Sunday, May 20, 2012
Liam's Ravenwood teachers
Liam was at Ravenwood's Special Education preschool for 2 years so he had the same teacher and aide for 2 years. They saw him grow and change so much. We will miss them both.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Liam is all done with preschool
Today is Liam's last day of preschool ever. I try not to focus on that too much because I get all emotional just thinking about it. This year Liam attended two preschools: Ravenwood (where he received special education services) and Lions & Lambs, which was a typical, private preschool taught Montesorri style. Liam graduated Lions and Lambs last Thursday:
Yesterday was his end of year party for Ravenwood and his last afternoon is today. We get one more special bit of time with Miss Jerri tomorrow and I hope to grab a picture of him with her as I forgot to do that yesterday.
So how much has Liam changed over his time in preschool?
September 2009, age 2, first day at Gracepointe:
September 2010, age 3, first day taking the bus to Ravenwood:
August 2011, age 4, first day at Ravenwood:
May 2012:
Ben's "graduation" and IEP progress report/ OT re-evaluation
On Tuesday, Ben had his last day of both speech and of his special education play group. Ben's teacher had a little graduation ceremony and nothing is cuter than a just turned 3 year old wearing a construction paper graduation cap.
Ben's IEP quarterly progress report shows he MET every single social goal. I was floored. I am used to Liam's progress inching along with regressions. Socially, Ben is just exploding. We also had our last day of his Early Intervention social skills group today, and one of the more aggressive children was in Ben's personal space. Ben kept cowering and hiding behind me. After class he told me, "my necklace" (the little girl had grabbed his necklace) followed by "Ben sad." He can even identify emotions. Things like this just seem unbelievable to me. It helps me let go of my worries about Ben, and let's me know that the kind of developmental delays he faces are much easier addressed than Liam.
On his IEP progress report, he still has alot of work to do on his speech goals. His articulation still needs alot of work, and his senetence length is not what you'd expect of a 3 year old. He can answer questions (almost better than Liam) except for "why" questions, he was at 0% for those. Overall, since he started school based speech therapy, he has made amazing progress. I worry about him having a break in therapy this summer, and I know he'll need private speech therapy as soon as we arrive in Montgomery.
Ben had his OT re-evaluation a couple weeks ago. His private OT noted that his muscle tone and strength were low average. He was given the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, and his "greasping" score is that of a 20 month old (tested at 37 months). Out of curiosity, I looked at Liam's OT evaluation done at nearly the same age (Liam was 38 months and Ben was 37 months....both were evaluated at the same therapy center here in Alaska, but by different OTs). Liam's fine motor quaotient was tested as in normal limits at that point. Interesting, since he is quite delayed now. In any case, Ben's "grasping" score was low but it was evened out by his high score in visual motor integration. In self-care skills, Ben tests as delayed. He cannot remove a single item of clothing, not even socks or shoes. This is a huge OT concern at the moment, as he needs to learn how to undress before he can learn how to dress.
As always with OT stuff, the sensory profile is where Ben really showed his OT needs. His auditory system showed a definite difference and his OT noted "Ben has difficulty functioning in a crowded, noisy room often requiring to be touched before he will respond to his name or follow a direction." Ben shows a definite difference in vesitibular processing and his OT notes that while he recently has begun to explore the swings, he "frequently demonstrates fear and takes a rigid posture when his feet leave the ground."
Overall, I am finding myself awed by the progress Ben has made. I worry about him less and less. It has helped as I forsee him losing his IEP after the move, but I think he will do fine with a good preschool setting and private OT and speech.
Ben's IEP quarterly progress report shows he MET every single social goal. I was floored. I am used to Liam's progress inching along with regressions. Socially, Ben is just exploding. We also had our last day of his Early Intervention social skills group today, and one of the more aggressive children was in Ben's personal space. Ben kept cowering and hiding behind me. After class he told me, "my necklace" (the little girl had grabbed his necklace) followed by "Ben sad." He can even identify emotions. Things like this just seem unbelievable to me. It helps me let go of my worries about Ben, and let's me know that the kind of developmental delays he faces are much easier addressed than Liam.
On his IEP progress report, he still has alot of work to do on his speech goals. His articulation still needs alot of work, and his senetence length is not what you'd expect of a 3 year old. He can answer questions (almost better than Liam) except for "why" questions, he was at 0% for those. Overall, since he started school based speech therapy, he has made amazing progress. I worry about him having a break in therapy this summer, and I know he'll need private speech therapy as soon as we arrive in Montgomery.
