Mom won't let me get tested from a learning disability

Parents Forum Learning Differences and Challenges - LD, ADHD
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<p>Oops typo! Actually the title should be "Mom won't let me get tested for a learning disability"</p>

<p>Can I get tested for a learning disability if I'm a minor (17 years old) without parents consent? I live in Michigan.</p>

<p>My dad supports meaning get evaluations for getting tested for a learning disability, but my mom is against the idea and told me that I have to wait for sophomore year of university. I think the reason actually is because she's afraid that I might have a learning disability and I might be deemed stupid or discriminated by my peers. My mom’s counter argument on getting tested for a learning disability is that I met all the states standardized test scores and benchmarks. Note my dad is Chinese so he has high standards for me and excepts me to be exceptional. He blames my mediocre on his parenting for not drilling me enough to succeed at a young age, ex: didn’t read enough science books, didn’t do test prep enough, didn’t commit to sports. (My parents let me quit activities whenever I wanted to, instead of being forced to specialize in activities).</p>

<p>I'm very hardworking and have to work a lot harder than my peers. For me I have to actually work to improve my mile time or my grades in honors classes. I still can't run a six minute mile or get a 34 on the ACT. I'm not exceptional and I don't think that I'm average. Sometimes I think I'm above average, but I think I might actually be bellow average.</p>

<p>Here are my PR’s combined from the ACT (top scores out of all four test dates):
English 23
Mathematics 26
Reading 22
Science 24
Writing 9</p>

<p>I was reading a link from U of M's website on LD and these ideas stuck out:
<a href="http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/d3/1a.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/16/d3/1a.pdf&lt;/a>
On page these warning signs apply to me:
Tendency to misread information
Difficulty summarizing
Poor reading comprehension (My average reading speed is between 250-350 wpm at 65-85% reading comprehension. Usually I read at 250 wpm at 65%, which is at or low middle school level)
Difficulty understanding subject area textbooks (I have difficulty understanding Calculus and Physics textbooks)
Poor skills in writing essays
Difficulty in learning foreign language (I’m decent at learning French, but when it comes to Chinese and Latin I struggle!)
Poor ability to apply math skills. (I’m struggling in Calculus and Physics. A C+ on a test is actually good for me, even though the honors class average is an A-)
Trouble with open-ended questions
Continued poor spelling (I always have to use spell check on Microsoft Word and Mozilla Firefox)
Difficulty staying organized (I’m actually super-organized, but when I’m busy or stressed the messiness accumulates)
TROUBLE WITH TEST FORMATS SUCH AS MULTIPLE CHOICE: (This is the biggest problem I have! On multiple choices there are always two right answers, but there is always a more right answer. The test questions are akin to ACT and AP tests, where there are always a right answer and MORE right answer.)
Slow work pace in class and in testing situations. (I’m actually the first one to finish a test, but I always double or triples check my work. I usually tend to overanalyze myself and second-guess my answers, then actually decreasing my test grades. I’m often told I lack faith in myself.)
Difficulty accepting criticism (I’m actually fine with accepting criticism. I finally learned to accept criticism after many years struggling with it.)
Difficulty resisting peer pressure (I think I’m able to resist a lot of peer pressure, but my brother and some friends tell me that sometimes I want to conform too much. I fall into believe in the dating of sex, high school relationships, and life. Sometimes I compare myself to others and think something wrong with me because I’m a 17 year old virgin.)</p>

<p>Another note: I never had a part time job and I don’t think I would even be competent to be a cashier since of my poor math, comprehension and communication skills.</p>

<p>I also informed majority of my high school teachers about my reading comprehension problem. All of them gave the same generic advice, “Read, read, read.”</p>

<p>If anyone actually took the read the time to read this post please provide your advice and insights on learning disability. After reading this thread, do you think I have a learning disability? I really can’t get evaluated yet, but I really want to. Post any advice please! Thanks. :)</p>

