Dyslexia-Support and Advice-UPDATE post #9

[pettyone]

Greetings!!

Based on an evaluation performed at DD6's soon-to-be new school, they have advised me to have DD tested for learning disabilities, specifically, dyslexia.

I have a name of a psychologist to call for testing; however, it has been recommended that I find a reading tutor for DD ASAP.

Anyone with any suggestions or insights who can let me know where to start, what to look for with a tutor, etc. please respond.

Also, does health insurance cover the cost of assessment or tutoring? I'm clueless as to proceed.

Thanks!!

 

[MosMom]

Get on google and search for Dyslexia help in your area.

http://www.tn-interdys.org/docs/index.htm?CFID=6557113&CFTOKEN=97997643

There is a link for the Tennessee Dyslexia Association. Insurance covered assessment for us but not tutoring. However, when you have that diagnosis, you are eligible for more help through the school.

Right now, my daughter has made TREMENDOUS improvement with her reading. In fact, her last report card was straight A's except for math (a C). I find we are having problems with math now and our school doesn't have programs for that so we are paying for a tutor.

We also used this book quite a bit...

http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Dyslexic-Child-Read/dp/0806519819

I am convinced early intervention has helped my daughter. She is 9 and in 2nd grade BUT she is reading at a 4th grade level now.

 

[rbuzzotta]

My 5th grade DD was diagnosed with dyslexia, auditory processing disorder and ADD at the end of 2nd grade. She took medication until 4th grade and is now off. The teachers do not see any evidence of ADD at this point (neither do I).

She gets alot of support in school (they are fabulous!!). She is in the Wilson reading program and I have seen her flourish this year. The one thing going for my DD is that she has a strong desire to learn!!! That helps sooooo much. She is maintaining all A's and B's with a C+ in language arts (which includes spelling and reading!!). Her report card comes out tomorrow and she is crossing her fingers for all A's and B's!!! She has tried extra hard this term!!

Sometimes it becomes frustrating for me to read with her but I have to re group and remember that she IS trying!! She can't help it. She has to self-correct alot when she realizes what she just read did not make sense. She only began really comrehending her reading this year as she was more focused on just reading the words correctly without comprehension!!

The only thing that bothers my DD is that she has to go to come out of gym class and computer class for reading specialists!!! Otherwise, she just plugs along and this year has gained quite a bit of self confidence!!

I am sooooooooooooo proud of her accomplishments!!

Good luck!!

 

[MosMom]

I am too Rosemary and it is great to see them overcome the difficulties. My daughter has a big problem with short term memory so we're having issues with math right now. Memorizing her math facts is killing both of us. She is using her fingers right now but we keep plugging away with flash cards, games, etc. Remembering the sequence of numbers is hard and story problems...forget it!

I also get frustrated and I have to remind myself that she is tryiing. I am hoping having the tutor will help her with math. I'm just afraid that 3rd grade math is really going to be the "make or break" year.

This is a girl that STILL has problems knowing right from left and behind/in front. Even though we are conquering the reading end of things, there are still a lot of dyslexic qualities.

 

[pettyone]

Thanks for the responses!

I contacted an Educational Psychologist...waiting on her to call back...
I spoke with our insurance rep...waiting on her to call back, again...

 

[PaulaSue]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Lanshark]

My 20 year old DD had dyslexia. I specialize in teaching reading to dyslexics. I use the Wilson Reading System with is Orton Gullingham based. In simple terms, it's phonics and it works.

That said, I won't even take a child before they are in second grade. It's too difficult to diagnosis at that young of age. I would do a follow up visit with a psychologist as they suggested.

 

[janette]

My 12yo DD was diagnosed as Learning Disabled in pre-school. She was diagnosed as Dyslexic in 4th grade. Dyslexia is more difficult to diagnose when they are young as Marcie mentioned. Many kids with Dyslexia aren't considered Learning Disabled so if the testing doesn't show an LD but they aren't able to diagnose Dyslexia you may want to test again when she's a little older.

Getting the testing will help you determine what type of tutor is needed. There are programs designed specifically for Dyslexia, we are lucky that our school district offers the Dyslexia program designed by Scottish Rite as part of the regular education. My DD has been in the program for 2 yrs, before that she was in Sp Ed for reading. Her delays were pretty severe and she needed to get to the point where the Dyslexia program could be effective.

She is in 6th grade now and has been moved to all regular ed classes and is doing fine. Her oral reading tests are still below level but her comprehension is above level. She has learned to compensate very well and continues to improve.

Early Intervention is so important! Good luck to both of you.

Here are some websites I've found helpful:
All Kinds Of Minds
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia
Schwab Learning

 

[pettyone]

DD is scheduled for an eye exam Monday...I have horrible vision, so it wouldn't hurt to have her eyes checked since she never has been.

We've also scheduled an "intake" appointment with the educational psychologist...we'll schedule a tutor after we get the assessment back...

Thanks for all of the support, words of wisdom and personal experience stories...I appreciate it!!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

My son was diagnosed at the age of 6. We tried working with the public school but with the severity of his learning disability, we quickly saw that his needs weren't being met. There weren't enough resources to go around.

We pulled him out and put him in a private LD school for 2-4th grades. There was a 1:4 teacher to student ratio. My son had Wilson, Orton Gillingham and Linda moodbell (excellent program). He didn't learn to read well until 3rd grade.

Multiplication/Division have been pure torture for him. He also is deficient in short term memory. We have been memorizing his multiplication tables for 4 years now. He knows them at night but they are gone this next day!

He missed being certified LD in math by 1 point. I am working hard to get him services in math and to be allowed to use a calculator. Sometimes I feel that the schools are working against children instead of with them. (I am a former teacher) My DS would still have to know the process of how to solve a math problem. Why is it such a big deal if he uses a chart or calculator?

