Evals for dyslexia and other LDs -- can't be done by same person?

[YogaMomOf4]

Sorry if this has been asked before -- I looked around a bit and didn't find anything.  I have a 9-year-old boy who was in PS for two years, then HS for two years, and now will be going back into PS next year.  He will be going into 4th grade and still struggles greatly with reading.  When he was in 1st grade, his teacher recommended him for dyslexia testing because he has a lot of dyslexia symptoms (more than just reversals) and his father has dyslexia symptoms, but TPTB at the school said he was "too young." 

 

I'm looking for a private eval for him (the school said they won't test him until at least six weeks into next year, and apparently, here in Texas, they are within their rights to do that because there is no mandatory timeline).  I want him tested for dyslexia, but I ALSO want him tested for other LD's, because we're not certain his difficulties are limited to dyslexia.  He also had a coup-contracoup brain injury when he was 5, and I'd like to know if there's any evidence that any of this is related to sequelae from that. So I'd like a comprehensive eval that includes dyslexia. The neuropsychologists I've looked into have told me they don't test for dyslexia, and everyone I've found that will test for dyslexia, does only that.  I feel like I'm missing something here.  Can a comprehensive eval only be done by a neuropsych, and can a neuropsych not do a dyslexia eval?  Is one an educational model and the other a medical model or something? 

 

What I want is for him to be tested for:

1) Dyslexia

2) Other LD's, especially processing disorders

3) Evidence of coup-contracoup concussion sequelae

 

As you already know, the evals cost in the vicinity of $3,000 -- do we need to schedule evals with more than one provider for this? 

[Heathermomster]

Yes, a comprehensive eval may be performed by one person.  

 

Where are you in TX?  We have lots of moms from TX that may be able to recommend a specific tester to you.

 

Welcome to the boards!

[Heathermomster]

While you locate a NP, maybe Google and discover whether there is a Scottish Rite Learning Center nearby.  If so, call them and discover whether they dyslexia screen and ask about any associated costs.  You could also call any local dyslexia schools and ask them whether they screen.  A dyslexia school may be able to provide the name of a good NP.  Your son's pediatrician may know someone as well.  Given your boy's health history, the ped may be able to refer you to a neurologist to re-examine his brain injury.

 

Is there a particular reason that he is returning to public school?  What accommodations have you used thus far?  

 

 

[Crimson Wife]

Most neuropsychs will run a CTOPP and a Woodcock-Johnson, then be able to diagnose dyslexia from those results.

 

Now it's possible that if you're looking at a TBI specialist, they won't do the educational testing because they're focused more on basic cognitive functioning. But in that case, insurance should be picking up the cost since the testing is due to the injury. In that case, I'd have the insurance pay for the TBI eval and then find someone cheaper to do the psycho-educational testing.

[YogaMomOf4]

Thanks for your response!  <3   We're in San Antonio, TX. 

He's going back to school (as are my other 3 kids) because I need to return to work because the family needs my income; we're a family of six and we're struggling financially with only DH's income.  I don't want to open a whole other can of worms WRT working at home -- I worked from home for nearly 20 years as a medical transcriptionist, until that field basically dried up, and given my experience with the pros and cons of being self-employed and working from home and trying to raise four kids essentially by myself because DH's work takes him away from home M-F . . . working from home and homeschooling and solo-parenting four kids just isn't something I can tackle right now.  I know people do it but . . . I've been really struggling with the solo-parenting thing, and I just don't have it in me to work from home and continue homeschooling. Plus, my family (which means my in-laws, as I have no family of my own) was totally against me homeschooling and constantly made comments about how stupid my kids were going to be and how they'd never amount to anything and it was my fault, etc.and it's gotten to be more than I can handle.  They are the onlky family I have and I want peace in the family.  Okay, more info than you wanted, probably, but those are some of the reasons we're not continuing to homeschool.