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<p>“Can I get tested for a learning disability if I’m a minor (17 years old) without parents consent? I live in Michigan.”</p>

<p>Maybe. Do you have $2500-$5000?</p>

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<p>No, I don’t have a part time job to pay for testing. I think I could get testing at of U of M for free or at a discount, but my parents won’t drive me there, since I don’t have my license.</p>

<p>Is there any way that someone can determine if I have a LD via online for free? If many of the warning signs apply to me there is a likely chance that I have one, right?</p>

<p>I work intensively but don’t see the dramatic results I want. Instead I see small progressions every week in my goals.</p>

<p>Edit: I don’t think I have ADD/ADHD, but I might have a grade of dyslexia, which includes dyscalculia. I got a B- in Calculus, even after my dad tutored me! I originally had an A-, but my grade went one letter grade in a week because I was stressed and let it affect my test grade.</p>

<p>Also I have difficulty remembering faces and names. I’m not very observant and sometimes mistake people for someone else. I don’t know why but the only way I can remembering things is by assigning a number to it. I can only remember numbers because I apply meaning to it (there was a WSJ blog on it).</p>

<p>I will continue to work hard. I admit I sometimes complain and whine, but I think I could honestly score higher on tests from a 75% to a 95% test average if I improved my reading comprehension and applied techniques for my possible learning disability.</p>

<p>I can’t even compete to with the exceptional and elite students on CC.</p>

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<p>honestly, i think some learning disabilities such as ADD/ADHD are just excuses for kids who dont try to put themselves together</p>

<p>thats it, thats the harsh reality, stop making excuses for yourself. You are projecting your laziness/lower iq(nothing wrong with a lower iq, everybody’s different)</p>

<p>i used to think exactly like you and i, and many other people fit all those ambiguous symtoms, and then one day it hit me, i was just making an excuse. and honestly, your teacher are right, “read, read, read”</p>

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<p>oh and, you may think youre working hard, kick it to the next gear :D</p>

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<p>This sounds suspiciously similar to the general attitude of the faculty of the school which I attended before my family discovered a high school that taught specifically for students with LDs. This assumption is usually a baseless one posited by individuals with little to no understanding of how LDs actually work. Do some students use ADD as an excuse to be lazy? Yes, but there are many individuals with LDs who simply can’t fully grasp concepts without specialized instruction. Contrary to your assumption the vast majority of individuals with LDs have IQs that are above average.</p>

<p>To Starstruck: Only a licensed diagnostician can test you for LDs. There is no way to test yourself online. You’re high school should be able able to provide testing for you, but the quality of the tester will be similar to that of a court appointed lawyer. Still it would be better than nothing. This, however, will probably not be possible without parental consent.</p>

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<p>This sounds suspiciously similar to the general attitude of the faculty of the school which I attended before my family discovered a high school that taught specifically for students with LDs. This assumption is usually a baseless one posited by individuals with little to no understanding of how LDs actually work. Do some students use ADD as an excuse to be lazy? Yes, but there are many individuals with LDs who simply can’t fully grasp concepts without specialized instruction. Contrary to your assumption the vast majority of individuals with LDs have IQs that are above average.</p>

<p>To Starstruck: Only a licensed diagnostician can test you for LDs. There is no way to test yourself online. You’re high school should be able able to provide testing for you, but the quality of the tester will be similar to that of a court appointed lawyer. Still it would be better than nothing. This, however, will probably not be possible without parental consent.</p>

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<p>Starstruck, you and your father can request in writing that you have an evaluation at school. Like detx09 said, it won’t be the same or probably as good as a private evaluation, but it may be insightful. Make sure you send the request via snail mail, certified, return receipt. It starts a clock ticking and the school must respond within 30 or 45 days (you can check Wrightslaw dot com for details).</p>

<p>As a 17 year old, you would be part of any IEP process or team.</p>

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<p>In some states, a student can request an evaluation without the parents’ permission. Find out who is in charge of the special education programs at your high school, and get a meeting with them so you can find out what steps you can take on your own.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>

