splash,
You are so right - the program must be used with intensity to work. And for some kids, it must be reinforced throughout the curriculum.

The reinforcement throughout the curriculum is the amazing advantage most LD private schools hold over public schools offering pull out remediation.

My son is fortunate to attend such a school. It has been life-changing for all of us. Good luck to you as you pursue the right mix of services and placement. It is possible to win an out of district placement - not easy but possible. If this is what you desire, I hope it goes your way.

My 2nd grade daughter was recently diagnosed with dyslexia. The professional we consulted said that the researched-based method used (Wilson, Phonographics, Orton-Gillingham, etc...) must be used EVERY DAY for AT LEAST 90 MINUTES. Also, as you surmised, it should be used across the curriculum consistently so that it is being reinforced in all subjects. My daughter gets Wilson from a tutor twice a week, for up to 45 minutes and makes slow progress. The school uses a hodgepodge of methods that only confuses her. We still feel that Wilson is the way for her to go, but she is not getting the "proper dose." Because of her dyslexia she also has problems in math (very common) and needs a program like Touch Math. The special-ed teacher for my daughter uses this but the regular teacher doesn't. We are now looking at our options for forcing the issue with the school (or going to private school - an option that will cost what seems like a gazillion dollars and force me back to work.)
I'd also like to say that I went to a Wrightslaw workshop which was terrific and eye-opening. (I have two children with ADHD and LD issues.) I highly recommend them.
By the way, what grade is your child in?

You will be able to answer your own questions by visiting www.wrightslaw.com. There are numerous articles on how to make changes to the IEP when you do not agree with the school's progress. Dyslexia is a serious disability that needs to be handled correctly form the get go if your child is to have a chance of learning to read on grade level. If you can prove zero progress in her reading skills, you can insist under FAPE that a qualified professional be brought into the school to bring her up to date or that she be shifted at school expense to a a school that specifically teaches Dyslexic kids. Start by asking the school to convene the IEP team to meet about your concerns. If you still are not getting anywhere, speak to the principal. Still no response, you can go to the Director of Special education. Next you can call the Board of Education and ask them to provide you with information on how to begin "mediation" or you can go directly to due process. Please contact www.ncld.org or the Dyslexic association of America for lots of free advice. Many have local offices in your area. If your gut says something isn't right, you need to act swiftly. If you are overwhelmed by all the legal jargon and volumes of IDEA mumbo jumbo, ask one of the above organizations to recommend a professional advocate. There fees range differently from state to state. If you work, they can save you a lot of time and you can keep your peace of mind while you go through the process. Don't allow yourself to be overwhelmed. Most parents feel that way when they see all papers involved. Get help from the organizations above, much of it is free and they can direct you to all kinds of resources in your local area. Start with wrightslaw.org, because they have excellent articles and many successful findings from lawsuits filed in various states around the country. Stand your ground. Good luck!

These are all great suggestions. I am waiting for the written report; we just had the meeting and she gave us the results verbally. I was actually pretty shocked because although I knew she was struggling, I didn't realize the progress was "miniscule" (the Dr's words). The Dr. did say it is limited to a particular area of reading (I believe encoding and decoding) and spelling.

The DRA level the school says she is now at is 34 from the beginning of the school year (but I don't even know what that means).

We fought at the beginning of the year to get 1 x 1 time for Wilson for the very reasons someone expressed. I'm thinking maybe Wilson isn't the right program. She has had 2 reading teachers in the 3 years, both "wilson certified". As soon as I get the testing report, I'll post the results. It is so great to hear from people who have already gone through much of this (and it gives me hope). Thank you for all your help.

Many schools do not like to use the word dyslexia. In my experience, it is not worth exerting energy over the label. Save your time and energy and focus on getting her the right services.

My son also had Wilson in school and did not make progress. What is the teacher ratio? What is the peer group - are all the kids at the same level, or is your child at a lower level and being pushed ahead for the sake of the group? How experienced is the teacher in the Wilson method? How much of the 45 minutes is actually instructional - vs going to and from class, settling down, other instruction?

Who tested her recently? What tests did they use? How did you present the report? Is it possible to bring the expert to a meeting? What does he or she recommend?

I would pound away at some of the questions I've asked and use the evaluation to request more services. Eventually, her compensating strategies won't be enough. By 3rd grade, kids begin to "read to learn" rather than "learn to read". Writing demands increase substantially - open response tests, book reports, projects.

As far as the DRA level - what is the level? How long did it take to increase 2 levels? In 1st grade, 2 levels is not much. I also have experienced that teachers are often biased when assessing DRA and often overstate the results. Again, I'd talk to the outside reading professional about this and get a second opinion.

If she is getting Wilson 3x a week for 45 minutes and has not made any progress, then I don't think it's working for her. I would look into other programs and other forms of remediation. Not all children with dyslexia respond to every program designed for remediating children with dyslexia. She may not be responding to Wilson, but she would respond to Lindamood-Bell. Are you willing to post her testing, so we can see where she is struggling?

If your child has an IEP you can request that her teachers recieve training on her disabilities and instruction methods.

The tests were the same ones given in the prior year, but I agree that different tests show different results. I think one of the problems is that while Wilson has been good, the Wilson method is not reinforced in the classroom, so what she learns outside stays outside (for the most part). She has difficulty applying the decoding skills (or applies them to every word,which doesn't work either) to the regular classroom text. We have tried outside tutors, paid for extra help for teachers from the school, etc., and have even tried to get her into a special school (she's on the waitlist). I don't want to leave any stone unturned, but am unsure where to go next.

No I dont think what you call it will make much of a difference. Thats great she is getting wilson though!! Im wondering why she is making no progress though?? What is the private evail basing her zero progress on?? Im finding that different tests and evailuators gets different results. Did they use the same tests? Did the private eval test her before?? ect..

It is great you dd has good coping skills that is such a good life skill. My dd has dyslexia too and I find she has learning spurts. She will all of a sudden just make leaps and bounds then bam!! hit a plateau. Its so fustrating. I find the school does just so much then the rest is up to the parent???