Dyslexia - Old Monroe, MO

J.,
I teach in KCK, and I was told by a Special Ed. teacher a couple of years ago that reversals are to be considered a developmental issue until 3rd grade. The state of Kansas doesn't even allow testing for this until 3rd grade. The law may have changed since then, but I don't think they would change this. Plus, the private testing option is always open.

Also, I agree that if the issue is only with writing, I would lean toward this being developmental. If he is making progress in Reading, then he is probably fine.

Good luck,
M.

Hi J.,
I'm checking to see if MO is one of the states that doesn't recognize dyslexia as a learning disability. I live in KS and our state does not. There are actually only 6 states in the US that do not.

There's help for you son out there, I just don't know if you can find it where you live.

I have training in Alphabetic Phonics, a curriculum proven to teach dyslexic children how to read. And where I live, in Wichita, KS, we have a facility that does training in AP and group tutoring for children. Of course, all of this costs money. If you'd like to talk about this, my cell phone number is ###-###-####. -K.

Hi J.,

My 9 year old has dyslexia. There is a lot of good, research-based, and FREE information at www.brightsolutions.us. There are free webcasts that tell you signs and symptoms, how to advocate for your child in school, what classroom accomodations are needed and common, and more. The site does sell a tutoring program but there is all the free info you need figure out what to do. I am studying to be certified as a dyslexia tutor since I ended up tutoring my son and really like it.

It can be hard to get what kids with dyslexia need at school because they have to be taught to read and spell in a systematic way that ensures that not even the smallest reading skill is untaught. Since so much changes year to year in a school, it is hard to make sure there are no gaps. Plus, they really need one-to-one teaching.

Good luck! If you have any questions or want to talk, you are welcome to e-mail me back!

L. C.

Please, please, please don't wait to check out the signs and symptoms. If he doesn't have dyslexia, you will be relieved. If he does, it will be easier on him to start NOW with what he needs. Especially since third grade is when kids start reading to learn instead of learning to read.

You should try contacting a Children's Hospital. I don't know where you live but if it's in Kansas or Missouri there is Childrens Mercy & they specialize in childrn's care & needs. As for you wanting to be a SAHM you can be! I've got a wonderful opportunity for you! It's Mary Kay Cosmetics & you can do it from your home, in your spare time at the studio or go to their homes. NO, it isn't a door to door thing & I'm currently building my unit so that I can leave my current job. The money you can make is astranomical & totally up to you. Most join it for the flexability, tax breaks, extra in come, the support & many other reasons. IF your interested in it let me know & I'll share the opportunity with you, it doesn't cost much to get started & you can go in with inventory OR build your way up..it's totally up to you. Good luck & God Bless!

My niece also suffers from this problem. Their eye dr. helped a great deal. Good luck.

Hi J.!
If you live in the state of Kansas, than you should know that dyslexia is not recognized as a disability. In essence, you must understand that dyslexia is just a form of "learning disability," but that there are many different types of dyslexia and learning disabilties (i.e. writing, reading, math, etc.). No one is saying that your kiddo is not intelligent. A learning disability is determined when there is a discrepancy of scores on the various areas that are tested by the school psychologist (or if you were to go to Children's Mercy or KU for private testing, than just the psychologist). The scores that are obtained are in verbal and non-verbal areas, with tests being done with reading, math and writing.
I am a speech-language pathologist for a local school district and have seen many students like your son. DO NOT PANIC! You may have read about using colored transparencies, to help your son see the print "better." You may take a look at that and see what color is his preference to use when reading and than when he is writing.
I hope that some of this makes sense and that you find it useful.
Best wishes.
In regards to your son still writing some letters backwards, it is truly okay if it is occasional. It is considered developmental.

I am 38 and have dyslexia. I still have trouble with lower case b's and d's sometimes and can read words out of order if I'm in a hurry. I had to practice handwriting a lot as a child and my teachers told me I would never get a job with my handwriting. I told them I was going to be a doctor and that usually shut them up LOL. Patience is the best thing you can offer your child. Coloring is a fun way to practice hand eye coordination and so are video games but I would let your child know that. Dyslexic people are usually highly intellegent. Eistein, Cher, Madonna, and Tom Cruise are all dyslexic. 8 is the hardest time because they are learning cursive writing. Be patient and try to find fun ways to practice skills and what ever you do don't make your child practice writing by copying to encyclopedia like my poarents. I hate writing now. I hope this helps.

I don't have any info I can share with you, but I can tell you that I have mild dyslexia myself...transpose letters sometimes..and it has not affected my ability to have a very good job as an adult and/or feel confident in my academic abilities and level of intelligence. I suspect part of this was due to my parents...and part may sadly be the school system I grew up in (late 60s til graduating from HS in early 80s)...I hear it's changed. personally I don't think for the better.

having said that, it might help to do a url on this situation. also the local research desk at the library can often be a great source..some of these reference librarians have great ideas.

good luck.

Check out Brain Gym and information on Perceptual Motor Training. Perceptual Motor activities are becoming more accepted and I have seen amazing changes happen for children with dyslexia. Juggling with scarves is just one activity that can help.

