Dyslexia

No, he is not too young to test. Request that the school test his for learning disablities - most dyslexic children have more than 1 issue. Request the paperwork and demand testing ASAP. They have up to 60 days to test and it may take them longer to act on results. The school district by law must provide a free and APPROPRIATE public education and if they are not testing these children until 3rd grade they are not complying with law. (IDEA/NCLB)
Placing a child in a grade is social promotion and unacceptable. I have a dyslexic 8yr old that was finally tested in 2nd grade after year long fight with school administrators. Don't be afraid to advocate for your child. Ask for copies of his file and request testing immediately. Hang in there and fight, its the best thing to do for our kids.

I understand completely. My daughter has dyslexia, she is 14 now we didn't know about it until we moved to TX from OK when she was in the 4th grade 5 years ago. The school tested her quickly and got her into classes to help her. Get your child tested soon for if you wait to long it just makes it harder on them to learn from it. Its not so bad of a problem its just something they need to address early to help them. If you get help early it makes things easier for your child.

You are right about the difference between placed and promoted - placed means simply that, he didn't meet the requirements for second grade but it was felt to be in his best interest to be put there (for various reasons). When you say one level, do you mean one grade level or one reading level? Many schools measure reading ability by using a DRA test and a level in the DRA is not the same as a grade level. Another question would be is he doing well in other academic areas such as math and writing. Usually school districts will not check for dyslexia until second grade (I believe that is the policy in Ft. Bend). You could always have a private group test for this. If you feel you are being brushed off by the teacher, contact the school counselor and asked him/her about at what point the school will check for dyslexia. The counselor should be able to tell you that information.

Being a teacher myself, I would like to give his teacher the benefit of the doubt and say she might be seeing other things that she feels is keeping him from reading as well. You might try asking her if about this. His teacher should be communicating to you what areas he is having trouble in and giving recommendations on how you can help. Also, if he is being placed you should have been receiving information documenting his lack of progress.

I will say this, a parent has to be the child strongest advocate. If you see an issue, continue to ask until you get an answer (not a brush off), keeping in mind it may not always be the answer you are looking for. I wish you good luck.

I was diagnosed with Dyslexia when I was in the 4th grade, the teacher was suprised that he had not been diagnosed before that. I would say that he is not to young at all. I was in Pflugerville schools and they provided no tested or special classes for dyslexia so we went out and found a place on our own. The Scottish Rite Learning Center here in Austin. They provided me with specialized reteaching of reading skills for and hour everyday. My mom was commited to doing this for me so she pulled me out of school for 2 hours everyday so I could attend the classes which were held in the building all the way downtown near the UT campus. It was well worth it though by they end of the program I was reading higher than some of my class mates.

I believe the center is now located near the new Dell Children's Hospital.

I have dyslexia, I've had it since I was in the frist grade. I was tested, in the frist grade. I would test him and see what happends. Its nothing bad, sometimes you out grow it like my sister did, other times you learn to live with it and take your time doing things, like I did. I would test him. Go to the principal and talk to hinm or her to see if you can do something or get the testing sooner.

My son showed signs of dyslexia when he was in kindergarten & first grade. Once they started with double numbers, he always saw them backwards. He didn't pronounce sounds correctly, like he was say "sol" instead of "saw". I fought and fought with the diagnostitian and they refused to test him because he wasn't failing. This was in 2nd grade. But he had already repeated 1st grade because he couldn't read. 15 minutes of homework took us 3 hours. I finally gave up and paid $1500 to an agency on Red Oak Dr in Houston to have him tested. He showed lots of language arts deficiencies. He could do math faster in his head than the kids could do it on the chalkboard. He was quite mechanically inclined. I took these tests to the diagnostitian and still no luck. They have to spend government money to test kids, and they don't like using it up if a child isn't failing. I was furious. I called the school superintendent and relayed the issues. She agreed with me that he should have been tested without my paying someone to do it. She told me to call the diagnostitian back and inform them that she personally told me to get him tested immediately. I provided them with the paperwork from my test, and they tested him. They agreed with the tests that I had done. They classified him as learning disabled which made him qualify for reading lab, and special help on assignments. For instance they would read the questions to him instead of him having to read them himself. In 2nd grade he got reading lab. Then we moved a mile away, he was put in a different school, and they didn't have reading lab. I told them how important it was for him and was informed that "reading lab is a government funded program. The state of TX bases the need for a reading lab on how many children in that school apply for "free lunch"". That's absurd. Does TX really think that only poor kids have reading problems? If a school doesn't have enough free lunch kids, they aren't funded for reading lab. He never had reading lab help from 3rd grade thru graduation. Boy did he need it. In high school, his written assignments always sounded like a 1st grader wrote them. He could tell you an essay in great detail, but was unable to relate it in written form. I had to read all his chapters to him, and ask him the questions. Again, homework took literally hours to complete. I felt like "I" was back in school. I hated it. I tried multi-sensory learning, for instance, with spelling words, I made him say the word out loud, and spell it out loud while he wrote it down. I made up rhymes to help him remember, for instance, "I went to the store to buy an E", which helped him remember that it had a silent E at the end. Placing his finger or a ruler under each line of print helped his brain to see only that line, instead of a page full of scrambled letters. It was total hell. I would never go thru that again. They told me that "parents are the worst tutors because they lack the patience required." I wholeheartedly agree with that. School work was always full of fights, yelling and screaming. I feel for you greatly. I could not afford places like Sylvan learning center, which is $110 an hour. I was a single mom and couldn't leave work at all hours to transport him to various tutors, so he did without. I was his tutor. I have since learned that in the state of TX, if a school does not have the programs needed by a child, they have to PAY for the child to get them. And they have to get the child to that place. I suggest you contact the school superintendent and tell them the facts, tell them you know what is required of the school, and force them to do what's necessary. My son is now 26 and he still reads like a 2nd grader, at best. He never outgrew it, he's been an $8 an hour flunky, and has failed at most everything he's attempted. It affected his self esteem, his ambitions, and now he's too "cool" to get any help as a grownup. He thinks he's fine. But he is not, he is soooo "NOT". Best of luck to you. My name is N. too.

