Dyslexia - long term

[Guest crystal.lee]

What is the long term prognosis and/or plan for people with dyslexia (reading/spelling)? 

 

ETA:

I should have been more precise. 

My kids really struggled with reading and I have hard to get them where they need to be. 

Will it always be a struggle for them or is it just that initial start with reading that is the struggle for them?

 

 

 

 

[8filltheheart]

What is the long term prognosis and/or plan for people with dyslexia (reading/spelling)?

The answer to that question is no different than when a mom looks at her newborn and wonders what will life bring that child. So much about who a person becomes goes far beyond issues like dyslexia. I have 2 dyslexics with varying degrees of impact, one more on the mild side and one impacted significantly. Both are very successful. The first is a chemical engineer. The second is a very advanced high school sr who has already completed multiple college math and science classes. But, both are very intelligent, persevering, and studious. Those last 3 traits are why they are where they are. A slothful intelligent individual without any disability may never achieve any level of success if they don't ever apply themselves or develop a work ethic.

[OneStepAtATime]

I agree with 8FillTheHeart, resilience, determination, perseverance, etc.  are just as important, if not more so, than whether a person has any LDs in determining how successful they will be.  

 

That being said, if you have a misunderstood or undiagnosed LD, and everyone around you (including your parents) is telling you that you are stupid, lazy, unstudious, etc. from the time you are very young, when you are actually working 10 times harder than the people around you, only no one is recognizing it and no one is teaching you in a way that you can learn effectively, then those statements can end up destroying self-esteem and causing a person to give up, quit trying.  Why try?  No one thinks I am trying anyway and when I do try I don't get good grades.

 

 I have two friends who are severely dyslexic.  They worked incredibly hard in school, but no one recognized why they were struggling and were not diagnosed until way into adulthood.  They carry tremendous scars emotionally.  They are both very bright, but no one recognized the effort they were putting in or how to effectively teach them.  One flunked out of high school.  The other passed, but only barely.  They spent years believing they were stupid and lazy and neither is.  They both work hard and are caring individuals who strive for the best.  They needed a different approach to their education, but no one stepped in to help, and parents and schools alike assumed that since they were both intelligent but couldn't read or write, they must not be trying hard enough.  They must be lazy.  Or they must be stupid and just LOOK intelligent.  They are able to support their families now, but not the way they would have liked.  They still have terrible emotional scars and that effects their lives every day.

 

My husband was an undiagnosed dyslexic and dysgraphic and nearly didn't graduate High School.  He also was told by the school that he was lazy or unfocused or not very bright.  He is actually the most intelligent person I know.  Even though they were not teaching him in a way that helped him learn effectively at school, what got him through was his parents belief in him and encouragement of his personal pursuits, such as computers, aeronautical engineering, electronics, etc.  He is now extremely successful and highly respected in his field, but he had not only perseverance and determination, he had someone who believed in him from the time he was very little.  He still has emotional scars from all the negative attitude sent his way by the schools he attended, but he has been able to overcome that for the most part.

[OneStepAtATime]

What is the long term prognosis and/or plan for people with dyslexia (reading/spelling)? 

And there ARE ways to remediate dyslexia so that reading and writing and spelling are possible, even if there are other learning issues or difficulties.  There is so much out there now to help if you know where to look and who to talk to.

[geodob]

Dyslexia and other Learning Disorders stay with one throughout life.

So that a plan for living a life with Dyslexia or any LD, needs to developed and worked through.

Where for instance, self-advocacy is critical for survival as an adult with an LD.

So that developing self-advocacy needs to be part of plan.

Where a plan needs to cover a time-line from childhood to adulthood.

With accommodations for school, being carried into the workplace.

 

 

 

[Tokyomarie]

What is the long term prognosis and/or plan for people with dyslexia (reading/spelling)? 

 

The outlook has never been better than it is today. We know what works to help dyslexic people learn to read, spell, write, and do math. We know that what works is different from the typical teaching strategies used in schools and we know that dyslexic students usually reach their full academic potential somewhat later than other students. We also know that dyslexic people are intelligent and have many gifts to share with the world, and indeed many prominent people are dyslexic.  

