LD Question?

I am no expert, I have read lot on this board and on other ld sites. If I could make some semi educated guesses, I would think there are some auditory processing issues and possibly a nonverbal learning disorder. How are you with reading maps, or finding your way someplace that you’ve been to a hundred times previously? Look up the info for both problems and see what you think. It probably wouldn’t hurt to be evaluated for learning issues. You could try a neuropsyche, a reg. psche or psychologist. I would suggest voc rehab but I have read here that they aren’t as helpful as I had previously thought.

So you don’t feel alone, I am a lot like you, early reader and poor at math. You should see me when my kids ask me to help with their math, problem solving word problems? Forget it! I can’t even figure out the first thing. My husband takes care of the math homework, I take care of the lang. arts. I stay at home too( really now, who actually stays at home? soccer, basketball, baseball, groceries, errands, dr visits, school visits).

The reason I asked about the maps is that I can get myself in the general area using a map but I can’t get to a specific place, I get lost at amusement parks trying to read the ‘picture map’. Also if I ride in the car to a place a hundred times, I still get lost when I have to drive it myself, my 12 yr old son has to help me navigate.

When I was out of high school, I worked at mcd’s, I did terrible at gathering food for drive thru, it was back when they used IBM cards. I could never remember ‘was it 3 chburgers and 2 hamburgers or 2chburgers and 3hamburgers? 2 lrg fries and 3 reg. or 3lg and 2 reg.?’ I ran back and forth like a chicken with it’s head cut off trying to fix one order.

I went to a psychologist when I was 38. I am diagnosed add/inattentive with a passive-dependent/avoidant personality. The personality part comes from me being a conflict avoider and I have a hard time in social groups. I am extremely shy with strangers. I am better at it now, but when I was younger, especially before my kids came along, I was pitiful. I actually had to run and throw up from being forced to use the mcd’s drive thru speaker. Honestly though, being forced to speak to strangers in the work environment helped me get better at it in other places.

I am not entirely in agreement with the dx other than the add. Reason being that when I was evaluated I scored 121 in the verbal part(superior range) but an 80 in the non verbal part. I got an absolute zero in block design(you have to match blocks to picture) and picture completion. That score puts my math and visual skills in the very low iq area (perhaps high mental retarded). My opinion is that all the above added together sounds more like non verbal ld. High verbal, low nonverbal, social skills difficulty.

I hope you were able to wade through all this, I tend to write a lot when I answer. Now I have some answers about why I do what do, I feel pretty good about myself most of the time, I am raising some pretty great kids, both have add/adhd, one has school difficulty but we are addressing it and he is doing well. So…as far as being a sahm, I am doing a pretty good job whatever my personal difficulties may be. Some things may be harder to do than others but that is where my family comes together and helps out. I believe you are probably doing very well. I know that sometimes we get the urge to understand ourselves better,to get a better handle on who we are and why we have some of the difficulty we do, that is what prompted me to see the psych.

Best wishes to you.

Hello,

Thank you so much for your reply and help. I think I do have some auditory problems. I had multiple ear infections, when I was a child and never grew out of them. I still will get them occasionally. As I was reading some of the articles on NVLD after I posted to the board, I couldn’t believe how closely they described me, as a child. I was an early talker, at the age of 2/12 to be exact, with a sophisticated volcabulary. My Grandpa called me Gabby, because I talked everyone’s leg off. LOL I was an above average reader and speller, right from the start, in school. Simple arithmetic was easy for me. It wasn’t until probably 3rd or 4th grade, that teachers started noticing problems.

My teachers marked me down in class behavior because I talked all the time. One teacher told my Mom that I could read anything, but my reading conprehension was very poor, and I talked all the time. When it came to math, forget it, by the fourth or fifth grade, I was totally math illiterate. I don’t do well with change. I like routine. I like to know what to expect. I was surprised with a baby shower, many years ago. Folks don’t know, but that was very hard for me. After I was there for awhile it was okay, but the initial surprise, was not good.

I had very bad ear infections as a child, and still have them occasionally, so I do have some hearing loss, that is a bit more pronounced that I am older.

I also tend to write long answers. I think it’s because it helps me to unjumble my thoughts. Thank you so much, for answering my post. :-) This board is so Cool!

