Dyslexia help please!

[ebtbmom]

If you have a dyslexic child (or yourself) how do they handle punctuation and grammar? DS is having a tough time with capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. He's been to tutoring before. It's not that he doesn't know how to do these things, he simply has a hard time getting it on paper, which I understand is characteristic of this learning disability.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

If you have a dyslexic child (or yourself) how do they handle punctuation and grammar? DS is having a tough time with capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. He's been to tutoring before. It's not that he doesn't know how to do these things, he simply has a hard time getting it on paper, which I understand is characteristic of this learning disability.

Google Irlan it might help or so I am told

 

[ebtbmom]

I googled it but couldn't figure out what you were referring to. Can you tell me what I'm looking for?

 

[fimac]

http://books.google.ca/books?id=7qH0JwAACAAJ&source=gbs_book_similarbooks

Is he using a word processor ? After he has finished can he review his work and fix the grammar etc.

 

[wickey's friend]

It's a long process. It will take practice, practice, practice and then there will still be times when he still doesn't do it.

Does he have a 504 or IEP? Does he go to a dyslexia class during the day (or it may be called reading class with a dyslexia specialist)?

One of the best explanations I ever received regarding dyslexia is illustrated by this picture. Instead of everything being stored in the correct "box" in your brain, the brain is open and everything free-flows through it.

PM me if you need to talk. I've been through it and will always champion those who learn and express themselves in a different, but by no means inferior, way from others.

 

[itsheresomewhere]

Its is IRLEN. It works for some but not most. The few who I know have tried it just saw that their wallet was lighter.

 

[zurgswife]

My son is severely dyslexic and grammar, punctuation and such just never stuck. He had a IEP in HS and now in college too. His in class writing were never graded on grammar, punctuation and spelling. His out of class writing are proofread by the writing lab a number of times before they are submitted to make sure all the problems are addressed.

If he doesn't have an IEP or 504 that should be first on your list to help your son. Chances are that those type of writing issues will never be fixed so that he will be able to preform on writing assignments like students without dyslexia. He most likely will always need some sort of accommodation in school.

 

[donalduck]

Have you ever thought about putting them in a special classes at school. I was in theses classes when I was in school and they work with you one on one more.

If you have a dyslexic child (or yourself) how do they handle punctuation and grammar? DS is having a tough time with capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. He's been to tutoring before. It's not that he doesn't know how to do these things, he simply has a hard time getting it on paper, which I understand is characteristic of this learning disability.

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I am sorry I did not spell her name correctly if you friend request me you well see the info you need brittany rogers herndon look for a girl with dark glasses

 

[ebtbmom]

Thanks for the suggestions. We met at school today and we may do a 504, he had an IEP but that got d/c'ed. He's not severe enough to need a separate class and his school doesn't do that anyway.

Has anyone used Ghotit software? I'm thinking about trying that. After meeting today though I'm a bit frustrated with him and I'm not sure that I want to fork out a $1000 for a laptop and specialized program. His teacher actually had been giving him very specific paper guidelines and a "cheat sheet" for punctuation and capitalization and he hasn't even taken them out of his notebook to look at!

 

[crazelion]

My only advice is not be so hard on him. I can write correct to this day at all. It might be something that he never gets. I should know my grammar is horrible. I would seek out help. There are class for moderate dyslexic people at in our school system.

 

[zurgswife]

Thanks for the suggestions. We met at school today and we may do a 504, he had an IEP but that got d/c'ed. He's not severe enough to need a separate class and his school doesn't do that anyway.

Has anyone used Ghotit software? I'm thinking about trying that. After meeting today though I'm a bit frustrated with him and I'm not sure that I want to fork out a $1000 for a laptop and specialized program. His teacher actually had been giving him very specific paper guidelines and a "cheat sheet" for punctuation and capitalization and he hasn't even taken them out of his notebook to look at!

I'm wondering how old your son is? My son had a very difficult time dealing with his dyslexia until almost 11th grade. At times he just ignored help because it wasn't anything that really helped him. Which sounds like this cheat sheet. If things look different every time your son tries to write; how is a cheat sheet going to help. He may not see the differences when he looks at them. My son could read the word "boat" as six different words when put into multiparagraphs. Giving him a cheat sheet about how to use the word boat and punctuate it in a paper would be useless to him. Dyslexia isn't fixed.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I agree with Zurgswife.
My son has disabilities that involve visual processing, similar to dyslexia.

This is something that a cheat-sheet will not help.
In fact, trying to visually look at, decode, and try to get help from this type of cheat-sheet thing would probably be a huge hindrance for my son.

