Overcoming Dyslexia with LKA | Resources for Parents and Teachers

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

Fri, 11 Oct 2019 10:58:13 GMT

These are things we think you should know!

It is Dyslexia Awareness Month!

We think you should be aware of the following to help the one in five with dyslexia. Current science confirms the following.

There is a definition of dyslexia in U.S. Federal law. The First Step Act says…

“The term ‘dyslexia’ means an “ unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in the phonological processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell.”

It is unexpected because these children are bright.

They have to learn to pull apart the spoken word into smaller parts called the phoneme. Since this does not come automatically, they can also have problems with spoken and written language. They will often read with much effort as they work to decode and recognize words. They use an inefficient system for these tasks but it has nothing to do with reasoning, creativity, or problem solving.

This means that reading can be hard but reading aloud to a trusted professional or parent can allow gentle correction and introduction to new vocabulary.

The child should not read easy books over and over.
Dyslexic children need to increase their vocabulary so reading aloud enables this as well as the introduction of new ideas.
If a dyslexic child is reading silently and reading words inaccurately, a comprehension test mistakes inaccuracies for a comprehension problem.
The dyslexic child works hard to read but their comprehension skills are usually good.

Teaching the child to “decode” in an explicit and systematic way is important but there is only so much time in a day. Time spent to attain perfect reading, spelling, and handwriting which are all phonologically based, takes time from reading out loud and the benefits listed above. The dyslexic child should read authentic literature out loud daily, one on one or in a small group, with a discussion that allows the dyslexic child a chance to participate in oral language. The phonologic weakness can manifest in difficulties when retrieving words especially if nervous. Give the child time to answer and participate in a discussion.

Remember, dyslexic children are bright.

Tell your self and tell your child. School can be hard but learning should be fun and dyslexics are often the first to get the “big picture”. Help them identify and celebrate their strengths in arts, sports, or drama.

Make sure they always get accommodations of a quiet room, longer test taking time, and text to speech if needed. Reassure them when all seems tough.

Send us your questions and schedule a visit with Louisiana Key Academy.

What to do with your Child over the Spring Break

Fri, 19 Apr 2019 03:30:33 GMT

Encourage your children to ask: What, When, Where, Why and How?

Spring break is that, a break from school but not a break from learning. Parents can inspire their children to want to learn even when away from school. Consider these great activities for your kids and family!

Send your Child Outside

Nature is full of creation and science. Tailor the goals with your location and age of the child. They are naturally curious.

For young children visit a nearby pond or lake. There are mommy ducks with their babies. Discuss habitat . Consider visiting the Bluebonnet Swamp, LSU Lakes, or take a longer trip to Lake Fausse Pointe State Park in New Iberia! Butterfly gardens are also a great place to visit.

Make this an opportunity for rich discussion. Discuss:

· What flowers attract butterflies?

· What colors, textures, and shapes are the flowers?

· Pick a flower, dissect and investigate.

· Along with pollen comes secondary effects on our eyes and sinuses.

If a trip is not within reason, hang out in your back yard or at a local park. Older children should get outside and exercise. Enjoy a walk or bike ride.

Visit Museums

Make a habit of visiting museums no matter the age!

Baton Rouge Museums

· Louisiana Art and Science Museum

· Capital Park Museum

· Southern University Museum of Art

· Knock Knock Children’s Museum

· USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and Museum

New Orleans and Other Locations

· New Orleans Museum of Art

· The National WWII Museum

· New Orleans Jazz Museum

· The Cabildo

· Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame

Be Amazed with Science!

Visit LIGO or the Highland Road Observatory ! Load the sky gazer app and go out at night. Talk about the Greek or Roman gods named in the sky.

Enjoy Math…Make it an Edible Experience

Cook and eat together! Cooking is a great way to learn fractions. Try these great recipes or celebrate a place and cook their local cuisine. Dress up!

