Decoding Learning Differences with Kimberlynn Lavelle

Misnamed, Misdiagnosed, Misunderstood with Linda Karanzalis

Video version available at: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0245 

 

In this week’s podcast episode, we have a fascinating conversation with Linda Karanzalis.  Linda is an ADHD and NVLD expert.  And if you’ve never heard of NVLD, you are not alone!  NVLD stands for NonVerbal Learning Disorder, and can be mistaken for ADHD or autism, but is entirely different, and those with NVLD are definitely NOT nonverbal!

 

This episode is a fascinating first look at what NVLD is, and what to do if you suspect that you or your child has NVLD.

 

One of the easiest ways to begin to explore this subject, is to check out Linda’s book!  This book has just been released TODAY!  

 

Click here to find out more about Linda’s book! https://www.lindakaranzalis.com/ 

 

And her other work can be found here: https://addvantageslearningcenter.com/ 

Yes! Your Child Can with Dr. Vicki Waller

Website for this episode: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0244 

 

If you have ever felt that worry, “Will my child ever….?” listen to today’s podcast with Dr. Victoria (Vicki) Waller. 

 

From Dr. Vicki Waller’s materials:

“Every child can succeed in school and life, but some children need more help than others. For over 40 years, internationally acclaimed reading specialist and student advocate Dr. Victoria E. Waller has helped children who have trouble reading, who can’t sit still in class, who don’t feel like they can participate—children whom teachers have all but given up on. In Yes! Your Child Can: Creating Success for Children with Learning Differences, Dr. Waller shares with parents, teachers, and therapists her proven techniques for motivating any child to love learning, overcome their particular challenges, and succeed in school. Her methods are designed and proven to draw out the singular genius within your child, whether they’re just a reluctant reader or have a diagnosis such as ADHD or other learning differences.”

 

In this interview, we discuss Vicki’s new book, giving you some solid ideas on what you can begin to do to support your child!

 

Find Dr. Vicki Waller on: 

Instagram: @DrVictoriaWaller

FaceBook: @DrVictoriaWaller

Twitter: @DrVickiWaller

Website: http://www.drvictoriawaller.com

Spelling Lists We Can Do Better

Video available at: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0243

 

I can not count how many times I’ve heard parents worried about their child’s weekly spelling lists.

 

Parents want to know what they should do as far as accommodations, or if the list is reasonable, or if it’s just cruel to mark a kid wrong for letter reversals when they otherwise would have gotten 100% (finally).  Ouch!  Yeah, for the record, I do think that is cruel!

 

But I also just loathe spelling lists in the way that they are typically given!

 

The problems with traditional tests

Traditional tests are typically a list of words, often unrelated to each other.  Some lists are words all found in a common story that is being worked on that week.  Others might be a variety of ways to spell the long A sound (combining those all into one list is confusing and unhelpful!).

 

Additionally, we know from research that memorizing 10 - 20 words per week is NOT how anyone actually learns how to spell in their everyday writing.

 

We don’t memorize 20 words/week and then move on to using those words correctly in our everyday spelling.  We mostly just forget whatever we managed to memorize for the test, or we already knew how to spell the words.

 

To learn to spell, we need to learn the patterns of words.  More on that in a bit!

 

Kids who are successful on weekly spelling tests typically already know how to spell all or most of the words on the given list.  Other kids are further behind in spelling and might not know any words on the list.  

 

Handed the same list, some students only need to memorize 2 new words for the weekly test.  Other students will need to memorize all 20 words on the list if they are going to pass the test.  

 

Therefore some students are being expected to memorize significantly more words each week than other students.  And these are the very students who typically are struggling the most to learn spelling patterns.

 

I find it cruel to expect struggling children to memorize more words than their peers, especially because it is unlikely to benefit them in any way.

