11 Year Old Daughter with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia

I have dyslexia and I was diagnosed in the third grade when I was in high school I was goofing around trying to find things that might work I would struggle everyday having to read things up to 6 times trying to get what others got the first time when I read that dyslexics can wright mirror imaging I flipped a book upside down and got better retention by the time my mind flips it right side up I can remember more So you don't read it backwards just upside down good luck!

Where do you live? I work in the Palo Alto Unified School District Special Education Services. I have access to many brains on the subject. Sit tight and I will come up with some info.

Hi C.,
I'm new to this group and am glad to hear I'm not the only parent with a bright, dyslexic child. My son Ian, now age 12, was diagnosed with ADD when he was six (the younger, non-reader test was used), but nothing was done until he took the Star exam at school in 1st grade and got in the 1st percentile (as close to zero as you can get!). That's because he couldn't read, either!

It took a long time to figure out the ropes of the school district's special education system to get him into an RSP class half an hour a week, but in the spring of 2nd grade his primary disability showed up when doing Brain Gym. He could not connect his right and left sides by doing mirror drawing. First we brought him to the Dyslexia Center in Santa Rosa (no longer here, I'm sorry to say). He learned how to manage his visual difficulties and think of dyslexia as a unique skill rather than a disability. He also qualified for services for the visually impaired such as books on tape for free, which he still enjoys but doesn't really need any more.

In the meantime, he was referred for vision testing with Dr. Robert Christiansen in Mill Valley, who is a developmental optometrist. He did a lot of unique testing and discovered that the etiology of our son's vision problem was developmental. He never stopped the Morrow Reflex, which should stop about age 6 months. That gave him an affected WALK, which I had thought was an intentional goofiness. He had a hard time complying with the treatment protocol due to his ADD, but he got rid of the affected walk and got a very good vision analysis out of the deal, which the school psychologist LOVES. Betty Ann Judah at The Dyslexia Center is also dyslexic and a passionate advocate of disability services for all dyslexics. She not only came and did an in-service free for the school staff, but she gave us the makings of a 504 plan for our son, which we took to the school and is still in place three years later.

Ian also went to a local pediatric opthalmologist who gave him vision exercises. That worked quite well despite the fact that he also had trouble complying with the treatment protocol and didn't do it for long. It strengthened his eye muscles so they worked better together to compensate for his brain not doing so.

Our son will probably never love reading, but he thrives in an arts-based, Waldorf-inspired school setting, where his learning style (auditory-kinesthetic, for the most part), is considered normal. I'm completely different from him, and was reading books at age 4 and never had to study. However, I am beginning to appreciate his many talents as I try to remain open to the possibility that he may not be "college material" despite his obvious intelligence. It's just a different type of intelligence. It's up to him to make use of the opportunities we and the school can provide for him. I am encouraging him to do as well as he can at everything and focus on what he loves to do. I can't see him in a public school, although the charter school he is in now is very much like a public school. He seems to like the structure, which keeps his ADD in line. BTW, we treated his ADD with allergy treatment (a local chiropractor named Cindy Zafis who does applied kinesiology) as well as the focusing, NLP, and other well-known techniques used at the Dyslexia Center.

It really takes someone who knows dyslexia well to help get the school to provide the right services. Just help your daughter be okay with who she is and celebrate the fact that she can probably see in ways most of us can only dream of. That's the gift of dyslexia, being able to see all sides of an object with the brain when even the eyes can't see it. It makes for fabulous visionaries, artists, and imaginative and creative people in general.

Best of luck to you and your daughter. Being "special" can be something to celebrate!

E. Black

Hi,

One of the best methodologies is to use the Orton Gillingham/Wilson's technique to help the child learn to read.
It is a multisensory tech.. The public school system does not use it but there are tutors around who can help or other privae schools that use this. I would read "Overcoming Dyslexia" by
Dr. Sally Shaywitz who had studied this with her husband over the past 20 yrs.. and even has resources for schools at the end of the book.
I would also call the International Dyslexic Society . You can get their information on the internet.
Unfortunately, I don't know much about Dysgraphia but I am sure many kids have the same thing and you can ask along the way for this help as well.

