Seeking Answers to My Question.

I'm a school psychologist and agree with everything I've read from others. The other thing I wanted to add is that schools are also beginning to be required to give students extra interventions in areas with which they struggle before a child is given an IEP. This way, students can get the help they need more quickly and without having to go through the special education process and without having to receive any kind of diagnosis. In schools, this is called "response to intervention." If your grandchild is struggling with reading in school, you or his/her parent may want to ask about this possibility.

They would have to be tested by a pyschologist. The weird thing is is that there is a "medical" diagnosis for dyslexia, but not necessarily one in education. I worked in a school where a student had been tested by a psychologist, but the special education department didn't qualify the student for services because they have different qualifying standards. Pretty crazy. Start wtih your local school and request that the child be evaulated. There are new special education testing regimens, but it would be a place to start.

J.-

I was a teacher before I became a SAHM. Ask the school (principal and classroom teacher) to review your granchild for an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). They will have a psychologist test your grandchild and the child will be evaluated by all of their teachers. There may be other issues that come up during the review. If it is determined that there is a need for an IEP, a meeting will be set up- and services will be discussed. Your granchild could get extra time on tests, or modified assignments ect. I STRONGLY encourage you to pursue an IEP- any extra help can bring kids miles and give them more self confidence once they are having academic success.

Hi there,

Dyslexia is actually a medical term that is normally not used in schools. In the school system it would be considered a learning disability in reading fluency or comprehension. Is your grandchild having difficulty in school? You would probably want to start by talking to his teachers and sharing your concerns. Does he seem to read slowly. Does his reading sound "choppy"? Can he identify letter sounds? Does he understand what he has read and can answer questions about the story accurately? In most schools, there are simple assessments that can be given to indicate whether or not a child might be struggling in reading, so communication with the teacher is important. Good luck!