The Invisible Disability With Guest Bonnie Wiscombe

Episode 56: The Invisible Disability With Guest Bonnie Wiscombe In this episode, we discuss the unique challenges that come with kids who don’t “look” like they have special needs but still need extra patience and consideration. Guest Bonnie Wiscombe homeschools all of her 9 children. Her daughter Vivian has special needs. Vivian is a twin, but her twin doesn't have special needs. This made it easier to pick up on the disabilities more easily. Her milestones were a lot more delayed than her twin's. Vivian has always been homeschooled, but for a few years, she was able to attend public school one day a week, which helped to get her an IEP and resources through the school system. Vivian was diagnosed with a learning disability in kindergarten. Her teacher had brought numerous concerns to Bonnie's attention, and so Bonnie got Vivian assessed through the school district. The school did evaluations for occupational and speech therapy. However, they weren't able to provide a clear-cut diagnosis. Vivian was diagnosed with learning delays. Her daughter also did very in depth testing with the psychologist and was diagnosed with ADHD as well. The psychologist afterward recommended medication to help with attention, which Bonnie chose to help her daughter with symptoms of ADHD. This has been very helpful in assisting her daughter in making progress with her learning disability. Her daughter was having difficulty not only academically but with attention, playing with others, and transitions from one activity to another. She was provided with an IEP early on in schooling. However, she moved to a new district recently, and has been doing only homeschooling, so she does not currently have an IEP. However, when she did have an IEP, they took good data and they re-evaluated Vivian every few months, so they could see continued progress. Vivian is currently seeing a dyslexia tutor to help with learning disabilities, which is helping tremendously. When her daughter is around other kids or families, Bonnie makes sure to communicate with the other parents about what Vivian is going through and what to expect. She asks others to offer warnings to Vivian before ending an activity. Bonnie has struggled with Vivian's peers being mean to her. Therefore, Bonnie tries to explain things to the children in an appropriate way and ask for patience with Vivian. Bonnie also does role plays with her daughter to help Vivian learn how to interact positively with other children.     Links for Bonnie: Blog  Clothing Business Podcast  Instagram ST Math Dyslexia Pros Lindamood Bell System Email us if you have any questions or ideas! We are now on instagram! Check out updates on our website. Follow Thriving on Twitter. Check out our Facebook Page! Check us out on Facebook and join our parent group! We are also on Pinterest! Please subscribe to our podcast in the iTunes store, or wherever you find your podcasts, Leave us a 5 star review, to help us know what you like and what you don't like, and to make sure other like-minded people find support through this podcast. Show Music: Intro Outro: Intro Outro 2 by Mattias Lahoud under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org) Theme Song: 90s rock style by monkeyman535 under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org) Self Care Song: Green and Orange No Water by Duncan Alex under CC-BY 3.0 License (www.freesound.org) Hosted by: Jessica Temple and Lewis Temple Disclaimer: Our show is not designed to provide listeners with specific or personal legal, medical, or professional services or advice. Parents of children with health issues should always consult their health care provider for medical advice, medication, or treatment. Copyright 2020 Jessica and Lewis Temple