Finally an answer
The Boy has been progressively getting worse with school. He's taking AP classes but he's getting Cs and Ds. He keeps telling me he has trouble retaining information. I thought it was from not getting enough sleep since he stays up until 11:00 or 12:00 most nights playing video games, talking on the phone or doing stuff on the computer. I also felt these activities were affecting his studies so I limited them drastically.
Still no change.
He did a sleep study which revealed he had "mild" problems falling asleep and suggested we put him on melatonin. It's helped some but no big changes occurred.
I finally took him to be tested for ADHD. I met with the psychologist today to discuss the results. It turns out he doesn't have ADHD but the issues he's having with his studies are specifically related to his hydrocephalus. Because the Boy shows no outward signs of having hydrocephalus, we tend to "forget" it's there. He's so damn bright you don't think there's a problem. Turns out there is. Brain damage does occur from the pressure of the spinal fluid building up, it's just a matter of how much. Short-term memory loss is common among those with hydrocephalus, who tend to score better on verbal IQ than on performance IQ, which is thought to reflect the distribution of nerve damage to the brain. The psychiatrist said it takes him 1 1/2 to 2 times what's needed to complete a task (such as tests and homework). Because he technically has a "disability" the school is required to work with us and have them tailor tests and schoolwork so he can keep up.
The psychiatrist said that once this goes into effect, we'll see a definite change in his grades and attitude. He's been so down on himself because he feels like a failure for not keeping up. He's relieved as much as me.
Still no change.
He did a sleep study which revealed he had "mild" problems falling asleep and suggested we put him on melatonin. It's helped some but no big changes occurred.
I finally took him to be tested for ADHD. I met with the psychologist today to discuss the results. It turns out he doesn't have ADHD but the issues he's having with his studies are specifically related to his hydrocephalus. Because the Boy shows no outward signs of having hydrocephalus, we tend to "forget" it's there. He's so damn bright you don't think there's a problem. Turns out there is. Brain damage does occur from the pressure of the spinal fluid building up, it's just a matter of how much. Short-term memory loss is common among those with hydrocephalus, who tend to score better on verbal IQ than on performance IQ, which is thought to reflect the distribution of nerve damage to the brain. The psychiatrist said it takes him 1 1/2 to 2 times what's needed to complete a task (such as tests and homework). Because he technically has a "disability" the school is required to work with us and have them tailor tests and schoolwork so he can keep up.
The psychiatrist said that once this goes into effect, we'll see a definite change in his grades and attitude. He's been so down on himself because he feels like a failure for not keeping up. He's relieved as much as me.