· Baked Chicken Fajitas

· Lunch Box Pizzas

· Pancakes

· Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Critical Thinking

Watch a documentary about a particular timeframe, nature, or science. Look at a map or globe for reference. Maybe buy a big map for your wall!

Current Events

Talk about current events and build content knowledge and vocabulary. The tragedy of the Notre Dame fire, Charlemagne, Passover, Easter, Measles vaccine and possible epidemics are all current events and topics of interest.

READ

Buy a new book on your child’s favorite topic. Let your child read silently and aloud. Listen and discuss. Check out these recommended spring reads from LKA

Have Fun!

What to do for My Child that is Struggling in School?

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 21:48:58 GMT

Who to talk to and when you should take action for your struggling reader.

If your child is not meeting age or grade level milestones it is best to consult your pediatrician and/or someone at the school. Many times a parent will be told to “wait” or “don’t worry, he’s a boy” but this may be the wrong advice.

When Should You Seek Guidance?

Children that are behind in language skills at two or beyond should be seen by the pediatrician.
If your child is four or five and cannot remember the alphabet or numbers or has difficulty with speaking words correctly.
If a child is six or seven and has the above and/or is struggling in school, you should talk to the teacher.

If the pediatrician or you decide to talk to the school, start with the teacher first. Ask the teacher how your student is functioning in the class relative to peers. You want the teacher’s honest assessment and if your child is struggling academically or working much harder than the other children to stay on task, your child needs to be evaluated by your pediatrician or by someone at the school.

Public schools use a system called RTI- Response to Intervention which pulls children that are struggling (usually in reading and often dyslexic) out of the classroom for a limited number of weeks. If your child is in RTI, you want to know what testing or evidence led to this decision. You need more information and not assurance that six or eight weeks fixed everything. Have your child read aloud and if it is difficult, slow, or with little emotion, your child needs to be evaluated for dyslexia.

I would look at www.dyslexia1n5.com for more information about dyslexia and how to have your child evaluated.

Education Plans for which the Dyslexic Child is Eligible

Children with dyslexia are eligible for a 504 plan (accommodations) or an IEP (Individual Education Plan) if the dyslexia is moderate to severe. 504 plans will not guarantee (not a legal document) any educational programs but for a dyslexic child it can include time and a half and text to speech. This will not teach your child how to read but is necessary for any dyslexic as they are smart but “read slowly and with much effort”.

An IEP is a legal document and proscribes the “guaranteed” education for a child with “special needs” such as dyslexia. This is offered at Louisiana Key Academy because we have trained teachers and the specific curriculum for children with dyslexia. Most schools, public or private, do not have this.

The law is on your side even if the school resists your efforts to identify why your child is struggling and get the necessary education for success. For further information about the law and dyslexia contact kreggio@dyslexia1n5.com.

More Reading:

What to do When your Child Has Dyslexia

Read Out Loud

Is your Dyslexia Tutor doing enough?

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 16:58:44 GMT

5 Things your Dyslexia Tutor Should be Doing

1. You want someone who understands dyslexia and understands a child’s strengths and their weaknesses. Teaching them to read and write can be hard so a tutor must let them show off their strengths. It might be a sport, art, music, or loving their pet. Reaffirm constantly. Be patient.

2. A child must learn they need to pull words apart and connect the written text with the sounds of spoken language. The tutor should understand that dyslexic children can have difficulty with word retrieval, especially if anxious.

3. Your child needs more than an Orton-Gillingham lesson/tutor. These lessons are good but these alone will not suffice. Your child needs to read books that are of interest and that are grade appropriate out loud with the tutor. Gentle correction from a trusted tutor is important. The tutor should encourage the student to talk about the story after a few pages or a chapter, discuss the vocabulary, and relate it to the child’s interests. Maybe they can write about the story together. Let the child dream about the story and hopefully understand the treasure of reading a book.