All the best,

Carolynn

Hi C.,

My son (now 16) has dyslexia and dysgraphia and I have dyslexia. I love the way my brain works! It allows me to think "outside the box" for problem solving, I also see in pictures. Give me directions someplace and I see the roads from a birds eye view in my mind! These gifts have opened so many doors for me!

Find your daughters strengths and celebrate them! She is special and gifted. Use them to help her learn. One of my sons strengths is rythem and big muscle movement, we discovered this when he sat down at a friends drum set and played like he had been playing for a long time! He sounded great! To memorize spelling words he would jump while saying each letter of the word. He would learn the words very quickly which sped up the homework.

For writing, I had him first make the shape of the letter with his body and his brothers bodies on the floor. Then I asked him to make a huge letter in the air, then on a big piece of paper or whiteboard using both hands at the same time, then smaller and smaller until he was writing normal sized print. This helped use the big muscle and rythem to teach him to write. Before we started this his writing was impossible to read and everywhere, after doing this for the whole alphabet you could read his writing and it was straight.

We gave him a drum set and lessons. He has trouble reading the music but can play what ever he hears or sees! His friends like to come over to the house to hear him play!

We found many work arounds for him without letting him give up. I always tell him how smart he is and that he can do anthing he wants to do, some things just take longer to learn that others and maybe a "different way" to get it! If you would like more information about work arounds that I found for him and myself, I would be happy to share.

Hang in there, working through this will show your child they can acheive anything that comes there way with a little hard work and patience.

J.

Hi C.,

Check out dyslexia.com. My husband is dyslexic and so are my two girls 10 and 14. We spent thousands of dollars on all the programs out there and finally found the Davis Dyslexic Association International. My husband and I are both school teachers and he quit his job and got licensed to become a Dyslexic Specialist through their school in San Francisco because he was so astounded by the results it had on him and our girs. We have never found anything that help so much in so little time. Good luck!!!
L.

C. B, I am a retired Learning Disability teacher, K-grade 4. I was fortunate enough to teach in Texas, where they have a wonderful program through the Scottish Rites Children's Hospital, in Dallas, TX. They have a program that uses a mathematical formula to teach the alphabet. I have seen it work. But what you need to know is that it doesn't sound like the rest of your daughter's needs are being met. Dyslexia is a strange critter (for lack of a better name), it not only effects her ability to read, but also her ability to write as well. That in turn messes with her spelling.
An example of what I am writing about is the first grader I had that I worked 1-on-1 with his whole first grade year. To a true dyslexic, the letters don't make sense, but they are usually really good at Math. An 'A', isn't the same from day to day. He and I worked with the three letter words; cat, sat, fat, bat, Matt, can, ban, fan, tan, and everyday when he came to my room, we had to start all over. I worry about that child, he moved out of state the year before we started the program I mentioned. If the alphabet is not recognizable, how can you spell?
My own granddaughter is very hyper (and I thought dyslexic), and thankfully the public school she attends has a program to help her. Her inability to read has made her ability to write, something she can't do, and she doesn't have dyslexia! She has her own Individual Education Plan (IEP) that allows her to have a shorter spelling list, she is allowed help in subjects where she has to write, like social studies & science. Now in the 8th grade she is allowed to use a computer to write her assignments (with spell check, and grammer check). When she was tested she was in the 4th grade and already 3 grade levels behind in reading and language (writting), but now in the 8th grade she is reading at grade level 7.5, woo-who! She was such a happy child until kindergarten, then she became withdrawn, angry, and went into her shell. Yes, she is on medication for the hyperness, and that has helped as well. It allows her to concentrate. If she were a true dyslexic it wouldn't help. Grandma was wrong. :o)

The following is something I found by just plugging 'Dyslexic training for teachers & parents into my search page:
www.dyslexia-teacher.com/certificate.html Dyslexia course - dyslexia training by distance learning; dyslexia ...
Training course for teachers and parents for children with dyslexia; certificate; teaching methods, recognizing dyslexia, assessment, books. [Some of those sites mentioned distance learning, that your daughter might do at home or through the summer.]

