Time for a bit of a happy update:
For a while now I have been thinking that we need to find a way to reestablish DD�s �normal� school day. Instead of feeling awful and spending half her day in the nurse�s office she needs to learn that �normal� is feeling good and being in her classroom all day. After a rough start to the week I think we started to have some success.
They unscrewed the fluorescent bulbs above DD�s desk the other day and started sending her outside to help clear her headaches rather than right to the nurse for medication. It seems to be helping so I made a deal with her - if she can go 3 days without a visit to the nurse's office we will take her to Medieval Times. (She has been begging to go for quite some time.). Wednesday and Thursday she toughed it out � �I had a headache but I pretended not to." Yesterday she seemed to have turned a corner. Today - no headache at all! YAAAHOOOO! Medieval Times here we come!
Today we had our parent/teacher conference and classroom teacher, spec ed teacher and SW took detailed notes about what to look for in terms of possible seizures. All are now thinking that they may have actually witnessed some "episodes" previously but didn't realize it. We'll see if we start to get more reports now that everyone has a better idea of what to look for.
With all the emphasis on headaches, anxiety and possible seizures her actual education and overcoming the ld's seems to get lost. And forget her gifted areas� Also her performance is so uneven - she may score 26/26 one day and 13/26 on another day � it�s just so hard to actually assess her school performance. I gave her teacher a copy of the book "101 School Success Tools for Smart Kids With Learning Difficulties" (isbn # 978-1593635336). DH and I had talked to one of the authors last summer and she suggested buying the book for the teacher. I regret not doing it earlier. She was very receptive and the special ed teacher asked to borrow it over the weekend. I offered to buy a copy for anyone who may find it useful. Hopefully it will give them an idea of the best way to differentiate instruction for her.
All in all a good end to the week. Crossing my fingers that we are on the road to reducing anxiety, eliminating headaches and getting appropriate differentiation. Will keep you posted.
