Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Twice Exceptional new to this website - dysgraphia

Hi, I am new to this website, but I found it while searching for information on twice exceptional children. (Can someone explain what the abbreviations mean?)

We just came back from Johns Hopkins after having our 11 year old son tested for LD. Our public school informed us last year that because he wasn't failing they wouldn't test him. He is in the gifted program, but struggles to write. Hopkins thinks he has dysgraphia and there maybe something else as well-- we go back for the final report in a few weeks. He also has a previously diagnosed anxiety disorder for which he takes medication and sees a psychiatrist and psychologist.

Last year various teachers and the guidance counselor told us that he was lazy, attention seeking (because we have 4 kids I was told that I probably wasn't giving him enough attention at home), and finally the guidance counselor told us that we were "paying to much attention to his difficulty with writing and therefore making it worse". This was a new public school for us due to a redistricting in our district so it was even more difficult to navigate through a sea of new names and faces. Our previous elementary (same district) had a very supportive staff who were invaluable when he was diagnosed with the anxiety disorder.
He had two teachers who helped us and advocated for him and finally said "forget the school- have him tested privately" which is how we ended up at Hopkins.
I am very overwhelmed at this point and of course anxiously awaiting the final results so we can take them to his school. This time I will hire a parental advocate. I am just in need of some moral support right now!
If anyone has any advice that you think maybe useful...

Hi manti1 - Welcome! Here is a link to common acronyms you'll find here: http://giftedissues.davidsongifted....of_Common_Gifted_Acronyms.html#Post13990

I'm sorry that your school does not get that kids can be gifted and have LDs too. Hopefully you'll get some good info from Johns Hopkins that will help your son at school.

I'm sorry, I don't have any experiences with 2E (twice exceptional) kids or working with schools (my DS5 is just starting kindergarten), but I know there are others on this forum who have had similar experiences to yours. Good luck! I think you've come to the right place.

Hi manti1 and welcome.
I also have an 11 yr old son in a gifted program with dysgraphia and anxiety, and now an ADD diagnosis. I kind of expected the teachers at a school for gifted kids to understand at least the anxiety piece, but some don't. I have learned that I need to explain things very carefully, sometimes simply, including the emotional effects of LD's so that they don't label him (at least in their minds) as lazy. At one point the principal told me that he didn't know what 5 X 1 was. I had to point out to her that his frozen silence in the face of a question was anxiety, not lack of education.

The good news is that there are accommodations out there and some people who "get it" at the school. As he performs better in school using the keyboard, his anxiety level decreases!

Hang in there! Life is a little more complicated for my 2e kid, but he is growing up with so much more self-awareness than I ever had. And empathy for others. I think this will serve him well in the long run.

hey guys- can someoe give me some details how to get started with keyboarding. We're in the same boat with my DS7. He's had so much extra help with handwriting that it actually looks fine, but the mental processes it takes to get it on the paper is pure torture! He is a low processing speed kid (83 WISC for PSI).. Do you use a formal program?
irene

Hi-rene,
My son started learning keyboarding with various 'learn to type' CDs at age 7, but he didn't get fluid until age 9. Our public library has a shelf of educational CDs for the computer, so we tryed a few, including jumpstart and sponge bob. Mavis Beacon was the best for us, and it was customizable, so DS could turn off the 'phony praise' and change the style of music. He also turned off the 'games' as they weren't fun for him.

From age 7 to 9, I just was purely positive, and offered him a quarter dollar for every quater hour he would put in. I did sit with him for the most part, and just watched and praised. Hey, being an only has to have some advantages. I told him the story of the Bamboo tree, 3 years under the ground of root development and then feet of visible grown all at once. This was DS's first experience with 'learning' that wasn't about how quickly you can get the idea, but just about building muscle memory. I told him that everyone who puts enough time into learning to type will learn to type, but that no one knows exactly how long it will take. I projected confidence that he would get it, and confidence that he had the 'seat power' to stick with it long enough to get it. I had heard the phrase 'relaxed, high expectations' and repeated it to myself over and over again.

Best Wishes,
Grinity

This is the web site we used. It's free, and it's a good start. After that, we used Type to Learn, at ds's request (they use it at his school).

Same with us, Grinity! My son who had tried different typing programs liked Mavis Beacon the best. Now he can really enjoy his creative writings without getting frustrated by his hand-writing difficulty.

Botchan,
How old was your son when he started, and how old was he when the typing finally got good enough to use for the creative writings?
Thanks,
Grinity

Hi Grinity,
He was 7 when he started Mavis Beacon program. He spent good 2-3 hours, just practicing and playing games everyday. (He gets quite obsessive!) After about 3 weeks or so, he was fairly comfortable typing without checking his finger positions. Once he built muscle memory, the speed part came over time. Since he loves creating his own stories, he was typing all the time, and it definitely helped improve his speed.

Now at age 8, I would say he is far more productive in his creative writings with keyboarding than writing on papers. He's got more than 50 titles (files) of short stories, essays and non-fiction, free-style writings on his computer.

Thanks Botchan - that's wonderful! I haven't yet heard of a 7 year old who was able to use typing as a '2nd nature tool' and now I have. I do know what you mean about the 'quite obsessive' - although I keep trying to look for 'nicer' words, like perseverant and intense. LOL!

Botchan - do you remember how many 'words per minute' he was at around the point where he could stop checking his fingers?

For my son, the practice came with online computer games - I think Runescape. Mine isn't a 'story' guy, but loves to socialize.

Applause for your son's achievement!
Smiles,
Grinity

Thank you Grinity.
I've just checked his progress records on the program when he started typing without checking his fingers. Ah, it said he was typing at WPM speed of 23. I'm not sure his current speed is, but he types much quicker now. (around 30-40 WPM I guess...)

For some reason, he learned to type quite effortlessly. I thought it might be a huge challenge for him to type due to his fine/gross motor coordination issues. He was diagnosed with Oral Motor Dyspraxia, (oral motor control disorder- he was totally nonverbal until age 3.5) and still has gross motor coordination problem. So, it was a wonderful surprise!

Way to go Botchan.
We also found that once DS got to 25ish wpm typing started being usable, and then he totally took off and was over 100wpm (with mistakes) by age 10. He isn't so fast now that he isn't playing Runescape anymore.

Wow! That is truly amazing! Good for him!

We owe it all to Runescape! I wish it was stories like your son's, Botchan.

DS13 just told me that the touchtyping also helps him with textmessages. I guess if he is going to do it, he should get it over with ASAP.