Hello everyone!
I posted here a few times over a year ago about my son - now age 12 and dx'd with dysgrphia and dyslexia. Here's the prior thread in case anyone wants to backread:
http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/ubbthreads.php/topics/235651/1.htmlEveryone was so knowledgeable and helpful previously. Hope I can rely on this community for some input and advice again.
His prior school denied my initial request for testing for dysgraphia--and put my son in an "OT observation" process that resulted in the school OT saying he was "making progress" (and that his handwriting was at the 90th percentile for legibility despite never having done a test. Still baffled about that one
)
I sought an outside neurospsych eval for him. He was diagnosed with dysgraphia and (mild) dyslexia last summer. I approached the district again with the test results--and was denied again (both IEP and 504) due to his good grades and high scores on state-mandated testing.
Along the way, he was also denied gifted services, despite having passed the district's gifted screening benchmarks. The said he was an "enigma."
After a few painful months, lots of tears, many school refusals on his part, and an agreement to do a 504 eval after threatening a complaint and going to the school board (it turns out the district didn't have a 504 policy at all in violation of Federal law!)...I decided to pull him to homeschool him.
That's been going well. He's much calmer and happier. We're taking it pretty easy, but it's the clear right choice for him, right now. He's opened up a lot about how hard school was for him and how he felt "dumb" due to the poor quality of his written work.
I got an OT referral from our pediatrician, so he recently had an assessment using the Beery VMI. I could use some help understanding the results, the "treatment diagnosis" and next steps.
Beery VMIRaw Score: 23
Standard Score: 89
Scaled Score: 8
Percentile: 23
Below Average
Visual PerceptionRaw Score: 23
Standard Score: 85
Scaled Score: 7
Percentile: 16
Below Average
Motor CoordinationRaw Score: 14
Standard Score: 45
Scaled Score: 1-
Percentile: .02
Very Low
****
Treatment DiagnosisR27.9 Unspecified Lack of Coordination
R41.842 Visuospatial Deficit
****
He's started weekly OT. He does have handwriting "goals," although I don't expect too much progress there. He also has "organizational" goals since he displayed some signs of being scattered on the neurospych testing (some signs of ADHD, but not enough to be ruled out). I think the big benefit for him right now from OT is support and acknowledgement of his challenges--which was one of the reasons the denials at school were so hard on him.
Any thoughts on what I should seek or expect from OT?
The OT recommended he see a developmental optometrist. There weren't specific suggestions for vision therapy--but the only developmental optometrists I can find all focus on vision therapy. I don't mind having an assessment, but not sure about vision therapy. I've heard glowing anecdotal reports and heard others say it's a waste of time (and money). I haven't received any input (or read any research) specific for dysgraphia. It seems to be rejected as a therapy for dyslexia.
Any thoughts? Is a developmental optometrist the right professional to approach or are there other avenues to get more information on the visual component?
{A kind-of aside: I have a daughter with convergence insufficiency so have looked into vision therapy before. I had an optometrist and pediatric ophthalmologist advise against it, so we haven't done it. She's been doing better with "pencil push-up" exercises and self-monitoring while she reads. I'm still considering it for her.}
I know the diagnoses are for billing purposes, but wondering if there's more that I need to investigate. I'm especially curious about the "Unspecified Lack of Coordination" diagnosis.
Is there testing we should pursue to get more clarity?
I think that's all my questions for now. I feel like every answer leads to even more questions. Appreciate any input you can provide.
Thanks.