N. - follow your gut feeling.....have him tested away from the school by a Psychologist. Once you get the testing back, call your Principal and request a STAT to review the findings. Give the school one copy of the test results in advance so the school diagnostician can prepare. If necessary, pay the Psychologist to attend the STAT meeting with you to advocate for your son and what he needs.
He is not too young to be tested and the earlier this is addressed the happier your son will be in school. Don't depend on the school to *take care* of this.....they won't do a thing until he's failing. By then his self-esteem will be suffering.
I can give you many names for testing if you want.
S. - mom to 5 - 3 dyslexic

The school district will insist that he is too young.
However you can have him tested privetly as young as 5. You can thow a fit and insist that they test him now. if you are presistant enough you just might get them to do it for free. However I am not really sure how good the testing is. I had a simular situation with my oldest daughter. There is a privet school herer in SA for childern who have differant learning disabilitys. River City Christian, it is located on Blanco Rd inside loop 410. You can call them and thy may be able to give you sugetions on testing. they may even be able to do it there. You are the Mother and you know your child better than the school does. Besides the public schools have 25-32 students in each class, they can not pay enough attention to even notice the signs. Keep fighting for your kids.
M. B

N., (this is long but hopefully worth it)

Find out about "no child left behind" laws. I believe you can force your hand and require the district to test your child, no matter what age. All that to say, keep in mind that they may not even do the correct testing.

I believe my daughter is slightly dyslexic and through my web-info searching, I believe I am also. I homeschool my children and was able to have my daughter tested through the public school system at age 6. The earlier the better (I've heard they can start testing at age 5 even)!

Now, I will tell you that they determined that she is not dyslexic. I disagree. I know that the curriculum we are using (have been since she was 3!) is far beyond public school and that she should have been farther than where she is right now. I've taken my other two children through this and taught it at a private school for several years, with only ONE child besides mine that struggled. She was only a little bit below "public school" grade level so they determined that she was fine. I have seen way too many symptoms so I am proceeding as though she is and we are working on it at home. I know my daughter. They only know a few answers on a page.

A friend of mine and I were discussing my daughter's situation and she felt that her son may have dyslexia as well. He is 10yrs old and is still in third grade, and probably still wouldn't have been "promoted" this year. She spoke to the school about it and they basically ignored her and said that he wasn't showing signs. After checking out the website above, she decided to take him to Susan Barton and pay to have him professionally tested. It was expensive but worth it. It turns out he is SEVERLY dyslexic and SEVERLY disgraphic! If she hadn't followed her gut, who knows how long it would have taken for this to be discovered. Can you imagine the damaged done to a 10yr old that knows he's WAY too old to be in third grade...? The damage to his self-esteem is horrible already, not to mention if he had been held back AGAIN. She is going to homeschool him this year and we will be doing the Susan Barton dyslexia program with both our kids this summer.

The worst thing for a dyslexic child is to be held back time and time again, never able to catch up because they aren't learning how to read the way they need to be taught. Look into this website www.dys-add.com. Susan Barton has great information.

Don't let the school determine what you know is in your heart and gut! Do what ever you have to in order to get your child tested. Preferably by someone outside the school district. Dyslexia is just now really starting to get the attention it needs. It's still new and a lot of schools just may not have a real handle on it.

BTW, I personally believe that we (dyslexics) are very much just right-brained thinkers. We don't have a disability according to what people would usually think a disability is. We jsut learn differently! Left-brainers are the ones that are great at reading and writing our (very messed up) English language. They are the ones that write the curriculum and then all the right-brainers have to struggle through how to learn it in a left-brained way. This is my take based on my personal experience with my struggles in how I learn best vs. how people have tried to teach me.

There is a book you should check out (or even buy if your library doesn't have it). It's by Patricia Polacco, "Thank You Mr. Falker". It's her own story of being dyslexic and the teacher that helped her overcome her situation. It's FABULOUS! Heads up, it's a tear-jerker.

I know this was long and I hope you don't mind...I'm VERY passionate about this subject (if you can't tell, lol!)

I will be praying that God leads you to the right place and the right people to help you. Hang in there, it may be a fight but it's WELL worth it!

