Can anyone recommend any good books for parents to read re: dyslexia.  Our son's mulitfactored evaluation (MFE)  results don't  label him dyslexic but when I seach the results from the school on the internet the word "dyslexia" keeps popping up.  He scored low on Speech/Language assessment  syntax difficulty and problems in phonemic awareness.  The school agreed to IEP for SLP next year. When we asked the school if he had dyslexia they all got a weird look on their faces and said well "thats a medical" term and it needs to be followed over so many years to make that determination.  I know some parents have recommended Earobics which I plan to look into as well as private Speech/Language over the summer.  We just don't know where to begin with this.

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Parent Replies to "Dyslexia...where to begin"

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michellea
michellea June 29, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
I agree that independent private evaluations are often more comprehensive, compelling and diagnostic. Because the evaluator is not looking at the child through the lens of "what the school can provide", the recommendations are often more complete.

That said, under the law, schools must only "consider" outside evaluations". They are not required to adopt every recommendation. It will be up to the parent as an equal team member to present the evaluation (with or without the help of the evaluator) and collaborate to build an appropriate IEP. Some schools are more open to suggestions of outsiders than others.

Once the IEP is developed, the parent's work does not end. parents must insure that the IEP is implemented as intended. This means making sure that accommodations are given, services are provided etc. Sometimes this is difficult to track. I've seen situations where a child has small group OG tutoring in their schedule, but the OG teacher is either poorly trained, the size of the "small" group is unmanageable, and the program is not implemented properly.

By becoming educated in the disability, instructional methods and special ed process, a parent is more equipped at collaborating with the team and holding the school accountable.
fujiyama66
fujiyama66 June 26, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
Hi, I recently had my daughter formally diagnosed with Dyslexia and ADHD. It is to your benefit to have your child evaluated by "outside" experts. Outside of the school system I mean. You can give them the documented confirmation of the formal diagnosis once you have it. If it is a thorough one it will include an psychological eval and an educational eval. They are both important. Especially the educational eval, as it will tell how your child learns best. It is important to know where their weaknesses are and equally important to know what their strengths are and how they learn...auditory, or visual...etc. Once you have the evals, and I would also do a speech and language eval too, as dyslexia is a neurological, brain and language based disorder. If caught early enough and the child is given systematic, thorough tutoring such as the Orton Gillingham method, your child can make huge strides and even catch up to his/her peers. However, they will always struggle as there is no "cure" for dyslexia. Also, be sure to explain to your child that there are many brilliant people such as Einstein,Leonardo Da Vinci and Thomas Eddison etc that were dyslexic and ADHD. It just means that they have a learning difference. An excellent book recommended to me by my evaluator is "Overcoming Dyslexia" By Sally Shaywitz, M.D. It has been invaluable to me. Also, make sure the school attaches the formal evaluations to the IEP as it is a legal document. Good Luck
tattles
tattles June 5, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
Fantastic.....thank you so very much for all of the info. After looking at the explanation of the deficient areas noted on our son's MFE and searching the info on this site I have come to the conclusion it is dyslexia. I am moving forward to help my child in any way possible after two long years of tears and anxiety over school. My deepest gratitude for all the info. Please keep it coming....
healthy11
healthy11 June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
Yes, as Michellea mentioned, Earobics can be helpful for certain types of CAPD. One of my favorite experts on the topic is Dr. Jeanane Ferre, and a very good summary of one of her seminars can be found at the link below (she also lists other ways to help kids with different types of CAPD): ocslha.com/Ferre.htm
michellea
michellea June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
Hi buckaroo - glad to see you again!