I realize this has been long, sorry, it is sort of one of my pet projects. I cannot stand to see a child that can't succeed as well as the rest. The site I listed, mentioned a northern program as well as a southern program. If I can help, e-mail me.

B. Meadows

P.S. I didn't see anything about a program on the EMDR for Dyslexia. Try plugging that into your search engine. You really have to watch some of those things. But educating yourself about the condition, is your daughters best protection.

Hi C.,
My son is 12 and his also dyslexic.. pretty severely actually... have you looked into the Lindamood Bell programs? My son really responded to that. He jumped 2 grade levels in reading in 13 weeks. it was quite amazing.. he went from a kid struggling at a 2nd grade reading level to a a kid more confident in sounding out words in a 4th grade reading level. We can never really "cure" them of dyslexia but we can give them the tools and the strategies to work with it and around it. My son goes to the Charles Armstrong School which is a school devoted to kids with language learning disabilities. I'm not sure where you live but a school like this really teaches the how to succeed despite their dyslexia. email me anytime. but really, check out Lindamood Bell...they are amazing.

-C.

C.,
Although these education programs can be extremely helpful in showing kids how to adapt for their handicap, you won't get to the source of the problem until you address the root cause of it. The sooner, the better.

I urge you to read "Gut and Psychology Syndrome", by Dr.Natasha Campbell-McBride. This book rocked my world, and 2 months ago we started her program - it's still early, but I am convinced this shows more progress than anything else we've tried.

She treats dyslexia, ADD/ADHD, Autism spectrum disorders, dyspraxia, and other diseases as a physical illness/toxic overload/digestive malfunction. She has had a lot of success - including with her own autistic son, who is now "normal".

Check out this site: http://www.guthealth.info/
Click on the 'Research' button.

Hope this helps,
-B.

Dear C.,

I'm writing late because I didn't subscribe to Mamasource at the time of your original question. My (nearly 10-year-old) son has various learning issues, including to a certain degree dyslexia.. another story for another time, but through action on those issues we heard about Tomatis therapy, which was suggested by one of my son's speech teachers. We were a little skeptical but gave it a try and it really was a good thing for our son's reading. It basically consisted, in my son's case,of listening to filtered classical music while not even thinking about it, playing games with other children at the Tomatis center, and later reading aloud and hearing back into earphones what he had read. It's non-invasive and of predetermined duration (not a year-long thing like occupational or speech therapies), and I recommend it 100%. I don't know if it's available in your area, but I recommend it to friends whose children are dyslexic or have other issues because it was so good for us.
best regards and good luck! It sounds like you're doing all the right things to help your daughter thrive.
K.

Hi C.,

I cannot answer for dyslexia, but I have a son who was diagnosed with NLD and he has dysgraphia. I live in Japan, so there is not that many resources available for us. However, when we go back to the US in the summer, I have sent him to an OT for help with his writing (we have used the Handwriting Without Tears program). Now, that he is in the 3rd grade at a private school, his writing assignments are increasing, and although he is writing out his assignments himself, I have started looking at assistive technology for the future.

I also recommend visiting www.SchwabLearning.org, which is a parents' guide to help kids with learning difficulties. It was actually started by Charles and Helen Schwab who were looking for resources for their son who was diagnosed with dyslexia, but it covers many other areas that are associated with raising children with LDs.

Bravo to your daughter for her spirit! Keep encouraging her, and continue to let her know you love her and you are very proud of her. Best of luck to you--

Hi C. -

Wow, you're doing great things for your daughter -- Kudos to you for the work you've already done!