Hugs,
Jen

HMMM...What school district are you in? I am in the Conroe school district. I had moved here from MI and my son came here in 2nd grade. He was behind in reading and we(he) had always struggled with reading. Our teachers were great and let me know that my wasnt up to where he needed to be. We tutored and worked hard for the first part of the year and then had him tested for any kind of disabilities. We were "relieved" to know that it was dyslexia that our son has.
Find out you rights for sure about the testing. He will be covered under Section 504 if he is dyslexia or some other learning issue.
We ended up holding him back in the second grade(which was a hard choice but the right one) he is now in the 3rd grade and will be moving onto 4ht next year. He is doing wonderful! He gets to go to the dyslexia teacher 4 days a week, 1/2 hr a day(which doesnt sound like much, but he now LOVES to read
Check out some websites ncld.org 504idea.org
If he is dyslexic or ADD/ADHD he will be cover under Section 504. There is alot of information there to help you.

I just happened to have great teachers and staff that were willing to test my child with no problems so definatly find out your childs rights about being tested. I would encourage you.
Good luck! I know how frustrating it is to want to help you child and it is a struggle to get him to read with you.
Hope this helps.( I feel Im dylexic at times)

Here's a site you might want to try: http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/articles/homeschooling/articl...
One of the author's daughters was dyslexic, but she is today a college graduate and prolific writer. This article is really insightful.

Since you're a SAHM you might want to consider homeschooling. You can focus on your son's needs in a way no teacher can--full-time one-on-one. And even if you don't think you can do that (which as a SAHM I really can't see why you couldn't, especially since Texas is so homeschool friendly), you could take some of the ideas from that article (and from the book, if you want to get it too) and work on them when he's home.

Hope that helps!

I would look into it further. Go see the principal and ask what exactly the qualifications are for being tested. Tell him'her how concerned you are and ask for an opinion. The worst you can be told is that it's not available for his age yet. But keep asking. You may have caught the teacher at a busy moment, so ask again. If she brushes you off again, ask for a conference with her AND the principal or school counselor. This may be something your child grows out of, but there is nothing wrong with you being concerned or pressing for more information. We need more parents to show that much concern. Good luck!

Talk to his pediatrician and ask for a referral for testing for learning disabilities. When you go in for the testing you will first get a consultation. Good luck.

Hi N.,
I'm a Dyslexic Education Specialist in Austin. The first step in finding out if your son is dyslexic is to have him tested by a neurologist or call Rawson-Saunders School for an evaluation. It usually runs $1-$2K to have a full battery of tests, but it's worth it if you are going to have to battle with the school district for services. Some insurances will cover the cost of testing, you just have to ask.

If he is dyslexic, you have a couple of options. You can rely on the school district to provide Academic Language Therapy (ALT) services. Usually the child is pulled out of a regular class to have this service 1-2 times a week for 30 minutes and is typically with 8-10 other kids. OR

You can hire a private Academic Language Therapist to work with your son outside of school. This is usually done one-on-one 2-3 times per week for about an hour each time. OR

You can send your child to a private school that specializes in Dyslexia. There is a great school in Austin called Rawson-Saunders School (www.rawson-saunders.org) that only accepts students that are dyslexic. They have small class sizes (8-10 kids max). All students are required 50 minutes of Academic Language Therapy every day.

If you live in Dallas, you can call Scottish Rite Learning Center for more info.

I hope this helps. Please go with your gut and get him diagnosed early.

E.

First off I want to say that I completely know what you are going through. I have a daughter that is now 11, but while in kindergarten at a private school her teacher had asked that I get her speech tested. I did it through the school district that she would have gone to. They actually diagnosed her with Repetitive and Expressive language disorder. Unfortunately I could not get her to the classes because of distance from private school to public school. She barely would get an education except in driving all around town.

Middle of her 1st grade year we moved and put her in a public school (CFISD) and I gave them all the documents showing her diagnoses. Later she was also diagnosed with ADD in 2nd and then they did an IQ test which she past by 1 point. Then in 3rd she tested for dyslexia and was officially diagnosed and later tested over all and now labeled as having a Learning Disability. She has modified work and teacher assistant while in her class.

I can honestly tell you that you really have to push the issue and her dyslexia teacher was very helpful in knowing and getting what my daughter needed. It is not easy to get the district to do anything, especially holding her back a grade. Never could get them to do that. It is call POLITICS!!!!!! The sad thing is she is moving on the Junior High and will still be in Speech, dyslexia, and have her work modified. She is on a 4th grade reading level and for some reason they believe she is ready to go on. She has always been a grade behind. If you can afford it, try doing it outside of the school district.

Good Luck!

I have a brother and a daughter who are dyslexic...because I grew up seeing the symptoms in my brother that noone was able to diagnose until he ws much older I was able to recognize them in my own child right away. I worked with her very early on as I am aware that much of the symptoms are similar to simple developmental steps as well, but as she grew she got worse in certain symptoms instead of better and I became sure.

In the first grade I told them I strongly suspected my daughter to be dyslexic and that there was a family history of it. They also told me they do not test until the 2nd or third grade or until the childs grades are much lower.

I came unglued and told them that was the most ridiculous ruling I had ever heard. To allow a child to become so frustrated and fallen behind due to something of this nature defeats the purpose alotgether. It diminishes the childs desire to want to do well in school to allow them to struggle until they are doing poorly instead of geting them the help they need while they are doing well.

