your experience remediating a dyslexic child at home

[summerreading]

I'm trying to decide between remediation through the dyslexia center my son was diagnosed at and Barton's or AAR at home. He has both dyseidetic and dysphonetic dyslexia and the evaluator said the dyseidetic is severe and it will take him a few years to be on level. I really want to go with the center and just have them give us homework. Both dh and I think that's ideal for us, but of course it's $$$.

 

If you were told your dc is severely dyslexic, how is it going remediating at home?

[EKS]

My son with dyslexia is 19 now, but we remediated at home.  Ironically, he was not diagnosed with dyslexia until he was 10 and the remediation was pretty much over.  We worked on phonics using the system described in Reading Reflex and then when he had that down, we moved on to fluency, which was essentially him reading easy text aloud for 20-30 minutes a day over the course of maybe 1.5-2 years.  I gradually increased the difficulty of what he was reading over that time so that he was reading fluently on grade level by the time we stopped.  We ended the intensive remediation phase by doing REWARDS Secondary.  At that point he was comprehending well above grade level.

 

He still reads slower than his intellectual peers (he is gifted), but his comprehension is good (93rd percentile overall on the ACT reading section--but he was at the 97th percentile for the science/social studies passages--this was with an extended time accommodation).  His spelling is reasonable, particularly when using a keyboard, and spellcheck does most of the rest.  Filling out forms by hand can be a little problematic.  His writing seems to have vastly improved very suddenly in the last year, which is funny because he took a gap year and wasn't writing anything academic at all.  When he was diagnosed with dyslexia at 10yo, his dyslexia doctors said he had a "late blooming profile" which meant, among other things, that they thought his writing (and ADDish behaviors) would get a whole lot better in his late teens.  That seems to be the case.

 

I think the key was working on reading every single day (even weekends that first year).  I'm assuming that a reading tutor would require you to do homework every day as well.  So you'll be supervising reading no matter what and it's fairly easy to learn what you need to know to teach reading yourself (it really only requires just a bit of specialized knowledge to teach a dyslexic to read coupled with a LOT of patience).  If having a tutor is more likely to keep you on track with homework or if you think your child will respond to someone other than you better, then a tutor might be worth it, but if I had to do it over again, I'd do it much the same way (though I'd probably invest in an actual O-G program instead of winging it with the Reading Reflex book).

[OneStepAtATime]

I'm trying to decide between remediation through the dyslexia center my son was diagnosed at and Barton's or AAR at home. He has both dyseidetic and dysphonetic dyslexia and the evaluator said the dyseidetic is severe and it will take him a few years to be on level. I really want to go with the center and just have them give us homework. Both dh and I think that's ideal for us, but of course it's $$$.

 

If you were told your dc is severely dyslexic, how is it going remediating at home?

We are working at home and there has definitely been significant improvement but we have periodically run into snags I could not get the kids through.  We had to go to another city entirely for help this summer.  The center was excellent and I wish badly that it was nearby, if for nothing else than just periodic tweaking and support.  They use a variety of programs, integrating the parts from each that a student needs.  They also use Barton so they were able to go in, tweak areas we were struggling, then prep the kids for a return to Barton once we got home.  Love that place and the people working there.

 

FWIW, I had tried, prior to pulling them out of school, to get outside help locally and it was an utter disaster and complete waste of money.  I wish I could get both the time and the cash back again.  It also caused some additional emotional damage that I wish I could also erase.  Barton at home was far more effective, far cheaper, and far more positive than what the local "specialists" and professional dyslexia tutors had to offer here, hands down.  

 

Some centers are really quite good, though, as mentioned.  How carefully have you researched this place?  What will they be using at the center and how adaptable are they to the individual needs of each student?  Do they have a variety of programs to pull from for any snags he may encounter?  How trained and experienced are the tutors?  How often will they meet with you and report?  How often will they tutor him?  How receptive are they to you giving feedback based on home observation, your child's state of mind, etc.?  And how receptive are they to asking questions?  Have you had an opportunity to look over the materials?  

 

Honestly, if the answers above are good ones and you have gotten positive feedback from others that have been there, you might seriously consider starting at the center to get through some of the bigger humps and just see if it is a good fit.  

