I am looking for suggestions for good program

Wow Liz, you could be discribing my son. We are just going for the evaluation next week, so we are really beginers. I don’t have info to help, but was glad to see your posting and will be awaiting the replies.

Are they adressing the apd? He may need more things done to keep his attention, like using visuals, preferential seating, copies of notes so he can actually attend to the lecture instead of trying to listen and write at the same time
(this could be from a friend or study buddy), possibly an fm trainer or sound field that would put the teachers’ voices directly in his ear without distraction from other sounds. A lot of the symptoms of inattention are similar to that of the apd and I have found that a lot of the environmental solutions are also similar.

It has been discussed here alot but from what I understand IM can help with attention difficulties.

Look for older threads on interactive metronome and go to their website. I think it is www.interacitvemetronome.com

One other thing from my own experience.

When my son was in first grade he had this incredibly creative teacher. She was always doing experiments in the classroom with wind where they make their own parachutes. Lots of hands on activities. She was amazing. I asked the principal to clone her.

I expressed my concern because his kindergarten teacher said my son had some trouble paying attention and following directions. The first grade teacher laughed. She said he is too young to be expected to sit quietly for an entire school day.

My son has incredible attention for some things but can totally disconnect at other times.
In first grade he received an accomodation for good attention on his report card.

Second grade his special ed teacher was really into rote learning. She made them write their spelling words over and over to learn them. The teacher thought he was fidgety in his class. It is a two teacher classroom. The school psychologist even noticed that when the regular ed teacher taught, my son paid attention quite well. The reg ed teacher was a protege and a big fan of my sons first grade teacher.

My son is a very deep thinker. Very philosophical. He can be an intense with a strong appetive for knowledge. I think he tends to get bored. Kids who are twice exceptional (gifted but ld) are often misdiagnosed as having add.
From what I understand (but I am surely no expert) ADD is something you see across the board not just sometimes.
If your child has attention problems with only some things look into dual exceptionalities (another name for gifted and ld) The eric clearinghouse has some great articles on this subject. Just plug twice exceptional or dual exceptionalities into the google search engine.

Also work to get the RIGHT teacher for your child. I nicely explained to everyone on the committee who is in charge of teacher placement what type of teacher my child needs. Creative creative creative… Many school districts won’t let you hand pick your teacher but they should let you give input into what works for you childs learning style.

Hope this helps.

Social studies would be one class that isn’t hands on as the science class would be-so that may be part of the problem.I am trying to get the school to preteach the vocabulary and concepts so my child will understand when in the class ,maybe the lack of attention is not understanding. I had preteaching as a modification in the IEP but I am wording it so it will be a goal instead for the upcoming year so it will be accomplished, instead of if they want to accomodate her.As for the medicine I would check with the doctor to see if they could adjust the doseage so your child is not zombie like. Good luck-

Some OT’s and some teachers I know swear by oral stim for some kids. Gum, anything chewy and sour.

Sometimes kids are kids and not the little adults we mistakenly expect them to be. It’s tough evev for a non ADD kid to stay on task with the boring mind numbing crap schools have them doing. I would be concerned about cognitive overload. I believe goin “off task” is a defense mechanism employed by the brain unconscienciously. I think an ADD/LD brain is kina like a computer running a very complex program with other programs running and not enough processor speed ans RAM to get the job done. The school is kinda like Micro-Soft all powerful and incredibly inept on purpose.

Liz,
For focusing problems I would recommend Orientation
Counseling - a mental activity that a person learns to
control (turn off/on) his/her own focus.

O.C. was developed by Ronald Davis, who is himself
dyslexic. THE GIFT OF DYSLEXIA by Ronald Davis describes
what a dyslexic sees when reading text, and what it is like
to become “disoriented” when you are confused enough.
His website is www.dyslexia.com

I have oriented students, as well as adults, by following
the directions in THE GIFT OF DYSLEXIA. It doesn’t work for
everyone, but when it does, it is wonderful. Learning is easier
when a person is able to stay on the task at hand.

I use many programs to teach my students because everyone
learns differently. Finding the right way to help someone is
essential. I’m not dyslexic, so I don’t understand how O.C. works. I just guide the person (what to say and what to do are
in the book), and they know how to do it. It still amazes me!

Hope this helps.
BE

I have seen Reading Mastery work with much success for basic comprehension. I think all the other strategies suggested prior to me replying were great.\

Linda