Dyslexia

[AAK]

How do you test for dyslexia? I know that I have posted my concerns, but now I really just need to know. I think that if she is dyslexic and I were to know that, then I could research better ways to help her with reading, etc.

Amy

[karne]

Sorry-I'm not sure about any of your other posts, but have you done any testing at all, for instance through your school system? The term dyslexia can encompass so much, and sometimes the "symptoms" are actually part of other dx. entirely.

One of the books I have found helpful is titled Overcoming Dyslexia, and the Eides book titled The Misabled Child has also been helpful.

[AAK]

I don't post often here, we haven't done any testing so far for learning disabilities. She was screened at three because we wanted (and got) speech therapy. I have always suspected something more--have posted about possible Auditory Processing Disorder. But, I have now read that dyslexia can have an auditory aspect as well. But last night we were practicing reading and the sentence said No, No, No. She read it as No, On, No. This is just one example of many. Often when sounding out words she says the ending sound first. She also will sometimes sound each letter out individually and then completely change them when she tries to put them together. Perhaps reading is just more difficult for her. . . but it just 'feels' like there is something else going on. My hunches are usually right in this regard. I want to know How to help her. I am not just looking for another label. I will look up the books you mentioned karne. Thanks.

Amy

[momtoalexsarah]

I have dyslexia and what you are describing sounds like it - BUT how old is she, in kids just learning to read (under 7 or so) then errors such as that are common. My 5yo was making errors like that as he was starting to read and his teacher - knowing my history said to give it a little time and we would be able to tell better. He is getting better now so it is looking less and less likely that he has inharited it from me (in my familly it is a genetic trait) but I am watching my 4yo now as she is starting to read, and will do the same for my 3yo.

[AAK]

She is nearly seven. It seems that she has been at the same reading level for about a year now. Before that, she wasn't really reading at all. It is so hard, primarily because she is super sensitive anyways so she feels dumb really fast. Sometimes, I start to get frustrated and while I try not to let it show, I know that she senses it. She hates sounding out words. I LOVE to read. Her older sister LOVES to read. She asked me "when is reading going to stop being so hard? I want to love reading too." It makes my heart ache because I think she is rather intelligent, but people at school esp. kinda link reading ability with IQ. My oldest is "gifted" so at first I thought that maybe is was comparing the two, but I want to find out for sure so that if there is a better way to teach her, we might be guided towards it with a dx.

Amy

[slsurface]

This is just a quick reply because I don't have the time to write more. But I have dyslexia and felt the same what your DD does when I was a kid. I remember being so frustrated with my parents, who had a huge library in the house and are the type of people who read 3 novels a week. It took many years of work on my part and patience from my parents to overcome it. I just finished my PhD. in May - I wrote a 350+ page thesis. I think the turning point for me was in middle school. I remember hating being labeled and demeaned by my teachers. I worked hard and finally reading became fun when I found the right reading material - my weakness is SciFi. I enjoy reading now as an adult, but is still "work" to read. I have to really enjoy the book to keep with it. Also, a speed reading class in middle school was extremely helpful and allowed me to find tricks to read easier.

[LauraLoo]

Amy - Have you had your dd's eyes checked by a dev. optometrist? I know that there have been some threads about the importance of this lately. A dev. optometrist would go beyond a 20-20 vision exam and look at things like tracking and convergency issues.

FWIW - I was pretty certain that ds was dyslexic because he had a lot of markers - like reversals while reading and writing (on / no and written reversals of letters and numbers) but he did not meet the criteria because he fully grasped phonics and was able to convert the written letters and words into the appropriate sounds.

When I was looking for dyslexia testers, I called around after googling to talk with testers in my area. Thankfully, as I went through a phone screening with one tester (who would only test if she thought testing was warranted) suggested that we have our ds' eyes checked first because she thought that was where the issue was - and she was right. I would definitely consider doing a thorough vision exam if you haven't already if for nothing else to rule out issues there.

[AAK]

Originally Posted by LauraLoo

Amy - Have you had your dd's eyes checked by a dev. optometrist? I know that there have been some threads about the importance of this lately. A dev. optometrist would go beyond a 20-20 vision exam and look at things like tracking and convergency issues.

She sees an pediatric opthamologist regularly--she has "morning glory" nerve syndrome in her right eye. This makes the right eye useless. For all intents and purposes she is blind in the right eye. I have taken her to an optometrist who specializes in vision therapy, but he was dismissive. She has the one thing that no one wants to bother with. I have mentioned my concerns to her eye dr. and he doesn't think her eyes are the problem.

Thanks for the tip though, if we weren't already going, I probably wouldn't have though about the eyes beyond a regular "does she need glasses" approach.

Amy

[karne]

I may have missed this, but have you actually had any educational testing done? Your dd is pretty young still, but if you've had ongoing concerns it might be something to pursue. You mentioned school as a place where her current reading ability is seen as problematic, so have teachers identified concerns? Or are you homeschooling?