Ben had his OT re-evaluation a couple weeks ago. His private OT noted that his muscle tone and strength were low average. He was given the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales, and his "greasping" score is that of a 20 month old (tested at 37 months). Out of curiosity, I looked at Liam's OT evaluation done at nearly the same age (Liam was 38 months and Ben was 37 months....both were evaluated at the same therapy center here in Alaska, but by different OTs). Liam's fine motor quaotient was tested as in normal limits at that point. Interesting, since he is quite delayed now. In any case, Ben's "grasping" score was low but it was evened out by his high score in visual motor integration. In self-care skills, Ben tests as delayed. He cannot remove a single item of clothing, not even socks or shoes. This is a huge OT concern at the moment, as he needs to learn how to undress before he can learn how to dress.
As always with OT stuff, the sensory profile is where Ben really showed his OT needs. His auditory system showed a definite difference and his OT noted "Ben has difficulty functioning in a crowded, noisy room often requiring to be touched before he will respond to his name or follow a direction." Ben shows a definite difference in vesitibular processing and his OT notes that while he recently has begun to explore the swings, he "frequently demonstrates fear and takes a rigid posture when his feet leave the ground."
Overall, I am finding myself awed by the progress Ben has made. I worry about him less and less. It has helped as I forsee him losing his IEP after the move, but I think he will do fine with a good preschool setting and private OT and speech.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Leaps and Bounds
Exciting things are happening in Ben's world. He started school based speech therapy a little over a month ago. The progress he has made in that month is astounding. I have become gun shy of using the term "language explosion" as I have seen regression/stalled progress following big gains, but it seems to fit.
Ben is speaking in sentences finally! In addition to that, he asks questions!!!!!! Something I hear everyday while we drive, usually on the way home from wherever we were. "Where going, Mommy?" "Ben, we are going back home." "Cause, why, Mommy?" Oh, and mama is a word seldom heard, and the way he says Mommy is so cute. In situations where he is comfortable, he'll talk a bit, but he still refuses to talk in many social situations. His fluency is slow; he sounds like someone learning a foreign language. He talks slowly, halts alot, and makes many grammatical errors. But he is finally trying!
His articulation is improving, and he is so cooperative about practicing his speech homework. He has been exclusively working on s-blends. His first instinct is to drop the s, and his SLP has several cues for him to use it. He cannot manage sp or sl, even with the cues, but he tries. We work on word pairs, and initially he couldn't hear the difference between words off by only one letter, but now he totally gets it.
He is toe walking so much less! His physical therapist said that the progress he makes from week to week is what she usually sees over a month or several months. I am feeling confident that after we move this summer, we will be done with PT for good.
He had no problems adjusting to the little class he attends. He waves bye-bye to me, and seems to have fun. He has made his first ever friend with a little girl from the social skills class we have been in since September. The little girl is shy and reserved and the two of them seem to understand each other. Ben still isn't interested in socializing with most children. Liam has always wanted to be part of the group but misses alot of social cues and is awkward in his interactions. Ben, by contrast, seems to look at most kids with a sense of disgust and disinterest. He likes people he interacts with reguarly, but much prefers adults to kids his age.
He has finally gotten over his dislike of Dave and happily goes to him. It is more than that....when he hears the garage door open, he stops whatever he is doing and runs into the garage to get hugs from Dave. Liam is happy to see Dave but often doesn't notice him until he has been home for awhile as he is too engrossed in what he is doing.
Ben seems to be making cognitive leaps. He gets days of the week now and remembers the order things happen in with our crazy schedule. He has finally figured out the pattern of counting and can count higher than 20. Because of this, he spends alot of time counting. Liam was like that for a very long time, and numbers have begun to signal, happy boys for me, so I sometimes don't take notice of the counting.
The only area with no progress is eating. Ben still refuses most foods that need to be chewed, except for a limited number of safe foods. He has recently added cheeseburger as a safe food, so that is something. He will NOT touch food at all and would rather eat nothing that touch food with his hands.