EMDR is a great therapy -- I have one client and one friend who have tried it, both with good success. Go for it! Look for a good practioner who works with LD kids, and one who your daughter likes. Any therapy is best when there is a good connection between practioner and client -- otherwise, it will turn your daughter off.

As to the homework -- ARG!!!! Your daughter needs to understand that she is a bit different -- we all are -- and that's OKAY! Instead of getting permission to sign off on homework, work with the school to ensure that the teachers assign her LESS homework to begin with. That way, she can be successful - as it is now, she feels like she is failing and that will impact her self-esteem. She needs to understand that she is unique -- not stupid -- and because of her LD simply cannot do as much busy-work as other kids. That does NOT mean she is not as smart, or that she is not as capable. Downplay the homework at home -- have her do the long-term projects and the work that is truly meaningful and ditch the rest of it. She should have FAR LESS homework than the other kids, not more -- including the work she is doing on the LD! Push back -- hard if necessary -- on the school to make this accommodation.

Also, if she is having trouble with fluidity of writing (e.g., it's physically hard for her to write or key), consider getting her some occupational therapy for her fine motor skills. Lots of kids with LD have this component as well -- they are focusing so hard on getting the words/numbers down, that their writing is not fluid.

Finally, if you haven't checked out LDOnline, it's a great site. When your daughter is a bit older, and if she still needs help, check out my website as I work with LD kids 14+.

Best of luck, C. -- you are amazing and your daughter will be FINE with your help!

J.

Dear C.
I gradutated from college with a BS in a science discipline in 1993. I have enjoyed a successful career ever since, and the contacts I made allowed me to meet a great guy and have a good life with 3 children. I never passed pre Algebra, took it 11 years from 7th grade until I was a sophmore in college; that was 22 semesters! I was considering becoming a college dropout when I met someone who told me that I might have disgraphia and I received help. I had tutors, I qualified for preferential treatment with early enrollment for certain impacted classes, and I was able to get time and 1/2 for my tests and finals. Also, I petitioned the Board of Regents in my state to consider and grant me permission to substitue some math classes for other science classes to meet my graduation requirements. So don't worry about your daughter. With your concern and guidance, she will be successful. Learning disabilities are inconvienent but they don't stop you, and "no" doesn't mean no; it means to find another way. She'll be alright.

I am a 60 year old mother and grandmother who had to deal with my oldest son's struggle with academics because of a head injury as an infant. What I have told all my children no matter what their challenges are is work hard on the things you can do and don't agonize over the things that come harder for you as everyone of us has strengths and weaknesses. Build your strengths and accept the fact that there are some things that will be a challenge.
I am currently living with a woman who just finished the story of her life as the wife of a brilliant physicist who has dyslexia so she just found someone who could write who put it all together for her. She also writes poetry but struggles to get it down which is okay with her as it turns out to be an even greater achievement when she finishes one. Her book is "Misadventures of a Scientists Wife" by Frances Townes. She is 92 and has never published before, so anyone can achieve what their heart desires.
I hope this encourages your daughter to focus on her strengths. She will go far if she does that.
The book is availeable on Amazon.com

I am a special education teacher and my 'mantra' is "Fair doesn't mean that everyone gets the same. Fair means taht everyone gets what they need." I use this saying for both classroom teachers and students who feel like your daughter. It help them to understand that every student is different and it is okay. I love the idea of using a laptop for her written work. Also the Federation for the blind offers books on tape/CD. If your child is on an IEP, ask the liaison to add "books on tape" as an accommodation. The special services office can order these and you can buy a player to use at home.
M.

Hi C.,

I have a 13 year old son with Aspergers/dysgraphia etc. and have struggled with homework, especially written which really increased in the fourth grade. I had an occupational therapist work with my son and she encouraged him to hold his pencil between his first and middle finger instead of between his first finger and thumb. What a differenc it made. My son said for the first time his hand did not hurt. Writing is not nearly the struggle it was. Also try to encourage the teacher to reduce the writing she assigns your daughter. Many do not like to do this but it would help.