Needless to say, they tested my child in the first grade and my child began dyslexia classes provided by the school system in the second grade! Be insistent, they have to be pushed into it. Go with your gut. You can also pay to have him tested by professionals like Sylvan Learning Center.

Good Luck.

I honestly don't know a lot about it, but my sister was tested in third grade and she was beind in reading as well, but none of her other classes. Well, they gave her a few tutoring classes regarding dyslexia and then held her back a grade. My mom listened to them that this was the thing to do at that time (almost 30 years ago). Well, being held back really traumatized her. She couldn't make friends with the new grade she was in and she lost all her self confidence. She dropped in her grades for all her classes and began gaining weight. By 7-8th grade she was a women's size 10 and theat just made her problems worse. My mom one day was talking with her pastor about it all and she told him she wished their was somehting she could do to her her get her self confidence back and undo what had been done and he talked with my sister like a therapist. She has since gotten things back on track, and she was ablt to get her grades up and lose the weight. She had issues with dating the wrong kind of boys because she didn't feel she was good enoughto date the other ones, but finally got her with a nice man and they have been together since, so address the issue, but really try to impact your son as little as possible. This wasn't meant to scare you, but just to let you know that addressing it as early as possible with as little impact as possible is best. Good luck with your son.

You need to call the school counsleor and principal today! I'm not sure what school district you are in but as a parent, if you have concerns, you can request testing. If your school district doesn't provide this, talk to your child's doctor. Both of my daughters are dyslexic and they were diagnosed in 1st grade. Good luck!

The reason school districts will not test until 3rd grade is because this is supposedly the grade when dyslexia will show up. They make parents wait b/c some of the symptoms could be developmental. If they tested for dyslexia and your child doesn't have it the district then has to wait another calendar year before they can test again for any special services. IF you feel that he is, you should take him to get tested. If he is not dyslexic then you can rule it out. Ask his teacher why he is not on grade level. I teach and a lot of kids can read, it is the comprehension that prevents them from moving up a level.

My brother grew up having trouble reading. He had a lot of ear infections as a child and had a bit of damage from them. The doctors think that the infections had something to do with it. He spent a lot of extra time reading out loud to my mom and finally worked it out. You may want to try something like that until they are willing to test him.

My son is 14 and dyslexic. I suspected it when he was in the first grade and it was a battle to have it diagnosed. First, I was told they could not diagnose until he was 8, then there was a round of CAT Scans, MRI's, Eye doctors, and medical test after medical test before the school would agree to test for dyslexia. Then the school told me he had "some of the signs but not all the signs" of dyslexia. I finally found an expert at Scottish Rites Hospital who was giving a lecture on dyslexia and asked questions. I came in to the school with my expert info and my son was finally tested and the school district placed him in a dyslexia program that retrained his brain to read--he was in the 6th grade by the time this happened. He now reads on level but it takes time. I stay on top of things to make sure modifications are made and adherred to because he does get frustrated. There is a wonderful program called RFB&D (Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic) that we utilize for books on disc, text books, etc. I have been were you are at and the only advice I can give is to be persistent, patient, and a force of positive thinking for your child.

I had a similar experience with my now 14 yr old daughter. Starting in Pre-K she would write her letters and numbers backwards and when she started reading she would read some words backwards. I asked her teachers every year if she could be dyslexic and was told every time "don't worry",that she will grow out of it. Nobody told me that they would test them in 3rd grade. Despite her backwards problem she always managed to have good grades. In the 5th grade her grades started to get lower and lower and when I went in for a teacher conference, her 5th grade teacher ask me if I had ever had her tested for dyslexia. I was beside myself. I told her that I had ask every year and was told not to worry. By the 5th grade she was only doing it occasionally. Well they did test her and said that she wasn't and she now she has grown out it. They did not tell me how close she was, only that she wasn't. My advice to you is to let it ride for now and just work with him at home every evening. Then when he goes in the 3rd grade insist that they test him. I think my daughter could have gotten the help she needed much earlier if I had insisted on it.

Valerie S.

I will spare you my long long story. BUT my son, now 15 was in a similar situation when he was your son's age. I did force the district to evaluate him. They said that he did NOT have one symtpom of dyslexia. I knew better. DH and I are both dylexic, so is my sister.

Long story short, we went to a special eye dr. They are Hopping and Hopping on Bay Area Blvd and on FM528 in Friendswood. They diagnosed him and we went thru 3 years of "vision therapy". It helped so much. We also went thru a screening at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. The students graduating with their Masters Degrees test the students right along with the Head Clinical Phsychologist. Call the university and ask for the Head Clinical Physicologist and see if you can get him into the summer program. Beg if you have to. That is what we did. It costs about $200 at the time and it was money well spent. Tx Childrens Hospital has the same testing but they are not near as good. NEVER TRUST THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. They do not have good programs for dyslexics so it is a pain for them to diagnose what they can't service.

Dyslexics have a higher than normal IQ and are usually gifted in math or art. My son is highly gifted in art. It was suggested that I enroll him in art classes, which I did when he was about 7 or 8. He is awesome. He struggles with math.

I quit work to homeschool him and he excels at everything. The public school system is a bad place for dyslexics. The Scottish Rights (sp?) hospital in Dallas in a great place for answers and there is a dyslexic place in Bellaire (Neihouse - bad sp again - sorry) that can give you a lot of answers. They are the premier authority in dyslexia. Here is another place you can get info: www.worldofdyslexia.com .