Regards,
Debbie

I write longwinded too lol! Except for the talking, our pasts have a lot in common. I learned a year ago that I have otosclerosis and now wear a hearing aid in one ear. I’ll try to write short today, but I look here everyday. Good to talk to you.

Hello again,

It was good to see your post. What is otosclerosis?… I noticed we also had in common, that our husbands are good at math, and helped the kids with that, while we handled the English and Reading part. I would tell my kids if you have an english or reading problem, I can handle it, but if it’s math, there is nothing I can do, LOL. We are just lucky to have hubbys who could do it.

Talk to you later!

otosclerosis, conductive loss of hearing of the middle ear tht affects the middle tones (conversational tones), I get the high sounds and really low sounds but can’t follow tv, or some conversations, things like that. The way I described it before is I can hear the tv show Buffy the vampire slayer (mostly women), but can’t hear Angel (mostly men) the show that follows. It is caused by the stirrup in the middle ear becoming spongy and fusing to the other middle ear bones. Occurs most frequently in women, age 25 to 50 of Northern European descent. I am 39. I could have surgery to replace the stirrup but I am waiting until I can’t hear out of it at all. There is a good chance of complete restoration but also a small chance of complete deafness. For now I am using the aid because I don’t want to go invasive. I am not a big fan of surgery :o)

So how’s things? Ya know, when I started dating my husband, kids and the future were the farthest thing from our minds. I guess that’s one of the reasons for the saying opposites attract. Maybe they’re supposed to!! My husband and I have some in common but mostly taste in food and movies, he has gotten where he likes to travel. However, he is active, likes sports and camping and all that, I would rather read or cook. Oh and he is a morning chirper, and I prefer sleeping late. That can make you crazy!

How do your kids fare in school? I have 2 boys, one with add/inattentive (like mom) and one with adhd(like dad). My oldest with just add has had a struggle with school since 1st grade he is in 7th grade now, reg. classes with sp.ed support but my younger son who is in 5th grade has done pretty well, he is starting to have problems with reading comprehension but it mostly is affecting his ‘read this chapter book and take a test on it’ grade. The other grades are fine. Talk to ya soon.

Hello Again,

I know how it feels to not hear certain speech tones. I do not have your hearing problem, I just have hearing loss. I have had severe ear infections all of my life. I didn’t grow out of them, because my eustasion tubes never matured and lengthened, so as not to allow bacteria from colds and sore throats, to back up into my ears.

I just love close captioned t.v.s now. It was pretty hard to sit and watch a movie with my family, and they are all laughing at something someone said, and I am wondering what’s going on, or I am asking what did they say. LOL

I feel fortunate to have hearing though, because I love listening to music.

My children are all grown now. My youngest is graduating high school in June.
He is already signed up for the Navy. My hubby and me are not going to know what to do with ourselves. We have had children since our first year of marriage. I was 19 years old and married for 10 months when I had my first child. The years have went so fast. I have been battling severe tiredness and sleepiness for some time, so wouldn’t you know it, I have plans to work on my crafts, and have a craft room, when my kids are gone from the house, and now I don’t have the energy to do anything. I am 46 and feel 86… I sleep alot.

How is the weather where you live?… It is cold again here, although the thermometer says 51 degrees. Talk to you later! :-)

Hi!

I just thought I’d mention that when Debbie wrote about her “inability” to follow oral directions I was reminded of a job I had a couple years ago. I was working at the University Library as circulation and other odd jobs the boss made me do. I eventually ended up getting laid off because of lack of funding, but I think it was because I messed up so much. I only messed up because my boss would explain things to me orally - actually she would explain part of one job, then explain another job, then another job then go back to the first one. So not only did I find it hard to figure out what the heck she was saying to me, but it was all confusing and disorganized. We finally ended up writing down everything I was supposed to do. If there was no invention of a list I’d be lost!!
My LD assessment says nothing of auditory stuff - simple directions explained to me on a test I can do.

As for otosclerosis, I think I’ll investigate that more. 2 years ago I got Viral meningitis (I’m just totally broken now, and I’m only 24 - I’m ADD, LD and now hearing impaired). Anyway, the meningitis wrecked my hearing in my one ear. I think it’s the mid range sounds. It suddenly occurred to be that there were strange noises in the early morning while I lay in bed. It sounded like ticking clocks!! Turned out to be the outside birds tweeting. So I got tested and what do you know, hearing damage in the inner ear. It’s not getting worse tho, so that’s good. I don’t have a hearing aid, but for the last few years in University I used an FM system for my classes. I’m finding more that I’m paying more attention to peoples faces than busily looking else where (can’t help that… it’s my ADD - haha).

