Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional Left, right, or mixed dominance?

OHGrandma, I think you are right, all those things your GS is already doing are great for him, so keep it up! I'm sure the calves are playing a wonderful role!

We're planning to start piano this summer (gee I thought I was so clever for thinking of it myself a few weeks ago, for getting the left and right brains working together, for processing speed, for auditory processing, and for fine motor; and now here I keep seeing posts mentioning piano, ha!). The kids sound excited about it - I hope they stay excited after we start. If there's time, besides swimming and piano I'm hoping to have them do riding lessons this summer as well. I just have to find the right place; there are several near us. It'll be hectic with a new baby, but I have a teenager lined up to help me.

Lori, was it hard for your son to learn piano? was practice frustrating, etc.? I'm just wondering what is in store for us - how great of a challenge will it be to get them started on piano - I'm a little nervous that I'm going to put a lot of money into something that will just make my life harder on a daily basis (trying to get them to practice). I came across an interesting article on teaching piano to left-handers that incorporates visual-spatial principles http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2493/is_6_55/ai_n16598103

My son's OT recommended the pushing, pulling and carrying heavy things and also doing puzzles (not the online kind that he likes). I just don't understand why doing the sensory diet stuff will help when dance with his musical theater class and working out with Dance, Dance Revolution and playing Guitar Hero and piano did not help him that much. They say with therapy he can develop "new neural pathways" and I can't help being a little skeptical. Why didn't the other things he does help him develop new neural pathways. His OT is only once every couple of weeks and she has him doing lots of activities that involve swinging. I don't have all the equipment she has. I don't know if there is any proof that this actually works. If there is, I would love to see it.

My son has always been above grade level in all subjects except handwriting. When the OT tested him she said his handwriting was only low average even with his below average visual motor abilities--visual motor age is two years below his actual age.

He seems to be a mixed visual and auditory learner. I would guess 50/50. He was never much of a kinesthetic learner.

I am not sure how the visual motor problems that cause my son to be slow at putting together 3D puzzles would really hurt him academically. My son does not have any trouble in math or any other academic subject when he is allowed to take breaks throughout the day. I don't know what difference it makes if he has trouble catching a ball. I don't know how any of this helps with "motor planning" and learning his dance routines in musical theater which is the main reason he is in therapy. My son keeps asking me about this also. He doesn't like OT and wants to know how long this will take. He argues about doing everything she asks him to do at home and he points out that he does not have a weight problem and is otherwise healthy and since he is kind of a geeky kid with no interest in sports it doesn't matter if he can catch a ball or put puzzles together or other fine motor tasks a little faster. He would, however like to be able to learn dances a little faster and nobody is telling him how the therapy will help with that. He does like the therapy ball which he uses a lot. He bounces around on it while watching television. But he still thinks I need to just accept his differences and quit trying to change him. I wish I could find a book or article that explains how the sensory integration therapy works and what kind of results we can expect.

Lori, you raise a very good point, and there just isn't any research yet. I think they're trying to get some together; but I had a hard time getting point blank answers even from Dr. Miller herself, in terms of explaining exactly how it works. Basically, she said, it has to do with neuroplasticity, and I guess the order of activities is important. The Star Center believes very strongly in doing the OT intensively, often along with listening therapy to further facilitate changes. They think it's much more efficient way to effect changes than the more traditional one-per-week therapy schedule. We did a 20-session program but it was 3x per week for a month, then a month off, then 2x per week, and that was it. Done. I know it helped my kids, but I watched every session and I have a hard time seeing why, except perhaps for the listening therapy portion (which is essentially mozart taken apart by frequency). It is a real shame that there isn't more in print, explaining how it works in a very clear way. In my view, it is a gamble (and it's not cheap) since I doubt it helps everyone. We got lucky, I guess. Here is something new I noticed on the website but I haven't had time to read it http://www.netnewsdesk.com/SPDFoundation/index.cfm?PID=897&ID=4041,14387,14287

Sorry, I just now saw the question about piano.

I did have trouble getting my son to practice the first couple of years, because he could do the songs well enough without practicing much. When the music started getting more challenging, I think it became more interesting for him and he was willing to practice more, but still not as much as he is really supposed to.

The piano teacher does not use a metronome. She also quit having use the theory book that I know she still uses with other students, because his handwriting and drawing difficulties made it difficult for him at age 5 and 6. He seems to be doing well enough without it.