He is Okay with punctuation now.
For him, I think it was repetition, repetition, repetition.
For him, since it wasn't a natural process for him to see and process these things visually, I think verbal repetition helps.

He still can not, and may never ever, be able to spell.

In school here, if this is an acknowledged diagnosis, they would probably just accommodate by overlooking and not counting off for these things, and simply grade by the basic content of writing.

These things can't be cured or cheated away.

It's tough!

 

[ebtbmom]

I understand the cheat sheet may not be the answer, I was frustrated because he had not even tried it. It is a pretty obvious one, such as capitalize beginning of sentences, proper nouns, put punctuation at the end. Plus he failed a paper about a state fair field trip because he didn't answer all of the questions and only turned in 5 sentences! It's a perfect storm of him having a legitimate learning disability but also not trying his hardest. Oh the teen years!

 

[BrownEyedGrl]

I am a masters student studying school psychology and in a lot of our classes we use the "essentials" books. They are books about a bunch of different topics. There is one on dyslexia assessment and intervention; I have not read this one personally but every essentials I have read has been very helpful. They aren't written like textbooks either. It is available on Amazon for $30.

"evidence-based interventions that professionals and parents can use to help individuals struggling with dyslexia"

That is an excerpt of the summary, maybe this can provide some answers? The school psychologist should certainly give you some thing you would be able to work on at home.

Hope this is of some help, good luck!

 

[tink_lover]

If you haven't already, please check out the documentary The Big Picture:Rethinking Dyslexia by Robert Redford's son. Redford's grandson is dyslexic and this is a very powerful movie. Unless you live with this (like we do), it is hard for people on the outside to understand the daily school challenges.

 

[zurgswife]

I understand the cheat sheet may not be the answer, I was frustrated because he had not even tried it. It is a pretty obvious one, such as capitalize beginning of sentences, proper nouns, put punctuation at the end. Plus he failed a paper about a state fair field trip because he didn't answer all of the questions and only turned in 5 sentences! It's a perfect storm of him having a legitimate learning disability but also not trying his hardest. Oh the teen years!

Ok the bold part. (Still wondering how old your son is)

1) OBVIOUS for YOU. This is not how the dyslexic brain works. Just because you think it is easy and obvious it is NOT for a dyslexic brain. Capitalization, and punctuation at the end of sentences were on going issues for my son as he continued through HS.

2) My son was not able for many years to put what was in his brain on paper in any way shape or form like a regular student. This is called dysgraphia.

You are looking at this like he is a normal student and just not doing what he is supposed to. This may not be the case. He may truely have a dyslexcia, decoding and dysgraphia issue that the testing didn't properly test for.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, again, as a parent to a young teen with similar disability issues, I have to say that I totally agree with Zurgswife.

It is time to back way up, accept the reality, and to try to understand what the disability really entails, and approach this from a very basic level. Not just suggest counter-productive measures such as cheat-sheets, and add the pressure to 'try harder'.

Sure, he has known since he was in early elementary that the first letter of sentences are capitalized, and that a sentence should end with a period or question mark.
Telling him these things for the umpteen millionth time will do absolutely no good.
The disability is the issue.

What he knows, and what comes out onto a sheet of paper, will be two very different things.

 

[crashbb]

Ok the bold part. (Still wondering how old your son is)

1) OBVIOUS for YOU. This is not how the dyslexic brain works. Just because you think it is easy and obvious it is NOT for a dyslexic brain. Capitalization, and punctuation at the end of sentences were on going issues for my son as he continued through HS.

2) My son was not able for many years to put what was in his brain on paper in any way shape or form like a regular student. This is called dysgraphia.

Yup - I have dysgraphia. I can say "23" and write "32" and not realise it - even when someone tells me I've written it wrong, unless they tell me what I did wrong, I'll still often not see it. My brother still teases me about the time I made a t-shirt with my name on it and spelled by own name wrong. I knew it was wrong because it had an even number of letters (and my name doesn't), but could not figure out what was wrong with it.

I did spend many years with tape across my desk, on which was written all the letters of the alphabet and the numbers 1 - 9, so that I could copy them and have my letters/numbers facing the right way.

For the most part, I've developed my own coping strategies (I have a "mild" case) - I type as much as possible (and, if writing by hand, I print and it looks like an 8-year-old did it), use spell check (or resort to using different words, because I know that the word I want is likely to be spelled incorrectly), and avoided courses that would involve a lot of (or any) timed writing.

On a positive note, dysgraphia (or dyslexia) does not need to define your life or limit your education - I have my PhD (just not in something requiring timed writing). Most people who know me, don't even know that I am dysgraphic.