My dyslexic/dysgraphic ds loves thinkwell. Instruction is given in prerecorded videos, and then there are nine multiple choice questions to answer. When he needs to work through a problem he uses a whiteboard and then chooses the correct answer. There is no reading necessary, but there are transcripts available if you need to review or find a formula.

We used Barton for dyslexia remediation a few years ago and completed vision therapy. It was a lot of work, but it made a huge difference. He can read when necessary, and likes to read when it's interesting, but it's clear that he has to work harder at it than a neurotypical child. I notice that he starts a lot of books, but rarely finishes any. Of course, we listen to a lot of audio books. I understand that ds (14) will always be dyslexic, but I don't know what expectations should be at this point. TIA

Can anyone recommend a spelling program to use for reinforcement after Barton? My 11 yo dysgraphic/stealth dyslexic ds has nearly finished Barton. It has been amazing for his reading. His spelling has improved, but still has a long way to go. He knows all the spelling rules from Barton and does well with dictation, but forgets a lot of what he has learned when he is writing on his own. Thanks!

Barton was the only thing that worked for my dysgraphic/stealth dyslexic ds. I would recommend it 100%. BUT it is really boring. I have to bribe him to get through lessons (usually skittles or m&ms). The videos are even worse. i actually fell asleep several times while trying to watch them.

My ds 10 is a stealth dyslexic with dysgraphia. After a lot of research and looking for tutors who understood stealth dyslexia, I decided to give Barton a try. It didn't seem like he needed the reading help (because he had memorized so many words), but his spelling was awful. The first 2 levels were very boring and I had to use bribes to get through them, but we're on level 4 now, and his spelling has improved tremendously. Also, having to work through the nonsense words helped his reading.

We finally got a formal diagnosis of the dyslexia and dysgraphia that I had suspected. Ds (10) scored in the superior or very superior range on the WISC IV on everything except visual motor integration, specifically graphomotor and planning/organization. He has had 2 years of vision therapy to address amblyopia and saccadic movement dysfunction and several years of OT for SPD. His penmanship has really improved, but writing is still tough- composition and structure are fine, but he hates handwriting AND typing. I require him to type or write for dictation and copywork, but I scribe for everything else. The big issue is spelling. We have been using AAS. He remembers most sight words, but just can't understand which vowels to use on other words. We have tried all kinds of Orton-Gillingham, visual, and kinesthetic strategies, but nothing sticks. Is there another curriculum that would work better? On other tests, he guessed at words based on initial letters (doing vs. dozing or unless vs. useless) and dropped word endings, but his reading comprehension is great. However, he reverses letters and numbers, transposes letters (two vs. tow) and "overrelies on phonetic encoding". The NP described it as more of a "visual dyslexia rather than a phonological dyslexia." I made a few calls to dyslexia reading tutors this week, and when I describe the "visual dyslexia" the reply has consistently been "oh, how interesting". I've also read the books by the Eides and Shaywitz, but I'm still not sure how to proceed. Thanks!

My ds(9) loves Beast Academy, but we finished 4a last week, and we don't know when 4b will be available. We tried to go back to math mammoth this week, but it's not working out well. Beast Academy is "just more fun." Any suggestions for supplementing/backing up BA while we wait? Thanks!

Thank you all so much! I just really need to keep it in perspective, and remember that he has never done anything on my schedule. We still have about 8 months of VT left, and that should make a big difference. I know that typing is going to be very important, but I just don't want to feel like we're giving up on writing. I like the idea of scribing for him and then printing it for him to copy. I will see how he feels about a dvorak keyboard, and I'll check out Calvert's spelling program. He asked today if we could draw an alphabet with a special picture for each letter to help him remember the pictures when he spells. I clearly need to learn more about visual thinkers/learners.:001_smile:

Hi everyone, I first posted about a year ago when Ds (8) first got the dysgraphia diagnosis. Last year we switched from AAS and WWE to Apples and Pears in an attempt to remediate the spelling and writing. I also suspected some stealth dyslexia, so we added in Abecedarian. He has been receiving vision therapy for the last 3 months and OT for SPD for the last 4 years. I've become so discouraged lately. His reading has improved, but writing and spelling are stuck. He can read blends and digraphs well, but always leaves one of the letters out when he writes the word. Words that we have worked on for years simply don't stick. He hates to write, and I think he works so hard making the letters and focusing on the penmanship, that the words and sentence structure get lost. He does better if I write and he copies what I've written. His OT told me last week that she feels his penmanship is legible now, so it's time to stop working on that and move on to typing. I agree that we should continue to work on typing, but doesn't he still need to be able to write at least to fill out forms, etc.? Thanks.

Thank you! His ears were checked about a year ago, and there haven't been any changes in his health that would account for hearing changes. I will look into Earobics. He is definitely a VSL, but I'm not sure if he's intentionally skipping the words, or completely not seeing them. Can any SLP deal with CAPD, or does it require special training?

Background- ds (8) was diagnosed with dysgraphia last fall. He also finished vision therapy around the same time. For the dysgraphia, we've been using A&P with a lot of success, but we're running into 2 problems that don't seem to be dysgraphia: 1) when reading, he often skips small words (the, and, of, etc.). I thought this was a symptom of dyslexia, but all of the dyslexia tests came back "normal". I'm not sure how to get him to see these words. 2) we've recently discovered that he can't hear the difference between some sounds like f vs. th or nk vs. ng. He has no trouble pronouncing the words correctly, but when he has to spell a word he has heard, he gets so frustrated because he really can't hear the difference. I don't know how to help him with this, or even what kind of professional to ask. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

We are about halfway through the first Apples and Pears book with my dysgraphic ds. I can see how it can help with penmanship and spelling, but it doesn't state any of the "spelling rules" and ds is very rule oriented. Am I just missing them, or do I need to look elsewhere? Thanks!

Thank you so much everyone! It's nice to know that there are ways to work with this issue. Vision therapy made a huge difference in his reading, but not writing or spelling. The testing showed that his dysgraphia stems from a lack of visual motor coordination, but there wasn't much explanation for the spelling issue (or I just may not have understood). He can spell orally and with manipulatives, but he simply cannot get all the letters there when he tries to write a word. I think we will go with Apples and Pears and Grammar Island. I'll also check out the games for writing and the typing program-- that may help us a lot. Thanks!

I'm new here, and Ds is 7 (starting 2nd grade). We just received a diagnosis of dysgraphia and mild ADD, and I'm kind of lost trying to plan for next year's writing and spelling. This year we did WWE 1 and AAS 1. WWE worked well-- he found the story excerpts interesting, but the writing was a lot of work and his penmanship is pretty bad. Spelling is especially challenging for him, and AAS was a disaster. We also need to work on grammar in a way that isn't writing intensive. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!