Good Luck

Several of you have posted about needing testing.........Scottish Rite Hospital tests children for dyslexia and has a good program. If your child is in the FW ISD, you can talk to your school counselor (I'm a school counselor for FWISD) about getting testing and the requirements. Dyslexia does run in families (though not always present). I love what others have said regarding it not being a disability, but a gift. It's important for our children to not feel a stigma from this, but to be proud of their differences, no matter what they are.
T.

C.,
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Santa Rosa and I have some ideas that I have used with the special needs kids I work with (I am also a mother of 3 daughters, one of whom is a 20yr old who has special needs-So I have experience from both a professional and personal perspective!)
One thing that may be helpful would be to see about getting a lap top for your daughter, so that she can use that for her work both in class and out of class. For many kids who struggle with the challenges your daughter has, typing on a computer makes school work easier. Also, if she is only required to "do the school work she can" during class time, with no pressure from herself or others, she can finish the rest at home. It sounds like you are doing all the right things....Remember encouragement is one of the greatest tools of support! Also, bright children with challenges like hers can benefit from counseling to help them to manage frustration and to give them tools to support themselves when feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, so they don't "beat themselves up in their heads and create negative voices" that can last a lifetime. When looking for an appropriate therapist, be sure your daughter (and you) feel comforatble with the therapist, and try to find someone who has experience with children faced with challenges. I am certainly available to share more information/ideas, if you are interersted!? L.

C.,

This may be a bit late - but I just saw this today. I didn't read any of the advice below - but would recommend you have your daughter checked out for Irlen Syndrome also known as Scotopia. Go to www.irlen.com. My son had problems reading but had perfect vision - we found out about this and he went from sounding out every letter to reading with the normal flow of a child his age. He is 8 and doing great - he's only been diagnosed with this for just about a year - but the 'overlays' or 'glasses' made a huge difference for him.

good luck!

Hi C.,

I have a 6 year old in first grade who was just diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dysgraphia. I found that when she types things on the computer for example her spelling words she does very well, something to do with having to hunt for the letters has made her brain remember the words. She gotten an A on the last three test something she never gotten we were luck if she got one word right. I've asked her teacher if she could do a lot of her work via the computer because she remember things better this way. Just someone who has a child with similar problem lots a pray too.

Maria
msalina72stx.rr.com

Hi,

I'm a teacher of 4,5 and 6th grade enrichment students and prior to this taught 6th grade for 6 years. I have had a lot of students with your daughter's disorder. It's more common than you think for kids to have this issue. My advice is to be very patient, but don't let her slide. If she doesn't want special treatment on assignments then have her do her work in blocks of time. If she's on a roll then let her keep going. This is helpful for a lot of kids to see things in chunks so it's not so overwhelming. You may need to start in very small blocks to start and build from there. I'm no expert, but this has worked for me and I hope will for you too.

K.

I am new to this journey. I've been told by specialists that my 9yr.old son who's struggling in the 4th grade and my 5yr.old daughter who's flunking Kindergarten both have most (if not all) of the symptoms of Dyslexia, but school and medical don't test specifically for it. How did you ladies get your children diagnosed? How much does private assessment cost? A while back I found a good Dyslexia website and tried some things they said can help. I just got some of our son's papers back, and they did help. He still needs a lot more help to catch up and we need to find out how to begin to help our 5yr.old or she won't make it through Kindergarten. I wonder if there's any moms in Elk Grove that have Dyslexia in their family interested in exchanging information, advice, and or possibly getting together? If so, just send me a message with your e-mail & number and we'll share our Mommy Dyslexic experiences...

Dear C.,
As a member of the International Dyslexia Association, I know that there hasn't been any research or studies done that corroborate an association between EMDR and mediating the effects of dyslexia. I would recommend sticking with Barton or another research based reading program that is phonological in nature. If you feel that your daughter is not getting the support in school that she needs you may want to consider private remediation. Getting services outside of school might also prevent feelings of "being different" than her peers.
Check out IDA's website for more information at www.interdys.org. Sally Shaywitz has a great book titled "Overcoming Dyslexia" as well.
All the best,
A. Dolin, M.Ed.
www.anndolin.com
www.ectutoring.com

Dear C.,

KUDOS to BOTH you and your husband for being pro-active with this matter. My son is dyslexic as well, and I can't get his father to take the proper action for him, and I worry about his self-esteem and self-concept all of the time.