Anyway, I’m sorry if some of my sentence are weird. It’s after 1AM here and I just finished my very last paper and assignment for University - I’m graduating!!! Wuhoo.

okay, so I think I need sleep!

Erin

Way to go Erin, congrats on graduating!!
Your old boss would have had me crazy, I would never have been able to keep up with her instructions.

Debbie, have you had a physical lately? I was thinking about how you said you are tired a lot these days. Unfortunately ( or fortunately, depends on your attitude) it might be the big M rearing it’s ugly head. Oprah has had this subject on her show lately as she is going through perimenopause. Maybe rule out any other problems, at the same time you could probably ask for a referral to see about the possible ld stuff. That’s if you want to. I did this at my age 38 well woman check, got my referral to the audiologist and the psych at one time. Dr didn’t even ask me many questions, just typed the referrals in the computer as we talked.

I totally understand about the tv and music. I always miss the last word or two in the sentence, which is usually the punch line or the most important word in the sentence, it’s totally frustrating to always ask ‘what did he say?’
Also I was in band in high school, I like to pick out the parts in music. It’s a little harder, I turn up the volume. I was just thinking about this the other day, how hard I would find things if I couldn’t hear. I can’t stand too much quiet and I always play music when I drive or do housework. It’s kind of scary.

Currently, my family is in Germany, my husband is in the army. Our weather is kind of like that around Virginia where I live although we haven’t seen that big heat spell that went around the northeast US recently. I was like ‘bring it on!!’. April here is nice but it can get pretty rainy during May,June timeframe. Pretty here though, folks here are big time into flowers. Well, take care.
Amy

Debbie:

I just found this message board. I completely understand everything you wrote in your original post. In addition to what you already posted I have a problem with loud noises. I always jump, or it sets me on edge when I hear them. My mother said I have been that way my whole life. I try to avoid situations where they might occur. This is not always possible. Thunderstorms used to scare me to death. I hated the loud noises fireworks make. I still am jumpy today when I hear anything like a falling book, or pan that falls. Even loud people at parties can make me nervous. I was originally diagnosed in 3rd grade. I am now 33. I have had to be evaluated again. I am going back to school to get my undergrad degree. I showed the school my evaluation and was told I might have outgrown my Learning Disabilities. Yeah, I wish it was that easy. Anyway, I have two years left to complete. I got frustrated and quit after the first two. I have always had a great vocabulary and spelling was easy for me. My comprehension of sentences or any directions were horrible. I have to repeat everything back to everyone to be sure what I heard is right. I probably hold the record for the longest running sentences. Math is a whole different world. My third grade teacher used to make an example out of me to the whole class of what I did wrong. She was a piece of work. My parents threatened the school with a lawsuit against her and the school district. My mom was and is very patient and worked with me. When I was diagnosed I was told I have Dyscalcula, and an Attention Disorder. In the 70’s there was not much information available. In order for me to graduate from high school, my mom really helped me alot. Actually all through college to. Any math problem more complicated than the basic four I need help. Fraction’s kill me. She (my mom) would have me in the kitchen pouring water or juice into measuring cups so I could visualize things. This would go on for hours. I just couldn’t get anything. Eventually, I did. I got a D in math, but passed. If I can see anything in a picture form it is easier for me to remember. I didn’t learn to read a map until I was 26. I carry maps in my car, so if I get lost I can try and find my way back. I took highlighters and highlighted the most common routes to get back to my house. I hope this helps you some. The tests I took this passed week will be in addition to my ADD tests. I took the tests through a local university. The test is called a comprehensive learning disability evaulation. It took me three days and each day is for three hours. I can tell you the frustation is just as bad as if I was in school all over again. The last session I cried because I got so frustrated. After the diagnosis they will give me referral’s as to where I can get help and make recommendations. I do not know what is available, but I do know many advances have been made for people like us. I am glad you have someone to help you. Your family is your best advocate to support you. I have been told my whole life I don’t think like normal people and I am glad for that. My thinking has given some unique experiences I can never replace. I wish you the very best and never give up.

Ashley