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diagnosis, now what?


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I wrote a couple of weeks ago mentioning my dd getting evaluated for dyslexia through the school district.  I went today for the meeting about the results.  She does have dyslexia.  My state does not provide services through the school district.  My question is where do I go from here.  She suggested finding private tutoring, but I don't think that is affordable for us. 

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Check out Barton reading.  Read Overcoming Dyslexia.

 

Those are decent starting places.  

 

We do not have private tutoring available locally ---- if we did, I would try to spring for a few sessions and watch their method, possibly buy my own copy of the curriculum.  That is not an option here, though.  

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We tried tutoring with several normal tutors and it was not helpful.  We tried tutoring through a dyslexia "specialist", spent a TON of money over a 2 month period (2 kids, separate sessions) and that was absolutely worse than useless.  They were both miserable.  And they weren't learning anything, just getting more and more demoralized.  And we lost a lot of money.

 

We ended up trying a few things at home piece meal then I gave up.  I administered the free tutor screening to myself then the free student screening to the kids from the Barton site to see if an OG based system would even work with my kids and if I could even tutor them with one.  I passed it, no issues.  DD passed, no issues. DS didn't.  So I bought the first level of Barton Reading and Spelling to use with DD and my mother graciously bought Lindamood Bell's LiPS program for DS (recommended by Barton if your child doesn't pass certain parts of the student screening) and Mom agreed to train and tutor him in that while I trained and tutored in Barton with DD.  Eventually DS was switched over to Barton.  DD has thrived in Barton, even though she doesn't always like doing the lessons.  DS has also done well, although he has other issues that have caused him to struggle in certain areas that DD just doesn't have to deal with.  

 

Over all I would consider tutoring them myself to have been a great success here, but I know that every child is different.  Some may respond better with tutoring from an outside source and some tutors I'm sure are excellent.  We just ran into some bad apples.  I don't think all tutors are that way.  But tutoring them myself definitely was the best choice for us.

 

There are options for tutoring yourself that may work really well.  And Barton isn't the only one.  While Barton turned DD's reading and spelling around an incredible amount in a relatively short period of time (considering she spent 7 years in brick and mortar and could not read or spell past beginning 2nd grade level on a really good day) different systems work with different kids and there are many out there.  Do searches on this forum and the internet in general for Barton, Wilson, Davis, High Noon, etc.  See if anything sounds like it might work for you.  And I recommend going ahead and administering the Barton screenings.  They are free and accessible by anyone.  That will give you a better idea if you could tutor them yourself and if they can use an OG based system without needing help in other areas first.  Make certain you do it when they are fresh and focused and NOT distracted.   Maybe in a private room where no one can distract them....

 

Bottom line, if we had been taking the kids to tutoring sessions for either Barton or LiPS we would have spent far more than either of those programs actually cost for a parent to implement (in fact, it would have cost thousands and thousands for two kids), plus being able to do it on our schedule, more consistently, and only as long as the session is working instead of being stuck with a tutor's schedule just worked out so much better.  Tutoring a dyslexic child is intense, though.  There are times when I get tired and burned out.  So do the kids.  But I wouldn't change our choice to tutor them myself.  It has netted us too many gains.

 

Also, like Lecka said, read some books:

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz

The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock and Fernette Eide

The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan by Ben Foss

Homeschooling Your Struggling Learner by Kathy Kuhl (even if you don't homeschool this may help with afterschooling plans)

 

There are many others.  That is just the ones I am thinking about off the top of my head....

 

Best wishes.

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Google your area for a local Scottish Rite Learning Center.  If you find one, call them and discover whether they provide tutoring services and any associated costs.  Also, discover whether they loan out materials to parents.  My local SRLC loaned out O-G tapes to teach reading.

 

Receiving a dyslexia diagnosis can be a shock.  When you've had time to process this new info, maybe read The Dyslexic Advantage by the Eides.  I found that book very informative and comforting.

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  • 3 weeks later...

There are a lot of programs that people use, which fit different children better or worse.

 

Ours was www.highnoonbooks.com -- it tends to work well for somewhat older children, or 2e children, or high interest/low level readers. That might or might not fit your child.

 

Some of the books on dyslexia mentioned above have lists of possible programs in them. You have to figure out what fits your child's needs and your needs as teacher.

 

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Overcoming dyslexia requires remediation of phonemic awareness.  A good Orton-Gillingham based program is best for most kids diagnosed with true dyslexia.  You might want to start reading about phonemic awareness and O-G programs and take it from there... Read all you can and Ask questions! I have a book coming out soon called, How To Defeat Your Child's Dyslexia, but it's waiting on one last copyright permission! Wish it was available already! LOL!

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