Ok-sorry, I just saw your post that you haven't done testing yet. So, maybe that's the place to start rather than stressing over trying to pin down any issues yourself. FWIW, I think reading is an incredibly complex skill, and kids can be all over the place in the early stages.

[LauraLoo]

This may be of interest to you from a 2E perspective:

http://mislabeledchild.com/html/Libr...h_dyslexia.htm

Still doesn't tell you how to go about finding a tester near you -- but if it were me and I could afford it, I'd take my ds to the Eides in a heartbeat. The Eides are in Redmond - WA......maybe not so far from you?

[karne]

Originally Posted by LauraLoo

This may be of interest to you from a 2E perspective:

http://mislabeledchild.com/html/Libr...h_dyslexia.htm

Still doesn't tell you how to go about finding a tester near you -- but if it were me and I could afford it, I'd take my ds to the Eides in a heartbeat. The Eides are in Redmond - WA......maybe not so far from you?

I was just coming back to mention the 2E perspective! I was absolutely shocked when doing special ed testing w/ one of my kids to find off the charts scores in particular areas. It is apparently, not uncommon. The Eides have a very good website as well.

[andieemt]

My daughter is severely dyslexic in four areas. Reading (fifteen and can't read,went to public school and they told us no matter what testing we had done, she was mentally retarded instead, now lawsuit time with the state)., spelling, math, and handwriting. She is going to another school this fall in a different state and getting the help she really needs for once. All her other subjects are on target for her age though. Plus it helps with getting two private evalutions, speech evalution, handwriting evalution, audiology testing for audio out/in put evaluation, and of course genetic counseling too.

Start out with finding a private local PsychoEducational to evaluate your child and then go to a speech therapist to get a speech evaluation, and audio evaluation if they see anything they will recommend more testing or just the correct services. On if the public school wants to accept the recommendations for your child's IEP (individual educational plan) that is good, if not. Don't sign anything and fight like crazy for your child to get what they need. My fighting is still going on even from another state, I am making the old state pay for their mistakes of being too cheap and denying my child a proper free education.

Good luck to you.

[AAK]

Have you guys heard of this

http://www.dys-add.com/

I spoke with two different certified testers. One is a principal at a private school and has some amazing stories--one VERY similar to andieemt's story (kid was freshman and had been previously told was mentally retarded, parent's decided to bring kid to this small private school. The principal (the certified dyslexic tester) discovered dyslexia and started him with the Barton method. In his senior year he received a 4 on the WASL for reading (3 is passing, 4 is great!).)

I will be checking out the site you recommended, but wanted to respond since we've been busy camping and I hadn't gotten back.

Also, regarding the school. I hs my oldest, but this child is still in ps. I've thought about pulling her. The teacher last year would brush me off, but then bring up odd stuff to me.

Amy

[fwlady]

My dh is significantly dyslexic, in any way you can be. Even back then, they were able to diagnose him at 8yo. I know that was a blessing, as his father was never officially Dxed with it. They did a lot of classes and an IEP for him over the years. He graduated, but unfortunately, they just kep teaching the same things he had mastered, and was found to only have a 5.5 yr education for the three Rs, even in a blue ribbon school But, he is successful despite all that.

I went to a seminar when we first were married, and got a real eye opener to what dyslexia really entails. It isn't just a reading disorder, but a language disorder. DH had speech and other help during elementary.

His father was concerned because my son was still turning things around even at 7yo with a 4th grade reading level. This only happened when he was writing though. Now, our DD had severe speech issues, but we thought it was because her teeth had to pulled in the front, and she had LOTS of ear infections that caused her to start bad talking habits. My son was an early talker, and never had any LD. My DD also did these same reversal things, and STILL struggles with reading even at 12 yo. I am SURE she has dyslexia, but not in the math area, as my DH has the whole gamut. Phonics seem to confuse her, and sight reading is easier, which is odd, since they told me it would be the opposite. I always knew something was off about her since she was 2-3yo also. So, really, gut feelings go a long way.

Her speech is still affected today slightly, and I was told that by HSing her, we may never have the dyslexia issue. I know we do, and I have used all senses to teach her to read. She still struggles, but she has improved greatly this last year or two. However, I don't think that I can do any worse than the PS. So, we keep plugging along. She already feels different than her church friends, especially if it comes to reading aloud or anything like that. Her younger sister (by 1.5yrs) tried to make me think SHE couldn't read, because she didn't want to outdo her sister or make her feel bad. But, we had to talk about that, since the younger one is SOOO intelligent, and has stifled her own learning to this day, since she is so sensitive to her sister's limitations. I know she doesn't have dyslexia to the level the older one does, although I wonder if she has a spelling/writing issue, as even at 10yo, she still turns ALL her numbers around. And, we have been making her write them correctly for ages.