 

If you are on the fence, consider Barton.  Did your son pass the Barton screening?  If so, you might try running your son through the first 3 levels of Barton first, then see how he did.  I don't know what your center is charging but if you did Level 1-3 on your own and you found he did well, that would cost less than $1000, you could resell it for nearly that and probably save quite a bit of money on the preliminary skills, plus it shouldn't take all that long to get through (a few months or less).  If it wasn't working well then you could shift him over to the center at that point.  He still probably would have gotten some critical basic skills down that would help him move more efficiently through whatever program the center uses and it would still save you some money.

 

It depends on how comfortable you are tutoring,though.  If you have the money, the center has a good reputation, and you would like to at least try the center, I say do what you feel in your gut will work best for your family and your child.  I am truly grateful for the help I got this summer.

[Heathermomster]

Have you considered taking an O-G course? I almost wonder if getting that sort of training might benefit your DS given the severity of his dyslexia. I think FairP and SandKC both deal with the dyslexia issues that you are describing.

 

My DS worked with a highly experienced Wilson tutor for dyslexia remediation. If you hire a tutor, you want someone that is experienced and works well with your son..

[PeterPan]

Summer, the np who diagnosed ds' dyslexia said he never recommends a parent teach their dyslexic at home.  I'm not saying I agree with that, but there are enough compelling reasons *not* to do it that you could, without any trouble, form a strong argument that way.  Thing is, say there's a high IQ going on and lots of issues, like in our house.  That means you want daily tutoring.  And when I did the math for the tutor I could get locally, that would be $10K a year.  

 

My ds turns out to have wretched comprehension issues *on top* of the dyslexia.  Sigh.  It could be worse.  Seriously.  Whatever happens, you're going to roll with it.  If you want to teach it at home, you can.  If you have the money to do as many tutoring sessions each week as it would take to make the kind of progress you expect, then do it, mercy.  If I had the money in our disability funding, I'd sure be open to it.  But I don't think you have to take the comments of a place with a vested interest (in getting you as a customer) as a complete conclusion on what you can/cannot do at home.  They have a financial interest in convincing you you're incapable of doing this.  That's not a formula for letting you know what it would be like if you did it yourself.

 

I think, and this is just me, that the *disadvantage* to outsourcing, if you're not careful, is that you're too out of the loop to carry the methodology over the rest of the time.  So when you're seeing environmental print, working on science, doing copywork, doing history notebook, writing a b-day card, whatever, you WANT to know the methodology to be able to be *consistent* in approach.  Homeschool parents are much more used to jumping in with that than typical school parents.  Not that they don't care, but you'd just be surprised if you understood that things we take for granted around here (like oh yeah, I'll buy therapy materials, I'll do that myself!) are NOT the common mindset of everyone.  So you don't have to take generic advice about how it is for *everyone* and extrapolate that to yourself.

 

Are you having discipline or compliance issues?  Sometimes shifting that person can make a big difference.  That person could bring more energy, and they are a fresh face compelling them to do hard things.  There really are valid reasons to hire a tutor.  Sometimes a tutor brings a lot of *extra* knowledge to the table.  For instance, in our area, for $65 an hour I can find an OG-certified tutor with 20 years of experience who is also an SLP with ASD certification.  You did read that whole list and have your eyes bug out, right?  Like MAN that's bringing a lot to the table.  That person would sit down with my kid (who would benefit from that precise mix) and really benefit.  He's complex, he's hard, and that person brings a LOT to the table.  Now look at a person with Barton certification.  Look at what's required.  They must have taken 2 kids through levels 1 and 2.  Then they do a workshop.  Not the same, I'm sorry.  Nothing personal, I'm just saying there are serious differences there.  And anybody, ANYBODY can go get OG certification.  Does that mean they're the sharpest tacks in the box?  Does that mean they know anything about OT or other services your dc is receiving or other disabilities he has?  If they aren't familiar with those other therapies, how are they integrating?  They're NOT.  So then you get people who pay big bucks for tutors at a dyslexia school and STILL the dc doesn't learn to read.  I just would *not* assume that being a paid tutor ensures success.  You get success when they have enough experience to innovate and work with the situation you're facing.  The more complex the situation, the more you would want that person bringing to the table.

