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    Can2K Offline OP
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    Just got off the phone with a psychologist where we had the testing done - they are diagnosing ADHD. She refused to consider simply documenting his deficits and recommending accommodations based on that - said that would not be professional.

    Also, she seemed to not be impressed with his previous diagnosis of DCD, given that he scored at the 30th percentile on the Beery.
    Still waiting for the full report...

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    Originally Posted by Can2K
    Just got off the phone with a psychologist where we had the testing done - they are diagnosing ADHD. She refused to consider simply documenting his deficits and recommending accommodations based on that - said that would not be professional.

    I'm curious about the ADHD diagnosis - once you have the full report, I'd be interested in knowing what she used as basis for the diagnosis. Did you and/or your ds' teacher have to fill out any type of behavioral survey?

    I also understand why she wouldn't want to document deficits and make accommodations recommendations without a diagnosis.

    Quote
    Also, she seemed to not be impressed with his previous diagnosis of DCD, given that he scored at the 30th percentile on the Beery.


    I can't find my ds' Beery report at the moment, but I'm fairly certain he didn't have any scores that were super-low. When you get the report, look to see if the subtest scores are listed, because that's where the information that's useful really is. There are three subtests: Visual Motor Integration, Visual Perception, and Motor Coordination. If there is a discrepancy in scores between subtests, it can help you figure out where the challenge is that's driving the handwriting issue.

    I think you've mentioned other things that clearly line up with DCD that aren't in the realm of ADHD symptoms at all - I'm sorry I can't remember exactly what those things were, but how is his ability to do things such as tie shoes, button shirts, throw or kick a ball, do a jumping jack etc? Does he walk fast or slow? Every person with DCD is impacted differently, so it's not possible to make a determination based on comparing behaviors, but fwiw, my ds walked extremely slowly when he was your ds' age. Still does... but otoh so do a lot of teens lol. He had a really tough time learning how to tie his shoes - wasn't able to until he was in 4th grade and then forgot how to after not wearing tie-shoes for a week during spring break.

    It is really confusing as symptoms and behaviors overlap between ADHD and DCD, but there are also symptoms that don't - and looking for those can be helpful in figuring out what's really going on. And of course, it's possible to have both - but if you accommodate for the DCD and the ADHD-like symptoms go away, it's much more likely that what you were seeing was DCD.

    Did the psych tell you when you'd have her report?

    Best wishes,

    polarbear

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    Can2K Offline OP
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    Hi Polarbear - as far as I can recall, the Beery subtests were:

    Visual Motor Integration - ~30th percentile
    Visual Perception ~90th percentile
    Motor Coordination ~30th percentile

    Psych said that 25-75 is in the normal range, which is why they don't see a fine motor issue. But it looks like a lot of scatter to me.

    For his motor skills, he just does almost everything very slowly (putting on velcro shoes, getting out of the car, putting on his jacket) - he doesn't walk slowly (sometimes runs), but kind of all over the place - ie not in a straight line. He has learned to swim, but it's not very efficient. I can see his swim teachers struggle when trying to teach him different strokes. His ball skills have improved, but he gets frustrated easily when the ball doesn't go where he wants.

    He can do buttons, sometimes has a hard time with zippers. I haven't tried teaching him to tie shoes yet. He still hates to use cutlery at the table, but will do if I insist.

    Also, the psychologist said that he kept dropping his pencil during testing and had a hard time picking it up - this is very familiar to me! To me it sounds like poor motor planning/coordination - she didn't say he deliberately dropped it, or was throwing it around the room.

    ADHD was based on Connor questionnaire scores from myself and DH and DS's teachers, as well as observations by the psychologist and some other test she didn't name which involved moving beads around on a peg-board (but she told me had minimal motor skill involvement).

    I agree that some of his behaviours are not DCD-related - he zones out when I talk to him, forgets things, loses things. I'm sure he has EF issues. So, not totally against the idea of ADHD, although DH has concerns about stigma.

    Last edited by Can2K; 08/26/16 11:20 AM.
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    Originally Posted by Can2K
    Psych said that 25-75 is in the normal range, which is why they don't see a fine motor issue. But it looks like a lot of scatter to me.

    It's in what's called "normal" range, but it's also on the very low end of "normal". 25th percentile is a cut-off that's used a lot in US schools as a guideline for SPED eligibility (or at least it's used in our school district). A kid who doesn't quite fall under that bar can still be incredibly challenged. I'm going to try to find my ds' Beery results this weekend if I can - I'm fairly certain he didn't fall below 25th percentile, but he definitely (and obviously) has DCD. I see the Beery as more of a tool to use to understand how a person is impacted rather than determining that they do or don't have a challenge.

    Quote
    I agree that some of his behaviours are not DCD-related - he zones out when I talk to him, forgets things, loses things. I'm sure he has EF issues. So, not totally against the idea of ADHD, although DH has concerns about stigma.

    Our ds had a lot of those types of issues when he was your ds' age - still has some of those issues in high school. When he was your ds' age he had a mild ADHD diagnosis, but as he matured his neuropsych felt that it wasn't really ADHD and the symptoms that looked like ADHD were due to DCD. Most of what I've read about people's experiences with DCD/dyspraxia indicate that these types of challenges are common with DCD. The tricky thing about DCD is that it can be so different in how it impacts each individual. DS is 16 now, and he attributes his inability to see his lost pencil on the floor next to his shoe completely to his DCD - not flippantly but just as what he thinks it is. As he matured, it started becoming more obvious to me that his organizational challenges were coordination-related.

    I really *really* have no problem or worries about an ADHD diagnosis, but I do feel that it's important to understand what the real diagnosis is (or multiple diagnoses), because once you have a diagnosis you typically follow a specific direction in dealing with it. Sometimes that direction overlaps with exactly where you would have gone with the actual diagnosis, sometimes not. ADHD is something that is becoming somewhat common in schools, DCD not so widespread. I wouldn't worry about having an ADHD diagnosis, but I'd worry about what you might miss in terms of missing a DCD diagnosis when it's present. Aside from the practicalities of making appropriate accommodations and remediation where possible, I think that having an appropriate diagnosis early helped my ds tremendously in developing self-confidence and learning how to accept his challenges for what they are - challenges, nothing more. Prior to his diagnosis he struggled tremendously with anxiety and self-confidence.

    Sorry for the long ramble - hope some of it helped!

    polarbear

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    Can2K Offline OP
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    Thanks Polarbear - I guess part of what is bugging me is that the psychologists didn't seem to take the DCD seriously. Didn't even mention that often kids have both (which is right on the CanChild website, and would seem to be an argument in favor of their diagnosis), or that there are overlapping symptoms.

    Makes me wonder if we've seen the right clinic. However, maybe I just need to be patient and it will all be in the written report.
    Also curious what they will recommend as treatment ...

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