His OT did a re-evaluation on him this week and said that he lacked many simple skills she'd expect in an 18 month old, but then had other skills that you don't expect to see until age 4. We have had this problem with Liam, so it isn't new, but it means we have another child that testing is not completely accurate for, and who refuses to fit in the mold.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Twice exceptional
2e is the short-hand for twice exceptional, which means a child who has a diagnosis (Asperger's, PDD-NOS, ADHD, etc) and is also gifted. They are called twice exceptional because they often need IEPs addressing both delayed areas AND areas where they are ahead. Twice exceptional is long to write out, so the short hand is 2e.
When I heard that Liam is highly gifted, I did not feel excited. Intellectually, I recognize all the promise that brings. I understand that Liam will have opportunities that others won't. As far as special needs go, we have "won the lottery" so to speak as teaching Liam how to fit in/blend is easier than it is for other families. Do not misunterstand my feelings to mean that I wished he weren't gifted. A part of me is so excited and proud and feels vindicated because I honestly always knew he was brilliant. Knowing he is gifted allows me to view his behavior not as an obsessive symptom of autism but as intellectual persistence. He can be viewed as socially awkward because he is so bright that his brain works differently rather than socially delayed due to autism.
I have still had a mourning period about this newest bit of information, not unlike the mourning I did when I learned of his diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Reading the report from the psychologist reminded me that I am not crazy. Being highly/provoundly gifted bring with it a set of challenges that overlap with challenges experienced by people with autism. Profoundly gifted is a Full Scale IQ above 145 and Liam's is 144.....his non-verbal IQ is proundly gifted and his verbal IQ is simpley gifted, which leaves his full scale on the line between highly and profoundly gifted. The more standard deviations from the "norm" a child, the more social and emotional problems they are prone to. With Liam 4 standard deviations above the norm, you get an idea of the differences between him and most children. One of the challenges cited time and again about highly gifted children is their extreme energy level and their decreased need for sleep, as well as asynchronious development and being highly sensitive. If you read that right, those are also some of the challenges about raising a child on the autism spectrum.
All of this also highlighted the idea that Liam will ne an IEP through school. School will not be as easy as just registering him, at least not until high school when he can take more advanced classes. Researching the 2e community shows that many parents resort to homeschooling out of frustration and due to lack of options. They might be able to secure gifted services, but not services for developmental delays.....or it might be the opposite. Many are reluctant homeschoolers, and all of these problems are made worse when you add in military moves.
I was already struggling with what to do with Liam next year, and finding out this information made things more confusing. The only thing it clarified for me is that holding him back a year will not help.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Neuropsychological report: lots of numbers & his teacher's perspective on it
I got Liam's report yesterday, and am still emotionally processing everything, so this post is basically just a summary of what the report says. I will do a separate post on my reactions when I figure out how exactly I feel about it.
Liam was given two measures of intelligence: Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) and Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test. To understand the scores of his WPPSI results, see this page: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm
The highest he could have gotten on either subtest was a 155 and the highest overall he could have gotten was a 160.
Verbal IQ 129
Performance IQ 150
Full Scale IQ 144
His verbal IQ would have been quite a bit higher, but his score on one subtest was lower than the other area. The highest a scaled score can be on any subtest is 19. All of his performance subscales were 18.
His results on the Kaufman were also 144, which places him in the 99.8% on both IQ tests. His non-verbal score on the Kaufman was a 160.
To test academic functioning, Liam was given the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievment, 3rd edition. Like IQ tests, the average score is 100. His scores varied between a 123 and 188, with most of his scores being in the 140 range. Grade equivalents were given and Liam's academic functioning is that of a child near the end of 1st grade. His basic reading skills were 154 (higher than the 99.9%) and his math reasoning was a 145 (at the 99.9% level). His lowest scoring area was spelling with a 123 and his highest was writing samples with a 188.
His motor skills were assessed with the Beery VMI and his motor coordination was in the 5th percentile. His score was a 76, which is just about the cut off for receiving OT services, but compared to his knowledge, this is a huge weakness for him.
His speech was tested with the following measures: Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT-II), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-IV), and NEPSY Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment--Second Edition. All language testing showed him to score above average.
Summary and Impressions: "Liam's overall intellectual abilities are clearly in the highly gifted range and his nonverbal reasoning skills are in the very superior range, falling a full four standard deviations above average performance." That is a direct quote from the report, and I will note here that scores only have to be 2 standard deviations above average to qualify as gifted and Liam's nonverbal reasoning is 4 standard deviations above. She notes that while his intelligence is a strength, it places him at increased risk for social maladjustment. His language scores ranged from average to superior, showing some pockets of weakness. His scores of social perception were average which is "well below expectations given his general intellectual abilities." That is again a direct quote. During the parent conference, she talked about Liam not being on the autism spectrum, but I am guessing she kept the diagnosis given this.