Earobics can help certain sub-types of CAPD or APD. Here are a couple of links that may help.
shawny.org/APDSurveyresults.htm
www.nswagtc.org.au/info/articles/PittelkowCAPDSubCategories.html

Good luck!
buckaroo
buckaroo June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
healthy,
Have you heard that Earobics is effective for APD? Am looking for something for my dd.
healthy11
healthy11 June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
You've already received some great information from previous posters, but I wanted to clarify something about terminology...Most schools across the U.S., except in the state of Texas, do NOT use the term dyslexia, but they will refer to a child having Specific Learning Disorders in Reading. It's often confusing for parents, but "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" so when talking to the school, say that you suspect your child has an SLD in Reading...
Earobics is often recommended for children with CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorders) and that's another term that many schools won't use, instead referring to Speech/Language deficits. While some students have both CAPD and dyslexia, not all children do. Given Earobics is a relative low-cost (under $60) item, I'd definitely try using it with your son, but I wouldn't expect it to remediate his dyslexia.
dhfl143
dhfl143 June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
Just as an additional comment to michellea -- the SchwabLearning Message Board Archives can be found on the main page of the Learning and Attention Difficulties Page. In the header of the group's description, it is the click on the orange text, "SchwabLearning Message Board Archives" to perform a google search of the archives.

You can also perform a search of the expert articles here at Great School by locating the search box to the right of the GS logo, enter terms to be searched, click the toggle button for articles and then click on the gray "Go" button.

You can also perform a search within the community by following the above procedures for the expert articles, except toggle the community button instead of the articles button.

(440774)
michellea
michellea June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
Ditto Dhfl and Hockeymum's suggestions. They've listed my top picks. I would start with Parenting a Struggling reader - it is practical and easier to understand than some others. Overcoming Dyslexia is the best resource - but sometimes too technical. Secret Life is great for giving insight on how dyslexia affects life in general. If you are not dyslexic, it will help you understand the global issues.

The websites are also GREAT. Don't forget to do a search here on Great Schools. There are some wonderful articles archieved from the former SchwabLearning sight that are very very helpful. Search reading disabilities, special ed and dyslexia. And, while you are at it, get familiar with the special ed process by searching under IEP.

hockeymum
hockeymum June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
My favorite book was The Secret Life of the Dyslexic child by Robert Frank PhD. "The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child succeeds in providing compassionate insight into the daily practical and emotional struggles of a child with dyslexia." Its amazing in how he describes what is it like to have learning difficulties. It made me truly empathic and more patient with my daughters.
www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Dyslexic-Child/dp/1579545785
BelaMaria
BelaMaria June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
I am glad you wrote because there are a lot of knowledgeable people in this board and I am sure you are going to get a lot of helpful information. I went through the same issues with my child over 1 year ago and I got a lot of good advice here. The book that helped me tremendously in answering a lot of my questions is "Overcoming Dyslexia" by Dr. Sally Shaywitz from Yale. This book is written by a known expert in the field but geared towards parents and teachers of struggling readers. It is a must in my opinion for any parent that suspects dyslexia may be an issue for their child.

I would also recommend the following websites for research and info:
www.dys-add.com
www.interdys.org
www.iser.com
www.childrenofthecode.org
www.ortonacademy.com
www.ldonline.org

I would recommend that you read the above sites and do searches relative to dyslexia and other problems your child is facing. A lot of your questions may already have been asked by other parents.

I hope this helps. Feel free to post other specific questions thru this site or thru a personal message.
Best of luck!
dhfl143
dhfl143 June 4, 2009
Re: Dyslexia...where to begin
Start here, it will explain some of the confusion:
www.greatschools.net/cgi-bin/showarticle/2709

For a better understanding I would suggest that you get yourself up to speed at this web site:
www.brightsolutions.us

As far as book recommendations, I recommend "Overcoming Dyslexia" by Dr. Sally Shaywitz.

The other books that I would suggest are:
"Parenting a Struggling Reader" by Susan Hall
and
"From Emotions to Advocacy" by Pam and Pete Wright

Best wishes.

(440542)

Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of GreatSchools. GreatSchools does not check for accuracy in community posts or verify the contributor’s identity. If you are searching for health-related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Community Guidelines for more details.
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