Monday, January 26, 2009

Symptoms Over Time

I have found that it is sometimes helpful to list the symptoms/issues that have arose in the time frame that they occured.

When I am talking to folks who are seeking to understand the learning difference that their child has, I often start with this list. It not only gives them some concrete examples, but it is often an "Aha moment"...the "Aha" being - "I am not alone" and "I am not crazy".

Take a look at this list and I encourage you to start your own list. If you have not yet made a diagnosis, it will help when that time comes. If you already have a diagnosis, it will give you a sense of accomplishment when you look back and see how far your child has come. I include this list in my Action Plan that I have for my daughter. I update the plan at least once a year and provide it to her school and teacher.

History/Symptoms

Preschool
Lack of appreciation for rhymes
Difficulty learning letters
Mispronounced words

Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Speech trouble (r’s, s’s)
Trouble with sight words
Trouble with word families – did not see the relationship
Difficulty sounding out words
Reading errors that show no connection to the sound of the word “big” for “goat”
Trouble with spelling
Consistently substituting “of”, and”, “for”, “the” and “from
Adding words into sentences

2nd Grade
Continuing letter reversal at age 8 years 6 months
Continuing difficulty sounding out words
Continuing spelling difficulty with a lot of effort
Utilizing capital “B” in the middle of the word
Mispronounced words – words come out all garbled up, as do sentences sometimes
Difficulty with word recall

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