I am 38 yrs old and I have the same problem (dyslexic) there are alot of times that I have to read something and it is always easier to read upside down that right side up. Sorry I can't help ya but I know where you are coming from. If you find a way to help can you please let me know. Thanks

go to the teacher & ask "how" this can be pursued. Specifically ask if "the next step" would be contacting the school counselor. Many school districts have an in-house/not-known-to-the-public policy of addressing only teacher-based inquiries. (This request has to come from the teacher.)
BUT, it is quite common for children to flip their letters/numbers fully into the 2nd grade.
If this continues to be a concern for you, check with your health insurance & have your child checked independantly.

Don't be so sure your son has a problem. My son who is 7, up through the end of kindergarten (age 6 1/2) would sometimes write letters and even words backwards. It was bizzare, as most times he would do it correctly, but then (even on the same page) the same word or words would be backwards. It was like the word was written so that it would appear correct in a mirror, the letters were in reverse order and also in reverse direction. I was completely worried, and doing what you are doing...looking on the internet, thinking he had a learning disability, basically freaking out. My son is smart and catches on easily, so I figured it had to be a learning problem.

Anyway, I talked to his kindergarten teacher and she assured me that this was normal developmental behavior. As long as he wasn't doing it all the time, it was very common for kids this age to slip into and out of backwards writing. I didn't believe her, of course. But, sure enough, this year it stopped.

You need an educated opinion on whether your son has an issue or whether this is a normal devekopmental stage. It sounds like this teacher either doesn't know or doesn't care. Hopefully your school has a resource person who can answer questions about what is normal and what is not at the age of 8. Perhaps there is a principal who has a masters degree in early childhood, or a special ed coordinator who deals with disabilities who can offer assistance.

Good luck! And don't panic!!

not sure if this will help or not but, my daughter went through similar times. We thought the same things and went to have her tested and talked with the school counselors and teachers and read a bunch online but her issues turned out to be that she is just left handed... Being left handed, it's more difficult for the children to sometimes write the letters the correct way, because this world is set up for a right handed person, even the alphabet and especially the number system. It's just a matter of correction on Gracie's part, sometimes, I'll see a backward number or letter and ask her to check her paper to insure that everything looks right and she normally picks it up right away and she is now 10.

Hello J.. Go to dyslexia association site...you can contact them to find someone locally who can assist you with your son. There is a lot of good information at this site regarding education & testing.
If you are interested in being a SAH Mom contact Marge at ###-###-#### to inquire.
Blessings!

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dyslexia/DS00224 Go to this website for good information. Our son is almost 6 and we have concerns about this as well. He is in kindergarten now, but right before the school year begins next year, we are going to have him evaluated at KU Med Center. Children's Mercy Hospital also evaluates kids, but they have a 1 year waiting list. We live in the Kansas City area. I'm not sure where you are from, but you might check with your pediatrician for a recommendation for evaluation. This is a full evaluation in the behavioral sciences/developmental learning area of the hospital. You might check area providers and see what you can find.

Good luck!
B.

I am dyslexic, and did not do well with reading until I started reading to myself. You might try getting him to read quietly to you, so you can encourage him. Remind him that he isn't stupid, whatever the other kids and the teacher might think. I had lots of problems reading aloud, and I think that is what made it so difficult to get through grade school. Good luck, fun reading!

I found this wab site, not sure if it would be much help.
It does have a free talking browser and tips from other parents with children who have dyslexia.You can also get a free dyslexia magazine. http://www.dyslexia-parent.com/

copy link and paste in the browser
HOPE IT WORKS

My husband battled the same thing as a child and still now-his parents always thought it was dyslexia but it ended up not being dyslexia at all. It ended up being a written expression and reading (eye to hand) disability with similar "symptoms" as dyslexia. The only way anyone could tell the difference was to have him tested by professionals (psycologists, etc) who can distinguish the two or three apart in my husband's case. It is best to find out the difference, b/c my husband's parents never did (the school even said it was dyslexia) and when we got married- there was a lot of frustration with college- where he eventually quite. His parents thought as long as he passed it did not matter to get him help-terrible I know!! My husband is now 26 and just now trying to go back to school where we have found out that there are different techniques to help these unique learners- the key is to have a proper diagnosis so those needs can be met! Hope that helps! It is hard to try and help and not know what to do....but it is more frustrating to them- most the time they hide it thinking they feel stupid or dumb- trust me I have been there with my husband and his battle for 12 years!

I have not had to deal with this personally but I have known lots of people who have. Depending on the degree of the dyslexia, some kids will just learn to cope with it and adjust as they get older. However, if it is sever, there are things that you can do to help correct the problem. I know that in some cases, you can get a colored filter (kind of like a colored overhead paper) kind of thing that they put over their work which helps to correct the problem. I'm sorry I don't know more about it but there are options out there if you think your son is struggling because of the dyslexia. Talk to your doctor and they should be able to offer some suggestions as well. I hope this helps.

