mood Bell/life after graduation

[Guest guest]

Glad to help. I actually have 4 kids all with special needs. Two have adopted

from China with ADD/ADHD and they have concept imagery deficits.(One is legally

blind). My youngest was 7 years old when she completed LMB V/V program. We

recognized the signs early and was able to fill in the deficit quickly- 140

hours in one summer and she has been fine. My twin boys with PDD-NOS were on

the protocol for a couple of years and then we did V/V the summer of their

5th or 6th grade- I want to say they were age 11 (?)It was about 160 hours. The

following summer we went back for a fast paced two week " refresher " just before

school started because the boys were nervous going into the next grade. After

LMB the kids started passing their state proficiency exams and getting honor

role grades. It really took about two years for all my children to have the

confidence that they really were smart and they could do the work because for so

many years they needed help. Cognitively and academically things really started

coming together and that was really neat to see. They have been academically

fine ever since. Anyway, all my kids are different scenerios- both on and off

the spectrum. Just something to check into if you find your back against the

wall and you just don't know what else to do. I was there

It was interestingly how I learned about LMB. We had the boys tested for

learning disabilties at our children's hospital because of their autism and we

knew we would need documentation after high school. They recommended LMB and we

found out our " normal " adopted ADD daughter had actually worse issues. She was

" just " ADD and the school couldn't find anything " wrong " through their testing.

They just wanted us to accept her the way she was but we knew there had to be

more to it. A child who struggles in 3rd grade has something going on and you

just don't give up. We knew if we didn't do " something " she would not make it

through high school-let alone college. It was so sad and it ruined her

confidence and self esteem. We took her to LMB and she was tested for concept

imagery deficits. We had her go to LMB the first summer and we saw such great

results that my boys with autism went the following summer.My oldest daughter

who is going into high school has a 99.8 average- this is the same kid who the

school found nothing wrong even though she was failing 3rd grade because she

couldn't keep up and nothing stuck and they wanted us to beleive she was at her

potential. My point is, if you see inconsistency then their probably is a

deficit and just because the school doesn't pick it up, doesn't mean it doesn't

exist My school district got a lesson in concept imagery so the teachers know

what to look for

By the way, do all of you have the differences in advocacy after your child

reaches age 18 ? After age 18 even if they are in high school you need to file a

guardianship or you cannot access their records I know, that really seems

weird. Also, school documentation is usually not enough for services after age

18. If they go to college, then they have to be able to advocate for themselves

which is really hard because most of these kids never got the practice during

their school years. It doesn't seem fair Really work on having your child ask

for things and build from there. They need to be able to approach a teacher and

ask for missed assignments and when they need help. It all starts back in the

early years and it took us 3 agonizing years for my kids to really get that

down. It took major re-enforcement that sometimes put me over the edge Once

your child leaves 12th grade, the IEP is no longer effective. It is sobering and

you always want to have that in the back of your mind

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Hi Ann,

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Thanks for sharing! What other interventions did you do with your

> > > > > boys, to

> > > > > > supplement the protocol? Did you do speech, OT, etc>

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Thanks,

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Kristy

> > > > > >

> > > > > > From: groups (DOT) com [mailto:groups (DOT) com] On Behalf

> > > > > Of Ann or

> > > > > > Dave MacLaren

> > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 2:32 PM

> > > > > > groups (DOT) com

> > > > > > Subject: Recovery- Hi Marcia Hinds!

> > > > > >

> > > > > >

> > > > > > Hi Everyone,

> > > > > > I felt to compelled to email, it has been a couple of years:) I

> > > > > guess my

> > > > > > twin boys would be in the category of one " recovered " and one

> > > > > almost there-

> > > > > > they are entering 10th grade. I don't normally email because

> > > > > Marcia Hinds is

> > > > > > right, you tend to drop off the list or just listen because you

> > > > > have been

> > > > > > down that road before. Five or Six years ago Marcia Hinds

> > > > > recommended

> > > > > > and we followed through. Our boys were high functioning so while

> > > > > we had our

> > > > > > " battles " they certainly weren't some of the challenges others

> > > > > faced. We see

> > > > > > Dr. and we started just as he opened up his office in

> > > > > Texas. Both my

> > > > > > twins are driving and have the problem solving and critical

> > > > > thinking skills

> > > > > > of their age group. One twin doesn't need to be on antifungals,

> > > > > the other

> > > > > > still has yeast issues and I can tell from how tired he gets when

> > > > > to change

> > > > > > medicine. Marcia's last post was right on, it takes a while for

> > > > > these kids

> > > > > > to improve but slow and steady wins the race These kids do pick

> > > > > up on

> > > > > > higher cognitive thinking but medical intervention is only one

> > > > > piece of the

> > > > > > equation. You still have gaps and behaviors to work on and make up

> > > > > for lost

> > > > > > time. Academically my boys are at peer level with honor roll grades,

> > > > > > independent work and they will go to college to be engineers. They

> > > > > are

> > > > > > indistinguishable from their peers and people are surprised when

> > > > > the boys

> > > > > > tell people they have or " had " autism It is a long journey but

> > > > > people on

> > > > > > this list will guide you. Stick with it. Marcia, thanks for making a

> > > > > > difference in our lives Ann MacLaren- Indiana

> > > > > >

> > > > > >