where to seek help for memory/recall problems?

[debbiec]

question resolved

[Ottakee]

Well, I would say it could be any number of things. The best thing to start with might be a full evaluation--IQ, etc.

4th grade is where a lot of special needs start to show up as the work gets quite a bit harder, the concepts more abstract, and you move from learning to read, to reading to learn. More independent work is also expected.

Based on just the little you said some possibilities (in no real order):
fetal alcohol
prenatal drug exposure
mild mental impairment
seizures (like petit mal)
sleep apnea (poor sleep can lead to memory issues)
other LDs
ADD

I might be WAY off here but those are few possibilities--again with not knowing much about the girl or her background.

Also, have they REALLY checked her reading level? Some kids can fake it through 3rd grade but when the 4th grade reading comes along just guessing by the first letter, "reading" from the pictures, etc. just doesn't work as well and the kids start falling apart.

[mamato3 all-boy boys]

A couple ideas:

1. primary care dr. to request a referral to a good neurologist, educational psychologist, speech language pathologist.

2. Full educational work up from an educational psychologist privately or through public school. The ed. psych. will pick up any subtle language or processing issues and recommend a speech language evaulation to look at further language related issues.

2. Direct referral to a speech language pathologist. A good slp (private practice, hospital out patient bases, or university training program, or public school) can help sort through the issues going on here, and make recommendations for further evaluation.

[siloam]

Visulaizing and Verbalizing works on helping a child who doesn't naturally see pictures in their minds develop that ability and then use it to improve recall. Seeing Stars does the same for children who can't see words naturally (me) for reading and spelling, and On Cloud Nine does the same for children who can't see numbers/quantities in their minds naturally. All three are Lindamoodbell programs.

I would personally emphasize that you don't think the problem is laziness, but recall/pressing problems. I am dyslexic and I have recall problems, especially when I am put on the spot and sometimes when testing. There are also processing problems that children can have that are called by various names. In this case I think seeking testing would be a good idea.

Heather

[debbiec]

Thanks, all. Talked to friends today and got a good reference for an evaluator.