 

If you are unfamiliar with the positive perspective on dyslexia please check out the following websites:

 

DyslexiaHelp- hosted by University of Michigan: DyslexiaHelp is THE resource to go to for information on dyslexia traits, what constitutes a thorough evaluation of a student suspected of having dyslexia, tools for teaching dyslexic students, and many stories of successful people with dyslexia

 

Dyslexic Advantage- hosted by Brock and Fernette Eide, the authors of the book, Dyslexic Advantage, which was written to highlight the strengths of dyslexic people. They have spearheaded the start of an organization by the same name which is working to get the word out that dyslexia comes not only with certain weaknesses in learning to read and write but with talents that need nurturing.

 

Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity- hosted by Sally and Bennett Shaywitz, the authors of Overcoming Dyslexia. Overcoming Dyslexia was the first book to discuss the true nature of dyslexia and show that it results from an objective difference in the way the brain of a dyslexic person works during reading tasks.

 

 

Do you have particular questions related to a child in your family or someone else you know? Please feel free to ask. There is a wealth of information and experience parents on this board are happy to share.  

[Heathermomster]

When DS was tested by an NP, we were told that he could write his ticket to any university, assuming desire and appropriate accommodations.

 

Dyslexics generally require early intervention using direct and explicit, multi-sensory instruction for reading, spelling, and writing. DS reads, uses audio books, and types his work. He works slowly so requires extra time on tests. The trick to helping dyslexics is to stay positive, emphasize their strengths while shoring up any weaknesses, use appropriate teaching materials and instruction, and scaffold wherever necessary.

 

To gain a better understanding, maybe read Overcoming Dyslexia by Shaywitz and the Dyslexic Advantage by the Eides. A disproportionately high percentage of the world's millionaires are dyslexic. These are highly creative and talented people.

[8filltheheart]

When DS was tested by an NP, we were told that he could write his ticket to any university, assuming desire and appropriate accommodations.

 

Dyslexics generally require early intervention using direct and explicit, multi-sensory instruction for reading, spelling, and writing. DS reads, uses audio books, and types his work. He works slowly so requires extra time on tests. The trick to helping dyslexics is to stay positive, emphasize their strengths while shoring up any weaknesses, use appropriate teaching materials and instruction, and scaffold wherever necessary.

 

To gain a better understanding, maybe read Overcoming Dyslexia by Shaywitz and the Dyslexic Advantage by the Eides. A disproportionately high percentage of the world's millionaires are dyslexic. These are highly creative and talented people.

 

Umm, I don't know why you were told that b/c that is far from true if you are discussing top tier universities.   They are admitted on their own merits.   Having a labeled disability is not going to give them an "admissions ticket."   I completely agree with the highly creative and talented piece, at least in regards to my kids.

[Tokyomarie]

Umm, I don't know why you were told that b/c that is far from true if you are discussing top tier universities.   They are admitted on their own merits.   Having a labeled disability is not going to give them an "admissions ticket."   I completely agree with the highly creative and talented piece, at least in regards to my kids.

 

Heathermomster can add more perspective, but I suspect that the evaluator was using a bit of hyperbole to emphasize that her child is an extremely capable person who has a lot of potential to succeed in the academic world. 

 

Knowing Heathermomster's posting style, I am pretty sure she realizes that admission to top tier universities is based on a) actual achievement to a significant degree and b ) winning the lottery of names pulled from amongst all those students who have very high achievement.

[Lecka]

I think he would "write his own ticket" by working hard and having a good application.  I didn't read that as there being any kind of affirmative action, there is not. 

 

I expect my son to go to college.  I expect him to possibly need to type essay tests instead of handwriting them.  He is doing well and I would expect him to maybe go into a math or engineering field.  He is in 3rd grade right now and he has done a lot of remediation. 

[8filltheheart]

I think he would "write his own ticket" by working hard and having a good application.  I didn't read that as there being any kind of affirmative action, there is not. 

