Curious - Question on Learning
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| Wed, 10-03-2007 - 12:36pm |
Do you have trouble with your PDD-NOS/Asperger's child learning in school? Do you find that they struggle with the little details and with thinking through their work? How are they in math? I am curious how your kids with these issues do their work.
My daughter Stephanie is having a heck of a time remembering simple math rules. With borrowing, she still doesn't get it that you can't take a larger number from a smaller one. She has trouble with estimation. Anything with many steps to it, she can't concentrate on it long enough to do it right. It seems like she sees things that aren't there too. It can be real frustrating. She wants me to sit beside her the whole time, but has struggle doing it by herself. I don't know if it is just too hard to think since she also has ADD and concentration can be an issue or what. I know she is smart, but she acts like she isn't at times. Everytime you tell her something, she asks unrelated questions like she only heard half of what you said. She does this a lot. Anyone else struggling with these issues?
She has sensory issues to the OT told me to keep having her do things with her hands and muscles to stimulate them in order to stimulate her brain. It isn't working too well yet.
Thanks for your help and insight and I would love to know more about how your children do in individual subjects as a survey if I may.
The "other" Debbie, Debbie T.

Both my kids have difficulty with certain concepts. With Peter he can do the number math, but gets hung up on the problems which are written out in words.
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Thank you Paula. I homeschool her so I can stop at any time and do the things the OT said. Math is her difficult subject and I am trying different ways to teach her. I know she is smart, she is careless and won't think. I am trying different situations. I was just wondering if this is typical too for these children. They do seem to be in their own worlds sometimes.
Thanks again. I had her do something else inbetween today and when we went back to math, she did much better. Maybe she just needed a break.
Debbie
>>I had her do something else inbetween today and when we went back to math, she did much better. Maybe she just needed a break.<<
I have done that with Peter. I think he just gets so anxious abotu something his brain freezes.
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Thanks Paula. Sometimes I think I might push her too hard. In Public school, they would usually have to finish a whole paper, but too many problems and spending too much time concentrating on it might be too much for her. I know repetition is good for her, but it can be too much. We need to take quite a few breaks. But school usually lasts a long time during a day to get everything in.
I would love to hear from others as well on how their kids do it.
Thanks again for responding.
Debbie
My 9yo AS ds generally does quite well with math, but I have noticed that math which is simple for him one day completely stumps him another day, depending on his level of focus and/or anxiety. On his "off" moments, I just make him take a break from homework (which usually causes a meltdown, but he has a meltdown anyway if he keeps working on the homework and can't figure it out). Later, when he's calm, I'll have him try again.
You mentioned your dd ADD. I'm not sure how much my ds ADD might play into his bad moments with math. He's getting ready to start some ADD medicine, so I'll be curious to see whether that helps his math, too.
Sorry I don't really have any answers. I do sorta understand, though.
My 10yo dd has a horrible time in math. I've noticed with her though, its all about how you approach it. It has to be shown and explained just right. In her defense this year though, even I have trouble understanding half the stuff in her math book. I swear they wrote it in some new language or something. *scratches head*
Haley has an IEP though so if she has trouble in the mainstream class, she can be moved to the special ed room for that subject. I'm working on that now actually.
We use a white board at home so I can show her how to work certain problems easily and we take lots of breaks in between problems.
She has always had trouble with even basic addition and subtraction. She just can't remember the facts. I taught her what I call the dot method (because I don't know if it has an actual name LOL). My oldest daughter was taught this in school. Each number (1-9 I think) had dots on them so that the kids could count them as they learn their math facts.
Haley is doing estimation right now and is doing better with it but she was having trouble before. My biggest worry is when they get into long division and multiplication with 3 digit numbers. Its coming up. Ugh!!!!!
Mom to Erin (19) and Haley (10yo Asp
Thanks so much for your feedback. Yeah, it is like that with us too. On and off days. I wonder what makes that. But it goes on too long sometimes. She sees a therapist in two weeks and then I can ask about it. I really feel anxiety also has something to do with it. She might need some medicine to help.
Thanks again. It is good to know I am not alone. I was just wondering how everyone else's children are as well even if I don't get any solutions.
Take care.
Debbie
Hi Jill. Thanks so much for your help and sharing what is going on with your children. It seems then that I am not alone. I think too anxiety about it plays a role in this. Like you, I am worried about the tougher stuff later. I'm sure breaks will help and I don't do too many problems with her as it might be too much for her, but I keep doing them everyday and hopefully one day she'll get it. I think repetition might be the key. I don't know how long they have in PS to get it before they move on, but in homeschooling we can dwell on it more for as long as she is improving, that is fine with everyone. I know she'd be frustrated if she couldn't keep up with other kids.
Thanks for your help. I will try different approaches and manipulatives. Good luck.
Debbie
Debbie,
Nathan also has difficulties with math.