There is a light at the end of the tunnel! My DS has made honor roll every quarter this year. We spend about 1 1/2 -2 hours every night on homework. I teach him what he didn't quite grasp in class. He told me the other day that if it weren't for me he would fail at school. He is such a great kid and I am thankful for him everyday.

Good luck!

Lori

 

[MosMom]

He knows them at night but they are gone this next day!

That rings so true to me. Right now it is addition/subtraction for us but I know multiplication is around the corner. She can "cheat" with addition/subtraction by using fingers but I know multiplication is going to be a pill.

 

[fivefordisney]

Google Sally Shaywitz. She is an MD who wrote the book Overcoming Dyslexia and is an excellent resource. Here's a blurb:


In Overcoming Dyslexia, Dr. Sally Shaywitz, codirector of the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and Attention and a leader in the new research into how the brain works, offers the latest information about reading problems and proven, practical techniques that, along with hard work and the right help, can enable anyone to overcome them. Here are the tools that parents and teachers need to help the dyslexic child, age by age, grade by grade, step by step.

--What dyslexia is and why some intelligent, gifted people read slowly and painfully
--How to identify dyslexia in preschoolers, schoolchildren, young adults, and adults
--How to find the best school and how to work productively with your child’s teacher
--Exercises to help children use the parts of the brain that control reading
--A 20-minute nightly home program to enhance reading
--The 150 most common problem words–a list that can give your child a head start
--Ways to raise and preserve a child’s self-esteem aqnd reveal his strengths
--Stories of successful men and women who are dyslexic

 

[dimimi]

Your public school should be testing your daughter at no charge. A school psychologist should do it. Once you request it in writing, they have 30 days to complete the testing. I am a special education teacher and this is a federal law.

If you are able to have your daughter receive services from kindergarten on up, she will make great progress. Good luck!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

Another great book is All Kinds of Minds by Dr. Mel Levine. You can pick up a copy at your library. His website is www.allkindsofminds.com.

 

[tw1nsmom]

Your public school should be testing your daughter at no charge. A school psychologist should do it. Once you request it in writing, they have 30 days to complete the testing. I am a special education teacher and this is a federal law.

If you are able to have your daughter receive services from kindergarten on up, she will make great progress. Good luck!

This is correct. You should request an evaluation, in writing, from the school. If they don't have the personnel qualified to make the evaluation (though they should) they would need to pay for an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). After the testing they need to hold a CSE (committee on special education) meeting that you will be present for. This meeting will determine whether or not your DD needs an IEP, 504 and what kind of accomodations and services are necessary.

Even if your DD goes to a private school, your public school is responsible for the cost and execution of the evaluation and services.

Having said all that, IF your insurance covers the evaluations it may be easier to go through them. However, most don't because they know it's the financial responsibility of the schools. I would definitely go ahead with the eye exam. Good luck.

 

[bookgirl]

I was a special ed teacher for 9 years. At 6 it's really unlikey for your daughter to test positive for a learning disability. A LD is a percentage between your childs skills and the average skills of 100 children her age. At 6 the skills she is supposed to have are few, so it makes it very hard to qualify for help. Most professionals won't test a child until 7 or the second sememster of second grade. If they test your child early they don't have to retest for three years and in those three years they can fall behind. If she is having extreme trouble, (like she's a first grader who can not identify her letters or numbers) they I would worry and test but if she's just a little behind her peers I would try intervention in the classroom first before testing.

PS if she's reversing letters that's normal at 6 and 7. So that will not get her a diagnosis of LD. At 8 it will.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I was a special ed teacher for 9 years. At 6 it's really unlikey for your daughter to test positive for a learning disability. A LD is a percentage between your childs skills and the average skills of 100 children her age. At 6 the skills she is supposed to have are few, so it makes it very hard to qualify for help. Most professionals won't test a child until 7 or the second sememster of second grade. If they test your child early they don't have to retest for three years and in those three years they can fall behind. If she is having extreme trouble, (like she's a first grader who can not identify her letters or numbers) they I would worry and test but if she's just a little behind her peers I would try intervention in the classroom first before testing.

PS if she's reversing letters that's normal at 6 and 7. So that will not get her a diagnosis of LD. At 8 it will.

While I'm not very familiar with the finer points of dyslexia, this information is incorrect. As of IDEA 2004(individuals with disabilities education act) a school can no longer use the gap between ability and performance as the sole determining factor for the establishment of services. Besides, even if her DD doesn't qualify for an IEP because her grades haven't slipped, if it's determined that her DD has Dyslexia she would qualify for services/accomodations under a 504 plan which is protected under the ADA. Also, if I'm understanding correctly it's the school that's recommending that the child be evaluated. Lastly, even though the law says that the schools must reevaluate after three years, it doesn't prohibit them from reevaluating sooner and they must do so if a parent requests it or if a significant change in performance is noted.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

While I'm not very familiar with the finer points of dyslexia, this information is incorrect. As of IDEA 2004(individuals with disabilities education act) a school can no longer use the gap between ability and performance as the sole determining factor for the establishment of services. Besides, even if her DD doesn't qualify for an IEP because her grades haven't slipped, if it's determined that her DD has Dyslexia she would qualify for services/accomodations under a 504 plan which is protected under the ADA. Also, if I'm understanding correctly it's the school that's recommending that the child be evaluated. Lastly, even though the law says that the schools must reevaluate after three years, it doesn't prohibit them from reevaluating sooner and they must do so if a parent requests it or if a significant change in performance is noted.

This is all correct information. I just had my son retested after 2 years because we are trying to figure out what is going on with his math. The results showed a huge difference between 3rd grade testing and the beginning of 6th. We were thrilled that his reading skills had improved dramatically!

Lori