I would suggest that you always, ALWAYS instill in your child that she allow herself to realize that if SHE takes responsibility for speaking up for what she needs in the classroom, whether it be more time on tests, sitting up close to the teachers, taking the tests outside of the classroom, cutting back on homework (it is not the QUANTITY that counts, it is the QUALITY AND UNDERSTANDING of what she does complete that counts).

I also understand her desire to not be 'singled out' from her peers. Remind her that Whoopi Goldberg is dyslexic, Tom Cruise, and that Albert Einstein himself had disabilities. President Lincoln had a nervous breakdown before he became President of the United States. Teach her at a young age that having a 'hidden' disability isn't a 'problem', it is just the gift that God brought her into this world to grapple with.

The more love and support she gets at home for being who she is, not the issue of what makes her different, the more likely she will handle her challenges with dyslexia.

I hope this helps, and God bless you!

Hi C., I also saw your post for the first time today, I have a question for you. Our son spent the first 9 weeks in Kindergarten, he was of age by 1 week, he did not do well, we pulled him out. At the 9 week conference, by then, we already knew he wasnt doing well, his teacher had serious concerns about dyslexia, and she didnt even know my husband is also dyslexic. Our son was in a private Christian school with only 9 students in his class, so she had time to work with him.My question is, what is Dysgraphia? I have never heard that term? When he restarts Kindergarten in the fall, I want to be armed with all the info I can. I hope to put him in private school next year, but if this economy doest turn around, I will not be able to.I barely make the bills every month, I cant afford all those programs others were talking about.Thanks for any help you might have. Good luck with your daughter, we can do this! God Bless, A.

C.,

I am a 41 year old stay-at-home mom to 5th and 2nd grade boys. I have been under sooooo much pressure and stress to help Nate, my 2nd grader. They tested him for Dyslexia and he didn't get diagnosed with it but I wonder if we have Dysgraphia. Did you go outside the school district to test your daughter? Did insurance help? I've heard it is like $800-$1,500. to get diagnosed.

Nate spells really bad and is very bright in Math. He spells unside down and backwards and I'm so sad to see him struggle soooo much. Spelling Pre-test nights and morning before are hard for me.

Any advice,

D. West

Hi, I know it's got to be hard on you. My brother had dyslexia in a bad way, my mom took him to Steven F Austin in Nacogdoches, tx and he's doing awesome now. He is a programmer and makes great money. You might want to call them at the Steven F Austin University and find out what they do there for dyslexic children. It was a long time ago but I am almost thinking it was sylvan that was in the building we went to. I will double check on that for you and get back.

My son was very dyslexia and memorized all the words, as he couldn't understand how to read. The school teachers were horrible and they blamed him for not trying. By seventh grade he could not sound out a two-syllable word. The traditional method of "PHONICS” did not work with his brain and that is all they taught. Not being able to read also means not being able to write sentences or do math word problems. I was advised to try Parents Helping Parents, PHP in San Jose. They gave me advice in what to ask the school system and what I could demand as a parent. (I was on the verge of suing the whole county school system.) A new counselor entered the school and talked of success with the "Linda Mood Bell Method" for dyslexic kids. That week they got a reading specialist who gave my son 20 lessons of one hour who taught a version of the "Linda Mood Bell" method. It is where you feel the words in your mouth; they are called "tongue tappers". Each syllable is associated with a mouth feeling. The feeling in the mouth of where the word is spoken zings to the brain and comprehension is astonishing. He went from not being able to sound out a two-syllable word to being able to break down and READ BIG words. He learned how to read. It was a miracle.