She talks about his only overt weakness was on paper and pencil tasks of graphomotor precision, and this was despite the fact that he has been doing OT since 24 months of age. She notes that findings show a "relative weakness" in language related to pragmatic language and conversation, as well as social functioning. "Overall, Liam continues to show patterns of difficulty involving pragmatic language, mildly restricted interest levels, sensrimotor concerns, and difficulty with social integration characteristic of individuals with pervasive developmental disorder."
The diagnoses she gave are:
Axis I:
299.80 Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified
311.00 Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
315.4 Developmental Motor Coordination Disorder
Recomendations: She recommends continued "intensive occupational and speech therapy interventions." She talks about increased fine motor demands in kindergarden and says that it is extremely important that OT not be interrupted and be provided in both the school setting as well as in private therapy. She cites Liam's problems with pragmatic language as the likely reason for his social delays. She notes that his extreme intelligence is a risk for additional social difficulties. She recommends ongoing speech therapy and social skills groups to address these needs. She notes that "Liam does show indications of significant underlying anxiety." She says the move this summer will likely make his anxiety worse and recommends formal counseling to address this. She ends by saying that it is extremely important that Liam is in an educational setting that addresses his very superior intellectual and academic skills, and recommends placement in a self-contained program for the highly gifted.
____________________________________
Below is the reponse from Liam's special education teacher about the report, as well as her suggestions for modifications to his IEP. She has known Liam for 2 years and is such an asset and a wonderful advocate for Liam. She is one of the many reasons I will be sad to leave Alaska.
"Wow...I just finished reading Liam's report and did not find any real surprises. His intelligence is really up there isn't it :-) I've always known that but it's good to have it on paper for your move :-) With the interspersed delays and high intelligence it's easy to see why there are emotional/anxiety issues. He's going to be (and probably already has been) a difficult boy to raise. But you two have done everything right! The trick will be to keep that going in Alabama :-) I was glad to see that my scores were mostly in agreement with yours (although I don't get to see the real meltdowns and adaptive delays). It's good to know how well he's able to hold it together here (although then you get the brunt of it!)
Thanks for sharing the report with me. I'm glad to know that we've always been on the same page! If there is anything else I can do for you all before you move, please let me know. I'm thinking of giving him support in kindergarten throughout the entire day, at least to start. Then the hours may be able to be reduced (once he gets used to the new, full-day setting). What do you think? If we don't give him 32.5 hours of special education, we could still give him some plus make sure before/after school, recess, and lunch are covered for awhile. And I will be putting in that he'll need a quiet place to go when needed and possibly an individual work station for times needed. What do you think?"
Liam was given two measures of intelligence: Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III) and Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test. To understand the scores of his WPPSI results, see this page: http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm
The highest he could have gotten on either subtest was a 155 and the highest overall he could have gotten was a 160.
Verbal IQ 129
Performance IQ 150
Full Scale IQ 144
His verbal IQ would have been quite a bit higher, but his score on one subtest was lower than the other area. The highest a scaled score can be on any subtest is 19. All of his performance subscales were 18.
His results on the Kaufman were also 144, which places him in the 99.8% on both IQ tests. His non-verbal score on the Kaufman was a 160.
To test academic functioning, Liam was given the Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievment, 3rd edition. Like IQ tests, the average score is 100. His scores varied between a 123 and 188, with most of his scores being in the 140 range. Grade equivalents were given and Liam's academic functioning is that of a child near the end of 1st grade. His basic reading skills were 154 (higher than the 99.9%) and his math reasoning was a 145 (at the 99.9% level). His lowest scoring area was spelling with a 123 and his highest was writing samples with a 188.
His motor skills were assessed with the Beery VMI and his motor coordination was in the 5th percentile. His score was a 76, which is just about the cut off for receiving OT services, but compared to his knowledge, this is a huge weakness for him.
His speech was tested with the following measures: Expressive Vocabulary Test (EVT-II), Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-IV), and NEPSY Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment--Second Edition. All language testing showed him to score above average.