 

 

 

Heathermomster can add more perspective, but I suspect that the evaluator was using a bit of hyperbole to emphasize that her child is an extremely capable person who has a lot of potential to succeed in the academic world. 

 

Knowing Heathermomster's posting style, I am pretty sure she realizes that admission to top tier universities is based on a) actual achievement to a significant degree and b ) winning the lottery of names pulled from amongst all those students who have very high achievement.

 

Gotcha.   I read more into than intended.   I read it as meaning that dyslexia was some sort of hook for admissions which it isn't.   So, yes, I agree.   They are not limited by anything other than themselves.

[Heathermomster]

Gotcha.   I read more into than intended.   I read it as meaning that dyslexia was some sort of hook for admissions which it isn't.   So, yes, I agree.   They are not limited by anything other than themselves.

 

No.  I've never seen dyslexics receive preferential treatment for admissions, and I believe it is against the law.  

 

The NP was assuring us that DS could reach his academic goals should he desire to press on and achieve.  By pressing on, I mean applying himself and using his accommodations. 

 

I was attempting to assure the OP that a dyslexia prognosis can be quite good. Not easy, but good.

 

 

[FairProspects]

When DS was tested by an NP, we were told that he could write his ticket to any university, assuming desire and appropriate accommodations.

 

Dyslexics generally require early intervention using direct and explicit, multi-sensory instruction for reading, spelling, and writing. DS reads, uses audio books, and types his work. He works slowly so requires extra time on tests. The trick to helping dyslexics is to stay positive, emphasize their strengths while shoring up any weaknesses, use appropriate teaching materials and instruction, and scaffold wherever necessary.

 

To gain a better understanding, maybe read Overcoming Dyslexia by Shaywitz and the Dyslexic Advantage by the Eides. A disproportionately high percentage of the world's millionaires are dyslexic. These are highly creative and talented people.

 

We were told the same. Basically that if the weaknesses were accommodated and remediated, there would be no limit to what ds could achieve as far as his LDs were concerned.

[SandyKC]

Our story of overcoming dyslexia is one I like to share.. It can be a huge struggle in the beginning, but if you remain positive, as Heathermomster says, then you can help your child appreciate the gifts that come along with dyslexia.  They are usually very creative, three dimensional thinkers, who can analyze and see solutions where others are baffled.  Their learning strengths shine in realms not associated with reading and writing, but with the right kind of instruction, they can learn to read well and even spell!

[bluedarling]

When my oldest was in a school for dyslexics, the school administrator told us the outlook in part depended on the type and severity of the dyslexia.  According to him, my son, as a visual dyslexic had a better prognosis for remediation than those with phonological issues.  (I have no idea if that's changed over the last 8 or so years, just repeating what I was told...the school used LIPS and was geared to phonological disorders, not my son's version of dyslexia.)  That said, don't believe everything you hear.  Another school (LD dept) told me my son would NEVER write.  He is writing well, now! (With the help of a computer with a spellchecker.)  He has amazing sentence structure and flow, and a very sophisticated "voice".  However he can't write on some topics (those requiring introspection...the Aspergers in him), but overall he writes really well for a boy I was told would never write!  From my perspective long term outlook is excellent, but YMMV.

[Guest crystal.lee]

I whole-heartedly agree with you.

I should have been more precise. 

My kids really struggled with reading and I have hard to get them where they need to be. 

Will it always be a struggle for them or is it just that initial start with reading that is the struggle for them?

 

 

The answer to that question is no different than when a mom looks at her newborn and wonders what will life bring that child. So much about who a person becomes goes far beyond issues like dyslexia. I have 2 dyslexics with varying degrees of impact, one more on the mild side and one impacted significantly. Both are very successful. The first is a chemical engineer. The second is a very advanced high school sr who has already completed multiple college math and science classes. But, both are very intelligent, persevering, and studious. Those last 3 traits are why they are where they are. A slothful intelligent individual without any disability may never achieve any level of success if they don't ever apply themselves or develop a work ethic.

