Our Journey to a Diagnosis- part 1

Hi, friends. It’s been a whirlwind of a week.
Monday, we had a pre-screening appointment for one of our children. She has been battling some struggles with learning. We have been concerned about possible dyslexia and delayed processing speed. I tried reaching out to a place in Oklahoma, and they never got back to me. So, I put it on hold once we knew we’d be moving. Her doctor here referred us to a child psychologist, and that is who will diagnose anything.
We will be starting school in less than a month, so the timing of this is perfect. I want to learn how to help her best learn and realize her full potential– because she is so incredibly bright and talented.
Now, I am hoping to keep the specific child anonymous, but am afraid I may slip on her name at some point. If you see it, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can correct it. I do not want her to feel singled out. But, I also wish that I had someone else’s experience that I could read and know what to expect. That is why I share. I know that I have many other homeschooling parents that read my blog, and I want you to see the reality and the struggles. I also want you to see the successes and mountain tops!
We told the doctor (Dr. C) what our concerns were, and where our daughter struggles. Dr. C asked a lot of questions about her– how she does in other subjects outside of reading and phonics. Behavioral questions. Based upon what we talked about, we will be doing screening for dyslexia, processing speed, and ADHD. I never once felt like I was being looked down on or judged. Dr. C came from a place of complete understanding and judgement free, which was so refreshing.
I was afraid that I would get nothing but eye rolls as soon as I mentioned that we homeschool. I’m so tired of the dang judgement. WHY do people feel like it is their place to say that my kids should be in public school.. WHY is it such an issue?! When I was a teacher, no one thought I was unqualified or shouldn’t be doing it. But, now that I have a “classroom” in my home, I am doing all the wrong things. That is not the point, but my head honestly could explode because I am SO SICK OF IT.
Dr. C told us that we would bring our child in, and the whole screening process would be done without us in the room. It takes 3-4 hours, which is just crazy long. You do not have to do this all at once, so we will be splitting it up so that she does not get overwhelmed. Once we have a diagnosis, we will know how to move forward.
I am honestly not entirely sure how to prepare her for this screening. It is something that I am praying about and seeking advice from other moms who have walked this road before. Please say a prayer that we will have loads of wisdom and discernment as we walk into this unknown.
To those of you who support and cheer me on- Thank you. I cannot even say how much it means to me to know that I have a few people in my corner.