Anyone used Barton system for a dyslexic teenager?

[akatombo]

I have finally come to some realizations about my 16 year old daughter.  For a year she has been doing vision therapy and also dyslexia tutoring through the Barton System.  This week she tells me she thinks we should stop the dyslexia tutoring because it is not helping her and she is only sorry that it took her this long to figure that out.  She has been homeschooled her whole life but this year she is attending a school for 4 classes.  She is in level 6 now.  I don't want to stop and forfeit the good that may come to her but she is not a complainer and so I tend to listen to her opinion when she gives it.  The tutor says it may be true that the rules they teach are useless to her thus far because the words have been simpler, but that they will increase as time goes on.  I'm hard pressed to find any information about the system for teenagers.  Does anyone have any experience or input?  I'm a single parent homeschooling so the financial burden is significant for me.  But I absolutely want to do it if it will be valuable to her.  She is also feeling overscheduled.  I just cannot seem to make this decision on my own.  Appreciate any input anyone has.  

[PeterPan]

If you can find a reading tutor who is trained in OG, not just Barton, they'll be more flexible and able to speed it up or bump the level of words to fit her. The problem is the tutor, who only knows Barton it seems and isn't prepared to be flexible. 

There are SLPs who specialize in reading intervention, and there are people who are OG (Orton-Gillingham) trained. You just need someone who has the broader training so they can be more flexible. If you use an SLP, can you get your insurance to cover it? I don't know. 

The other thing would be to gather some data. She's 16. Have you updated her psych testing for college admissions? As part of that, get someone to do something like the DAR (direct assessment of reading) and the CTOPP. Her CTOPP should be great at this point, after so much Barton. You could also register and do the RISE for only $5. https://rise.serpmedia.org  It will be a bit of a hassle for you, because you have to set up an administrator account then buy a testing credit ($5) and run it. But still, the test gives you AMAZING info for so little money. It's normed for grades 5-12, and it will show you where her remaining deficits are and what to focus on.

I would run the RISE and then use that data to make your next step. I would pair the data from the RISE with what is really happening in real life (with her writing, with her grades, how she functions) to think through what needs emphasis and intervention now. On the RISE anything above the 90th percentile is considered no longer needing intervention, ready to mainstream for that area. So anything below the 90th percentile continues to need intervention, and then you'll know which areas and how severe the deficits are. 

Are you planning to update her psych testing? Privately or through the ps?

Edited October 11, 2018 by PeterPan

[akatombo]

Peter Pan thank you so much for responding.  I'm afraid I have no experience with what you are speaking of.  Psych testing? For college admissions?  I'm going to look up the RISE and complete that.  This girl has so many health issues I can't keep up.  She was officially diagnosed by the vision therapist with a number of things.  Other than that I had just done a screening on the Barton website.  I'm worried about getting this girl into college, so if you have the time to indulge me some more, I'd appreciate it.

[PeterPan]

Yes, you want a psychologist with experience with dyslexia to do a full evaluation on her. They need to officially diagnose the dyslexia, write out what her accommodations should be, etc. It just needs to be within 3 years of college, so your timing is probably great here. You can also use that documentation for applying for accommodations on the ACT/SAT, etc.

[akatombo]

Thank you so much for this.