What would you do | ADHD Information
Again, a thanks to all. Last Thursday was the last day of school and for this one the "wait and see" has worked SO FAR. She went up from progressing to grade level or above in everything except disorganization, follow multi step directions and some handwriting spacing issues. NOT bad from where we started. so far, making all the right decisions with this one! Very proud of her she brought all that social stuff and most handwriting up to grade level....she worked hard. Boy when it's your oldest wiht the "issues" it's harder on the ones that follow, to just assume they are going to do ok............I am SO releived, hopefully we'll keep closing that gap! Good for her and YOU!!diane, i know because we battled that same question. my son is highly gifted but has problems in the other areas you mentioned. i have kept him main streamed with the other kids with a 504 no LD's but some protection for behaivior issues, couldn't hurt. my school staff felt it would damage his ego to put him in special ed because he didn't need educational help just the 504. it has worked out well so far and this year had a wonderful teacher who took him light years in behaiviors. She is very stuctured and kind at the same time. but the key was the continual structure with her 35 students (she even had a time chart for the day), anyway i'm all for giving her the chance at mainstream at least until you are ready to evaluate the situation.Diane - I'd put her in the regular classroom and wait and see.
She's only in Kindergarten and when you say she has some social problems, what does that mean? She's not bullying the other kids or anything. I always think mainstream is the best. I like what jigsaw said - you can always get accomodations.
You know what to look for as far as warning signals since you can compare her with your other child.
One note about handwriting - how come kids are always being marked down for handwriting but when they become a Doctor and scribble prescriptions, that's okay
Seriously - I think way to much emphasis is placed on handwriting. Ofcourse, if the problem stems from a problem with fine motor skills, this must be addressed.
I have horrible handwriting - I'm a lefty and the Boston School System at the time, just didn't know how to help us. However, I don't have ADHD or fine motor problems and I type everything. Point being - bad handwriting is not always a symptom of problems.
Relax a bit and just listen to your "gut insticints" - it's usually never wrong.
Wanted to thank everyone for their input on this. I had my daughters IEP this morning and the last thing they brought up was placement. They suggested regular ED placement and did ask my opinion. I was happy I am being asked. After all kinds of input and a lot of it from here, I agreed that I wanted her in a mainstream regular Ed class. The modifications and services she is receiveing have nothing to do with academics. I want to keep her up at the top unless she starts to struggle, then we can deal with it then. She has made GREAT strides in improvement this year in her social delays and her handwriting issues. The teacher is still bringing up her attentional concerns, but I'm letting that pass for now. We've requested preferential seating and additional time for timed assessments , on an as needed basis. I'm lucky to get this stuff as she has not been diagnosed with anything. Nor am I looking for her to be at this point. Her IEP is in place because I pushed HARD for it for OT in preschool. She has outgrown so many of the things that used to worry me about her.
So THANKS!
I vote for regular first grade. It is too soon to pull the trigger, and I would give her some time in mainstream. If an integrated class is being offered now, they'll offer it again next year. However, I would consider retention if she is young for her grade.
Academically at or above grade level
Bad handwriting, but dramatically improved in past 5 months with OT
Conversing delayed, but improving with speech/language therapy
Moves through classroom centers well
Requires a lot of redirection to complete worksheets -- no independent completion
Some problems following directions
Struggles with group activities
I think the question you need to ask yourself is: how will the integrated classroom help my child with the issues listed above? The handwriting is already being addressed. The conversing issue is already being addressed. There are no academic issues. So that leaves what? Assuming that she has ADHD, schools push to solve on task behavior and work completion with medication -- so what is your child's payoff if she accepts the label and you accept the extensive role that you'll wind up playing? What will the integrated classroom offer exactly?
the "regular" classrooms do not have parasocials and the integrated does. The integrated is taught by a teacher with Special Ed background. So the teachers poitn was she needs a lot of redirection and help stayin on task, she would benefit form the extra teacher help.