 

So I'm teaching my dc, because I felt like I could learn OG and get up to speed but the other potential tutors could not learn all the things *I* know about my ds, with his speech therapy, with his OT.  *I* know those things, so it's better to invest in *me* and get *me* trained so I can give him integrated, consistent care.  That was *especially* true at the beginning, when I was doing really rocket science stuff.  Now, it's still true, but it has been complicated by his reading comprehension issues, prosody issues, etc.  I would just be paying an astronomical amount if I were to do all that with tutors.  I mean, seriously, we'd get nothing done but drive to tutors.  He can't even repeat the prosody of a sentence, so he can't read a sentence with proper inflection and can't therefore understand and convey understanding.  It's a mess, a total mess.  And they could do it. That place at $65 an hour could do it.  And it would cost me $10K a year.  

 

Have you gotten his eyes checked by a developmental optometrist?  I'm not saying it causes dyslexia, but if you're having a serious visual component it would be nice to get that checked to see if there's anything going on there.  Convergence, visual memory, that kind of thing VT can bump.

 

Adding: If you do the tutoring, I would sit in every session and make notes so you can learn and have that carryover.

 

[Bright Light]

Have you checked-out Riggs' "The Writing and Spelling Road to Reading and Thinking"? Also, I've heard that you may find discounted Barton curriculum on Ebay. How old is your child?

 

[PeterPan]

I think Riggs may be more in the vein with Spalding and SWR, which makes them appropriate to NT children but not kids with severe disabilities. 

 

If you buy on ebay, just make sure it's a reputable vendor.  I sold my stuff on ebay, and obviously I'm legit, lol, meaning legit people are out there.  Since then I've heard about a rash of fraudulent kits being sold.  Since they're so expensive, that would be really ouchy.  Just saying be careful.  Also, you need the tiles from the prior levels and have to save them as you move on.  If you buy used and it only comes with one set, you won't have them for the next level when you sell.  If you buy directly from Barton, she'll let you order extra tiles (which I do).  You also get access to all her online tutor materials, immediate access.  I love that.  Instant gratification.   :D

 

[Guest H_lynn]

Hi, 

 

I clearly understand your dilemma. I'm dyslexic since I was a kid. I have been home schooled for a long time and I can see how hard it was for my parents. It wasn't 'til I was around 10 years old that my mom started to get help from a tutor and help me understand why I was being home schooled for a long time.

But considering the amount of help you can get from people all around you and even online I see a good future for your kid. 

[Heathermomster]

OP, my DS was sitting in a classroom when he was diagnosed dyslexic.  I did not feel prepared to instruct him and the Wilson tutor was available to us.  I have never regretted the decision to hire the tutor.  It took awhile for me to understand the issues or have any patience or confidence to teach.  In our case, I feel like me tutoring the reading would have been bad.  The tutor did not coordinate reading and spelling.  If you go with a tutor, try to work alongside her and work out the spelling options.  

[Storygirl]

DD10 is dyslexic. I've always suspected, but we got the official diagnosis this summer. I know that there are people on this forum who say they have successfully remediated dyslexia at home, and I see the Barton reading program mentioned most often. Our family has decided to enroll in school, and we found a private school that has an OG trained intervention teacher on staff. DD10 is getting private tutoring from her. At this point, we are happy with this choice, but it still new for us, and we may decide along the way that DD10 needs more intensive help.

 

If we were continuing to homeschool, I would not have been opposed to tutoring her myself using the Barton system. Or at least trying that. But I think it takes time and dedication. I have other children and other learning challenges to address, and I didn't feel I could do it all well. I needed to turn to the school for help. But if I had had the time and resources to devote myself to learning the Barton program and teaching it to her, I would have done so.

 

I am far from an expert, but our neuropsych recommended either Orton-Gillingham or Wilson as the top remediation programs for dyslexia. If I were going to try to tutor DD10 myself, I would want to choose the best resources and do them to my greatest ability. Barton is an OG based program, and it comes with instructions for the teacher, so that is what I would have chosen.

 

It's not an easy thing to remediate the dyslexia at home, but I think it can be done if you are dedicated.