 

[geodob]

You asked if it will always be a struggle for them?

But reading and writing is just one method of recording and transmitting information.

Though in our digital age, it has opened multiple methods of recording and transmitting information.

 

Where someone could be having this read to them by their computer, and reply by speaking back which types out what they are saying.

Or maybe this is converted into Braille, or perhaps a different language by their computer?

 

Where your question about 'always', makes me think about how different 'recording and transmitting information' will really be, by the time that today's young children are adults?

Where the method shouldn't be confused with the purpose.

Would it make any difference, if I used speech to text software to write this?

Then had my computer read your reply back to me?

 

A great deal of what are termed as Learning Disorders, are learning disorders with particular methods?

Where the method is really irrelevant, so long as the purpose is achieved.

If someone with the math disorder of Dyscalculia, becomes fully capable of doing math with a calculator.

Do they really have a math disorder?

Or just a different method for doing math?

 

The greatest absurdity, is forcing a child with the handwriting disorder Dysgraphia.  To hand write, rather than using a keyboard and also speech to text software.

But if a child learned to use a keyboard and speech to text software, instead of handwriting?

Can this really be considered as a Disorder?

[8filltheheart]

I whole-heartedly agree with you.

I should have been more precise.

My kids really struggled with reading and I have hard to get them where they need to be.

Will it always be a struggle for them or is it just that initial start with reading that is the struggle for them?

Obviously I can only respond from my experience with my 2. Once they were reading, it wasn't as much of a struggle. They are both slow readers compared to some. My oldest, the lesser impacted, has never enjoyed reading for pleasure, but my more severely impacted is a total bookworm and reads all the time (he is just a very slow reader) both are accomplished writers, but both have completely horrific spelling if they don't rely on spell check......and that can lead to the occasional wrong word. ;). Mostly, they have learned to compensate.

 

(Eta: I guess I should share that my most impacted ds did not really read on grade level until sometime around late-4th/early 5th. Even in 2nd and 3rd he was struggling through I Can Read type readers. It is hard for me to remember exactly, but I think in mid-4th he was still reading books like Thorton Burgess's Adventures of Paddy the Beaver which is what my current 2nd grader is reading. This meant he was behind in his writing skills bc he was functioning so far behind in his reading skills. I spent a lot of time reading aloud to him. Conversely, he was yrs ahead in math. By 8th grade, his writing skills were on par with an avg beginning high schooler and his was fully capable of reading very advanced level materials if given plenty of time for reading. By 10th grade, he submitted an essay into a science competition with 9000+ entrants and he won one an honorable mention. Yesterday, he was accepted into GA Tech. :) )

[Heathermomster]

My kids really struggled with reading and I have hard to get them where they need to be. 

Will it always be a struggle for them or is it just that initial start with reading that is the struggle for them?

 

The grammar stage seemed harder to me than the logic stage, but I don't know whether that's actually true.  Each learning stage seems to expose some weakness and highlight a new set of challenges.  

 

Future struggling likely depends upon the severity and nature of the dyslexia, attitude, the accommodations used, understanding their learning style, and the materials you use.  Even with a full grasp of those factors, dyslexics still have to work. 

 

Dyslexia affects my son's understanding of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and paragraph writing.  Our main job after reading remediation has been studying grammar, learning to write cohesive paragraphs with organized, strong sentences using active verbs and appropriate vocabulary, developing independent study skills like outlining, and developing close reading skills.  My DS requires explicit instruction and practice in these areas.

 

Writing instruction takes persistence, patience, and time. We accommodate by typing and taking more time so that he's not terribly frustrated.  I've learned to manage my expectations and think in terms of where he needs to be academically by graduation.  I'm not sure I answered your question.  I've just kind of learned to deal with things and afterwards move on to something next.  I assume ahead of time that the curriculum will have to be tweaked.

[OneStepAtATime]

I whole-heartedly agree with you.

I should have been more precise. 

My kids really struggled with reading and I have hard to get them where they need to be. 