I would definately start with Hopping and Hopping Eye Associates and The University of St. Thomas for initial consultations though. HTH Been there - done that. Be ready to fight for everything you get from a public school district. What district are you in?

That same situation happened to me and my daughter. She was in in the first grade when I noticed some signs of dyslexia. No they will not test in the first grade, but you can tell as aparent. His teacher should not have blew if off, cause this can be serious. With my daughter we worked over time at home on her schoolwork. we drilled her on spelling words. But we made it fun, because it is a lot of work and can be hard on a child. We got thru the first grade with straight A's. Now second grade you can ask for the test, if they say no, talk to theprincipal and tell her your concerns. Most schools try to take care of any kids that they think with a learning disability early, because of the TAKS test in 3rd grade. My daughters 2nd grade teacher blew me off, but I went higher up, and got her tested. All you need to do is keep pushing the problem and dont give up till you find all the answers your looking for. Good Luck and I hope everything works out for you.

The school should test for dyslexia, but you have to push to get it done. Talk to the counselor at school and ask for testing. If this doesn't work take him elsewhere. I asked for the school to test my daughter in second grade and they said she wasn't dyslexic but I had her tested independently before 4th grade and she was very dyslexic. Go with your gut feeling always, better to be safe than sorry.
D.

I also have a son that is dyslexic. He went to private school for kinder and 1st grade. The teacher was new and completely didn't know how to identify the situation although all the signs were defintely there. Then we moved and since his birthday is in September we had him do 1st grade in public school also. His public school teacher was very sharp and recommended him for testing. They also had him do summer school for reading and it helped immensely. He was diagnosed and placed in a 504 program at the beginning of 2nd grade.

He is also an awesome artist. The biggest clue to his dyslexia was that he would do a drawing as a complete mirror image of what he saw and not really be aware of it. If your son does anything like that with his artwork then he is not just 'behind' in his reading skills. Ask him to copy another drawing or something from a magazine and see how it comes out.

IMO is it crazy for the school to put off testing. As stated in other responses, dyslexic people are usually highly intelligent. The schools are all judged on the performance of the kids so why wouldn't they want to help him get up to his full potential. After my son was tested and the administrators found out what his IQ was, they had a completely different view of him. Due to the intelligence factor we never felt like our son was labeled. In fact, we told him that his condition gave him the opportunity to see the world differently than most of us do. It's like a Mac or a PC. Both get to the same results but their operating systems are different. The Mac has not been as common but in some ways has always been superior. I actually don't consider dyslexia a learning disability but the mainstream educators do not know how to teach people who process differently than they do.

I say PUSH, PUSH, PUSH and PUSH some more. Take advantage of any programs the school offers. They DO try to blow us off as if we aren't educated enough to know when something is up with our own kid. I think if they realize that you aren't going to go away they will do whatever it takes to help your son.

Good Luck!

If you are interested in having him assessed by people who specialize in Dyslexia, there is a place called Neuhaus Education Center (near Bellaire) that specialize in reading / dyslexia issues. Check out their website http://www.neuhaus.org for more info. You may decide to go the route of a tutor rather than full-blown testing, but they are one of the best places in the nation re: these issues. Lots of good resources for parents and teachers. Good luck!

Ask the school to test him now that way he can start the program in school next fall if he has it plus they can give you material for the summer if he has it. The program has really helped my son realize how his brain functions and how to get around it. Some kids have it worse than others. I've been in two different school districts and both have really been good at monitoring their progress and the steps to be taken. My son is 12 now and some of the things he tells me that he has learned about himself and how to get around it is awesome. They don't go to a different class they still go to their regular class room they go their at scheduled times. His old school he'd go for half a day once a week over here at this school they'd meet twice a week for an hour. Good luck and my son has taught me things to do to help me. We didnt have all these tools when I was in school.

Dyslexia testing can be done at a young age. However, much of the latest research on dyslexia suggests that testing done before the age of eight can be inaccurate. I know it is hard to wait when your child is struggling (been there). However, I would wait to see how the beginning of the year goes next year and maybe until he turns eight. Then be firm and insist he gets tested. Put your request in writing and follow up as much as necessary until the testing gets done.

N., I haven't been through this myself, but helped a close friend with her son when he was in the same age group as your son it. She is dyslexic, but wasn't diagnosed until her teens (if I remember correctly). When she noticed he was having trouble, she pushed the school to test. She knew the symptoms & signs, and really pushed the school. After months of meetings & discussions with teachers & administrators, she was finally able to get him tested for both dyslexia & ADHD. The discussions were all during the end of one school year, and testing wasn't until the next. During the summer, she enrolled him in Sylvan Learning Centers and that made all the difference for him. It's certainly not cheap, but he is a totally different kid. It really is just like the commercials- he's got more confidence, higher self-esteem, and he's been on the honor roll! We are so proud of him!

I truly help you are able to get your son the testing and some answers to go from there.

Hi N., my son also has dyslexia. What school district are you in? My son is in the second grade should be in third but because of his reading he was retained. They also told me that they would not test till third grade but I kept on and told them I would go to the district. Why would they wait that long when you see there is a problem now. My son's problems started in first grade, but he was in catholic school at that time and they could not meet his disability.

