International Dyslexia Association Meeting in San Antonio

Why seek private assistance for your child?

I just read a wonderful book by Lawrence J. Greene called "Finding Help When Your Child Is Struggling in School.", Although this book is becoming a bit dated since it was published in 1998, it is filled with helpful information and I recommend it.

I am often contacted about dyslexia testing, which I do not offer. So what is it that I do, and why would someone need to hire me?

Greene addresses this question on page 163:

There are six basic reasons for seeking private supplemental learning assistance for your child:

1. Your child doesn't qualify for in-school remedial help.
2. Your child has qualified for the resource program but is not responding positively to the assistance.
3. You believe your child's learning deficits haven't been accurately identified and/or treated.
4. You want to see greater progress.
5. You want to accelerate the speed of progress.
6. You want to make certain your child resolves her deficits, or learns how to compensate successfully for them.

Homework Help

I know that homework can be such a struggle in families! From research, we know that dyslexic brains work about five times harder than other children's brains when performing the same language task. Dyslexic children are often exhausted at the end of the school day, which makes homework more of a battle.

Suggestions:
- Graphic Organizers. Dyslexic students often read content books and spend so much time decoding it that they have no idea what they have read. Have them write an outline or use a graphic organizer to help with comprehension. One of my favorites can be found here.

- Help your child stay organized. Have a dedicated place to work, with all of the necessary tools (pencils, paper, ruler, pencil sharpener, dictionary, etc). For more resources on getting organized and study skills, I recommend books by Walter Pauk.

- Help your child break down assignments (especially projects) into smaller steps. Dyslexic students may be overwhelmed by the assignment and not know where to begin.

- Encourage and motivate your child. Work out an agreement with him, i.e. "If you complete 30 minutes of homework without argument for five nights in a row, you can receive an award from this list." (list can include things like extra video game time, having a friend over for a playdate or sleepover, family game night, staying up past bedtime, etc.)

- Use technology to your advantage. Use websites like studystack.com to review concepts. Use text to speech software such as ispeech.org. For concept mapping, check out webspiration. Did you know that Microsoft word offers auto summarizing? It is not on the standard menu, but you can follow the directions on Microsoft.com. You can find other summarizing software for sale as well.

- Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. Many people do not realize that this fabulous resource exists! If your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia, you can access this resource. rfbd.org

Keep in mind:
-Dyslexics have a hard time copying accurately and quickly. This coupled with a memory issue means that they don't always have the correct information for the assignment. You should be able to work out a system with the teacher - perhaps she can post the homework assignment online, check your child's agenda, etc. Another option is to find a "phone buddy" to call in case your child isn't sure about the assignment.

- Dyslexics need more time to complete tasks. If your child spends hours on homework every night, talk to the teacher. Accommodations can be made.