote with his left hand, it was probably easier for him to write from right to left.

Does that sound like dyslexia to you?
I wonder how far little Leonardo would have made it in today's world, after being 'diagnosed' with all of his "abnormalities"?

 

[Meerkat]

Did they ever give him a chance to find what his proficiency was?
For every deficiency there is often a hidden proficiency. (ever heard of a 'savant'?)
Just because a kid doesn't meet standards for "normalcy" does not mean that they cannot be a great contributor to society.
Leonardo da Vinci is a prime example:

All of his notes are written backwards:

Does that sound like dyslexia to you?
I wonder how far little Leonardo would have made it in today's world, after being 'diagnosed' with all of his "abnormalities"?

Good question.

 

[Supervisor42]

Good question.

I'll offer an answer.
Making their way in this world is hard enough.
Don't make it impossible.

 

[Morgan101]

Grimm: You might look for a NAMI (National Association for the Mentally Ill) chapter close to you. They have an abundance of resources and contacts. I would expect they could help you find a good place for testing.

They were a tremendous help when our son was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

 

[LadyLocust]

Two years ago the public school Roo was going to forced us to get her tested for ADHD. We did and got a diagnosis of ADHD with ODD. This was all based on spending an hour with the 'doctor' and her watching Roo play and act like a total knuckle head in a new environment with an indoor jungle gym. We took the diagnosis back to the school and asked for a 504 be done so we could get the needed help and support for Roo in the classroom. They sat on their asses and did nothing. It seemed like they wanted an excuse to ignore her in the classroom and complain about her behavior. That was when I decided to homeschool Roo. I spent the rest of the school year fighting for the 504 we never got and getting my ducks in a row to homeschool. I even found a homeschool co-op and signed up with the HSLDA.

Now we have finished our first full year homeschooling and Roo did well. We are finding what works for her and us as a family and her "ADHD" seems non existent but I have noticed a lot of behavior that screams ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). My concern now is how do I go about having Roo diagnosed or even evaluated? I know I most likely am on the Spectrum and it is normal for girls/women to get diagnosed late in life because of camouflaging or masking symptoms to fit in (appear normal or not be stigmatized) but no one seems to test older girl children past 4 years old.

We don't see the pediatrician until November and I don't trust the psychological medical community to give a true diagnosis as they failed on the ADHD diagnosis. Who do I take her to to get checked/diagnosed/'tested'?

The local ESD (Educational Service Dist.) should be able to conduct the necessary screenings &/or direct you to the local specialist. I will warn, it's my experience that you do not want your pediatrician to know. There are laws that negate insurance obligations for Autism cases. (I would guess this varies by state.) I would also recommend watching "Secret Ingredients." (I may have mentioned that one before - believe it's now available free on YT.) I would ask at ESD for resources as to efficient and effective ways to deal with autistic children. These are things I would do, but only you know what is best for Miss Roo. Also, I recently ran across an article that claimed there was a "nutrient" that was extremely effective in treating autism but was made illegal because there was no way to patent it and make $$$. I will try to find that and what that substance was - if there's a natural source etc. Anyhoo, if it were me, I would actually keep it under my hat as far as officials are concerned - just me.

 

[Meerkat]

IMO we already have too many peopel controlling our childrens minds as it is, funny how we didn't have these miravle workers when we were building the strongest mosst indepedeant eoconomically and emetionally nation on earrh.

I still believe " the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world" not the other way around.

 

[Grimm]

The local ESD (Educational Service Dist.) should be able to conduct the necessary screenings &/or direct you to the local specialist. I will warn, it's my experience that you do not want your pediatrician to know. There are laws that negate insurance obligations for Autism cases. (I would guess this varies by state.) I would also recommend watching "Secret Ingredients." (I may have mentioned that one before - believe it's now available free on YT.) I would ask at ESD for resources as to efficient and effective ways to deal with autistic children. These are things I would do, but only you know what is best for Miss Roo. Also, I recently ran across an article that claimed there was a "nutrient" that was extremely effective in treating autism but was made illegal because there was no way to patent it and make $$$. I will try to find that and what that substance was - if there's a natural source etc. Anyhoo, if it were me, I would actually keep it under my hat as far as officials are concerned - just me.

I have a vitamin and supplement routine for Roo (Juju takes some of them) that helps a lot. I work hard to reduce her gluten and sugar intake but you can't control it when they go to public school where they tell your kid to take the free sugar packed lunch and throw the homemade one away. Then they complain about behavior issues...!

For the most part I have better control of Roo's diet and it seemed to have cured the 'ADHD'. Go figure. Since homeschooling I can see the ASD symptoms in full force and the ADHD is not visible. But a child can have both.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have a vitamin and supplement routine for Roo (Juju takes some of them) that helps a lot. I work hard to reduce her gluten and sugar intake but you can't control it when they go to public school where they tell your kid to take the free sugar packed lunch and throw the homemade one away. Then they complain about behavior issues...!

For the most part I have better control of Roo's diet and it seemed to have cured the 'ADHD'. Go figure. Since homeschooling I can see the ASD symptoms in full force and the ADHD is not visible. But a child can have both.