Thanks NoTellin for laying it out like that. It helps me even further prefer the mainstream class. I guess though that every parent if given the choice would choose out of the integrated, unless they has learning concerns, and it wouldnt be integrated without mainstream kids. So when we get our forms next month on placement information I may just not mention it at all. I think I may just word it that I want her in the most positiive social environment as possible. I think (for her) she wont benefit from other children with social concerns. She learns that at home with her sister, she needs to be around a lot of kids who dont have behavior concerns. If she ends up in the integrated, maybe the extra help will help. I just hate her to be bored if the pace is slower and it will be.
She is not young she will be 6 this month. She is fairly on target with things, just somewhat socially immature, but progressing. She hates to be the center of attention and does not like group situations. She's the kid who has SEVERE separation issues until age 4.5, always wants me. Still prefers me over everyone, but has made a drastic turnaround he past year and a half, so we're moving forward.
Sorry so long, this one is just tough to figure out...........I'm thinking too much on this.
I'm not sure what I would do, but here are a couple of thoughts:
. First a simple question I try to ask myself when I get in one of those situations where I'm stressing out about a school situation or making a choice about school(s): Is your daughter happy and is she learning?? It seems, from your post, that your daughter is learning because she is doing well academically. If she is also happy and liking school and making progress while in the mainstream classroom, then I would probably be reluctant to make a change.
. How much do you like and trust her current teacher? How much do you value her opinion? Since the current teacher brought up the idea of the integrated classroom, I would think about how much weight I would give to her opinion, and also see whether or not she is definitely recommending this choice later in the school year.
. It's nice that you have choices and that the school/teacher are interested in finding what's best for your daughter rather than just passing her along.
. Maybe it's possible that you have two good choices, that there are pros and cons to both, and that either choice may work well for your child. Also, if you're not happy with the choice you make for first grade, you can always make a change, right?
By the way, my son, who is now 15, also had SEVERE separation issues as a young child. He also made a big change in kindergarten. It is a LONG-forgotten issue now.
I like the happiness question - that matters a lot.
But my kiddo's in 1st now and the difference between K and 1 at least
here is pretty huge. Nobody offered us an integrated classroom but I do
sort of wish such a thing was available. So if I were you I'd be inclined to
check it out and see what they offer in it. Anything to ease the shock and
rigors of 1st, if the child is already struggling in some areas.
In 1st, the handwriting is a much bigger deal, and with reading being the
huge push right now, there's a lot of opportunity for frustration and the
differences between the readers and non-readers is pretty obvious.
Which offers a whole new realm of social problems to emerge, if that
makes sense. - I guess I'm trying to say that whenever kids are so
obviously in a skill spectrum, there's a lot more opportunity for the got-
it's to show off and the don't-yet-got-it's to feel defensive or like losers.
Even in an extremely well managed classroom, kids are not oblivious to
these things.
Also to me, the early bloomers in 1st really zoom ahead socially. Which
with girls this can mean snotty games, little sneers, who has the coolest
American Girl doll or whatever. There's a lot less hugging, no naps, more
sitting still time. Where those challenges present confusion or difficulty
for your kid, the other ones notice. If they have a special helper coming
in to be with them, this does not go unnoticed. I just think in an
integrated classroom, they get to work out some of that adjustment stuff
in more privacy, yk? I think 1st might be an opportunity to close some of
those developmental gaps without branding them for the "mainstream"
kids as the spaz. A kinder/gentler environment? Maybe? Maybe I'm
idealizing it since we're not in integrated and I can sort of fantasize that it
would be a lot easier if we were?
I should say here that my kid's issues are primarily social, too - along
with needing direction to stay on task, mind and hands wandering, having
trouble transitioning between activities. She's on target academically too
- although handwriting is also disorganized and she's clearly working a
lot harder than many to keep it legible. Also she reads a lot better than
she thinks she does. She's very distracted by the other kids' opinions of
her and her perception that the other kids can read better than she can.
So I *think* she'd do better in a classroom where she looked better by
comparison rather than being the class clown to save face.