Will it always be a struggle for them or is it just that initial start with reading that is the struggle for them?

This really depends on the child, all the issues involved, what strengths they have, whether those issues are accurately diagnosed, what options there are to help with those issues, etc.  That is why evaluations can be so helpful.  There may be multiple, non-obvious issues that are tripping a child up, but are not addressed so learning is a much slower process.

 

As for whether they will always struggle, there may be areas that will cause them some difficulties the rest of their lives but that doesn't mean that things will always be as hard as it is now.   I never thought my daughter would ever read for pleasure.  She is in 7th grade and was only reading at about a 2nd grade level just last year, and only with painstaking slowness.  She hated reading because every.single.word. took tremendous effort to decode.  She just read the book Divergent over Christmas...in 5 days...for pleasure.  My mother burst into tears when I sent her a photo of DD sitting down reading.  She just needed to be taught how to read a different way than she had been.  Will she ever read really quickly?  Maybe, maybe not, but she is reading now and at a level that seemed impossible even 3 months ago.  We have not finished the program we are using, either, so I have hope that this is not the pinnacle of her success.  

 

Just this morning, my son and I were snuggling together and I was reading Hitler's Secret to him.  He loves anything WW1 or WW2 and this historical novel had caught his eye.  It is a 7th grade level reader.  Several pages into the book I had to pause to take a sip of water.  He took over reading the book.  He needed some help but only with about 5 words over 3 pages.  After that he wore out and I took over again, but those three pages were a minor miracle.  This would not have been possible last year.  

 

My husband struggled terribly in school (dyslexic and dysgraphic) but he has a wonderful career now, is highly respected in his field and has a lot of outside interests that he is really good at.  He does not read for pleasure at all, but he reads all the time for information in his field or areas of interest.  His handwriting won't win any prizes and in fact even he can't read it most of the time, but he is an incredibly fast typist and the company frequently has him compile the reports and presentations for the quarterly meetings because he is very good at compiling data and presenting information.

 

All this to say that there is more information out there than ever before, more options and opportunities and ways to address learning issues than any time in history.  Doesn't mean life will be easy peasy, and I do worry about the areas that the kids still struggle with, but the future is looking pretty darn hopeful from where I sit.

 

Please, please read The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock and Fernette Eide for a better perspective.  I promise you won't regret it.

[Lecka]

I think my son had fairly severe phonological problems.  He had very poor speech articulation.  He was the only child in his grade at school to be referred to a private speech clinic, and I don't think his speech teacher refers one child per grade every year.  I know a boy two years younger was referred there also. 

 

Early reading was extremely difficult. 

 

The bright side, is that at least we found out early.  So -- I was able to start recommended programs with him when he was 6.

 

Now he is 8.  Right now I am pleased with how he is doing.

 

Some of the things people are mentioning are not present concerns for him.  Right now for writing/composition, his teacher is pleased that he can write a topic and three supporting statements on a graphic organizer (I think this is what they are called).  He is rough on getting that to a paragraph, but she told me he is at a place where she can work with him very well.  Her goal is for a student to be able to write a paragraph by the end of 3rd grade, with a topic and 3 supporting statements. 

 

His teacher this year understands his handwriting issues and she does not hassle him about that or spelling. And -- she cares about his ideas, not how it looks. 

 

So it is night and day from Kindergarten, when he was totally lost.  He had trouble with even learning the letters of the alphabet.  He had extreme trouble with beginning to sound out words.  Then he had extreme trouble with consonant clusters, and being able to sound them out.  He had a hard time for quite a while with his Dolch words (when he got to that point appropriately). 

 

But now it is a lot better.  I haven't gone on to multisyllable words with him yet.  However, he does well with the 6 common types of 2-syllable words.  He does well with the easiest prefixes and suffixes.  He is reading fluently at 3rd grade level.  His oral fluency has been holding steady right at the 50th percentile for the past 18 months or so.  (He is improving as the level needed rises.) 