Diet is something that many people do not believe makes a difference and will not change it for their child who is having issues. It may be parents have a bad diet themselves, a diet full of sugar, preservatives, additives and food color, and are not going to change because that teacher or someone suggested it. They don't have to deal with what the teacher has to deal with when an overstimulated child comes to school and stirs the pot of 28 to 30 children. On the other hand, there are parents who listen, respect, follow and will do whatever is suggested to them. I've been fortunate to know a few of them and they are eternally grateful.

There was a student in the class across the hall from me, 20 years ago. The teacher was absolutely excellent, one of the best. I don't remember all of the details, but the teacher identified something for one of her students and maybe it was ADD or ADHD and he was put on medication. The teacher was an excellent observer of behavior. As soon as he started taking medication, she observed that he was now frequently at the sink washing his hands, OCD style behavior. A few other things came up, but this is one that sticks for me. For some children, trying to find what they need and treating one thing, brings out something else, as you have observed with Roo. This teacher said that often one thing masks another. If you had not worked with her at home, you may have never fully understood the dynamics for her.

Some children seem to have a myriad of challenges. Sometimes what is observed in a child, was also true of one of their parents. I have had more than one parent teacher conference where I describe a behavior to parents and one will look at the other and say, "That is you."

 

[Meerkat]

Diet is something that many people do not believe makes a difference and will not change it for their child who is having issues. It may be parents have a bad diet themselves, a diet full of sugar, preservatives, additives and food color, and are not going to change because that teacher or someone suggested it. They don't have to deal with what the teacher has to deal with when an overstimulated child comes to school and stirs the pot of 28 to 30 children. On the other hand, there are parents who listen, respect, follow and will do whatever is suggested to them. I've been fortunate to know a few of them and they are eternally grateful.

There was a student in the class across the hall from me, 20 years ago. The teacher was absolutely excellent, one of the best. I don't remember all of the details, but the teacher identified something for one of her students and maybe it was ADD or ADHD and he was put on medication. The teacher was an excellent observer of behavior. As soon as he started taking medication, she observed that he was now frequently at the sink washing his hands, OCD style behavior. A few other things came up, but this is one that sticks for me. For some children, trying to find what they need and treating one thing, brings out something else, as you have observed with Roo. This teacher said that often one thing masks another. If you had not worked with her at home, you may have never fully understood the dynamics for her.

Some children seem to have a myriad of challenges. Sometimes what is observed in a child, was also true of one of their parents. I have had more than one parent teacher conference where I describe a behavior to parents and one will look at the other and say, "That is you."

According to the rumor of the school shooters and the one who killed so many at that college several years ago everyone of them were on prescribed drugss for some ' disorder ' or another.Virginia Tech shooter was on drugs most of his childood.
Also the vets pur on simular drugs with side effects that causr violence and suicde.
Mind altering means exctly what it says IT LATERS THE MIND.Of course the American Psycology Ass. or big pharma will ever admit it if it is true.
https://www.12news.com/section/verify

 

[Weedygarden]

According to the rumor of the school shooters and the one who killed so many at that college several years ago everyone of them were on prescribed drugss for some ' disorder ' or another.
Mind altering means exctly what it says IT LATERS THE MIND.Of course the American Psycology Ass. or big pharma will ever admit it if it is true.
https://www.12news.com/section/verify

I totally get this. The medications are not all good. But what to do with a child in a school who cannot sit down and focus, but otherwise spends their time bothering others who are sitting down and focusing if left alone? Sometimes, a person who has ADD or ADHD is often in trouble in school for not being able to control themselves, and are later often in trouble with the law.

 

[Supervisor42]

Some children seem to have face a myriad of challenges. Sometimes what is observed in a child, was also true of one of their parents. I have had more than one parent teacher conference where I describe a behavior to parents and one will look at the other and say, "That is you."

@Weedygarden , I modified your post, I hope you don't mind.
This is so important.
I remember when I was in first grade, my mom was called to a parent-teacher conference about me.
Teacher explained that Super would not color inside the lines of the pictures in the book.
They paddled me daily.
"He just draws pictures with his crayons like the paper is completely blank".
The teacher showed my mom my book.

Ironically, at the very same time, my dad was drawing pictures, designing critical parts and systems used in the Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B rockets that would take man into space and later to the moon.
I was a bad boy.
I would not follow instructions.
I drew pictures and would not color inside the lines.

All I can say is, almost every gifted child has to run this gauntlet. I knew plenty of others.
It should be a crime.
We end up stomping down or making drug addicts out of the best people because they don't fit the 'norm' of our 'cripple society'.
(sorry for the rant).

 

[LadyLocust]

@Weedygarden , I modified your post, I hope you don't mind.
This is so important.
I remember when I was in first grade, my mom was called to a parent-teacher conference about me.
Teacher explained that Super would not color inside the lines of the pictures in the book.
They paddled me daily.
"He just draws pictures with his crayons like the paper is completely blank".
The teacher showed my mom my book.