I don't know that turning letters around is a HUGE indicator at this age. But, if she was already having speech issues, this is a biggie. And, your intuition. I think that you should have her tested, if she is in the PS, as they can offer her services. If you decide to HS, then that would be educating yourself on how to teach a dyslexic child, and use all of her senses in the three Rs, or in the weak areas. And, keep plugging along. Kymberli

[awonder]

My DD showed signs of dyslexia in kindergarten and the issues did not self-correct. I knew I had to intervene by 3rd grade. A good web page to look at is www.dyslexia.com. They have a symptom profile of 37 Characteristics of dyslexia.  Over the summer (10 weeks) I did the Davis Method with her. My daughter learned the sight words she had trouble with (there vs. their & where vs. were etc.) and we worked on handwriting and reading fluency and comprehension. She loved this Koosh ball game to help her focus.  This is a great program if you have a visual/kinesthetic learner.  This is also great for homeschooling families. Just thought that I would say that you can take matters into your own hands and help your own child if the school system isn't helping your child with the right intervention. Sometimes after the MFE the school declares that your child isn't "bad off enough to get services." The Davis Method is something you can choose to do on your own.

[anj_rn]

Your local school district shouls be able to do the test.  there are different types of dyslexia, and you can have only one type.  I was always above grade level on reading, but find writing very difficult (esp cursive).  I absolutely can not copy from a board or screen and have any hope of accuracy (so my math homework would be done correctly, but I would have copied down the wrong problems).  I will definitely recommend professional testing.  This helped me so much since I was able to understand what my problems were and overcome them (or get around them).

[karne]

IME, the school districts won't test for, or identify, dyslexia, but rather something along the lines of specific learning disability.  I always laugh at this because there's nothing "specific" about my child's dyslexia-it encompasses every aspect of her academic experience.

[Peony]

Originally Posted by karne 

IME, the school districts won't test for, or identify, dyslexia, but rather something along the lines of specific learning disability.  I always laugh at this because there's nothing "specific" about my child's dyslexia-it encompasses every aspect of her academic experience.

This was our experience as well. And then the services they wanted to offer was a joke. Like extra testing time and once a week reading time in a group with other children that were struggling for a child who couldn't even recognize her own name.  Needless to say we had no option but to go all private if we wanted DD1 to ever read. 

[beenmum]

My daughter is also legally blind, and a large part of having only one eye to read with is you lose your place constantly b/c you cant track it, you have little depth perception, so again  tracking is hard, and the ability to move the eye across the page is a huge energy drain.

Have you tried coloured overlays...like the ones they use in Irlens testing. My daughter uses a green one b/c we tested her on all the colours. IKt helpes stop the lettters from oving...not even the letters but the white spaces in between.

They dont test here for dyslexia until they are 8. But our OP said she would have it due to her other eye issues.

Just a thought

[KCMichigan]

I taught in the public schools- with students that LDs.

I would suggest going through the schools and seeing if that is helpful.It can vary by your area, district, and programming on what they can offer and how they structure it. But it is free, should be relatively comprehensive and they are likely to work with the teachers. It was most common for kids to 'test' or be referred for testing in 2nd grade/early third since some kids that struggle before then self-correct and/or are age appropriate ( if they are young for their class- most tests are AGE normed and not grade normed). 

If the schools do not provide what you are looking for, I would look around for some LD specific programs and see what they can do. Orten-Gillingham is a great program that is multi-sensory for kids that have reading/writing LDs.

Kids I worked with often had individualized programs for writing, math, or reading (or a combination of the three) and/or got a lot of in class support/modification. It can be fantastic or not--depending again on the school/ teacher/etc. 

Some great modifications that help students are:

WRITING LDs:

scribe answers for Science/Social studies, etc so you can get more comprehensive information than the student may otherwise write

a slant board

pencil grips

speech to print software

personalized dictionary

reduced written assignments

modified written assignments

special grooved paper or larger lined paper

READING LDs:

books on tape

tag-team reading (grown up turn, child turn)

material at their level

colored overlays

larger print

a 'reader' for non-reading subjects to help master material (so a child can be succesful in Science/Social Studies/etc when the text is written above their reading ability)

multi-sensory approach (Orten Gillingham or other multi-sensory reading programs)

Phonics- use a pattern based format

MATH LDs:

review of math facts

become familiar with math vocabulary

grid paper/lined paper to line up numbers

color coded numbers

program such as Touch Math (multi-sensory)

step-by step visual of needed functions for multi-step problems

practice and review of estimation/measurement/patterns

I loved the school I worked in and found the general education teachers and I worked well together as a team to support our kids w/ LDs. It was a great setting and very supportive. I know not all schools were/are like that.

Does your school also have an 'intervention' team that works with kids before they do formal testing??Sometimes that can be helpful as well.

I would also suggest a developmental optomotrist (specialty, not a standard eye dr) that can make sure that if she has only one eye that is fully functional that it is aligned right, focusing ,and tracking.

Sometimes what seems like an LD is really a vision problem (not poor vision rather--but tracking, alignment, seeing double, etc).