So I'm totally projecting onto your daughter - which isn't fair. But for my
kid, with her particular collection of quirks, I think integrated might have
been helpful. 1st was a lot more challenging than either of us expected
(purely from a social point of view.) What i'd ask about your daughter,
which would be different from mine - how does she handle frustration?
How does she handle peer pressure? Does she warm to a challenge or is
she intimidated? Is she easily confused? How much independent work
can she handle? And then keep in mind that mainstream 1st will be
much more demanding than K in all those areas and the consequences
for not being able to handle the above are more severe - and will come
from the other children as much as from the teachers.My son is in a special ed class called Behavioral Learning Center. He goes there because he cannot function in a regular classroom. After exhausting everything in a normal classroom to help him function then I agreed to it. It was not the first suggestion by the school, it was the last. It seems like the teacher is skipping all of what they can do for her to adjust in a normal classroom and putting her where she shouldn't go until it is all tried. Your daughter doesn't even sound like what my son was in a normal classroom. I would wait til next year and see how she functions, then go throught the process of what can be done in her classroom before agreeing to send her to the other. My son is doing good in the blc, they work and address his issues. He likes school again and is learning. He is at his benchmarks and functions at the most part well. Hi Diane. I think you really need to dig deeper to understand EXACTLY what type of classroom and services is involved in this "integrated classroom."
I have a 15 yr old son who at 5, exhibited almost identical issues to your 5 yr old. He still struggles to this day with inattention and pretty severe disorganization, which really affects him academically in high school even tho he tests gifted in IQ range! He is truly what is called a "twice exception" child... gifted in intelligence, but with definite learning/social challenges. In hindsight, my son would have really benefited from a type of classroom my district now offers called "developmental first grade".....which is NOT a totally sped environment. Is this the type of environment your district is calling "integrated"?? Maybe you can google the term "developmental 1st grade" to get a better understanding of what districts in various parts of the country define this as.
For my son..... the social isolation and exclusion really took off in first grade due to his preference for being more alone and standoffish. This was heartbreaking to watch unfold. He has social issues to this day which he has never really been able to overcome fully....although after "surviving" middle school, they are getting a little better in high school where being "different" is some what more accepted, or more so than middle school. Middle school is brutal for these kids sometimes.
Good luck with your journey. Your child is lucky to have such a dedicated and well informed parent to help her navigate this journey.
Okiemom
okiemom39494.4000115741Diane V, I'm leaning toward putting your child in a regular class and waiting to see how she does. You can get accommodations for some of her difficulties. If it doesn't work out then switch her. It is just hard to make decisions for next school year based on where she is at now. At that age my son made great changes in his social skills From the beginning of K to the Beginning of 1st grade. Good Luck. I'm sure your daughter will be fine because you are there to help her.
Hi DianeV!!
As you know, but may not remember 
, our ds is in First grade and we just made the decision to hold him back. We struggled with the idea of holding him back in kindergarten and when the principal insisted we move him on, we did. Now, here we are, with a frustrated child and one that will be held back while his now BEST FRIENDS are moving forward. It's been tough on him to get this far and now he has to stay behind. I know it's best for him, but sometimes even the good decisions are hard.
I like the happiness question as well...our ds is obviously frustrated and angry due to his inability to stay up with the rest of the class. They really become self-aware at this stage. So, even with the other struggles, we felt it was beneficial to hold him back.
Your dd seems to be somewhat shy, and that may be all it is. SHe may be a very independent worker and she may be a loner. My dh was a loner all through school and he made only average grades and was one of the youngest in the class. Basically, I'm with you in the confusion! I certainly don't have a clear-cut decision to advise you on taking. Way your odds, see pros and cons and figure out if there is one that has some possible longer term negative consequences. I say if you're leary, put her in the class that can offer her some accomodations until she reaches a higher level of maturity that will aid her in her future grades. Kindergarten leaves some room for adjustment and a period of self-assurance. The material they learn is only part of it, there is actually some very important social skills that help them that they get during this time. I feel like I'm rambling because I'm writing as ideas come to me, but I also wanted to offer help. You've definitely been a support for me through some of my toughest decisions thus far!