Ironically, at the very same time, my dad was drawing pictures, designing critical parts and systems used in the Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B rockets that would take man into space and later to the moon.
I was a bad boy.
I would not follow instructions.
I drew pictures and would not color inside the lines.View attachment 45671
All I can say is, almost every gifted child has to run this gauntlet. I knew plenty of others.
It should be a crime.
We end up stomping down or making drug addicts out of the best people because they don't fit the 'norm' of our 'cripple society'.
(sorry for the rant).

When I was teaching preschool, there were times I warned parents~ their child would instantly know/understand and would get bored with the routine of school: explaining, example, do, examine. (Sometimes it's the really smart ones that act up.) A few of those parents I knew and as those munchkins grew, they essentially told me I was right. As much as I believe in education, I still say it's a parents job to educate their child. If there is a subject they are lacking in, seek the knowledge of someone who knows. Public school is essentially like the shirt that is one size fits all - bahaha. Probably sufficient for the middle 1/3.

 

[Supervisor42]

When I was teaching preschool, there were times I warned parents~ their child would instantly know/understand and would get bored with the routine of school: explaining, example, do, examine. (Sometimes it's the really smart ones that act up.)

Outstanding!
Most kids learn at 1X speed. Some learn at 10X.
The closest I can describe it, is if someone plays a 45 rpm record at 16 rpm.
You hear the same 4 minute song, but you have to listen for 11 minutes to hear it drag out.
Guess what you are doing around the 8-minute mark?
You Ain't Listening!

Bad Kid!

 

[Weedygarden]

@Weedygarden , I modified your post, I hope you don't mind.
This is so important.
I remember when I was in first grade, my mom was called to a parent-teacher conference about me.
Teacher explained that Super would not color inside the lines of the pictures in the book.
They paddled me daily.

I am so sorry this happened to you. What I know of you is that you are a very intelligent person, with much ability. I expect that you have a high IQ, perhaps close to the genius range, if not in the genius range.

We are all unique. We do not fit into the same mold. The idea that all children who are 6 years old are expected to be in the same place at the same time as far as what they know and can do is something that needs to be seriously looked at again in education.

 

[Grimm]

I am so sorry this happened to you. What I know of you is that you are a very intelligent person, with much ability. I expect that you have a high IQ, perhaps close to the genius range, if not in the genius range.

We are all unique. We do not fit into the same mold. The idea that all children who are 6 years old are expected to be in the same place at the same time as far as what they know and can do is something that needs to be seriously looked at again in education.

When Roo started school I told her teacher at the start of kindergarten that I wanted to have her tested to have her skip a grade. She laughed at me. She said they don't do that. Two months later I got called to the school to tell me that they were moving her to first grade. During those 2 months I was sending first grade workbooks to school with Roo because she was flying through the class work the teacher gave her and disrupting the rest of the class.

 

[LadyLocust]

When Roo started school I told her teacher at the start of kindergarten that I wanted to have her tested to have her skip a grade. She laughed at me. She said they don't do that. Two months later I got called to the school to tell me that they were moving her to first grade. During those 2 months I was sending first grade workbooks to school with Roo because she was flying through the class work the teacher gave her and disrupting the rest of the class.

That’s it exactly! Let the child learn. I may have said it before but I applaud you for giving her what she needs!
(That almost sounds snarky typed out, but I really mean it- in a thank God, there is still someone out there who will stand up for their child’s intellect sorta way.)
:lil guy:

 

[Supervisor42]

I am so sorry this happened to you. What I know of you is that you are a very intelligent person, with much ability. I expect that you have a high IQ, perhaps close to the genius range, if not in the genius range.

We are all unique. We do not fit into the same mold. The idea that all children who are 6 years old are expected to be in the same place at the same time as far as what they know and can do is something that needs to be seriously looked at again in education.

Naaa, the tough butt would come in handy later in high school. (see below)

As far as the IQ tests, I was smart enough to skip them because it immediately condemned a person to endless work (a slave). I watched my friends go down the chute. (I did help correct some of the incorrect answers on the test) They didn't get to graduate. They went straight to work for Morton Thiokol or Teledyne Brown.
Back to the children.
My wish for them, is all of the blunders of stupidity should be gone after decades of doing things wrong.
We would hope the 'TEACHERS' should have learned something in the last 50years.

Just for fun:
On the tough backside: In highschool we physics students knew the penalty for skipping class was only 3 licks by the vice principal. Butt, he could swing hard!
We ran energy equations and calculated how many guys we would need to wear him down to the point that half of the guys would only get a tap.
We checked out, in mass, 20+ of us and had a great day swimming at the pier.
Later, we marched into his office to take our licks.
If you swing hard, it takes a lot of power; the paddle gets heavy. That won't last long.
The predictable slope we had charted, proved to be true.
We scheduled another swim event for the following month

 

[Weedygarden]

When Roo started school I told her teacher at the start of kindergarten that I wanted to have her tested to have her skip a grade. She laughed at me. She said they don't do that. Two months later I got called to the school to tell me that they were moving her to first grade. During those 2 months I was sending first grade workbooks to school with Roo because she was flying through the class work the teacher gave her and disrupting the rest of the class.

This is a perfect example of why everyone being on the same page in school does not work. You were aware and being proactive in being able to help the situation. So many parents are not equipped to help their own children.