I have a moderate case of ADHD.
it exist to some degree and I’m sure of that. I perform MUCH better on caffeine or mild stimulants even if I’m well rested and not in the least sleepy. I misplace things VERY easily and loose my train of thought, the classic mistake of swapping +s and -s in math happens, Im able to go through a fair bit of work in a problem do all the calculus properly and then I’ll swap a symbol for some reason. But if something really piques my interest I can be quite brilliant. When I actually was medicated, i couldn’t tell a difference, but apparently EVERYONE else could and I was receiving markedly higher scores in school(median grade of something like 98% next semester it was 90% and I’d argue the subject matter was easier). I also have an insanely fast metabolism and am trying to gain weight, so I refuse to take anything which would inhibit my appetite. Behavioral practices CAN help a lot, I’m far, far less disruptive in class than I once was. That said, I still have a very high need for mental stimulation. I absorb far more information in class if I’m playing games on my netbook than if I’m “paying attention”</p>

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<p>I have an IQ in the superior range and work 60 hours a week when you combine classes, homework time, volunteering, the organization I founded, and my internship. I have such strong work ethic sometimes I forget to eat and sleep. Hell, it’s 5am and here I am studying. I still have rampant ADHD! :)</p>

<p>I feel like I am bogged down living in a fog without my meds. I haven’t taken meds since high school unfortunately since they are expensive. It’s a shame, my reading comprehension is MUCH better with the meds and I forget things less.</p>

<p>“I absorb far more information in class if I’m playing games on my netbook than if I’m “paying attention””</p>

<p>Seriously, if I try to “pay attention” the person finishes talking and I realize I was so busy making sure I was paying attention that I wasn’t paying attention. A round of solitaire here and there, or even being able to look up what the professor is talking about and read about it makes a huge difference.</p>

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<p>yeah, when I “pay attention” I end up going off on tangents and I realize quite quickly how pretty a girl is, how shiny paper clips are, that the classroom has a glut of 2pin electrical outlets. ADHD is real and legitimate. I will say too many people push medication as the MAGIC answer though. I don’t medicate myself and I try a little harder, maybe I’m spinning my wheels a bit, there are times where I’ll sit down to write an essay and it’ll take 10 hours because 90% of the time was spent gaming, but I’ll be damned if my appetite is killed(I’m trying to bodybuild, up 50lbs in the past few years)</p>

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<p>I stopped taking adderall and ritalin due to the appetite issues, I didn’t have any negative side affects with focalin or strattera. I say this just to point out that if you ever decide you do want to medicate (I went back and forth for a long time every few years), different meds have different side effects and not all will slow down your bodybuilding. :P</p>

<p>I have three essays and and exam to do in the next three days. I don’t anticipate sleeping until Saturday. :(</p>

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<p>In several states, there are different age limits as to when you are officially deemed old enough to decide your own course of action for such things as mental health treatments. I do not know the age in Michigan, sorry, but, I would say that you’re probably old enough to get tested without consent and if so and you want to be tested, go for it!</p>

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<p>I got tested for $500 though my university freshmen year,so check to see if the college you want to attend offers testing serves. My test would have been over 3,000 had I not been a student</p>

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<p>You need an advocate, and to work through the school to deal with this. </p>

<p>If your mom worries about a stigma, I’m curious to know if she objects to prescription eyeglasses, which are prescribed for a different kind of “focus” issue, and once carried a stigma as well. Most reasonable parents accept the need for intervention for vision problems, because of the increased potential that comes with addressing the issue instead of denying it… what you describe is perhaps the need for “glasses” for your attention. For my daughter and me, ADD meds have been an academic lifesaver. </p>

<p>Talk to your dad, talk to your guidance counselor, get an intervention sooner. Your mom might be amazed to find that you can do even better in school – or as well without the same level of difficulty.</p>