A hard decision

Today I made an appointment for DD10 with a speech pathologist.
This was a hard decision that has been a long time in coming. There has always been a question in the back of my mind about the possibility of a learning hindrance in regards to her comprehension skills. However, since neither her daycare (when she was 3-5yr) nor her pediatrician seemed to have any concerns, I attributed the quirkiness to learning style and personality trait differences. I had sporadically researched various learning disabilities with a view to finding better ways to teach her and perhaps to help me define what I was seeing. While doing so, I found tips to help make better connections for her but never a specific label that addresses exactly what I was seeing. I was always fairly opposed to saddling her with a LD label anyway.
Still, I used some of the things I learned at home and I have seen a huge improvement in her school work over the past year. She was prescribed reading glasses to help her visual tracking. I switched her math curriculum from Saxon to Abeka (the workbook is more colorful and has pictures) and was more mindful of using manipulative's to explain new concepts. We switched from Abeka spelling back to "Spelling to Write and Read" to emphasize the phonograms and more precise speech. I focused on Cursive Penmanship this year to correct her dyslexic-style print. We use Mind Benders once or twice a week to help with logical connections/abstract thought. And, occasionally we do a thesaurus brain storm. (I choose a word, usually an adjective or verb, that I hear overused. Then I have the kids brainstorm synonyms.)

So, with definite improvements being seen, why finally give in and schedule an evaluation? First, was the realization that I will not always be her teacher. A couple weeks ago, I was surprised to be sent for an ultrasound/mammogram when my Gyn found a "suspicious lump". Thankfully, the radiologist ruled out anything of serious concern but the experience left me thinking "what if?" What if I am not always here? What if some day we need to go back into the public school system? What if she grows up and wants to take college classes? What if she really does move to France? (she wants to go to Paris) Making sure that I am being the best teacher and advocate for her now is the only way to help her be successful in the future when she will need to be more independent. Our recent financial and employment changes certainly show that consistency is not to be had in today's world.
Second, was the realization that she has perfected the art of pretending to understand when she really does not. This is especially true if my explanation of an unknown term or idea does not help her grasp a concept. Also, that some of the ways I had been trying to expand her vocabulary were not effective. I will often ask her if she knows the meaning of a word in our out-loud reading and try to redefine the word or give her a story that defines the word if necessary. It recently came to my attention that what I thought were helpful explanations were not always effective. In addition, she has said that she often feels lost when her friends are having conversations around her and can not follow the discussion.

In light of all of this, I started calling around for a place to start. I had to contact four separate agencies over 5 days to finally connect with a speech pathologist who worked with her age and did initial assessments outside of the public school system. However, when I spoke to her today and explained my concerns, her response was knowledgeable. And based upon the history I gave, she was able to anticipate other tendencies that I had not thought to list initially. Now, we have to wait until June for our appointment (that gives me time to save the $ for the visit).
So, now, I am eager to see what insights and suggestions I will get from this appointment.