One thing I noticed about his piano playing was that he never wanted to try to do songs from memory. He always needed to read the music and this was one of the things that made me think he had some kind of slight motor memory difficulty. I guess this goes along with dyspraxia. He has to play lots of different chords and his hands don't stay in one position on the piano at the level he is in and he has no trouble with this but he would have difficulty memorizing more than a few lines of music. His progress is probably average, about one level a year. He takes breaks throughout the year. The teacher doesn't give him much to work on for several weeks before his plays when he is doing a lot of rehearsals and she gave him a break the last couple of weeks before the spelling bee, because she agrees that this should be enjoyable.

I found something else interesting too. I can play a note on the piano and he can remember it hours later and sing that note. When I try this, I am off a little bit. I think taking piano lessons has definitely helped with singing in musical theater. When the kids sing a song for the first time the ones who have had musical intrument lessons sound better than the kids who didn't.

Ds5 is strongly left-handed ... showed a preference before he was two. I'm interested by the thing about sensing beat -- that's actually one of ds's strong points, is rhythm and beat. Interesting!

Nothing else to add, just wanted to chime in.

I've been facilitating DS to play the piano all of his life. He has shown interest off and on but for the past year has really seemed interested. What I found most interesting is that I learn music by reading it. While he can read music, he tells me the notes jump around on the page and he can't keep up with them. However, he can play almost anything if he hears it once or twice. He also plays with boths hands with chording and shading. In fact, at times, other family members aren't sure if it is me or him playing if they aren't in the room. He took up drums at the beginning of the year as well. So far he is really enjoying having to coordinate so many motions at the same time.

I am realizing that he is a very visual Spacial learner. I think I've been in deep denial on that point for years. I'm really not sure what his dominant side is. If he takes after me, it will be mixed.

Lori H! Lori H!
I was lying in bed last night and had this great visual for your son! Mine is an arguer too. Don't let him argue you out of a correct position just because he's good at it!!!!

A) As an adult I have more life-experience. My life-experience is telling me that this is an important thing, even though I can't put it in to words. I'm your mother, and your respect and trust me, RIGHT? So we do it now, and evaluate later, like any good scientists, RIGHT?

B) Read the original books on SID, I think they are written by Jean Ayer, or something like that. They are quite interesting and convinsing.

C) Tell him from me, that not every true thing is provable by controlled scientific studies, because they are very expensive and difficult to do. The book "in defense of Food" by Michael Pollan chapter called 'Bad Science' is a terrific example.

D) Think of a lever. A short lever arm requires a lot of effort to do something. A long lever arm requires only a little. When one is a child, compared to an adult, one has a very long metaphorical lever arm, compared with an adult, but not as long as a baby's. The OT you are doing will yield big results compared to if he delays and waits until he is an adult, because the lever arm is still very long. It feel like crap for him to press on the lever because in his experience he is comparing it to the lever arm from when he was a baby. You are comparing it to what it would be like if you did nothing and left it to him to try to change himself as an adult... Still entirely possible, but much less effective!

E) Human being are really complicated. Difficulties in one area carry over to seemingly unrelated areas. Perhaps all this OT now will make him a fabulous lover when the time comes! You want him to have the widest possible future, AND that's why you don't just 'quite trying to change him.'

F) If none of this works, try watching '12 Angry Men' together. At least you can think of Henry Fonda when you are standing up to his whining!

((bushlebaskets of love!!!))
Grinity

Thank you very much for your thoughts. We just got back from a three day vacation to dig for crystals in Arkansas with some of my husband's family, including his sister who is a geology professor. We thought it might be fun as well as educational.

There was plenty of time to talk on the four hour drive, so my husband and I both used the "we have more life experience" and "you will just have to trust us because we only want the best for you."

The vacation didn't go quite as well as I expected because my geology professor sister-in-law with her numerous degrees, who sat across from us at dinner, seemed to be annoyed by the way my son eats--particulary his problems in using a knife. She just didn't seem to get it when we explained that he had motor dyspraxia and sensory integration issues and that this difficulty was typical for a child with dyspraxia. We also told her that he was in occupational therapy. The next day she again asked about the problem with using a knife when I cut up my son's meat hoping to avoid embarrassing her. She asked if the OT was working with him on this and I told her that we chose to work on the things that were most important to him first. Learning dances faster for the musical theater group that he and all of his friends are in is the most important to my son and I agree with him.

My son's 21-year-old cousin and the cousin's girlfriend rode with us to another restaurant and the girlfriend talked to my son. One of the things my son told her about himself was that "people think I'm weird." He had heard his aunt's comments. I know I shouldn't say this but I think some people are just over-educated idiots.

She doesn't sound all that overeducated, but she sure sounds insensitive!

I'm sorry, Lori!

Awww Lori, how totally insensitive. Unreal!