Dyslexia Diagnosis

Go to this website: http://www.wrightslaw.com

Recently there was a question regarding children and being tested. It's been over 15 years since my son was first diagnosed, and I was so excited when this website was developed. Wrights Law along with the others such as : LD Online - http://www.ldonline.org have been a huge help with any questions I had.

Read these and keep a log book, and have EVERYTHING in writing when dealing with the school and professionals. I learned this to be the key and still refer back to both.

My mother's best friend from college is dyslexic. She still does not really enjoy writing, but she loves reading and it's only been in the past 15 or so years that she has gotten into it. She told us that she would get the book on tape (unabridged) as well as the written book and listen to the story as she read it. She told us that by connecting the story this way, it opened up a whole new world for her. I don't know how many audio books are available for her interests, but there may be some, and maybe you can make some of your own for her if this interests both of you.

Hello,

I am still trying to figure out similar things for my fourth grade son, so I can not claim to have solved the problem for my son. However, two suggestions in addition to looking into the dyslexia.

Have her eyes checked at an eye doctor if you never have done that. I discovered that my son needed glasses for reading, and has eye adjustment problems, after reading a book and then taking him to an eye doctor (this is not fixing everything however!). Also, look into Irlen Syndrome and see what you think. I am not sure if it helped my son as he had eye problems that I did not know about, however, it seems to make some sense (Irlen Syndrome is thought to be a piece of Dyslexia for some).

Anyway, good luck!

You're not too late - my hubby is dyslexic and wasn't diagnosed with it until the 11th grade. He had intensive tutoring during his junior and senior years in high school and he did just fine in college! Unfortunately, he doesn't have a love of reading like I have. Sorry I don't have any real advice for you, other than to get her fully evaluated at school and get an IEP going ASAP. Good luck!

Hi Catharina-
I do not have a child with dyslexia, but I used to work at a boarding school in NY for kids with dyslexia and I have been tutoring kids with learning challenges for the past decade. From my experience, dyslexia can take many forms and it is usually diagnosed soon after a child begins to read and write. It is my opinion that your daughter has not be diagnosed too late- in fact this is the exact time that you need to find out information and begin advocating for her. I would have a meeting with her teacher and ask to have a complete psychological evaluation done (don't let the name scare you- it is a series of tests that helps diagnose your child's learning needs). The school should be able to provide information about getting this done. I would also inquire about what kind of support is offered in her school. The best thing you can do for her now is to advocate for her and reassure her that she is smart and capable. Many kids with learning issues have so much trouble in school because they are not supported appropriately, and they begin to feel stupid or inadequate. All of the dyslexic kids I have worked with have been very smart and creative, but because they need support they are often thought to be "slackers" or "slow". I don't want to alarm you, but I think if your daughter is having some trouble with spelling, reading, writing etc. it is really important to act now and have her begin remediation. If she does indeed have dyslexia, it is not something that will ever completely "go away" but it can be supported and remediated and it's amazing what kids can do with the right help.

Please feel free to email me if you have any other questions.
Best,
L. B

I worked with a girl in a restaurant who had Dyslexia. She told me it took her a long time but she could read and write just like you and I can. She said she had to go to special therapy to help. She said sometimes it was still hard if she was in a hurry and just like we transpose letters/numbers, so did she. Except, hers would be backwards.
I think getting her diagnosed first is the most important step. And kids catch up very quickly regardless of when things are caught.

I had a friend in high school who had severe dyslexia. When she was 9 or 10 and not reading, her mom started reading aloud some really interesting book with her (I think it was the Narnia series -wouldn't have interested me at that age, but my friend loved it). Her mom only read a few pages per day, and as my friend got more and more interested in the story she was increasingly motivated to read on her own. She turned into a bookworm within months. Her handwriting and spelling remained terrible, but with modern technology that isn't a huge handicap. Maybe try the first Harry Potter book? I think the key is a book with suspense so they want to find out what happens. The "Encyclopedia Brown" series might work too.

Not expert advice, but something that worked with one dyslexic I know.

Hi Catharina,

I can appreciate your concerns. I have a daughter who will be eight in May and she has shown classic signs of dyslexia since very early. Her reading is delayed despite my husband and myself working nightly with her. (though I will say she is progressing) I also have expressed my concerns to the teachers and have been told it is difficult to diagnose dyslexia before about age eight because these tendencies are common in developing readers and writers.

I have decided to be proactive and have made an appointment for testing with the neurodevelopment department of a local children's hospital. The wait for these appointment can be long so start the process as soon as possible. Most insurances cover this testing.

The schools are unfortunately under a conflict of interest. As much as we would like to think they are professionals interested in educating all students. Special Education budgets are increasingly expensive and school systems are hesitant to refer more students for these services.

You are the best advocate for your daughter and it is up to you to make sure she does not slip through the cracks. Try and find a parent of a child in your daughters school who receives special education services; she can help you navigate this maze.

Best Wishes,
J. L.