4. The tutor needs to understand that dyslexics often have difficulty in math. Math has language too. It is not a separate process. Spelling is difficult for dyslexics but reading out loud will help. Tutors should not give spelling tests or spend precious time on spelling.

5. The tutor needs to see your child several times a week for an hour or ninety minutes. Good tutors know dyslexics often have ADD/ADHD and can tutor a child that wiggles or wonders. A good tutor loves and laughs and understands the tremendous potential of your dyslexic child.

Live in the Baton Rouge area? Check out the Dyslexia Resource Center for tutors and more services for parents and educators.

Primary School: Testing for Dyslexia

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 21:26:53 GMT

Two reasons to screen in kindergarten or first grade

Without screening and identification as dyslexic, these children have a greater chance of dropping out of high school, not enrolling in college, earning decreased wages, and a greater likelihood of incarceration. Waiting does not improve their outcomes.

There are two important reasons for universal screening of children in kindergarten and first grade:

1. An achievement gap is present in the first grade between dyslexic and non-dyslexic students. This gap does not go away and will widen if not the child is not identified as dyslexic and addressed specifically.

2. Children with dyslexia can be identified in kindergarten and first grade and should be enrolled in an evidence based program like Louisiana Key Academy.

The Shaywitz Screener

A screening test for dyslexia should be reliable and easily administered. The Shaywitz Screener is administered by the child’s teacher. The teacher, after spending months with the child in the classroom is the person most likely to accurately assess the lack of skills that would identify a child who is “at risk” for having dyslexia.

Once identified, additional testing must be undertaken to ascertain which children are dyslexic. The children should be in a group of six or less with a teacher who is truly knowledgeable about dyslexia and instructs the child in phonological awareness and letter identification. This should take place for ninety minutes daily and include reading out loud .

Currently, children in the early years of school are identified as struggling academically and given help (usually in reading) without screening for dyslexia. The child is often tested after six weeks and deemed either “ready” to stay in the regular classroom or “needs additional” help.

In this scenario, the child has been identified as struggling academically and provided additional resources, and then tested on whether to return to the regular classroom.

Standardized Tests and the Dyslexic Student

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 21:10:23 GMT

Testing that is designed to kids with dyslexia

Standardized testing in 3rd grade and beyond has become the accepted evaluation of student learning and teacher effectiveness. It is said that standardized testing is necessary to prepare children to take the ACT as a junior in high school.

However, does a standardized test in the 3rd grade and beyond predict college entrance and graduation for dyslexic students?

Dyslexic students struggle on standardized tests. They are multiple choice tests. They are long tests. They have lots of words that the student has to work to decode and read accurately. When you have to work hard to figure out what the word is, you have less energy to then decide what the word(s) mean.

The standardized test measures the dyslexic child's weakness and not their strength. It does not reveal their intelligence, their persistence, or their knowledge. It can lead to the child and teacher feeling defeated.

How Louisiana Key Academy works with Dyslexic Students

At Louisiana Key Academy (LKA), the teachers understand dyslexia and realize the standardized test does not measure their effectiveness or the children's potential to get into college. If a dyslexic child is not reading on grade level, which would be most dyslexic children, the teacher should work on teaching the child to read and write on grade level (for all subjects). Rather than teach to a test that does not measure their knowledge but measures their disability.

Accountability is a great idea but to be fair to schools like LKA, accountability has to be valid. Most dyslexic students are sitting in schools and are not identified as such. They make up about twenty percent of the students but at LKA they are 100% of the students.

The failing scores of dyslexics at other schools are diluted by non-dyslexic students. This is not so at LKA. Dyslexic students are measured against other dyslexic students, a more valid test could be created for dyslexics, or measures of reading fluency could be tested.

Most importantly, educators and parents need to understand what dyslexia is and that these bright children do not outgrow it. In a system of standardized testing, reassurance of their intelligence and outlets for their creativity are important. This system will eventually change over time as college admissions have changed but the children in elementary school currently need to be identified as dyslexic and given an education like the one at Louisiana Key Academy. Their self-esteem and life time aspirations depend on it.

