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Posted By: KJP Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/07/16 06:10 AM
DS9 participated in a study at a local university. Part of the study included some testing. I know the results can't be used for educational or clinical purposes. I still find it interesting to compare to his results from three years ago.

Three years ago he had a complete evaluation with 2e specialist and was diagnosed with DCD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia. He had/seems to have low processing speed and working memory. Do these scores seem consistent with his known issues?

Woodcock Johnson IV
Bascic Reading Skills - percentile rank 94
Reading Fluency - percentile rank 65
Math Calculation - percentile rank 27

TOWRE
Sight Word Efficiency - percentile rank 86
Phonemic Decoding Efficiency - percentile rank 77

CTOPP - percentile rankings
Elision 75
Blending Words 37
Memory for Digits 25
Rapid Digit Naming 75
Rapid Letter Naming 37
Rapid Naming 16
Posted By: aeh Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/07/16 11:03 PM
By and large, yes. Looks like his reading decoding skills are much stronger than the typical dyslexic, but his fluency is only average, which would be discrepant in this context, and is consistent with a compensated dyslexic. Notice that reading fluency is better for single words (TOWRE) than it is for sentences (WJIV), which is often the case for compensated dyslexics, as you don't have to also read for meaning while reading single words. His CTOPP results are interesting, as you can see that he still has relative weaknesses in some aspects of phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid naming, which are consistent with the dyslexic profile, but also has strengths in those areas. (Odd, though, that Rapid Naming as a cluster is so much lower than the two subtests; is one of them a typo?)

I'm guessing a factor in the math score was math fluency, which would be affected by DCD, dysgraphia, and the automaticity deficits that underlie dysgraphia.
Posted By: EmmaL Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/07/16 11:50 PM
aeh- just wondering if the weakness in fluency is under the dyscalculia umbrella?
Posted By: KJP Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/08/16 12:35 AM
He is definitely a compensated dyslexic. We did a lot of remediation and did it early (when he was between 6 and 7).

The person doing the testing mentioned he did really well with nonsense words. Part of his remediation included Toe by Toe which uses a lot of nonsense words.

I worry about math. He struggles and really just doesn't like it at all. Is there some evidence based remediation for math? I've looked at some programs but it is hard to gauge how they'd work with someone like him.
Posted By: KJP Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/08/16 12:37 AM
Also, time is definitely an issue with math. He can't do anything quickly. He has very few facts on recall and does a lot on his fingers or with pictures still.
Posted By: aeh Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/08/16 04:47 AM
Originally Posted by EmmaL
aeh- just wondering if the weakness in fluency is under the dyscalculia umbrella?
If it's for actual automaticity reasons, yes. If it's just because of fine-motor speed, not really.
Posted By: aeh Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/08/16 04:49 AM
Originally Posted by KJP
Also, time is definitely an issue with math. He can't do anything quickly. He has very few facts on recall and does a lot on his fingers or with pictures still.
And in answer to Emma's question, yes, this situation falls under dyscalculia. It's not that unusual for dyslexics with low rapid naming, as it's essentially a manifestation of the same underlying issue that causes poor reading fluency, but in mathematics.
Posted By: aeh Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/08/16 05:08 AM
Touch Math has a decent track record with math disabilities. I've worked with teachers who use this, and like it. There is also Marilyn Zecher's OG-inspired Multisensory Math program out there, which has an access model similar to OG's, where you hire tutors certified by the developers. I don't have direct experience with that one.

Many of the multi-sensory math remediation programs mention the concrete-pictorial-representational sequence, which is what Singapore Math and Math Mammoth (for instance) are based on. For most students, difficulty with math facts is based in deficits in basic numeracy skills. These curricula start from numeracy.

Interesting ways you can build practice into the day also include dice and card games, learning to read music (rhythm notation is all fractions), cooking, woodshop/carpentry, etc.
Posted By: KJP Re: Scores consistent with known issues? - 12/08/16 05:55 PM
Thank you very much for the information and ideas.

I talked to DS about math and different options.

This is what he wants:

No timed tests and extra time on assignments
Multiplication chart and sample problems at desk

"I just want to do the least amount of math possible throughout my life. I want to know whatever is required for being a normal adult with a phone. I like history, reading, writing, drama, and science. And I know science involves math but that's not the science I like. I don't like math, I'm not good at math and I don't want to spend a lot of my time doing it, either now or in the future."
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