I would suggest you go to the district and pursue it. Your a taxpayer of the district so you have the right to have him tested. Tell them that it runs in your family, that is what I did. After you find out for sure if he has dyslexia, the puzzle starts fitting in. He will need a lot of help with homework. How does he do in Spelling? My son has a hard time because he spells the way he hears the word. Good Luck to You!

Hi N.,

It is amazing to me that most educators are uneducated about dyslexia. I am a Certified Dyslexia Testing Specialist in Midland, Tx. Current research proves that a child has symptoms of dyslexia as young as preschool. They can be tested as early as 51/2 years old. I like to test towards the end of Kindergarten or later. You can go to www.brightsolutions.us and watch a free video, "Could it be Dyslexia". It is wonderful!! You can also get a list of Certified Testing Specialists in your area from that website.

The school often does a poor job of testing because of the "criteria" they must follow. You are right. If you have dyslexia, 1/2 of your children WILL have it! Please watch the video to get the latest research on dyslexia. You can email me too and I'll help if you need it! L. Irvin

Don't wait for the school or the district to do something. Get him tested by an outside professional. It may cost a little out of pocket, but it is worth it, and when you get him tested privately, you are the owner of your child's information, not the school district, giving you more control over how that information is used.

Did his teacher recommend him for sessions with the school's reading specialist?

Stay on top of it. You're doing great!

S.

There is a great book called: "The gift of Dyslexia" This is a great book that will help you and inform you about Dislexia. I am dyslexic myself and it made me understand what happened to me in the first few years of school. Find out now ! The earlier you know the better for your kid and you.

here is the first chapter:
http://www.dyslexia.com/bookstore/firstchapter.htm

famous people with dyslexia (Henry Ford and Albert Einstein):
http://www.dyslexia.com/qafame.htm

Hi
I am having the same problem with my 1st grade son the teacher however told me if i requested in writing for testing for dyslexia to the principal and teacher the school is legally obligated to test him I made the request and they started giving my son extra reading help they said i missed the testing deadline but he would be tested as soon as the new year started
good luck and never stop fighting for what you know is right
J.

It is never too early to explore this possibility. If you are seeing indicators that suggest a difference, please follow up. I am a fourth grade teacher in a private school. I have been with my students since first grade, moving up one grade with them every year. Early intervention is such a gift!! Aside from addressing your child's academic needs, you will put tools in place before he and the other children are very, very conscious of what the other is doing. This is huge for their self confidence. Good luck and blessings on you for being open to exploring the possibilities for your child.

IT IS THE LAW THEY HAVE TO TEST IF YOU REQUEST IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know exactly what you are going thruogh I started to notice problems with my daughter in grade k. I disscussed my concerns with the teacher and was blown off. When she was not making any progress in the grade 1 I talk to my ped. He gave me alot of great info. and let me know of my rights when it came to dealing with the school. First you need to go to the teacher and ask for him to be tested If she gives you more of the run a round goto the principal and make the request it is the law they have to do the testing if you request it. My daughter was tested at the middle of first grade and diag. with dyslexia. She imediatly started to get the help that she needed. She is now inthe third grade and making great progress. Let Me know if I can help ____@____.com This is from my student hand book at leande isd Options and Requirements For Providing Assistance to Students Who Have
Learning Difficulties or Who Need or May Need Special Education
If a child is experiencing learning difficulties, the parent may contact the person listed below to learn about the
district’s overall general education referral or screening system for support services. This system links students to
a variety of support options, including referral for a special education evaluation.
Referral of students for a full and individual initial evaluation for possible special education services is part of the
district’s overall, general education referral or screening system. Prior to referral, students experiencing difficulty in
the general classroom should be considered for all support services available to all students, such as scientific,
research-based interventions and other academic or behavior support services. If the student does not respond to
interventions, district personnel or parent may consider referring the student for a full and individual initial
evaluation.
At any time, a parent is entitled to request an assessment for special education services. Within a reasonable
amount of time, the district will call a Pre-Assessment meeting to review current information, including a student’s
response to intervention, and the need, if any, to proceed with an assessment. At this time, if it is determined thatfurther testing is warranted; parents will be asked to sign consent for assessment. If evaluation is needed, the
parent will be notified and asked to provide consent for the evaluation. The district must complete the assessment
and the report within 60 calendar days of the date the district receives the signed written consent. The report will
be provided to the parent.
If at the Pre-Assessment Meeting, the committee does not recommend testing, the guardians are notified at that
time and given a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards – Rights of Parents of Students with Disabilities.
If a student is receiving special education services at a campus outside his or her attendance zone, the parent or
guardian may request that any other student residing in the household be transferred to the same campus, if the
appropriate grade level for the transferring student is offered on that campus.
Kendra Shaffer is the district’s contact person ###-###-####).

It's never too young to test for it, if you are noticing a problem. My middle daughter has been slow to learn to read, and it affected her in other subjects this year-3rd grade. Because of the lack of reading skills, she was getting a D most of the year in science because she couldn't read any of those big words. With our hard work at home, she is now for the first time ever an A-B honor roll student!!!!!

PUSH PUSH PUSH that school to get him tested. Also, call your pediatrician to see if they can do anything.

Good Luck and don't lose your patience. It's tough dealing with these problems, but it's worth it in the end!

