Dyslexia - Page 2

[LauraLoo]

I know that this thread is getting revived, and not sure if the OP is still checking back, but I have another question about dyslexia, testing and remediation.

Our ds is struggling in 4th grade with many dyslexic traits -- He can read, was a self-taught reader before K, but is still struggling with many dyslexic traits. We did vision therapy and that has helped, but it seems that there is a major hurdle that ds can not jump over with reading aloud (omissions, crazy guesses at words, decoding difficult words but skipping simple words,) still writing with reversals, writing looks immature when free-writing, and I can go on and on.  He freaks out on timed tests and performs so much worse.  His teacher is concerned because of the inconsistency of his work.  

I picked up the book, "The Gift of Dyslexia," and am intrigued by the Davis Method.  There is a local Davis Dyslexia learning center and I'd love to know if anyone has tried this method with their dc's and what the results were.  Anyone?

[melissa17s]

LauraLoo, 

You could get your ds evaluated to check for learning disabilities.  Not all kids with dyslexia characteristics are dyslexic.  Your son's school may have staff that can evaluate him or you may need to take him to a psychologist.  They may also give you strategies for working with your ds's difficulties reading/writing.   My ds's psychologist recommended this website: http://www.interdys.org/ and this book: Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz.  

[awonder]

The Davis Program is given one-on-one instead of a classroom setting.  I think you can go to a web page and find a provider near to you.  I think it is www.dyslexia.com and then click on "find a provider" and then click on a map for your state.  The one thing I found interesting when I was looking at it was the whole concept of "focus".  They have a few exercises or techniques to help the child with getting a more accurate "visual and auditory perception" before the child is ever given a lesson.  I had my child doing OG before and if she couldn't get a concept we just had to push on...and on...and on.  Davis has the child learn these focus tools so she can more accurately get the concepts later to follow.  This is what makes Davis really different from anything out there.  It worked for us.  My DD is a hands-on learner and she loved the multisensory approach and the fact that it was given one-on-one.

[dakotablue]

I know this wasn't the question, but I wanted to pop in and say what worked for me.

I have severe dyslexia. The best way to describe it is that I have two vocabularies. One written and one oral. Friends have always commented on how I write is not at all how I speak, slowly that is growing and morphing do to txt and emails and IM, IMing actually improved my spelling so so much (plus now firefox have spell check and that helps because I notice sometime is wrong. ahve and have look the same when glancing, but if I look hard I can see the difference.

When I look at a written word I've seen before I have no real base for sounding it out. It is extremely frustrating, so when presented with the word Phoenix, out of context (before I memorized which is a lot of how I cope) I would pronounce it (to only people I truly trusted) Fee O next ee x. which I know is not a word. I didn't learn phonics until I had to teach it to one of my students. 

I am an avid reader, but don't ask me to read out loud. I speed read, which was how my grandfather taught me to cope, which is just reading whole words rather than phonics. because of this I was able to do well in school, but often I know a concept in written form and it takes a quick description verbally for me to access that those two 'words' are the same. Kinda like learning a new language.

So D O G does equal and "dog" spoken equals but D O G doesn't equal "dog" (well it does for me now but its a good example) And to everyone else it is an automatic connection, its NOT for me, its effort and memory. AND someone telling me.

my dyslexia carries over to handwriting, numbers, spatial awareness (I still have trouble conceptualizing how to parallel park, but can if I don't think about it) and general processing.

I don't think like other people, this is a good thing. I see things differently than others which bring new things to the table. It is a gift . 

The best thing my parents did for me was to let me be me and admit, you think a little differently and that is great! Not forcing me to read out loud and letting me explore books on my own, I can talk about what I've read, but not while reading. Being accepted gave me confidence. Although it did not make me better able to spell, or write or park.

I know this isn't everyone, but maybe it will help some parents understand.

[LauraLoo]

awonder -- thank you for your feedback!

dakotablue -- thank you so much for the detailed explanation!  It was just the other day that ds was finally able to tell me that he doesn't read in words, he reads in pictures -- can't read aloud because he doesn't remember *anything* that he's read (unless he's already familiar with the material so is able to make associations easily.)   

melissa71s -- Yes, we are going to have to go the route of private testing.  The school won't test for dyslexia, but will make accommodations if dictated by a psychologist/medical professional able to dx.  Unfortunately what we are going through now is because of ds' horrible reading ability to read out loud abd comprehend what he's read aloud, they are pushing for remedial classes where he'll be forced to continue to read out loud over and over and over.  We've hired an advocate/tutor to intervene in the meantime and she is working with his teacher.

OP -- sorry to hijack the thread......