Honesty time...... I didn’t want to medicate my baby with a controlled substance. So I didn’t push the doctor on the ADHD diagnosis, but after an unsuccessful kindergarten and first grade (unsuccessful because she still couldn't recognize 1/2 of the alphabet and she was struggling with focusing) I knew something was wrong.


But instead of listening to myself, I listened to others. Her first grade teachers suggested repeating first grade. I was told, "Sometimes children don't start reading until 8 years of age". I didn't have any better idea and the public school system still wouldn't test her. So I arranged for her to repeat first grade at the private school.


My daughter was relieved to be repeating first grade. She knew that she wasn't ready for second grade and she had been worried about it... very worried. And she wasn't the only child to be repeating first grade.


My daughter and I spent the summer on the trampoline working on flash cards. She was an active/kinetic learner so jumping while doing flash cards helped some. And she turned 7 years of age.


During the summer I had Natasha screened at a local university for language processing issues. They didn't find anything that I didn't already know about. Shd couldn't identify her letters.


Summer was over and Natasha started first grade again. She was stressed about reading. But she was looking forward to being with friends again.


Natasha had been at school for 1 month when I got a special parent-teacher conference. Her teachers were very worried and had expected to see more improvement. She had rote memory problems and couldn't focus. The private school was very big on not labeling, but I knew the teacher wanted to tell me my child had ADHD.


So my next steps.............


I knew they would say no again, but I called the public school system again. But this time I talked to the person who administered the tests for special education. I cried a little and explain the whole story. And I explain that Natasha was 7.5 years old and she was hitting herself and calling herself stupid. We needed help.


The woman gave me an appointment in 2 weeks to have my daughter tested for developmental delays. She couldn't have a learning disability label until she turned 8 years old... Federal rules


Wow.. hope at last


The results were that Natasha was severely developmentally delayed. YEAH!!! I didn't know I could be so happy getting this label.


I was advised to read a book dyslexia. The rhyme blindness was explained.


And I made an appointment with my daughter's doctor and pushed for an ADHD screening.


Double Yeah!!!! My darling daughter received the ADHD diagnosis.


I moved my daughter out of private school and into special education in public school.



Medication, ADHD and Dyslexia
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 - IEP and ADHD Medication
Lessons Learned