 

He took a long time to become fluent, it was not fast.  And, he is fluent at 3rd grade level.  This is fine since he is in 3rd grade, but if we had started later, it might still seem "behind." 

 

But overall -- getting the very earliest reading skills was the hardest.  It has been easier since then.  He has made steady progress. 

 

I am not worried about him continuing in reading.  I think "we might have to do a program."  I don't think "oh no will he ever be able to do this."  It used to be at the "will he ever be able to do it" level, because he was having such a hard time.  Now it is like -- he has got it, he just needs some extra help to keep learning new patterns. 

[OneStepAtATime]

I am not worried about him continuing in reading.  I think "we might have to do a program."  I don't think "oh no will he ever be able to do this."  It used to be at the "will he ever be able to do it" level, because he was having such a hard time.  Now it is like -- he has got it, he just needs some extra help to keep learning new patterns. 

 Yes.  This.  :)

[LaughingCat]

It is nice to read the optimism above since I have not been feeling optimistic lately, even though DD continues to make good progress (made a leap in fluency over the summer).   Still with every forward motion she continues to struggle.  I do not really see an end to the struggle, and have actually been dreading the next years as school work gets harder.  

[FairProspects]

The grammar stage seemed harder to me than the logic stage, but I don't know whether that's actually true.  Each learning stage seems to expose some weakness and highlight a new set of challenges.  

 

Future struggling likely depends upon the severity and nature of the dyslexia, attitude, the accommodations used, understanding their learning style, and the materials you use.  Even with a full grasp of those factors, dyslexics still have to work. 

 

 

Oh my goodness, yes. I have one dyslexic doing all beginning logic stage work and another in the grammar stage. Grammar stage is SO much harder. Some days I wonder how I'm ever going to find the energy to get a second one through it. My older dyslexic still takes a long time to do his work, still has to work, and is a slow reader but it is so much easier now that he can read and type and is learning ways around his math processing glitches. It is night and day different from my grammar stage dyslexic who is still struggling through 10 minutes of reading blends and cannot remember which way /p/ and /b/ are going without resorting to hand signals.

[Heathermomster]

Oh my goodness, yes. I have one dyslexic doing all beginning logic stage work and another in the grammar stage. Grammar stage is SO much harder. Some days I wonder how I'm ever going to find the energy to get a second one through it. My older dyslexic still takes a long time to do his work, still has to work, and is a slow reader but it is so much easier now that he can read and type and is learning ways around his math processing glitches. It is night and day different from my grammar stage dyslexic who is still struggling through 10 minutes of reading blends and cannot remember which way /p/ and /b/ are going without resorting to hand signals.

5th grade was a game changing year for us.  It was like, DS and I could both begin to breathe.  I love that year.

[OneStepAtATime]

It is nice to read the optimism above since I have not been feeling optimistic lately, even though DD continues to make good progress (made a leap in fluency over the summer).   Still with every forward motion she continues to struggle.  I do not really see an end to the struggle, and have actually been dreading the next years as school work gets harder.  

I am so sorry you are having such a difficult time!   :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

I wish I had some suggestions that might help.  I can't remember.  Have you had official evaluations?  Is there something that could be causing glitches that isn't readily apparent, something other than just the dyslexia?  I wonder with DS (9) because even with LiPS remediation (which helped tremendously) while he catches onto the rules and internalizes them very quickly in reading and spelling with Barton (far faster than DD), he has to force his mouth to say the correct sound rather often and DD never has that issue.   I don't know what I need to do to help with that but I see him struggle and get so frustrated, it makes me sad.  We just don't have a lot of options here for professional evaluations with people who actually have a clue.  

 

And I fully understand your concerns with the harder workloads in later grades.  DD still is so far behind in math I am really wondering if she will make it through the minimum requirements to graduate high school and go on to college.  She has stated she wants to try college and I don't want that door closed to her, but I know this road will be very, very difficult.  Math remediation is helping, but just not nearly as smoothly and quickly as reading remediation.