Summary and Impressions: "Liam's overall intellectual abilities are clearly in the highly gifted range and his nonverbal reasoning skills are in the very superior range, falling a full four standard deviations above average performance." That is a direct quote from the report, and I will note here that scores only have to be 2 standard deviations above average to qualify as gifted and Liam's nonverbal reasoning is 4 standard deviations above. She notes that while his intelligence is a strength, it places him at increased risk for social maladjustment. His language scores ranged from average to superior, showing some pockets of weakness. His scores of social perception were average which is "well below expectations given his general intellectual abilities." That is again a direct quote. During the parent conference, she talked about Liam not being on the autism spectrum, but I am guessing she kept the diagnosis given this.
She talks about his only overt weakness was on paper and pencil tasks of graphomotor precision, and this was despite the fact that he has been doing OT since 24 months of age. She notes that findings show a "relative weakness" in language related to pragmatic language and conversation, as well as social functioning. "Overall, Liam continues to show patterns of difficulty involving pragmatic language, mildly restricted interest levels, sensrimotor concerns, and difficulty with social integration characteristic of individuals with pervasive developmental disorder."
The diagnoses she gave are:
Axis I:
299.80 Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified
311.00 Anxiety Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
315.4 Developmental Motor Coordination Disorder
Recomendations: She recommends continued "intensive occupational and speech therapy interventions." She talks about increased fine motor demands in kindergarden and says that it is extremely important that OT not be interrupted and be provided in both the school setting as well as in private therapy. She cites Liam's problems with pragmatic language as the likely reason for his social delays. She notes that his extreme intelligence is a risk for additional social difficulties. She recommends ongoing speech therapy and social skills groups to address these needs. She notes that "Liam does show indications of significant underlying anxiety." She says the move this summer will likely make his anxiety worse and recommends formal counseling to address this. She ends by saying that it is extremely important that Liam is in an educational setting that addresses his very superior intellectual and academic skills, and recommends placement in a self-contained program for the highly gifted.
____________________________________
Below is the reponse from Liam's special education teacher about the report, as well as her suggestions for modifications to his IEP. She has known Liam for 2 years and is such an asset and a wonderful advocate for Liam. She is one of the many reasons I will be sad to leave Alaska.
"Wow...I just finished reading Liam's report and did not find any real surprises. His intelligence is really up there isn't it :-) I've always known that but it's good to have it on paper for your move :-) With the interspersed delays and high intelligence it's easy to see why there are emotional/anxiety issues. He's going to be (and probably already has been) a difficult boy to raise. But you two have done everything right! The trick will be to keep that going in Alabama :-) I was glad to see that my scores were mostly in agreement with yours (although I don't get to see the real meltdowns and adaptive delays). It's good to know how well he's able to hold it together here (although then you get the brunt of it!)
Thanks for sharing the report with me. I'm glad to know that we've always been on the same page! If there is anything else I can do for you all before you move, please let me know. I'm thinking of giving him support in kindergarten throughout the entire day, at least to start. Then the hours may be able to be reduced (once he gets used to the new, full-day setting). What do you think? If we don't give him 32.5 hours of special education, we could still give him some plus make sure before/after school, recess, and lunch are covered for awhile. And I will be putting in that he'll need a quiet place to go when needed and possibly an individual work station for times needed. What do you think?"
Monday, April 16, 2012
8 years of marriage
Tomorrow is our 8 year anniversary, and we managed to sneak out for an anniversary dinner last night.
I decided to wear a wrap dress that I have had for forever....maybe 13 years or so. It only still fits because it is a wrap dress. I realized during dinner that I wore the same dress when Dave and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary of dating back in April 2003, before we were even engaged.
April 2003 in Florida:
For comparison, April 2012:
And because I thought it would be fun, I uploaded our 7 minute wedding highlights, which was posted seperately as youtube was giving me issues.
We exchanged presents and I got a lovely Pandora bracelet with 7 charms to start. I got Dave a canvas photograph of the Homer spit with fireweed and snowcapped mountains.
I decided to wear a wrap dress that I have had for forever....maybe 13 years or so. It only still fits because it is a wrap dress. I realized during dinner that I wore the same dress when Dave and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary of dating back in April 2003, before we were even engaged.
April 2003 in Florida:
For comparison, April 2012:
And because I thought it would be fun, I uploaded our 7 minute wedding highlights, which was posted seperately as youtube was giving me issues.
We exchanged presents and I got a lovely Pandora bracelet with 7 charms to start. I got Dave a canvas photograph of the Homer spit with fireweed and snowcapped mountains.
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