 

Finally, most spelling tests are graded on an “all or nothing” model for each word.  You either get the word completely correct or you get zero points.  In fact, the child may have spelled the word correctly but reversed a letter and the word is scored as wrong. I recently saw a parent post her child’s spelling list which would have been 100% correct if reversals were not counted against the child.  The child scored 10%.

 

The all or nothing approach also causes student growth to be missed, not showing the hard work they are putting in.  For example, some students are spelling using only an initial and final sound, without a medial vowel sound.  If that child remembers to use 3 phonograms on their spelling list, they are showing significant growth in their actual spelling ability, but might still “fail” the spelling test.

 

Accommodations

Yes, if your child’s school is still using an archaic practice of weekly spelling tests, please list accommodations for that test in your child’s 504 plan or IEP.

Some accommodations you might want to implement:

• Credit given for spelling reversals
• Oral test instead of paper/pencil
• Reduced list (child can take the full test, but is only responsible for knowing the first 5 words)
• Excused from test (receiving spelling instruction in an SAI environment while the whole class is doing the weekly tests)
• alternate/individualized list based on spelling patterns the student has mastered in the SAI setting
• Informal progress check with no set list to memorize, just assessment on patterns mastered (may be part of SAI instruction)
• Weekly spelling list used for spelling practice on homework, but not for testing at end of week
• Partial credit given on words for each spelling pattern correctly mastered.  (Ex: ship has 3 phonograms: sh, i, p.  A student spelling it as “sip”, “shep”, or “shib” would receive 2 out of 3 possible points.  A student spelling it as “chop” would receive 1 out of 3 possible points)

 

A better way

There are 31 spelling rules that account for the spellings of about 95% of English words, and the other 5% is mostly all words that are borrowed from other languages, and follow the rules of that language!

 

We can teach children to become proficient spellers in a systematic way that explicitly teaches each of those rules, and gives plenty of practice in applying those rules.

 

Explicit instruction is necessary for spelling acquisition in most children.  In fact, research has shown that most academic skills require explicit instruction.

 

There are great programs that teach these rules explicitly (such as Spelling Mastery, Logic of English, or All About Spelling), or you can teach them using your own scope and sequence.  The key is to have a solid plan to teach these spelling patterns in a logical way and to follow it, ensuring that the student is learning along the way.

Diagnosing Dyslexia

Now WITH sound!

 

see video version:  https://www.yourparenthelp.com/podcast_0239 

 

“Specific Learning Disability” versus “Dyslexia”

I’ve heard so many parents question the school’s report of a “Specific Learning Disability” and ask how they can get their child diagnosed with dyslexia.  In some states, a school can actually give a diagnosis, but this is outside of the scope of schools in many states.  

 

A diagnosis is a medical function, while determining eligibility for an IEP or 504 is a school function.

 

Assessing for an IEP or 504

A school assessment is done to determine if your child qualifies for an IEP or a 504.  A 504 evaluation is often more simplified and has less regulations than an IEP. 

 

When you are writing a request for assessment from a school district, you are writing a request that the school determine if your child is eligible for either a 504 or an IEP.  The schools are required to provide all children with a Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).  FAPE is not the same for all children.  It is not appropriate to have a wheel-chair bound child run laps around the field.  It is not appropriate for a child with a significant reading impairment to be required to read a text far above their ability level simply because it is a grade-level text.  Determining what specific accommodations, modifications, and services a child needs is an important step in ensuring FAPE is being offered.

 

Schools in most states are not able to officially diagnose, but will perform a lot of the same assessments as a private evaluator who is able to diagnose.  Asking the evaluator if your child has dyslexia will often give you the unofficial diagnosis.  Alternatively, you can seek out an education specialist or a similar professional to help you make sense of the school’s testing.

 

Do I need a diagnosis?

You do not need a diagnosis to receive special education services on an IEP or to develop a 504 plan for your child.  However, some people feel more comfortable having that official label.