Is he in 2nd or 3rd grade? I teach 1st/2nd grade. If he just has the occasional reversal in letters, I would not worry about it. This is totally common at his age and the fact that it has gotten better is a good sign. However, if he is writing entire words backwards, I would be a little more concerned. I have a child in my class who writes complete sentences backwards, like mirror writing. Is he learning to read ok? or is he struggling in reading as well? If you cannot get his teachers to help you out, or if the district does not test for dsylexia, then I would talk to your child's doctor. Make sure you save some work samples to show what he's doing. Good luck. Try not too worry too much, I'm sure he'll be fine.

I'm not sure if you live in Wichita or not, but there is a pediatric optometrist, Dr. Pirotte, in Wichita. He can perform a screening on your child to determine if he has any visual perceptual vision issues - kids that do sometimes get wrongly diagnosed as dyslexic since it's difficult to distinguish the two issues from each other. His exam goes beyond the typical "acuity" exam performed by the pediatricians. The great thing is if issues are found, there's treatment that can help. (By the way, I don't work for this doctor or know him personally, I'm an occupational therapist and when we worked with kids in the hospital, he's the one we referred to and heard great things about). Hope this helps you and your son. As others have said, it may resolve on its own, this may just provide you peace of mind, and answers.

Hi J., I went thru the same thing 16 years ago. Back then they didn't have as many resources but thankfully the school tested Aimee for a (learning disability) we still don't have a name for hers. She was somewhat dyslexic but she also had comprehension issues when she finally learned to read. She had a resource teacher from the 3 grade up to her 11th grade when she herself decided it was time to do it alone. She was in regular classes and resource and ALL the teachers had to be on the same page as the resource teacher. If a teacher didn't understand why she or he had to treat and teach Aimee differently, believe me they learned. She had 3 Wonderful resource teachers over her school years and I know she wouldnt be where she is without them. She is a beautiful 22 year old and is working at a pharmacy as a tech. She still struggles occasionally but has learned ways to comprehend differently and she gets by just fine. So. Take heart. Have him tested at school and YOU do have rights and the school Does have to deal with this. It is a law. You need to talk at all feel free to email me.
deb kelley
Long Lana, MO
____@____.com

Hi J., I am 51 and i am dyslexi. Please have your son tested.You have every right ot be concerned and thank GOd you are listening to hat voice in you.From the time i was in kindergarden till my 12th grade year my dad made my life heck. I read well and tested with a very high IO. This is not uncommon, alot of people that are dslexic do this. My problems were and are with numbers. I was lost in math. I kept being punished for my grades and I gave up. I can't however wheen someone else spells outloud and make it out. It was a ongoing joke in front of my famil ,oh you can spell in front of J. she won't know what we are saying. They still do this. My est friend daughter, same thin. High IQ, thankfully she got her tested and she graduated college and is married with her own child. Please for your child's sake test him. I find the older i get it is very hard for my to spell correct, as you will read.. My reading was very fast and i could zero on anything i wanted and wa interested in reading. On that you have to push a litlle harder because maybe lack of interest. I wouldn't even say that really. They teach dyslexic kids very erly now. Good Luck and God Bless. Be very patient and you put your child first. Family members may not want to deal with.Teachers my not want to either. MAKE THEM! This comes in many forms,please feel free to ask me anything. I cant even remember phone numbers for a minute. When i dial the numbera get so distorted. god Bless. prayers for you and your child, J.

DYSLEXIA IS A LEARNING DISABILITY!!!!!!!!
I am the mother of two sons who have Dyslexia. Please ask the shcool to test your son and again to test your son and again to test your son. My older son is now a freshman in college and has struggled with school. My younger son was discovered at third grade and began tutoring at once. The younger son has done much better with the early intervention. He is reading almost at grade level. But he has an IEP for his classes and gets extra time to read his tests.
The Churchill School in St. Louis is known thru out the nation for the great work they do with Dyslexia.
Go to there web site www.churcillstl.org

J.,

Dyslexia is a term that is often misused. It refers to a problem with letters and words therefore effects reading and writing. Writing backwards and having reversals is a developmental issue that most children grow out of. I would be concerned if your son is still having reversals at the end of second grade. However, you can request that your son be tested by the school district, they are required by law to provide testing at a parents request. The test will identify your sons IQ and then determine if he is working at that level in reading and writing. If not, he will most likely recieve some services to help him. Good luck, and remember-you know your child better than anyone else.

Dyslexia is a learning disability in that people with it learn differently from others. There are many different types and degrees of severity. There are still a lot of people out there who don't believe in it. Also, it is difficult to diagnos before the end of the second grade. Your child literally has to fall below grade level before much can be done. As a public school teacher, I know that many school districts discourage teachers from informing parents about their rights because of the cost and the fact that there is only a limited amount of funds for all forms of special ed. That said, you need to educate yourself on your rights and insist that the school test your child. If they won't you may be able to get private testing and have the district pay for it. You will have to follow through to make sure that your son gets the modifications at support he needs. You may need to look into getting an advocate. Check out the International Dyslexia Association. I worked with several great people from there a few years back when it was the Orton Society. Good luck.