What do you do if you suspect your child is dyslexic?

Lance - posted on 01/15/2013

Does your school have a reading program designed to help kids in this age group? Our school calls it it Title One.

Marilyn - posted on 01/11/2013

Don't wait! my daughter has been struggling since kindergarten. If you don't fight for them, no one will. What does it mean when they say"my daughter meets the requirement for somene with a specific learning disability?

Yulina - posted on 05/13/2009

Tests which my son went through were conducted by dyslexia centres that were not provided by any of the schools that he attended/attends. I don't know about tests in the US. Subsequently he now goes through tests conducted by educational psychologists that determine his abilities compared to the average scores of other children his age. These tests are arranged by his school on a yearly basis.

Yulina - posted on 05/13/2009

This is true that the first signs will show up in kindergarten. I was told to suspect something when my child was 4..his teachers told me to have him checked for ADHD and I went up that path before being told to have him checked for dyslexia when he was 5. Being in Malaysia - it was hard - but I found one person who was qualified to test for dyslexia. After that I went off and got a 2nd opinion from the British Dyslexia Assoc. and they confirmed it too. Info is available on the web.

Alexis - posted on 05/13/2009

I am wondering what were the specific test your school used to find the dyslexia diognosis. My school is still dragging their feet about the testing and Noah is now 7.

Alexis - posted on 05/13/2009

I have the same problem starting in Kindergarten. They did not take me seriously until first, but hte shcool I am in is still draging their feet about testing my son. I have gotten extra help in spacific areas which is a start. There is an international dyslexia foundation you can call and get them to send you info.
Do you know if anyone if your family has dyslexia? If so this is a good indication you child can have it. Also dyslexia is not only a reading problem but word association. the school might tell you they can't test for it until third grade, but you must insist that she gets the help you feel she needs now.
The sooner she has spacific help in reading and words the better off she will be. But she will not out grow the problem. I know because I have it too and i am 33:) I can read, but don't yell at my spelling:)

Yulina - posted on 05/06/2009

Hi. I have a dyslexic and ADD 11 year old son, to be 12 soon - and diagnosed a dyslexic at 5 years old. Searched all Asia for a school but found nothing. Ended up packing him and myself to England where he attends Fairley House School, in central London. We've been here for 5 years already. I am easing him slowly into a boarding school system come September, and hopes he settles comfortably. It was a huge sacrifice for both of us - as we have to shuttle between home (Malaysia) and England whenever we can. Also huge sacrifice in term of $$. However, that said - the sacrifice is well worth it - every hour and every day. Your child will appreciate it.

Kara - posted on 04/11/2009

i have a feeling that my eldest who is only 4 may have dyslexia and possibly dyspraxia which i suffer from but dont know where to go for help or what to do. is she too young to start thinking about it, i just dont want her to suffer at school as i did as i wasn't diagnosed till i was 18. any thoughts?

Tina - posted on 02/11/2009

My son has dsylexia. I agree the sooner you get diagnosed the better. There is a book called Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz, MD. I recommend this book to everyone that has struggling readers.

Mary - posted on 02/04/2009

I have suspected, and known in my gut, that my daughter was dyslexic since 1st grade. All the cardinal signs. I have fought with her elementary school and now her middle school for the testing. I just put in my 4th request. They say she scores in the average range on standardized testing (multiple choice) so that she doesn't qualify for testing. She has fallen so far behind and is failing every subject this year. She also has ADD. Sad thing is, she is almost 13 now and in 7th grade. The school system here is awful. I am in Rutherford County TN. I can't afford the private testing-single mom and 2 kids. Pray for my meeting with the review team on 2/11/09.

Anita - posted on 02/04/2009

We started testing in the second half of Kindergarden. As both of us (parents) are dyslexic, we have been watching all 3 children very closely and started seeing issues with her alphabet. The School refused to help and we had to get outside assistance until the school could be convinced.

We started by contacting the state Dyslexia center and getting a case file started. Once the case was opened, we were instructed to get both audio and visual testing done to start getting some base lines, Universities have Speech Path schools that will do an auditiory exam and then there are Eye Specialists who can give visual perception testing. Both the audio and the visual doctors sent reports to the case manager. Once those reports were completed, we were heading into first grade, then I became a very vocal advocate for my daughter, by having the reports in hand, sitting down with her new teacher, we had to almost force the issue with the school to get the school psych involved due to her young age.

She was found at Mid-point of 1st grade and finally started a reading program designed for her needs and I am so proud to say she has read a book by herself, of course it was a Beg-read, below the level 1 but she could read all the words.