He has graduated high school and is taking college course. This method works. Ask your school system to get a specialist who knows this method. They are obligated by law to provide this. Find "Parents Helping Parents" PHP in San Jose and they will help you. (They may be other places also.)
Gale

My son went through a rough time in elementary and middle school with dyslexia. He now holds a Masters Degree in Business. At the time and the school district we resided in had no help for him.He struggled every night with his homework.I thought he needs to love reading and learning so to encourage him he learned to read from comic books and video games (the orginal simple atarti games).When he entered high school he had taught himself to read. He was an honor student in college and he he LOVES to read. He reads daily, he is into sci-fi and also has turned into a writer and an artist. Just try to find a way to make learning fun!

I'll add one more answer to your already wonderful answers about your daughter. I had a son who was finally diagnosed with mild dyslexia and we too had him do some special summer tutoring while in grade school. It was not until he hit high school that he started to come into his own. The turn around started in 5th grade when he read his first book The Hobbit which I found hard to read myself. But he went on to read all the Russian authors and absorbed what he read and he and I have a special relationship as when I got divorced he lived with me alone for two years as his sister was in college. I think that it must have been frustrating for him to watch his sister fly through books. He continues to be a slower reader than his sister but he more than makes up for it in other things. He picked up on the first time he used a computer at a job that he passed me in no time. Your daughter will probably progress faster as she gets older. We are lucky that dyslexia is diagnosed faster than it was when I was in school. I did not have it but I never even heard of it til I was out of college. J. N

Hi C.,
My son is severe dyslexic and he goes to an outstanding christian tutor twice a week. I know of two now that do the specialized tutoring that I can recomend to you.He could not read it, the, was any of the words kindergarteners learn easily. After 1 year he now reads paragraphs. She used Lipps?Bell and then Susan Barton with him. I also got him tested by Anita Covey who is an outstanding tester and a retired doctor.She let me watch an wonderful video called what is Dylexia. It showed the studies of the dyslexic brain by Harvard and Yale. Instead of there being road maps in the brain there are clusters that are not specifically labeled for anything so the word "the" cannot be recognized after already seeing it before.The average brain is 10% smaller in one hemosphere. The Dyslexic brain continued to grow and is equal size in both hemospheres. So they are smarter because they have more brain mass. The brain mass just needs special training. I also got my son signed up for the Reading For The Blind And Dyslexic. It cost 100 dollars a year and they will read all of his school books onto C.D.'s I bought him a Victor Reader throgh the same company and He can type in the page number he is on and it goes right to it. We also get books on tape from the Braille Library and he loves listening to books now. They don't have many children's christian authors though. E-mail me if you want any phone#'s D. Hadley

This might sound stupid, but have you had her vision checked? I mean, beyond the 20/20, read the eye chart thing. There is vision therapy out there that is quite often covered by insurance. Major changes can be made in 4-8 months.

Good luck!!
N.

C.,
I have Dyscalculia. I have always been labeled Dyslexic but, in the last week doing much research came to the new conclusion that I am Dycalculic. I have not been able to get my degree because I cannot do the Math. There are so many learning disorders out there, much of the research that I found was in the UK.
Once I learned to read I did well. Reading at College level by 4th grade! I still can't spell.
Never let your child be downtrodden. If she wants to go to school to be a Scientist do all you can to help her. Find out which schools will help the LD and go from there. The future is bright, just keep working together.
N.

I have read the many other wonderful responses and I encourage you to take it ALL in! Unfortunately every child is so DIFFERENT. sometimes you have to try many different things to find out what works best for your child. We tried all kinds of things for our son who is now 13yrs. old. The most important criteria is when your child is truly ready to deal with the learning issue that she has. Once this happens, it is easier to identify what will help.
Some things do improve with age. We ahve come a long way and have gone through many of the programs that have been mentioned. OUr son is about to graduate from the NILD program. He ahs done very well with it but he has been ready for the challenge! Keep educating yourself as much as you can.

