DS is reading a year behind grade level – what more can I do?

[Anonymous]

My DS is in 5th grade and has had an IEP since kindergarten for difficulties with reading and writing. He can decode anything, but comprehension and inferences remain an issue. He is reading a little more than a year behind grade level, and while he gets special ed instruction, he is not closing the gap very quickly. He was just recently officially diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive and anxiety.

We have tried to encourage reading at home in any way that is pleasant, fun-loving and possible (even if it's just reading a magazine article about something he loves). We read with him in his bedroom every night (half an hour of time with dad or mom where we can laugh and share snippets of what we are reading). He has just started reading the entire Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and, for the first time, really loves it and is getting all the nuances.

But my DH is terrified that with middle school coming up next year, he will just continue to fall further and further behind. Do we engage a tutor at this point? What else can we do? Right now, we are still trying to find the right ADHD meds to help him focus, and he takes a very low dose of Prozac for the anxiety.

[Anonymous]

Contact ASDEC and find a tutor.

[Anonymous]

Do you know why he struggles with comprehension? For example, some kids I know have dyslexia; decoding takes so much cognitive energy that comprehension is difficult. My child has autism and so comprehension that requires understanding character motivations and traits is difficult. Teaching comprehension looks really different for my kid than for a child with dyslexia.

Understanding what the difficulty is will drive the appropriate intervention.

[Anonymous]

My kid has dyslexia, and his is a horrible decoder but has strong comprehension. It my understanding that is typical for many dyslexics. I wonder if what you are seeing with reading is the ADHD rather than the dyslexia. They often go hand in hand, and I have read people say that when the ADHD was fully treated reading really blossomed. Do you have any more options with ADHD treatment you might try?

[Anonymous]

Get books on tape from your public library. Have him listen every night before bed. (Most libraries now have Overdrive, where you can download the books and the program has a timer that will automatically switch off after a selected time period). Make sure they are interesting and above his reading level. Just hearing a good reader, reading expressively, should help. If you are reading with him, read a page, then have him read a paragraph or two, then you read again. Getting the rhythm is the thing!

[Anonymous]

^^^
I meant recorded books. My age is showing. You can download Overdrive books onto a phone or iPad.

[Anonymous]

My DD has pretty bad ADHD and some other language issues which we are working on getting diagnosed. She decodes well and reads fluently but tests at least two grades behind in comprehension. I'm not sure how much of the problem is ADHD and how much is something else. We've been using various tutors for years and I always hoped I would find "the program" for reading comprehension, but I think it doesn't exist. For that reason, I think the public schools struggle to figure out what to do when the main issue is reading comprehension.

I talked recently to a director of a SN school. She basically explained to me that they've tried lots of programs and there is no one that really is the answer for reading comprehension. You have to go at it from various directions. Stopping after each paragraph, going over key details and main idea, then discussing again at the end, teaching each reading comprehension skill individually and specifically (not assuming they will just get it through practice), building vocabulary, etc etc. using visualization techniques.

This is the first year I've slowed down and started doing paragraph by paragraph and vocab work and reintroducing Verbalizing and Visualizing, although DD hates V&V. I should have done it before, but it is a drag and I avoided it, which was a mistake. I think we're just starting to hopefully see some improvement, although it's unclear how it will transfer to test performance in the near term.

[Anonymous]

OP here. According to all the testing we have had done through the school and his developmental pediatrician and his psych, his ADHD has affected his executive functioning in such a way that he struggles with comprehension. I have been reading about the connection pretty extensively, and like at least one of the PP's, he also had language issues when he was young.

We are still getting a handle on fully medicating the ADHD, as we only just started a few weeks ago with so far only one type of medication. As everyone on this board knows, tweaking the meds can take months – still hoping that if we get that under control, the reading may begin to get easier for him. As I mentioned, he has begun being a little more enthusiastic just recently, although I don't think we are on a high enough dose or one the right med just yet. But we are still trying to read with him, talk about it, ask questions.

One reason we were a little unsure about getting a tutor was that a reading resource specialist had mentioned to my DH that if my son has anxiety (which he does), bringing in a tutor sometimes can make the anxiety over reading worse. I'm just not sure we can wait much longer in terms of getting him more reading support. My DH is kind of freaking out about it (which also doesn't help).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. According to all the testing we have had done through the school and his developmental pediatrician and his psych, his ADHD has affected his executive functioning in such a way that he struggles with comprehension. I have been reading about the connection pretty extensively, and like at least one of the PP's, he also had language issues when he was young.

We are still getting a handle on fully medicating the ADHD, as we only just started a few weeks ago with so far only one type of medication. As everyone on this board knows, tweaking the meds can take months – still hoping that if we get that under control, the reading may begin to get easier for him. As I mentioned, he has begun being a little more enthusiastic just recently, although I don't think we are on a high enough dose or one the right med just yet. But we are still trying to read with him, talk about it, ask questions.

One reason we were a little unsure about getting a tutor was that a reading resource specialist had mentioned to my DH that if my son has anxiety (which he does), bringing in a tutor sometimes can make the anxiety over reading worse. I'm just not sure we can wait much longer in terms of getting him more reading support. My DH is kind of freaking out about it (which also doesn't help).

My DC has ADHD and anxiety, and while he resisted help, once we got it he was much relieved. It depends on the tutor and his/her ability to put the kid at ease. While I"m sure focus on a weakness can stress some children, continuing to struggle would have worse ones.

I think you mentioned that you tend to read with your child in the evening? Depending on the ADHD medication (stimulant or something else) it may be mostly worn off by then. Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

My oldest (now in HS) has ADHD/anxiety and had language delays when he was in ES. We did ST for a while but the therapist indicated she didn't think it would help as his issues were more related to his ADHD more than anything else. We were grateful for the honest opinion because we also have a younger DS with more significant issues and were paying out the wazoo for therapies.