The main thing is be your child's advocate, but also get support weither it is your child's teacher, as us with the dyslexia center of TN.

BUT don't wait, I was 27 years old before I found out why I could not write a sentence or why I could not learn a foreign language. Not to mention still not being able to spell.

Sara - posted on 02/01/2009

I agree with everyone who's already said not to wait.  The longer you wait, the more frustrated your child becomes.  This impacts not only academics, but self-confidence and social skills.  If the school won't do anything, go private.  If the school suggests this may be temporary and extra help should get you through it, try the extra help.  Extra help can't hurt, but continue to pursue all avenues. 

We ended up having our son tested privately.  The only regret we have is that we didn't do it sooner.  We waited until April of grade two to have him tested, but new in October of grade one that there was a problem.

Susanna - posted on 01/29/2009

don't wait.  My son's teacher new something was wrong but could place it.  they kept saying it's just a hump in the road he has to get passed.  if you suspect something get him evaluated.

Sonjia - posted on 01/29/2009

From our experience, this would be my recommendation:

1. Check with your school to see what their policies are. At what age/grade do they do testing? If they consider it too early to do testing, do they have Early Literacy Intervention for at risk children? How early will they allow children to come into their dyslexia program? If private testing shows dyslexia, will this allow child to enter program any earlier?

2.  Meanwhile, some strategies you can do at home.

      ALPHABET:  Get a set of plastic magnetic alphabet letters. Very clean cut lines w/o any strange curves or dressy bubbles at the ends of letters. view this pic from Wiki:

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerato...

Have the child put letters in order (help them as necessary) and facing the right direction. Beginning with "A" on the left and arching in a semi-circle through the letter "Z" on the right. Put some space between the letters M and N. After child sets up letters. They should touch each letter and say it's name using their left hand until they reach M. Then continue with their right hand until they reach Z.

Next, stand behind your child and hold their arms in your hand. Touch the first half of the letters and say "My before hand (wave their left arm) is my left hand...My after hand (wave their right arm) is my right."

Do this EVERY DAY. This will help your child immensely.

3. If private testing will put the process in gear, then I would spring for the $150.00 for private assessments. BUT there are various tests out there, so check & see which tests the school uses or you will spend that money for nothing. If they use contract people to perform tests, try to get the names of some of the people they use & get one of them to perform the assessment. This can speed along the process immensely. BUT, partly depends whether they have any services available for child this age.

4. Does your child need speech therapy?Often dyslexia accompanied w/speech problems. Is your child receiving these services? Does your child need these services?

Hope some of this helps,

sonjia

Tracie - posted on 01/23/2009

I have decided I am not going to wait until this spring.  The more time goes by the more I am seeing, now that I kind of know what I am looking for. 

Jess - posted on 01/23/2009

I am anxiously waiting until next month when my youngest son will be tested for dyslexia.  My second one was not diagnosed until be was 9!  I know he learned differently when he was in preschool, buit unfortunately the city (state) we lived in wasn't as helpful in testing him for anything.  Dyslexia didn't even occur to me (or my dsylexic mom).  The sooner he can get help the better.  We held my oldest one back, had private tutors (who didn't teach him how he needed to learn)  and wasted a lot of valuable time. He  feel so far behind before he received the help he needed.  He still struggles and he is in the third year of the dyslexia program.

Kim - posted on 01/19/2009

I am in the process of fighting to get my child tested.  He's 9 and in the 3rd grade.  I've known since he was in 1st grade but was told it was developmental, and to wait.  I can't wait anymore, hes only going to fall farther behind.  I have gotten his teacher to give him less spelling words and more time on test but real help canonly come after being tested.  The school psychologist is the 1st contact.  Good Luck!

Tracie - posted on 01/15/2009

Thanks Eileen.  Her teacher is going to talk to the school psychologist and we will go from there......

Eileen - posted on 01/15/2009

My son was found to be dyslexic at 6.  The sooner they find out the better because you can begin them in the learning disabled classes.  I hated doing that because I was so afraid that he would be teased but there are so many children with learning dissabilities.  He was in public school and I had to push them to do the testing.  Then once they found out they only gave him 45 minutes a day with an SLD teacher which wasn't enough.  I fought with them to get him into a class specifically for learning disabled and he learned more in the first 6 months of that class then he had in the 3 years he had been in school!  Fight for your childs rights or they will push her to the side.  Been there, done that.  I ended up pulling my son out of public school and putting him in private school (had to work 2 jobs to do it but would do it all over again.)