Hi C.,
I have a friend that practices EMDR and has seen great results in patients with troubles like your daughter's. I'd be happy to connect you with her, just let me know!
Best,
L.

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Hi C.,
I don't know where you live. My husband and I are both Dyslexic. He has a photographic memory and memorized the beginning reader at school. When he changed schools mid-year he continued to recite the old book and they figured out there was a problem. I was always in advanced classes but reading well below grade level. It wasn't until they diagnosed my younger brother and tested the rest of us that they also diagnosed me.

I have always struggled with reading, easily distracted, re-reading the same paragraph to understand it, eye tire easily. When writing I will transpose b & p, d & t. I visually spell (if it 'looks' right or wrong) and write by ear (if you wouldn't say it that way, it's wrong). I went to voc-tech school and UMass. I rarely opened a book because if I didn't understand it from the lecture I most likely wasn't going to make more sense from the text. I had access to the text-to-speech reader for the blind but it was so hard to understand (in the late 70's early 80's) that I usually skipped it. I always could ask for and receive extra time on quizzes and exams. I graduated with a B in Plant Science.

My husband's parents were on the committee to make Chapter 766 a law in Mass. He went to the Carroll School in Lincoln MA where they specialize in Dyslexia. http://www2.retrieve.com/carrollschool/upload/scs_images/...
Today he reads computer texts that are 4-500 pages long and is self taught in computer repair and networking.

So far none of my children are Dyslexic although I am suspicious about my 2nd grader and his struggles with spelling. My daughter reads so fast, it took her 12 hours to read the last Harry Potter book. To this day it is a struggle to read my husband's writing and it is almost impossible to get a job that doesn't require some level of written communication. Reading is something we require the kids to practice daily and we all practice our handwriting for an hour each weekend. I encourage the kids to read chapter books, which they do, but they love graphic novels and as long as they are reading and it is age appropriate I'm happy.

So, be a good role model and read often to yourself and aloud to your daughter. She will learn through time how to work around the difficulties she has. I remember being pulled out of class in Jr. High and feeling singled out. See if you can get some of the tools from the school to practice the Barton Method at home on the weekends so she doesn't feel different from the rest of the students.

Best of luck to you and your daughter.
D. C

I feel for your daughter, I had Dyslexia as a child. Its not fun and I felt stupid. I hated going to special reading classes. Always stay positive around her and never let anyone call her stupid or dumb. That stays with you even as an adult. C.

As I'm sure you know, EMDR is mainly used for treatment of trauma and PTSD. There is very little research out there showing it is helpful for dyslexia but keep surfing the net and you may find something! I would highly recommend vision therapy for your daughter. My daughter is not dyslexic but had a covergence problem. That is when the eyes do not work together properly. Vision therapy helped her. Check online to read about it and read the testimonials. Your child can have 20/20 vion and still have "tracking" or "eye teaming" problems" that make reading and comprehending very difficult. It doesn't work for everyone but I know several children with AD/HD dyslexia and various learning disorders that have tried it and been very happy with the results. Behavior problems are often improved with vision therapy. The information children take in with their eyes needs to be tranmitted properly to their brains which can't happen if the brain is being given 2 different sets of information at the same time. Read about it! Interesting!
http://www.childrensvision.com/dyslexia.htm
http://www.visiontherapy.org/
http://www.visionandlearning.org/dyslexia08.html

My mother-in-law used to assist a doctor with vision therapy and she says it was extremely rewarding! The difference in the confidence of the kids as their reading improved was amazing.

There are tons of article online about vision therapy and how to find a qualified therapist/behavioral optometrist in your area.

Good luck and take care. Your daughter is very lucky to have you as her mother. Your constant searching will benefit her!

I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was 12. I don't know much about EMDR but I found meditation to be helpful. I use it as a relaxation technique (deep breathing and thinking of something calming.) It takes practice but it can really pay off. I used this same technique during my C-section and it freaked out my nurse because my heart rate got so low.

I hope you find the help your looking for.