Where to Find Public Schools that Cater to Dyslexic Children

To find an elementary school that is identified as dyslexic and given an education similar to ours at Louisiana Key Academy. Go to the Reading Well , where you can choose the state you live in.

Dyslexia: Four Facts You Should Know

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 22:18:48 GMT

There is confusion about dyslexia. Many believe it is reversing letters of the alphabet. It is not.

Dyslexia is defined as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader; and most commonly due to a difficulty in phonological processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, spell, and often learn a second language.

School is about reading, writing and speaking. Dyslexia affects all of these. It looks slightly different in each child, but it is that inability to match the smallest part of the spoken word, the phoneme, to the letters and letter groups comprising written language.

With all of the articles available on the internet, it can be hard to discern which facts are well researched and which ones are fake. Here are four facts about dyslexia that every parent should know:

Overcoming Adversity with Dyslexia

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 18:11:53 GMT

A LKA parent experience with handling dyslexia at school.

Self-esteem is defined as a confidence and a belief in one’s own value. Children spend the majority of their time at school. This environment shapes a sense of worth for many kids. However, school can quickly wreck the self-esteem of a dyslexic child.

We know that the achievement gap between dyslexic and non-dyslexic children is present in the first grade. Non-dyslexic children are rapidly improving their reading skills while dyslexic children are struggling to read simple words or learn the alphabet. Since most parents and teachers equate reading skills with intelligence, the dyslexic child often feels inadequate at school.

These bright students do not read at a level that matches their intelligence and they are often called lazy or dumb. When we founded the Louisiana Key Academy it was to help students not only excel in school but also sustain or improve their self-esteem. Since then we have helped hundreds of kids and parents. The parent story below is just one of many amazing child experiences.

For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel like something was wrong with him …

My son would come home every day and cry and ask, “Mom, why am I stupid and no one else is?” How, as a parent do you look into your seven-year old’s eyes, and reassure him that he isn’t stupid but that his brain just acts a little different from everyone else’s? His self-esteem plummeted. He would never read a book out loud to anyone but me. He became very introverted and never wanted to do anything outside of the house.

The next school year, he started first grade again. His grades were much stronger with A/Bs and an occasional C; however still receiving a lower grade in reading. He was having occupational therapy a few times a week after school. He had speech therapy once a week after school. He was meeting the Reading Interventionist every day at school for thirty minutes and he was still being tutored three times a week after school. I met with the interventionist towards the end of the school year and she told me that she saw only the slightest improvement with his reading, although she would have expected it to be a little more since she worked with him every day.

I was paying thousands of dollars in tuition and this school really didn’t have the resources to help my child. It wasn’t that they didn’t try to compensate for his needs; however, my child didn’t fit in the “normal” mold of students in his lass. The school was not going to change their teaching habits for one child. So, they tried to mold my child to learn like every other student although it was impossible for him.

I found out about the Louisiana Key Academy and immediately contacted them to see how I could apply. My son started LKA the next school year and a few days into the school year, he came home and was excited to talk to me because he found out that a boy in his class had trouble reading too, and so did a girl in his class. For the first time in his life, he didn’t feel like something was wrong with him because everyone in this school was just like him. Hes self-esteem picked up a little each day.

The Louisiana Key Academy uses a systematic evidence-based curriculum called Neuhaus. The teachers and reading interventionists are trained to teach this curriculum. The more knowledge he gained through the Neuhaus program about how letters work to from words, the higher he held his head. He stopped referring to himself as “stupid!”

