How do we know when to get them tested for dyslexia??

[missesd]

My 7, almost 8 yr old daughter, is almost consistently writing her 6 and 2 backwards. Sometimes her 7's, and even her 9's but on a lesser frequency. Should I be concerned or just give her more worksheets to help her?? :(

 

I should also mention she wears glasses. Recently diagnosed with a pretty high script, they didn't even have it in their 1600 different scripts they carried in the store. She has astigmatism and near sightedness.

[sixpence1978]

I would say that it depends on if there are other symptoms.

 

Does/did she struggle with learning to read, particularly with vowel sounds?

Does she have funny mispronunciations like pasketti instead of spaghetti?

Can she hear the individual sounds in words and work with them?

How's her spelling?

Does she skip words while reading, skip lines, or substitute similar words like home for house?

Does she have a hard time with rote memory like math facts?

Does she have trouble finding the right words to say?

Is her handwriting hard to read despite the reversals?

Does she have problems with language in general?

 

Reversals are such a small part of dyslexia. If she isn't showing other signs, then I would think it much more likely related to her vision problems. It could be that she spent so long with poor vision, that her processing is a bit off.

[missesd]

I would say that it depends on if there are other symptoms.

 

Does/did she struggle with learning to read, particularly with vowel sounds?

Does she have funny mispronunciations like pasketti instead of spaghetti?

Can she hear the individual sounds in words and work with them?

How's her spelling?

Does she skip words while reading, skip lines, or substitute similar words like home for house?

Does she have a hard time with rote memory like math facts?

Does she have trouble finding the right words to say?

Is her handwriting hard to read despite the reversals?

Does she have problems with language in general?

 

Reversals are such a small part of dyslexia. If she isn't showing other signs, then I would think it much more likely related to her vision problems. It could be that she spent so long with poor vision, that her processing is a bit off.

 

Thank you... after reading that, I am a lot less worried. Her eyesight problem, which shockingly we were unaware of, inadvertently put her behind in reading. We are still working on OPGTR, and she is doing well. No problem with vowel sounds, at all. She doesn't mispronounce any words. She does ARF spelling, and does well. She's not substituting any words, even in speech. She rocks her math facts and flashcards. And her handwriting is good. So, I think I will just keep printing out worksheets, as she continues to miswrite certain numbers and have her work on them till she begins to instinctively know them.

 

Thanks!!

[NotSoObvious]

Reversals are not a sign of dyslexia and are extremely common until the end of second grade.

 

Edited to add that while some dyslexics may have reversals, at this age it is almost always NOT dyslexia.

[sweetpea3829]

I would strongly suggest that you have her seen by a developmental optometrist. Her vision problems that are already diagnosed were likely done by an opthamologist. He likely did NOT assess her for developmental vision issues such as convergence, etc.

 

There is growing evidence that suggests that often, dyslexia may actually be a SYMPTOM of a vision issue that goes undiagnosed. Vision issues that are not picked up through regular vision screenings. It's controversial...opthamologists call Vision Therapy and Developmental optometry "quack science." Most discount the benefits.

 

Yet there are more and more parents that are finding their "dyslexic" child making big gains after having Vision therapy.

 

I am a member of two separate Yahoo groups...HSDyslexickids and LearningAbledKids.

 

Both are excellent resources for information regarding dyslexia and other learning challenges. On one of those groups, there is a member by the name of Mary who knows a lot about vision issues. You might want to reach out to her and see if she might have some advice.

 

HTH!

[Learning Ally Mom]

Missesd-

 

As Sweetpea3829 suggested, it is a very smart idea to visit a specialist to get a better idea of what is causing the number reversals and other potential obstacles.

Have you spoken with any other parents that have worked through these issues?

Have you noticed any other problems in her schoolwork?

 

I recommend having a healthy conversation with her doctor to learn if this is normal at her age, and if there are other signs you should look for that might indicate a learning disability.

 

Best of luck!

-Learning Ally Mom

[missesd]

I would strongly suggest that you have her seen by a developmental optometrist. Her vision problems that are already diagnosed were likely done by an opthamologist. He likely did NOT assess her for developmental vision issues such as convergence, etc.

 

There is growing evidence that suggests that often, dyslexia may actually be a SYMPTOM of a vision issue that goes undiagnosed. Vision issues that are not picked up through regular vision screenings. It's controversial...opthamologists call Vision Therapy and Developmental optometry "quack science." Most discount the benefits.

 

Yet there are more and more parents that are finding their "dyslexic" child making big gains after having Vision therapy.

 

I am a member of two separate Yahoo groups...HSDyslexickids and LearningAbledKids.

 

Both are excellent resources for information regarding dyslexia and other learning challenges. On one of those groups, there is a member by the name of Mary who knows a lot about vision issues. You might want to reach out to her and see if she might have some advice.

 

HTH!

 

Hmmm, her eye problem was initially picked up on a regular check up with her Ped. After that, we just went to an optometrist, as her Dr suggested, not an ophthalmologist.... is that bad??

[sweetpea3829]

No, it's not that it's bad, it's just not enough. A developmental optometrist will assess her for eye conditions that a regular eye doctor won't catch.