Anyway, he hasn't had any real accommodations thus far, other than my working on him with reading/phonics every day (we did some multi-sensory stuff, but we didn't use an OG program).  Because he was making progress, although it was slow, I thought it would be okay for him to just keep plugging away at his own pace.  But now that he needs to return to PS, I see that "his own pace" wasn't nearly fast enough.  :(  I went to a meeting for the parents of incoming fourth-graders, and the teachers were very adamant that the kids needed to be able to read for extended periods of time and read a variety of texts and genres ("Don't just let them only read fiction stories all summer!") or they would "REALLY struggle" in fourth grade.  Now i feel really badly, because, forget about reading for "extended periods of time" or reading "a variety of texts and genres" -- he can barely read AT ALL.

 

I feel now that I haven't done enough.  My thinking was along the lines that I was doing more than the public school was doing, because I was working with him on reading every day, and he wasn't being embarrassed like he was in public school.  (They had to grade each other's papers, and the other kids saw that he got 20s and 30s on his spelling tests.  Then he wouldn't turn them in; he'd shove them in his desk.) 

 

Anyway, I asked my ped, but in lieu of making referrals nowadays (any type of referral for anything) they just give us a list of providers and we're supposed to pick one.  She gave me a list of speech therapists and occupational therapists.  She also suggested I have the school test him.  But they won't even consider testing him until they've observed him in class for six weeks.  So that's six weeks of him being in class that I already KNOW he is not ready for, before they even START the process.  His sisters were in "GT" when they were in school, and he already considers himself "stupid" in comparison to them.  (I try to encourage him not to compare himself, but you know how that goes among siblings.) I feel like I've failed him because I didn't get him some kind of remediation sooner, and now he'll be stuck in school unable to read well enough to do the work. 

 

I know we'll probably have to wait four  months or so to see a neuropsych anyway at this point, so I don't know that there's much I can do for him.  Do I just have to stick him in school knowing he'll fail?  I know he'll feel awful.  I've considered going to one of those dyslexia learning centers . . . not a Davis one, but one here that uses an OG program . . . but I don't know much about going that route. 

[Heathermomster]

http://www.srlearningcenter.org/

[OneStepAtATime]

OP, I am not in San Antonio but I go there periodically, am in the process of getting DD evaluated by a neuropsych there, and have some ideas.  Is it o.k. to PM you?

[wapiti]

A few random ideas:  perhaps call one of the speech therapists and ask them who they've worked with.  (FWIW, we have seen an ed psych who refers out to the SLP for the CTOPP.)  The TBI angle is a tougher nut to crack - do you have a neurologist who might be able to recommend someone?

 

You might also want to get him checked out for developmental vision issues (issues with how the eyes work together) by seeing a COVD optometrist.  At least, you might set up an annual vision checkup at which appt the doc can screen for such issues and help determine whether a full eval would be warranted.  There are some symptoms of vision issues that overlap with dyslexia symptoms and it is not unusual to have both vision problems and dyslexia.

Edited June 3, 2016 by wapiti

[OneStepAtATime]

A few random ideas:  perhaps call one of the speech therapists and ask them who they've worked with.  (FWIW, we have seen an ed psych who refers out to the SLP for the CTOPP.)  The TBI angle is a tougher nut to crack - do you have a neurologist who might be able to recommend someone?

 

You might also want to get him checked out for developmental vision issues (issues with how the eyes work together) by seeing a COVD optometrist.  At least, you might set up an annual vision checkup at which appt the doc can screen for such issues and help determine whether a full eval would be warranted.  There are some symptoms of vision issues that overlap with dyslexia symptoms and it is not unusual to have both vision problems and dyslexia.

Agree with this.  If you need a recommendation for a good COVD in S.A. let me know.  VT is pricey if he needs it but your insurance might cover some of the cost.

[YogaMomOf4]

Thank you!  Hope to reply more later, but can't right now, but I appreciate the info.  And yes, OneStep, feel free to PM me.  <3

[amo_mea_filiis.]

  She also suggested I have the school test him.  But they won't even consider testing him until they've observed him in class for six weeks.  So that's six weeks of him being in class that I already KNOW he is not ready for, before they even START the process.  

 

The school doesn't have a choice. If you submit your request in writing, they have 90 calendar days from your request until they hold the initial eligibility meeting. 

 

ETA- 60 days! Not 90. 

Edited June 4, 2016 by amo_mea_filiis.