Hello! My husband is also dyslexic and they did not figure out until about junior high which caused several problems. I would begin with talking to her pediatrician to see if they know of any programs and if they don't, then I would talk to either the school's principal or the early childhood development teacher or even those Sylvan Learning Centers. I believe the earlier you can figure this out, the better. My husband was placed in the special needs classes due to this problem and he was fine other than the dyselxia. Once he got help, his reading comprehension was well above where he should have been. He is still a little slow at reading but, he remembers almost everything he reads. I hope everything turns out O.K.

My whole family is dyslexic...and he may be or he may just be a bit immature. A lot of people try homeschooling for just one year or one semester...just to get their kid caught up in a more one to one environment. I always recommend trying it, I've seen kids (even way older ones) do just great going back into school after a little break. You can really focus your school and entertainment times on reading...library...reading with a cd...there is so much out there. If he is dyslexic it will be good for him, if he isn't it will still be good for him.

Sounds like your issue may be the teacher overall and possibly the district. My son justturned 6 and I thought he might have dyslexia also. He is very smart but was doing very poorly in writing and reading and mixing up his letters. I talked to his teacher and got pretty much the same reaction as you did. Then we moved 1.94 miles and had to change schools. When I talked to the administrator at his new school she said they would test him, also test his speech and seethe counselor. They are very proactive (love his new school) and did everything his first week at the school. And mind you this was stuff I was trying to get done for 3 months at his first school. Turns out he is totally fine. And he has a great teacher and she said she is shocked at how far he has come in just 7 weeks he is flat out reading and his spelling has improved 75%. She said that a lot of kids occur like they have dyslexia and somewhere around the second or third grade it all comes together. Which may be why they are telling you what they are.

Now I know that is not much "advice", so here is my advice - talk to the asst principal or principal and tell them your experience of the teacher and youur children's struggles. If necessary there are places that will test at nominal fees. Do what you need to do assure you...you know your son better than anyone. It is great you are concerned but dont use the internet to diagnose - it can scare you.

Now, my advice is wirth what you are paying for it so take what you like and forget the rest. Good luck, G-D bless.

You are your child's advocate. If you believe your son is dyslexic and has not been diagnosed, it is important that you pursue this vigorously now. It will effect his self-esteem if he goes on without the proper assistance. I am not sure, but I do not believe he is too young to test. Talk to the school Principal and the Superintendent, if necessary. Also, talk to as many people as possible to get a referral to a private company that can test him now. Good Luck and be strong!

I have a son who is dyslexic and he was diagnosed in the 2nd grade-but we lived in Illinois at the time. He was behind in reading so they got him some "extra help" at school-mostly with phonics. In 3rd grade we moved to Austin and he was tested and place in a Slingerland class. In a Slingerland class the teaching is all multi-sensory so it benefits all learning styles. He did great while he was in there. I can tell you that not only did he have trouble with reading, but he also had trouble with sequencing. If I asked him to perform multi-step tasks he would get confused. He could usually do two or three steps, but no more. Also, if he had to re-tell a story or event he got everything confused and out of order. However, he could take apart and put back together anything. So we ended up practicing our spelling words with magnetic letters, or writing them in sand on a cookie sheet. At your son's school there should be a counselor so I would recommend you go visit with the counselor. Explain your concerns and ask her about testing. Some of the larger districts have a reading specialist or even a dyslexia coordinator. If he falls further behind it will only add to his frustration. I would pursue the point by finding out of your school district offers Gifted & Talented testing at what age and make sure they offer intervention testing at the same age also. I will tell you to document everything and keep very good records. I would start with the conversation with your son 's classroom teacher-time, date ect. I had a 3 ring binder with all of my copies of paperwork that I took to every meeting-not to be intimidating but so I could be prepared to act in my son's best interest. Your son needs to feel positive about school and also feel like he's successful. For him to be placed means he is not really at grade level but they are putting him there anyway. The problem is he REALLY isn't ready for the 3rd grade, and I would suspect the school is just sending him on without regard for his best interests. Hang in there-you may have a bit of an uphill fight. However, it will be worth it if your son turns out to have some sort of reading disability or even dyslexia to get him some help as soon as possible.

The teacher and the district are not blowing you off! I am a third grade teacher that is has also taught special education and am certified in to teach the dyslexia intervention and identification program. It is wonderful that you have such a concern about your child; however, it is true what your child's teacher told you! It is uncommon to start noticing problems this early...they really have not had an educational opportunity as of yet to really be able to demonstrate learning disabilities!

Yes, there may be a problem; however, before you have him tested and labeled...find outside sources for intervention first. Tutoring or training! Plus give him a little bit longer. Furthermore...placed and promoted....same thing! The thought of retaining a child at such a young age is ridiculous! There is no proof anywhere that retention helps!!! Especially after only 2 years in school!

If you are truly concerned and do not want to let the testing idea go, you can request it and the district must honor your request....put it in writing. However, do not jump above the campus level...keep it there! There is nothing worse than going above someones head!

Good luck!

A child can be professionally diagnosed with dyslexia as early as five-and-a-half years old.

Although most public schools are reluctant to test children before third grade, and often encourage parents to wait and see if their child will "outgrow" his or her reading, spelling, or writing difficulties, research shows that waiting is the worst thing you can do.