You will need to get a formal diagnosis from a doctor. The school cannot diagnose your daughter. I would suggest you discuss it with your pediatrician and go forward with the appropriate evaluations through a doctor. Then you may take his diagnosis and recommendations back to the school to share with them. I believe your daughter, if she is dyslexic, should probably be on an IEP, an individual educational plan, which details the extra help that she requires. It takes quite a bit of time to set up an evaluation, get it completed and receive the written results. It concerns me that they have basically given her a little reading help and now say she must practice it on her own. She is really not doing better and seems to require further help, but they are not providing it.

During these tough economic times and given the fact that things have changed over the years from maximum feasible benefit to free and appropriate education, schools do not rush in to provide services. You will need to pursue a diagnosis and become an advocate for her to insure that she receives the assistance she requires to be successful.

I am a school psychologist (and mom too!) and so I know a lot about this. First, it is not too late for your daughter to get help. Usually kids don't get diagnosed with dyslexia until around 2-3rd grade, once they have had a while to learn how to read. You don't need to go through your doctor because the school will provide a free evaluation. You can just send a letter asking for an evaluation to your daughter's teacher and she can pass it along to the school psychologist or special education department. Your daughter's teacher will pull together information about her progress in reading and probably the special education teacher and school psychologist will also do some testing and observe her in class. If she has dyslexia she will always have it, but she will learn through special reading programs how to develop strategies that will help her to read and be successful. As other parents have pointed out, keep her positive and make reading fun- otherwise if she's too frustrated she'll be less motivated to work on her reading. Good luck!

Let me start by stating that 8 years old is not too late to catch Dyslexia! I taught high school level history and found many of my students were dyslexic. I myself am mildly dyslexic. The extent of help your child will need fully depends on how badly she is effected. Some small things you can do to help... try printing off or copying assignments onto colored paper. A black and white contrast makes it harder for me to read print type documents. If I print it out on colored paper, it is much easier to read. Some dyslexic children also find it easier to read with their book upside down. I know that sounds strange, but it has to do with how the brain interprets what it sees. If I am tired, I flip my book upside down and am able to keep reading.

There are a lot of small tricks like these that can help her to function without being singled out or made to feel uncomfortable. The most important thing is to find what works for her, knowing that while children with Dyslexia have similar symptoms and similar difficulties to overcome, that each child is also unique and will need their own "treatment" plan put into place.

Your school should have a resource team to be able to assess whether or not she is dyslexic and if she is, how much it effects her. They can also work with her to find what learning styles and methods help her to achieve to her highest potential. For a while it may seem like trial and error, but children with Dyslexia can still excell and do great things with their lives, they just need a little help training them to read and write a bit different than some of their peers are trained.

In the learning process, find areas that are her strengths and praise her for them. The confidence she gains in those areas will help her push through any learning challenges she has.

There are many ways to help kids when they have trouble reading. As a special education teacher to students with learning disabilities, I have found that there are many tricks to help my students be more successful. From the information you gave, I think it is important for you to contact your child's guidance counselor or district special education director to learn what the process is to have your child tested to see whether or not she does indeed have dyslexia or a learning disability. Ask for a referral to special education services to see whether or not your child qualifies to receive the services. An IEP meeting will be held to set up an Individualized Education Plan and go over the testing results. A parent has a right to ask for testing to be done and a school can not refuse this to be done unless it had been done previously. A doctors note is NOT needed for a school to do this. All you need to do is ask and get the process going. I hope this information helps!

I would suggest you contact your local Special Education Parent Advisory Council and ask if there are parents who are going through the same thing. YOur school district should be supporting you in getting her additional services which aren't easy to obtain. If you want to discuss this further offline, please feel free to email me. S.

You've recieved some very good advise.

I am a mother of a dyslexic child. BUT, they no longer use that label. They call it Specific Learning Disability.

I am also a Wilson Reading Language tutor and work with many children who are dyslexic.

My daughter wasn't diagnosed until 2nd grade after much pushing on my part. All you have to do is write a letter to the school psychologist stating that you are seeing her struggling with reading and request testing. You want a full battery evaluation done. This will include testing by the psychologist which will give you her IQ, testing by the special ed teacher most likely The Woodcock Reading Test, and also testing by an Occupational Therapist to rule out motor issues.
They have a certain amount of time to do the testing after you sign a consent. Once the testing is done you will meet with the team to determine if your child should be on an IEP. They will explain all testing to you.

My daughter is now 12 and doing quite well. She had OT for two years and from 2nd grade up until mid year this year, she was taught the Wilson Reading Program which gave her tools that help her read and write. Her spelling is still a challange and will never be easy BUT she allowed a spell check and that makes a difference!

Good luck
L.

well I`m not a mama but I talk to over 7.000+ of my students all online , now this is thursday (not one of my teaching nights) Mon,Wen & Fri only are reserved for just those with special reading skills , Q: has your 8 year old had a DDT done (dyslexia determination test) if not ask your sons school where they might know of a location where this test is performed . I am a Dyslexic myself and specialize in the study of strephosymbolia . if there are other Q: just drop me a line at my profile inbox . paschar