In addition to pull out services for reading/writing, your DS should also be getting ST through school. It made a huge difference for our DS and he had it up until the end of 7th grade. The difference between private and school ST is that the school ST focuses on the academic impact of language issues rather than the ADL impact of the language issues. The school ST did a lot of work on comprehension, inference, perspective taking as well as specific techniques to identify key words/passages. She also taught him to use different kinds of organizers for developing his writing.

It's good that you've found a book your DS likes to read. That is really key (as you know) because practice, practice, practice is what's really going to help get him where he needs to be. You might also look into the Origami Yoda series. Those are about the same level and really engaging. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My DS has dyslexia and ADHD. While comprehension hasnt been his issue, our experience has been that Adhd medication greatly improved DS'S ability to focus which led to big strides in reading.

It's great that you guys are reading to him in the evenings. Do you let him be physically active while you're reading to him? It sounds counter-intuitive, but sometimes that can let them focus and process a little better. My DS will be boucing around or pacing or picking his toes and doesn't look like he's paying attention at all until he injects a question or observation during story time (he's 9 and DH is reading to him way above his reading level).

Regarding tutoring, the summer is right around the corner and can be a really good time to focus on reading. If he makes decent progress he would jump ahead given the tendency for summer slip. I would do a couple of things, though. First just let him know there's nothing wrong with him. People learn in different ways and sometimes the way schools teach isn't a good fit for how a kids brain learns best. Second, find a good tutor fit. Don't be afraid to switch if you don't have a good fit. Last, work on a way to capture his current skill level so you can help him see his progress and how his hard work is paying off.

[Anonymous]

The Lab School has an intensive summer reading program (that is $$).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS is in 5th grade and has had an IEP since kindergarten for difficulties with reading and writing. He can decode anything, but comprehension and inferences remain an issue. He is reading a little more than a year behind grade level, and while he gets special ed instruction, he is not closing the gap very quickly. He was just recently officially diagnosed with ADHD-inattentive and anxiety.

We have tried to encourage reading at home in any way that is pleasant, fun-loving and possible (even if it's just reading a magazine article about something he loves). We read with him in his bedroom every night (half an hour of time with dad or mom where we can laugh and share snippets of what we are reading). He has just started reading the entire Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and, for the first time, really loves it and is getting all the nuances.

But my DH is terrified that with middle school coming up next year, he will just continue to fall further and further behind. Do we engage a tutor at this point? What else can we do? Right now, we are still trying to find the right ADHD meds to help him focus, and he takes a very low dose of Prozac for the anxiety.

My first reaction is that you are already doing a lot of the things you need to do. You're working on it as a family at home. Fantastic! You've found something that he WANTS to read. Fantastic! Those will both help enormously. The more he wants to read, the more he will read, and the more he reads, the more he'll comprehend.

Second reaction -- I know you want to close the gap but it's not going to be closed overnight. Reading comprehension is a skill that takes time to deepen. It's going to be a gradual, slow process. Keep moving in the right direction and you'll eventually get him where he needs to be. But try not to panic if the gap doesn't disappear right away.

I can't speak to the medication issues, I'm not a doctor, but my sense is that the key here is not with the meds but with the skill development. Medicated or not he still has the same work to do, to develop these skills. Not sure if you are familiar with the V&V (visualization) reading techniques but we found them very helpful.

Also recommend doubling up and supplementing -- supplement any reading with oral dissection of what's being read, and have any oral discussion preceded by pre-reading. And never be afraid to break things down into the simplest of pieces if something seems elusive.

Finally -- comprehension and inferences are issues for a LOT of kids, including kids not on the spectrum, including high academic performers, etc. It's a skill many kids have to work arduously to develop. It requires a lot of supplemental skills -- social thinking skills, perspective-taking, experiential knowledge, etc. As those other skills are required, the comprehension should improve.

Good luck! Sounds to me like you're on a good track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. According to all the testing we have had done through the school and his developmental pediatrician and his psych, his ADHD has affected his executive functioning in such a way that he struggles with comprehension. I have been reading about the connection pretty extensively, and like at least one of the PP's, he also had language issues when he was young.

We are still getting a handle on fully medicating the ADHD, as we only just started a few weeks ago with so far only one type of medication. As everyone on this board knows, tweaking the meds can take months – still hoping that if we get that under control, the reading may begin to get easier for him. As I mentioned, he has begun being a little more enthusiastic just recently, although I don't think we are on a high enough dose or one the right med just yet. But we are still trying to read with him, talk about it, ask questions.

One reason we were a little unsure about getting a tutor was that a reading resource specialist had mentioned to my DH that if my son has anxiety (which he does), bringing in a tutor sometimes can make the anxiety over reading worse. I'm just not sure we can wait much longer in terms of getting him more reading support. My DH is kind of freaking out about it (which also doesn't help).

I'm a DH myself, and I'll say that yes, freaking out doesn't help. On the positive side, your DH cares deeply and that's a big asset to your child. It's great for the kid when the family is all-in on skill development. But to the extent possible, try to avoid putting unproductive pressure on the child or on the process. The goal is to move forward and to develop skills -- it's not a race, and it's not strictly relevant whether other kids are further along. The key is developing and improving your child's skills where they now are. You keep doing that, they're going to be OK.

It's frankly amazing how much ground you can gain over time if you just commit to making progress little-by-little. Kids who do that eventually wind up in a good place, even if they don't start out in front.

Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

Has he been fully tested?