 

Keep in mind that dyslexia can be defined in different ways and in the broadest sense, any child with a reading impairment caused by a processing disorder/Specific Learning Disability can be considered to have dyslexia.  So if your child understands the stories read to them, has had reasonable reading instruction, and is not learning how to read, your child can be considered dyslexic.

 

Some people define dyslexia far more specifically, but because it is sometimes defined broadly, it is not always helpful to have the label.  It doesn’t tell us WHY your child is struggling, other than telling us that there is some kind of brain structure impacting their learning.

 

“Specific Learning Disability sounds vague”

Yes!  Specific Learning Disability is a qualifying disability for an IEP under IDEA (The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).  There are a wide range of processing disorders that can be identified with SLD including: Cognitive, Auditory, Phonological, Visual, Visual-Motor, Sensory Motor, Language, Attention. (Although Language Processing disorder is often considered part of a Speech and Language Impairment rather than SLD.)  Each of those processing disorders gives the teachers and professionals working with your child a clue as to how your child’s brain operates a bit differently and how your child is likely to learn best.

 

So, while “Specific Learning Disability in Reading” is vague, it has as much meaning as “dyslexia” and with an identified processing disorder, is actually more specific.

Motivating Dyslexic Kids

Episode video: https://www.yourparenthelp.com/podcast_0242

 

Motivating Dyslexic Kids is much like motivating any child!

 

Before watching or listening to this episode, be sure you have seen/heard the previous episodes:

 

Motivation Killers

 

Motivation: Focus on the Relationship

 

Motivational Autonomy

 

Motivational Reading

 

Motivational Writing

 

Motivational Outings: Zoo

 

Motivational Modeling

 

Motivational Problem Solving

 

If you want to motivate your dyslexic kid to work on academic skills that they are struggling with, be sure to have conversations.  In these conversations listen way more than you speak.  Be curious and ask lots of questions. Get to know your child’s hopes, dreams, and concerns.  Find out why they choose to do some things and resist doing others.  Collaborate with them to come up with a plan that will work well for them!

 

If you find yourself forcing your child to engage in tutoring, or to do homework, step back and start trusting your child.  Use those conversations to decide on an approach that will work.  Trust that your child does want to do well!

Getting Your Kid Help in Public School

See video at: https://www.yourparenthelp.com/podcast_0241

 

In a recent episode, Diagnosing Dyslexia, we discussed whose role it is to diagnose dyslexia and whose role it is to educate those with dyslexia.  

 

This week, we’re talking about how to get the process of getting your kid help in public school started!

 

Request an evaluation

Write out a request for an evaluation.  I recommend emailing your request to as many relevant people as you can, as well as walking the letter into the office and asking the office staff to date stamp it and give you a copy back.

 

What to include in your request

Start your request with something along the lines of: “I request my child be evaluated to determine eligibility for an IEP (and/or 504 plan).” (see below for more on 504 v IEP)

 

Now list out your areas of concern.  The best phrase to use here is “areas of suspected disability include:” and then list out all of your suspicions.  The most common qualifying disabilities are: Other Health Impairment (ADHD falls under this); Specific Learning Disability (dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia fall under this); and Speech or Language Impairment.  If you suspect a specific learning disability, I would suggest including a request that your child be assessed “in all areas of processing”, or include specific concerns (ex: “Sara has difficulty following directions, copying from the board, and keeping track of where she is in a book.  She also often seems distracted.”)  Listing out those concerns, even without the name of the area of suspected disability gives the description of an area of suspected disability that the school needs to consider in their assessment plan.

 

You may also want to include any family history of learning difficulties, any official medical diagnoses your child has, and specific examples of how these areas of concern show up (ex: “just yesterday we were reading together and….”

 

Individualized Education Program (IEP) versus Section 504 Plan

If you want your child to get services, ask for an IEP.  In some areas, a Section 504 Plan (or 504) will include services, but this is not the case in many places.  IEPs also have goals that are being worked on through the services and tracked to determine if the services or accommodations should be adjusted.