 

All that being said, there are so many different ways to approach learning now, and so much research being done, and I have seen so much progress in many areas that seemed impossible before, I have to believe that all our kids are going to make it, even if the road is really bumpy and long at times.  We just have to keep trying to find a better path.  

 

Big hugs of support and best wishes.

[summerreading]

Hi, my husband is 36 and is dyslexic. He didn't get tested until he was 17, so no early intervention. I think early identification is so important. I see and live with the struggles he goes through because he didn't get help as a child. Please look up The Dyslexic Advantage, this book and the authors' facebook page has really helped me understand things better.

[Tokyomarie]

Fifth grade was the year that reading became much easier and we were able to move into reading to learn mode.

 

Written expression has remained stubbornly resistant to coming up to ds's general cognitive level. He does well enough now, after significant therapy with an SLP/ educational therapist during high school but writing is still difficult.

 

However, he has chosen a career path that will emphasize his strengths and he is beginning to soar overall.

[LaughingCat]

OneStepAtATime, when I began to write an answer to you, I ended up reminding myself of all the many ways DD has progressed mightily in the last year and came to realize that it was probably my purposeful choice of an extra hard read aloud that has made me feel so pessimistic. Reading hard passages seems to bring out all her struggles (skipping words, losing her place, guessing) more than problems with the actual hard words.  I suppose her brain is so busy processing the hard words, it can't keep the other stuff in memory as well.  I still think this choice was the right one (outside the normal recommendation but based on a blog I found online) but perhaps I went a little too hard or need to mix it up with some easier read aloud passages as well (just to remind both of us how well she is actually doing).  She is reading easier stuff on her own time ( which is actually one sign of her progress - that she is finally at a level where she can read some of the books she is interested in by herself). 

[OneStepAtATime]

OneStepAtATime, when I began to write an answer to you, I ended up reminding myself of all the many ways DD has progressed mightily in the last year and came to realize that it was probably my purposeful choice of an extra hard read aloud that has made me feel so pessimistic. Reading hard passages seems to bring out all her struggles (skipping words, losing her place, guessing) more than problems with the actual hard words.  I suppose her brain is so busy processing the hard words, it can't keep the other stuff in memory as well.  I still think this choice was the right one (outside the normal recommendation but based on a blog I found online) but perhaps I went a little too hard or need to mix it up with some easier read aloud passages as well (just to remind both of us how well she is actually doing).  She is reading easier stuff on her own time ( which is actually one sign of her progress - that she is finally at a level where she can read some of the books she is interested in by herself). 

Understood.  Sometimes I have to step back, too, when we've had a tough day, and reevaluate why I feel there were issues.  I tend to get down at times and think "Wow, did I really make a huge mistake in thinking I can do this?" or "Will DD/DS ever make any real progress?" when in fact they HAVE made progress, and in some areas tremendous progress.  But when I look at NT kids or I see my own kids really trip up on something I thought we had mastered, it can get a little stressful.  When everything is on your shoulders, and your child's future is at stake, it isn't always easy to keep perspective.  

 

And to the OP, it ISN'T easy trying to find the right path for a child that learns differently, but there are many, many very successful dyslexics out there, including a lot of entrepreneurs, inventors, neurosurgeons, electricians, authors, etc..  The road wasn't paved in gold, but they made it and many had a lot fewer options for an education that met their needs than kids today do.  And many are truly gifted in their fields, not in spite of dyslexia, but because of the difference in brain structure and processing.  We NEED dyslexics.  

 

Best wishes to all...

[Pen]

What is the long term prognosis and/or plan for people with dyslexia (reading/spelling)? 

 

ETA:

I should have been more precise. 

My kids really struggled with reading and I have hard to get them where they need to be. 

Will it always be a struggle for them or is it just that initial start with reading that is the struggle for them?

 

Are you looking for personal stories about other children's experience so far, and that of dyslexic adults?

 

Or are you trying to get information about your own children's future, or suggestions on how to do testing or otherwise get more of a prognosis for them?

 

Or are you wondering what some of us are planning for reading and spelling past a certain stage, and if so at what stage are you trying to figure it out for?