I suspect my son has dyslexia. How do I get him tested?

[*********]

Any moms who have BTDT, I need help.

 

I'm pretty sure Moose has dyslexia. Maybe it's something else, I don't know. But I can tell you that I need help to help him.

 

He can read, but it's exhausting for him. He has trouble tracking; frequently skips lines.

 

He still writes random numbers backwards. I know people are going to tell me that's ok for his age, and I get it. But he doesn't realize the number is even backwards sometimes.

 

There is definitely something going on, and i need to have him tested.

 

But how? Where? I have no experience in this area.

 

If there's a way to get him tested for free through the schools, we'd like to do that. But I have no idea how. If we need to pay for it through someone else, we will.

 

Please help me. I'm lost. I need to get ds some help, but I don't know where to start.

[Lecka]

For school -- if you call the school district they might be able to tell you. Or the local school secretary might know. There is a school psychologist at my son's school and a director of special education at the school district. I think you send a letter requesting testing and stating your concerns.

 

You might read overcoming dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz. In her book phonemic awareness problems and problems with sounding out words are the hallmarks of dyslexia.

 

My son has some tracking issues, more minor than you mention (it is incidental to his handwriting and ability to copy things). I hoped for a while that it would improve as he read more. Now he can read but it is not gone. I am addressing it with OT right now, I also took him to a developmental optimetrist who also saw the same issue and offers treatment. For now I have picked OT, the OT said that some children can progress with OT, some need vision therapy. The optometrist said basically the same thing (he said some children did very well with OT and that occasional children did not return to vision therapy).

 

For my son though the core thing of importance for him is the reading program and a stress on phonics and slow and sequential instruction. And a multi sensory approach at the beginning.

 

For him the reversals (he also doesn't notice) are addressed in OT. Though again vision therapy is an option. I know some dyslexia reading programs also work on this.

 

But I think if he has trouble reading out loud, trouble sounding out words, lots of guessing, etc, that is when a dyslexia reading program might really be the way to go.

 

I am finding my son needs both (reading program and now OT). But if it is mainly tracking and reversals maybe he doesn't need a reading program but needs OT or OT-type stuff, or vision training or that kind of thing.

 

Edit: my son's school did an OT evaluation when I requested it. They don't offer OT as a primary exceptionality, so be qualifies bc he used to have speech therapy. He is close to qualifying for a developmental delay as primary and then getting OT. That means 3 years behind -- he was one month short of that at his evaluation. They don't provide optimeteist testing but recommended I take him and see what they said. So we are getting help, but what the school offers is not enough. They are fairly worthless for a reading program, I after-school.

 

That is just where i live though, I think it is much better in many locations. It is very local.

 

My son is not diagnosed -- I would get a referral from my pediatrician and take him to a childrens center attached to a university teaching hospital, 2 hours away. That is where you can get a formal diagnosis here. 3 hours away I think there are private educational psychologists in a larger town.

[Guest jkodell5]

I have 2 children recently diagnosed as dyslexic. I can tell you that our school district has no assessment for dyslexia and there are no resources available for them to address it in the specific ways that are actually effective. I found someone to assess my children through our state's Dyslexia Association. There is an International Dyslexia Association website (http://www.interdys.org/) you can go to, click on the 'Branches and Global Partners' tab, North America Branches and search by state. My state's page had a list of providers who specialize in dyslexia, assessment and interventions and I found our assessor (and now tutor) from there. Also, talk to your child's teachers and other parents about dyslexia. You might be able to get personal recommendations that way. I have been surprised how many parents and teachers who want to know how we got our children assessed because they know a child that they suspect is dyslexic. Best of luck! The assessment process is definitely a journey and can be difficult but it was helpful for me to keep remembering and focusing on the strengths of my children, especially when it feels like all you are hearing is how 'behind' and 'deficient' they are.

[VinNY]

You can ask your school district in writing (send certified Mail) to evaluate your child for learning issues. Ask them for a full evaluation (psychological, educational, speech and OT). It is an inexpensive way to get information about your child. They do not come out and say dyslexia but the evals should show where your child is struggling compared to other children his age. My state allows services for homeschoolers.

[Heathermomster]

Call your local Scottish Rite Learning Center and discover whether they will dyslexia test for free. My local SRLC diagnosed DS first, and we followed that up with testing by a PhD Neuropsychologist.

 

Visit a COVD.org optometrist and get a binocular vision/eye tracking test done as well.

 

My local school district tests for accommodations but does not diagnose learning disabilities.

[wapiti]

He can read, but it's exhausting for him. He has trouble tracking; frequently skips lines.

 

 

These would be symptoms of developmental vision issues, not dyslexia. See a COVD optometrist for a developmental vision evaluation (a different appointment, with different testing, from a regular checkup; if he hasn't had a regular vision checkup in a while, make that regular checkup with the covd optometrist and chat about having the developmental vision eval).