[FairProspects]

I'm mostly done remediating my older (at least as much as you are ever done with this kind of profile) and I'm in the midst of remediating my younger dyslexic. I'll echo the TON of patience comment. In my case, I don't really have a choice as I could find no one in my area qualified to handle my kids for remediation. Having done it once, I know I can do it again, but in all honesty, I wish I could pass my younger son off to someone else. It just takes so much time and effort. I'll also reiterate OhE's comments. Make sure you are getting someone qualified or do the remediation yourself. :)

[summerreading]

Finally getting a chance to sit down and answer. Thanks for the replies and questions, it really helps me think it out. So Dh and I decided we are going to go with the tutoring.

 

 

How carefully have you researched this place?  What will they be using at the center and how adaptable are they to the individual needs of each student?  Do they have a variety of programs to pull from for any snags he may encounter?  How trained and experienced are the tutors?  How often will they meet with you and report?  How often will they tutor him?  How receptive are they to you giving feedback based on home observation, your child's state of mind, etc.?  And how receptive are they to asking questions?  Have you had an opportunity to look over the materials?  

 

 

I feel really comfortable with the center. They are affiliated with the Dyslexia Institute of America. The founder has a dyslexic older child and homeschooled him for a year. She and the psychologist who did the eval were happy to hear we homeschool and say the flexibility is better for my son right now. They said it's ideal that he goes every week, but said they feel comfortable doing every other week to make it more affordable since he's getting home instruction. The sessions will be 2 hours and they retest him every 24th session. They gave us a full write up including his IQ and are very open to us calling or emailing. So I feel that they are on the up and up and not trying to sell us therapy.

 

Have you considered taking an O-G course? I almost wonder if getting that sort of training might benefit your DS given the severity of his dyslexia. I think FairP and SandKC both deal with the dyslexia issues that you are describing.

My DS worked with a highly experienced Wilson tutor for dyslexia remediation. If you hire a tutor, you want someone that is experienced and works well with your son..

 

I did consider it, but at the time it seemed like a lot to do without a diagnosis.

 

I think, and this is just me, that the *disadvantage* to outsourcing, if you're not careful, is that you're too out of the loop to carry the methodology over the rest of the time.  So when you're seeing environmental print, working on science, doing copywork, doing history notebook, writing a b-day card, whatever, you WANT to know the methodology to be able to be *consistent* in approach.  Homeschool parents are much more used to jumping in with that than typical school parents.  Not that they don't care, but you'd just be surprised if you understood that things we take for granted around here (like oh yeah, I'll buy therapy materials, I'll do that myself!) are NOT the common mindset of everyone.  So you don't have to take generic advice about how it is for *everyone* and extrapolate that to yourself.

 

Are you having discipline or compliance issues?  Sometimes shifting that person can make a big difference.

Have you gotten his eyes checked by a developmental optometrist?  I'm not saying it causes dyslexia, but if you're having a serious visual component it would be nice to get that checked to see if there's anything going on there.  Convergence, visual memory, that kind of thing VT can bump.

 

Adding: If you do the tutoring, I would sit in every session and make notes so you can learn and have that carryover.

 

These are things I am thinking about. I am a little worried that they use their own program, but since we will be doing a lot of homework, I'm hoping we will be learning a lot that will transfer to everything else.  Ds is a VT graduate, finished up this June. He still has convergence issues with one eye that we are working on, but the Dr. gave him Rx reading glasses. So even with VT still I am having compliance issues. Lots of whining, moaning. Reading lessons he tries to get out of or put off as long as we can.

 

So I think with all these factors that we are going to try the tutoring. It will be a challenge to budget it, but what to do?

 

Whatever genes he got passed down, I think him, dh, my MIL are all the same. They all seem to have the vision issues and are very dyslexic on top of that. I think seeing my son get help would be good for the whole family. I wish dh and MIL could get help b/c it really is profound for them.

 

Even though the genetic link is there, I'm still trying to tell myself I didn't do this to him. Just irrational mom guilt I guess.

 

Hi, 

 

I clearly understand your dilemma. I'm dyslexic since I was a kid. I have been home schooled for a long time and I can see how hard it was for my parents. It wasn't 'til I was around 10 years old that my mom started to get help from a tutor and help me understand why I was being home schooled for a long time.

But considering the amount of help you can get from people all around you and even online I see a good future for your kid. 

 

Thank you! You sound like you are doing well. It is encouraging.

 

[PeterPan]

Sounds like you're up on it and have a plan!  That's exciting!  :)