 

I would recommend requesting an IEP unless you know that your child is performing at grade level, is able to learn in the general education environment without any direct services, and just needs a few accommodations (such as shortened assignments or extended time on assignments) for them to be fully successful.  

 

Timelines

Timelines vary by state, so check your state’s laws on timelines for IEPs.  504s do not have specific timelines (another big reason I recommend asking for an IEP).  

 

In California (and most states, from what I’ve gathered), states must respond to a written request for an IEP within 15 days.  This is 15 calendar days, not business days.  The timelines only stop for school breaks of more than 5 days.

 

A school can respond to a request for an evaluation by providing an assessment plan or by providing a “Prior Written Notice” informing you of why they are denying your request.  In most cases, the school will provide the assessment plan, especially if your letter lays out areas of suspected disability.  Some schools may ask you to meet, try interventions first, and rescind your request in the meantime.

 

Once you sign and return the assessment plan, the school has 60 days to assess your child to determine eligibility for an IEP.  Within 60 days, the assessment must be complete, and you should have met to determine if your child qualifies for an IEP.  If your child qualifies for an IEP, the school has 30 days to meet to generate an IEP.  In many school districts, the two meetings are combined and a child is on an IEP within the 60 days.

 

You can request an advance copy of the assessment reports so that you have time to go over it.  However, I recommend only doing this if you have knowledge of these reports or if you have someone to go over them with you, as the school’s explanation is often an important part of understanding the report. (Reach out to me Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com if you want help understanding your child’s assessment reports)

 

Takeaway

You know your child best.  If you believe your child needs additional help or support in some way, ask for it.  See Difficult Parents, My Take

Once your child qualifies for an IEP, the next step is to be involved in creating an IEP that adequately provides for the needs of your child.  Again, reach out (Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com) for help!

Effective Dyslexia Interventions

Video version available at: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0240

 

Effective Dyslexia Interventions

 

The “Gold Standard” in dyslexia interventions is Orton-Gillingham, often called “OG”.  There are many programs that are Orton-Gillingham-based.

 

The effectiveness of each OG-based program is highly dependent on the knowledge base of the person implementing the program.  If they are not actually trained in the program and/or dyslexia in general, the program will be far less effective.  

 

There are a lot of great programs available, but when someone can take those and individualize the education to YOUR child, you will see bigger improvements at a much faster pace.

 

There are also more contested interventions such as phonetic training (training your child’s brain to hear the differences between sounds), visual training (for those with visual tracking or visual processing difficulties), and other tools.  Each of these might work very well for some students and not at all for others.  This is because the tools are designed for specific types of brain wiring and if your child does not have that type of brain wiring, it will not solve the problem.  It’s kind of like giving glasses to a kid who can’t hear well.  Great for someone else, but not gonna help this kid!

 

Find a Specialist

Like I said, if you want to make a really great impact on your child’s growth, hiring someone who can individualize well is important. A specialist who has been extensively trained in dyslexia, has a lot of experience, who is engaging, and who is up-to-date on the latest research will be the most effective.  

 

I see a lot of recommendations for “Barton” or “Wilson”, etc.  And while each of those programs are great programs, they will not individualize to your child automatically and they will not necessarily address the difficulties your specific child is having.  Some kids need do well with Barton, and some will not.  (Luckily, Barton has a screener that gives you a good clue as to whether or not a specific child will benefit!)

Is your child ready for extra help?

For a variety of reasons (such as too much time on ineffective interventions), some kids are resistant to extra help.  They may not be interested in improving their reading right now, which will make them not make as much progress as the same child who is eager to improve.

 

Having an honest conversation with your child – in which you genuinely listen to their concerns and tell them about yours – is hugely important.  This conversation can make all the difference between your child engaging and finding success and your child continuing to struggle (while time and money are wasted).