 

For dyslexia, I'd see an ed psych or neuropsych (google for one near you experienced with dyslexia or LDs generally). You might start with the school district and see what they'll offer you, and then go from there. Good luck!!

[*********]

 

These would be symptoms of developmental vision issues, not dyslexia. See a COVD optometrist for a developmental vision evaluation (a different appointment, with different testing, from a regular checkup; if he hasn't had a regular vision checkup in a while, make that regular checkup with the covd optometrist and chat about having the developmental vision eval).

 

For dyslexia, I'd see an ed psych or neuropsych (google for one near you experienced with dyslexia or LDs generally). You might start with the school district and see what they'll offer you, and then go from there. Good luck!!

 

Thank you. so much. This looks like what we need. I just called though, and the testing is SO expensive! $600!

[wapiti]

Thank you. so much. This looks like what we need. I just called though, and the testing is SO expensive! $600!

 

Yes. If you're not ready to jump in with both feet, make an appointment for a regular checkup with the COVD optometrist, and he or she can screen for the issues you're worried about, and talk with you about whether the full developmental eval is necessary in this particular situation. (Still, if you can swing it, I'd do the full eval. Then there's the cost of VT...) If there are other COVD docs nearby, you might call around to see what they charge. For $600, I'd expect a very experienced doc (FCOVD) with a well-regarded VT program. If you can, ask around for recommendations.

[Lecka]

I thought it was worthwhile to do the OT evaluation and go to the optometrist. It turns out my son has a lot more OT-type issues and I felt like I could make an informed decision.

 

But I am glad you are looking at testing. I think that is the best thing.

[RamonaQ]

 

These would be symptoms of developmental vision issues, not dyslexia. See a COVD optometrist for a developmental vision evaluation (a different appointment, with different testing, from a regular checkup; if he hasn't had a regular vision checkup in a while, make that regular checkup with the covd optometrist and chat about having the developmental vision eval).

 

For dyslexia, I'd see an ed psych or neuropsych (google for one near you experienced with dyslexia or LDs generally). You might start with the school district and see what they'll offer you, and then go from there. Good luck!!

 

 

Or symptoms of dyslexia in which the individual has low working memory/ processing speed and they are becoming exhausted because of that.

[ElizabethB]

Language processing in general uses a lot of energy for my student with Apraxia. It sounds more like a vision problem, although it is hard to tell over the Internet!

[Joker]

My youngest had those same problems and vision therapy is making such a huge difference. You should check to see if any of the initial testing is covered by insurance. We were out about $250 for initial exam and initial testing after insurance. Our insurance does not pay for the actual therapy but the office has really worked with us. I hope you find some answers!

[ElizabethB]

I would try a cover card in the meantime, above the line, like Dr. Hilda Moss explains:

 

A folded piece of paper or, much better, an unlined card should be held above the line the child is reading, not beneath it. This is the so-called Cover Card Method of treating Linear Dyslexia. The reason for this position of the card is that it can steady the eyes, which have a tendency to wander above and not below the line being read, and it can connect the end of one line with the beginning of the next, thus indicating the return sweep and making it easier on the child's eyes. By blotting out all the text that has just been read, the cover card helps the child to concentrate on just that one line he is reading. By holding the card at a slant with the left corner slightly lower than the right, and by pushing it down while he reads, the child steadies his gaze and at the same time pushes his eyes from left to right and down via a correct return sweep from one line to the next. This is by far the simplest, cheapest, and most effective treatment for Linear Dyslexia.

 

 

You also could try super large double spaced font, trying several different types and different foreground and background colors to see if you find a good setting to help until you can get vision therapy. Dr. Moss also recommends that you abstain from comic books as they can cause or exacerbate any problems with eye tracking.

 

Here is my dyslexia page:

 

http://www.thephonic...g/dyslexia.html

 

And here is Dr. Moss's book in worldcat:

 

http://www.worldcat....r=brief_results

[PeterPan]

 

Thank you. so much. This looks like what we need. I just called though, and the testing is SO expensive! $600!

 

 

Then call someone else or drive farther. Our place has a regular vision eval for under $100 where they can *screen* him and talk over your concerns. Then, if they find indication, you go ahead and do the longer eval. I think you're going to need the longer eval, because, as wapiti said, the stuff you described can be explained by vision. And the developmental vision eval at our place is $250 for 2.5 hours. $600 seems outlandish to me. You better figure out what's going on there and why it's so high. Prices can vary with doc. Just check around and see what you can find. It's more important to find a GOOD doc. Don't just go with the first one you find with a shingle out saying he does it. Take your time and check around, get feedback, hear the word on the street about them.