If it's dyslexia, a child will not outgrow his or her difficulties. And it takes less time to fix the reading and spelling difficulties when dyslexia is discovered at age six than when it is not discovered until age 9 – or 19 – or even older.

You should push for the test. As a speech therapist who used to work in the schools and someone who has a little sister with dyslexia I know that they can test in 1st grade. True they prefer to wait till 3rd but at long as your son can read 2-4 letter words he can be tested. Push for it you are your sons best advocate.
hth

N.,
My major is in Special Education. I would say 1st grade is a little early to place a label such as dyslexia. However, great eye for researching it and seeking advice, catching something early can never hurt. Work hard with him over the summer one on one to try and help him catch up. This will also give you a better idea of what it is specifically that he might be dealing with while reading. It is VERY important to read with him often over the summer (maybe even purchase some of those reading workbooks to help - his teacher will be able to better guide you here) If a child is already struggling that summer time lapse can make things alot worse for him next year. I would continue to watch for signs in his writing as well, if he begins to write letters/words backwards this could be another sign to seek testing at a later date. But for now, he is still pretty young. Kinder and first grade kids are really just learning how to read, give him time and see how he progresses next year. Good luck & way to go for being so on top of this!!

I wish you would have included where you live. IF it's the Woodlands, insist on testing and there's a former teacher that lives here by the name of Joyce Harrison. If the school won't test, she will and when she tutored my son, it was inexpensive compared to many others. She's wonderful and she tests not only for dyslexia, but any other "disconnects" between the written word and what comes out of their mouths!! If it happens to be another processing problem, she'll find it. Good luck.

Schedule a meeting with the principal. They really do not want to start testing this late in the school year because the testing will problaby not be completed before school is out. However, schedule the meeting with the principal anyway and insist that your son be tested NOW. (Don't be surprised if it is scheduled for the first part of next year.) Tell them that you know he has a "LEARNING DISABILITY" and you insist that he be tested. When it is done through the school, then they will place him under a specific umbrella throughout his school career ensuring that he get extra help.

We were going to have our son tested in first grade; however, his teacher dropped the ball and the testing never happened. We were going to have it done last year; however, a medical situation arose and it was unable to be done. We have had him tested this year...we meet with the group next week to find out the results. (BTW...we held him back in 2nd grade last year due to the time he missed in school from the medical situation.) 1st and 2nd grade is not too young.

It is the school districts responsibility to diagnose your child at an early age. The teachers should have be working with you and your son already. My daughter was in kindergarten in Fort Bend ISD when her teacher noticed that she may have dyslexia. She said we should wait until first grade to give us time to work with her. We communicated at least weekly just about her potential for dyslexia. There are things that can be done at an earlier age than third grade. Third grade begins TAKS testing and believe me, you do not want your son behind in the third grade.
I would talk with the principal about this today before summer gets here. Talk to the district if they fail to respond. I have heard this from parents from other school districts that they had to fight for early intervention. Dyslexia is in my family. My sis has it and she is currently working on a masters in nursing. Your educational life is not ended with Dyslexia. You just have to learn to read differently. Good Luck!!!

Hi. I am actually a first grade teacher and have seen and dealt with many similar situations with parents. Generally, students are "placed" in the next grade level if they are just a level below the end of year benchmark. In my school district we "place" them and recommend summer school to give them some extra support over the summer months and hope that in that they will reach the benchmark. If the reading benchmark is met after attending summer school, a meeting should be held to discuss his progress and change the "Placed" to "Promoted". As for the dyslexia issue, the teacher (although I am sorry she blew you off) is pretty much right. Testing for such disorders generally doesn't occur until 2nd or 3rd grade due to developmental issues. In first grade many, many, many children struggle with forming or identifying letters (especially those that look similar: p, q, b, d), reading fluently, and comprehending even texts that they can read well. My advice is to allow him to attend summer school if it is an option, or use the summer to go to the library and help get him excited about reading. You may be surprised at how he develops both socially and academically over the summer between first and second grade. If you're still seeing that your son is behind after the first 9 weeks of 2nd grade, readdress the issue with his new teacher and let her know your concerns! Hope this helps and good luck!! You are a teacher's dream parent for wanting to do what's best for your son!!!!

Let me recommend a small private school for students with learning disabilities--Bay Area Academy (not the Christian academy). It is in LaPorte and is for grades 1-8. This school was instrumental in my daughter's education. We did have to have her tested by a psychologist, as proof of a learning disability is required for enrollment in the school. Classes are small with much individualized instruction. All of the teachers receive intensive dyslexia intervention training from Neuhaus Education Center in Bellaire.
Something I recommend that you do right now is to contact Neuhaus and find a tutor in your area. (I am assuming that you're in the Houston area. If not, the Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas is fantastic!) Contrary to a previous reply, it is NOT too early to be addressing any learning disability whether it is dyslexia or not. I say this not only as a parent, but as a professional educator.
A child whose parents are so aware of his educational struggles is truly blessed!
Bay Area Academy ###-###-####
Neuhaus Education Center ###-###-####

Contact the Learning RX in Sugar Land and ask for Betsy deVega. She has helped hundreds of kids overcome similar situations. In the process the children's self esteem is restored and all areas of their lives improve!
D. Elder
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