Reply to 12yo academic difficulties: Should we seek an evaluation?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm trying to figure out if we should seek some evaluation/help for our 12yo son's academic issues, and if so, from whom. He's having a horrendous 7th grade year in MCPS; a wild mix of As and Es, often because he simply forgets assignments or doesn't turn them in. We check Edline obsessively, have a math tutor (and moved him out of the advanced math class) which has helped. But he broke down crying last week saying that he doesn't know why he can't keep track of things or do better in school.

Fwiw he's never enjoyed school and claims he doesn't care about his grades (but gets upset about bad grades.) I've wondered if he has some fine motor issues - his handwriting looks like a first grader's, and he often misspells basic words that he clearly knows how to spell correctly (e.g., always did great on spelling tests but when writing spells simple words incorrectly.)

My husband is convinced his issues are simply about lack of motivation, and I'd heard that MCPS typically 'catches' any serious issues by middle school. I'm also a bit dubious about pathologizing what are just normal tween behaviors. But I think we have to at least contemplate the possibility that there is something beyond the usual kid laziness here. Can anyone recommend next steps here? Any suggestions on a professional or a private practice that might be helpful in assessing and working with a kid like this?[/quote]

It sounds like ADHD and executive functioning issues. I don't know much about dyslexia, but I know that the quality of my son's writing (ADHD and executive function challenges) varies wildly. It has a lot to do with how well he can regulate his attention to the writing and how much structure the writing assignment involves. Book reports are torture.

Some forgetfulness is normal, but not to the point where it's badly affecting grades. Claiming not to like school or not to care about grades is a defensive maneuver for a kid who is struggling. Middle school is where these issues hit a critical mass and students who previously held it together better, really start having a hard time. [/quote]

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