I do want to say this, You are a very intelligent/knowledgeable/and aware parent. Your kiddos are very fortunate to have a mother actively involved. You will make the right choice for each of them, hard or easy. So, relax and trust your instinct, I have a feeling it will lead you and your children down the right paths.
I want to thank everyone who responded. This was exactly what I needed. I'm calm now. I am not even sure I get a choice. I think her teacher was just thinking that it may not hurt to request she be in a class with more help. I'm torn on which would be best. There are pros and cons to both. SO, I'm going to just send in my paper requesting she be with some of friends and a structured class with positive social role models. I will see how she's doing in April. My gut says regular class for another year. She could care less what others think of her. Not sure the competition thing will bother her much at all. She doesnt feel compelled to fit in (which isnt always good ). She does tend to hold back and be a bit of a loner, my husband is too so it's part of her nature, that should be able to be ok. My only worry is she will struggle with only one teacher and I hate to put her in that situation. She gave me hope for attention this weekend though, we went to see The Water Horse (my oldest wanted to see it) and she sat through the whole thing....2 hours.....story a little old for her, but she followed it all and was perfect!, My husband and I were shocked, she still watches Blues Clues, but she was fine. This is the first non rated G movie she's seen, all her tv is still animated and young. Now she wants to see Hannnah Montana, maybe she is maturing.
I agree 100% with everyone about her attitude and the happy piece. She loves school and misses it every second shes not there.....all positives according to her!
Diane V39497.6005555556
OK I need some thoughts on this.
Kindergartner age 5. No diagnosis. November conference having some behavior issues, not following directions, cant stay on task, wont sit still for meeting.
Last week got report cards so I had another conference. Is academically at or above grade level in everything. Is reading above grade level and math is all above or at. All behaviors are improving, but not at grade level. Sits still and quietly for meeting, with and without the PT chair support, using it less and less. Manages classroom well, going center to center. Still having some social concerns, the kids all like her, but she doesnt interact very well. Not bad behavior, just really is fine playing alone and doesnt do "conversation" well, is getting speech/language for this and improving. Handwriting (our biggie) BAD. Although dramatically better from September. Gets OT once per week also. Her letter formation is improving, but her journal is still sort of below grade level (whatever that means!) Needs a LOT of redirection to complete her worksheets. Meaning they cant tell her what to do and leave her there to do it. (guess the others can). She doesnt do group stuff well, but does in specials like gym and music. She doesnt get in trouble where she has to pay a conseuqnce. I feel this is where the mainstream environment is helping her. All of this is inconcsistent, some days good, some days not.
OK, now to my question, the teacher mentioned thinking about suggesting the integrated classroom for next year. More paraprofessionals to support her. Sounds good..................BUT.............I'm not sure I want to get into this with her. She is already struggling socially. Will she benefit from the support or suffer form other kids with social issues? Where she is learning in the fully mainstreamed class and at or above grade level academically, why put her in a more restrictive environment. I'm torn...............so, let's hear what you'd do. I'm taking a poll. I promise not to come back to you and say....you made me make the wrong choice . now i have a child who is in an integrated class and pulle dofr special Ed classes. So this has nothing to do with "SPED prejuidice". My other daughter had significant social issues and was way below grade level, always. She also has ADHD/LD.
I do not want to evlauate my younger daughter until she is closer to 7 as I am already doing everyhting I would do even if she was diagnosed. Behavior plan and Omegas. I'm not sure ADHD is there. Soem signs are for sure though the inattention and multi task directions.
Diane V39493.3072685185It sounds to me like you are doing all you can do at this time. I would just wait, see how she does in 1st grade and go from there. thats my question, regular 1st grade class or have her in the integrated class?I say regular, and then see what happens. She might surprise you.