Where do you get your dc children tested for dyslexia? I'll be moving to TX next summer and I may need to have my 9 yo tested. I've taken her to the military (DoDDS) school here and to the pediatrician and to an optometrist. None of them diagnose dyslexia and the the school finds no learning disability. I have been concerned that maybe she has dyslexia. She has slowly progressed in reading and at the end of the school year the "reading specialist" at the school (she's a teacher, not Special Ed teacher) said she is reading like other kids her age. I don't think she'll be able to read UG books this year. It would take her a long time and I don't know what her comprehension would be.
Thanks,
Sue

I am in TX and have a 9-year-old I suspected was dyslexic. We saw the pediatrician and the optometrist as well but couldn't find anyone to do testing for dyslexia. If we were part of the public school system she could have been tested but as homeschoolers we don't have access to any of those services. I decided to learn all I could about it and make a determination myself.

I found lots of helpful information online, spoke to other parents with dyslexic children, read multiple books, and figured out that she definitely fits the profile of a dyslexic.


I am now learning how to help her overcome the dyslexia. There are accomodations that can be made to help her succeed but there are also ways to teach the brain to "shut off" the cause of the confusion (which produces the dyslexic symptoms). The book "The Gift of Dyslexia" is the most useful tool I have found so far.

Beth

Hi! I'm from East Texas and I have a friend who had a TERRIBLE time trying to get her son tested. The school districts wouldn't help at all. She finally went to the Shriner's hospital in Shreveport (only an hour from here). She is currently using tapes from somewhere... I can ask her for more info if you wish. I just rememeber that that the diagnosis was a nightmare. No one would help.'

Christine

I'm sorry but why do you want your child to be diagnosed with dyslexia? Having that label does not help in any way, you are not able to get services just because your child is labeled. My son was diagnosed at 7 with severe dyslexia, it helped to me know that I wasn't crazy and just understood that I needed to find a way to teach him differently. But having the title became another difficulty because I needed to convince my son that he could learn to read it would just take longer. Which it did. He is finally able to read on his level but is slower, but I find that as he reads each day he is getting quicker and he narrates about what he has read to confirm that he understands the books he is working on.

It sounds like your daughter is reading and at her level but slowly. The book mentioned could still benefit her, but it is just a matter of improving her skills. I don't have all the details. This is just the perspective of someone who got the label but no help in dealing with it. Overcoming a learning delay at home is still possible.

My oldest 2 DC (now 13 and 10) are not dyslexic but did have problems with reading. We took them to a developmental optometrist three years ago who tested them for numerous problems, including dyslexia. My DS's eyes were not working together so reading material at a 4th grade level, he had the efficiency of a 1st grader. It was no wonder he could never keep his place. Remembering what he read was nearly impossible since just staying on track was so much work. My DD had issues with crossing midline. Her eyes would involuntarily jump and then she would lose her place. She did occupational therapy and they both did vision therapy. My DS could not really read/comprehend UG materials until after therapy. Now he loves reading. My DD still struggled with reading, even after VT. In the summer of 2008 we bought Rocket Phonics and my then 9 year old daughter tested at a late 1st grade/early 2nd grade reading level. By the end of the year she was reading at an early 4th grade level and was pleased to be able to read as well and sometimes better than her friends. A good boost of confidence is good for her as she has struggled with reading for so long. You can check it out at www.rocketphonics.com. You can also go to our developmental optometrists web site for more info and helpful links www.visiontherapykc.com. He is a wonderful Christian man and they would be glad to help you find something similar in the area you are moving to. Diane

Mom2four brought up a good topic. VD training but also another thing that helped my son who also couldn't cross the mid-line and would lose his place frequently is a color reading strip which we buy from a homeschool supplier. He also saw a Opthamologist to check his vision and subscribed glasses to help his eyes to work together. But you can use all of these ideas without a diagnosis, is all I was trying to say.

Color reading is taught in this book http://irlen.com/index.php and I buy the reading strips in many colors based on which ones work best with my kids from www.rainbowresource.com about $2 each.

I hope it helps.

My daughter is 9 and going into 4th grade. She also will not be able to read most of the UG history selections on her own. She took standardized tests for the first time this year and I found out that her Lexile reading score is early sixth grade level. When I looked up many of the UG history readings for Year 3 on the Lexile site in order to determine if they were at her reading level I discovered that most of the books are above a 6th grade reading level, many several grade levels above. (According to the Lexile rating system.)

So I'll be reading most of the the history assignments to her. I may give her the literature assignments to read on her own.

I was tempted to keep her in LG but her cognitive and thinking skills have progressed to the point where I think she could benefit more from UG.

Anyway, all that to say that just because your child can't read the UG reading selections doesn't mean she has dyslexia!

Kris

Diane,

Thanks for the encouraging report about the success your daughter had with Rocket Phonics. I just invested in this program to use with my 5-year-old but bought it with my 9-year-old in mind as well. She actually asked to help teach her little brother to read and since I suspect he might also be dyslexic I wanted something that would work for them both.

I am hopeful that if she helps me teach her brother she will learn a lot in the process. I think playing games together will be a lot of fun for them both and they won't even realize how much they are learning. That is what drew me to the program, besides it being recommended for dyslexics.

Beth

This site might be helpful:
http://www.prometheantrust.org/index.html

My 11 year old son was tested and diagnosed with dyslexia a couple of years ago. It was a relief for us to know what was going on with him and that it wasn't my fault for not teaching him how to read. It was also good for us to know that dyslexics are born that way. Therefore, God made him this way and has a plan for his life with dyslexia. He continues to struggle with reading and always will. I read the ToG assignments out loud to him and my other younger girls. That has turned out to be a blessing for us as we all learn together. There is an organization in MN called The Reading Center that has been helping us a lot. Try looking up their site; thereadingcenter.org or try searching under Orton-Gillingham which is a phonics based approach for teaching dyslexics. Best wishes with your daughter.