 

Frequency of Extra Help

As I’ve said SO many times before, people only have a 10 minute attention span, at best.  This means that hour-long tutoring sessions are bound to be a lot of wasted time.  

 

There ARE circumstances in which hour-long sessions can be highly effective such as: the tutor is highly engaging, changing activities frequently, and the child is not mentally exhausted from a long day at school.

 

However, in most cases, a few short sessions several times per day is more effective than one long session.  That being said, one session daily is more effective than 1-2 sessions per week.

 

Yes, a lot of OG tutoring sessions in a week will get very expensive, very quickly.  However, your money will be more effective than if you pay for OG tutoring once/week.  In other words: 20 sessions delivered in 4 weeks is typically more effective than 20 sessions delivered in 20 weeks.  

 

AND- you can stretch your time and money by doing a lot of the skills practice with your child throughout the day and on any “off days” that your child has in their tutoring schedule. 

 

For example, you might only pay for OG sessions once/week.  And then you might ask the tutor for homework that you can do all the other days.  You might do that homework every morning and evening for 10-20 minutes.  That will all combine to lead your child to make much stronger progress than if your child is only getting the practice with the tutor.

 

As a reminder- if your child is mentally exhausted or resistant to the tutoring, homework, etc, you will not see much progress.  Before committing to a particular tutor, be sure they are a good fit for your child and that your child is ready for the extra help.

 

Takeaway: When your child is ready for extra help, find the right person and the right timing!

 

If you are interested in your child working with me directly, send me an email: Kimberlynn@DecodingLearningDifferences.com.  I have some specials right now (until Dec 1 or the spots are filled).

The Right to Read with Dr. Kathryn Garforth

Happy October, also known as both Dyslexia Awareness Month and ADHD Awareness Month.

 

Personally, I love that these two share a month because there is a high rate of co-morbidity, meaning they often show up together!

 

And to kick off this amazing month, today’s podcast is an interview with Dr. Kathryn Garfoth of Garforth Education and the Right to Read Initiative Podcast.  From her website: “Dr. Garforth has professional expertise in Educational Psychology and a personal understanding of the frustrations children and adults with learning difficulties experience at home, school, work, and in extracurricular activities.”

 

Listen in as we discuss reading development and what you as a parent can do to support your little (and big) learners!

Click here to watch the video interview or download the audio version! (www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0238)

Difficult Parents: My Take

 Parents often wonder whether it is worthwhile to write to their child's teacher.  The issue is complicated and nuanced, but overall, I almost always say: Yes!

 

Listen to the podcast and then be sure to read more of the details, ideas, and nuances at: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0237 

Motivational Problem Solving

 Kids who struggle with ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities are motivated by the same things all kids are motivated by: solving complex problems in a meaningful way!

 

In a continuing effort to find ways to motivate our child’s academic/educational progress, this month’s Motivational Monday is on Problem-Solving.  

 

While doing a worksheet full of “word problems” can be boring and unmotivating, solving genuine problems can be very motivating!

 

Consider some of these problems and all that your kids would learn in helping to genuinely solve them:

 

• We have no more space on our bookshelves…
• We have $X saved for a family vacation…
• What's for dinner?
• The back gate was blown down…
• The tomato plants died…
• We are in the midst of a super drought…

 

These problems, large and “small” all require an incredible number of skills to effectively solve.  Some skills that will be involved in solving these:

• Brainstorming 
• Measuring
• Calculating
• Budgeting
• Analyzing
• Evaluating
• Researching
• Donating
• Building

 

And there will be so many more skills, specific to each problem and to each child’s attempted solutions to that problem.  Notice that none of the given problems are ones that have a single solution.  The possibilities are endless, as are the possibilities of what your child will learn in helping to solve these problems!

 

Takeaway: Life is full of everyday problems that require a variety of skills to solve- involve the kids!

 

See more at: www.YourParentHelp.com/podcast_0236