The pivotal point in this journey with my son was at the end of the school year. My son had a project where he had to be a famous American. Each child dressed as the person and had to present an oral project. My son chose Steve Jobs. While my son chose Mr. Jobs because he loves video games and Mr. Jobs created my son’s favorite way to play them, we learned that Mr. Jobs was dyslexic. We were able to use his report as a way to show each child in his class that they can succeed – it just takes hard work and dedication. As I held my breath, my son stood before his entire class and their parents and read his report out loud (Something that he has never done – EVER).

We might not have a cure for dyslexia, but together, we can find a solution.

- Stacie Antie, Parent

Dyslexia Does Not Define Me

“The debilitating effect that dyslexia can have on a child’s confidence and sense of self-worth is aggravated by the fact that the very time reading and input most dominate reasoning and judgment in conventional test results, is the very time children are at their most vulnerable.

Recognizing that the difficulty in reading dyslexia causes can be mitigated by training, that alternate ways of acquiring information can be emphasized, and that dyslexia does not imply anything about a person’s ability to reason, analyze, or communicate can give students the patience to continue to work and achieve, and give their teachers and parents the patience to help and support them.”

-David Boies (US Senate Help Co.)

Screening children for dyslexia in kindergarten and first grade is vital for the child understanding at early age. Those with dyslexia are identified and given evidence based instruction and the assurance of their self worth. Learn how to help your child with our parent resources .

Read Out Loud

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 23:34:02 GMT

Can You Tell if Your Child is Struggling?

Is your child or student struggling in class? When your child reads aloud you will learn a lot about how they read . Have the child read in a private setting from an age appropriate book of interest to her/him.

Is it slow, choppy reading with pauses, unrelated to meaning? Is there difficulty pronouncing the words correctly? Does the child know a word and two lines later not recognize the word?

What Are the Right Questions You Should Be Asking?

Is it slow, choppy reading with pauses, unrelated to meaning?
Is there difficulty pronouncing the words correctly?
Does the child know a word and two lines later not recognize the word?

Children with dyslexia read with much effort and have to spend energy to read accurately and therefore they can miss the meaning of the story or paper. This can be confused with comprehension but in a child with dyslexia, higher level thinking is not a problem, decoding is. They are using an inefficient system in the brain and must work hard to pull the word apart into its smallest parts.

So, their brain is working extra hard to break a word down to know what the word is rather than a simple automatic read of the text. They may read accurately but without full meaning. They may score well on accuracy but not on fluency.

The road to becoming a fluent reader

The goal should be for them to become fluent readers. Fluency is the bridge between accuracy and comprehension (Dr. Sally Shaywitz, Videoconference Series, March 2017 DRC/Yale). When they read fluently, they are reading accurately, rapidly, and with prosody (correct intonation).

This takes time and practice. When a child is reading with prosody it means they are struggling less with decoding so they understand the content of what they are reading. They understand emotions or if a statement is a fact or a question which leads to comprehending the meaning and details of the story. Comprehension is a result of fluency combined with reasoning, critical thinking and vocabulary. A child with dyslexia must become an accurate reader with prosody to then have the energy and time to use his/her reasoning for comprehension.

There is no timeline or short cut to achieving fluency for the child with dyslexia. Reading connected text/stories/books out loud daily is crucial to attain fluency. Children with dyslexia will find this hard and they will not like it, but it will lead to fluency so they can understand the written word as well as they understand the spoken word.

What to Look For When Hiring a Reading Tutor

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 21:19:37 GMT

Help your child progress toward reading fluency.

Do you have a bright child who is struggling?

When thinking about a reading tutor, you must first understand that learning to read is the foundation of success in school and if your child is struggling or behind grade level, then time is of essence. Most bright children who are struggling with reading are dyslexic whether they are identified or not.

There are many gimmicks available so it is important to understand reading in a general sense. Reading starts with the identification of the letters of the alphabet and linking the sounds of the alphabet the written symbols. Children then take simple words apart and break them into phonemes and then reassemble them to read the word. For example CAT has three sounds C… A… T… If you are not dyslexic, then this occurs fairly automatically. As you are introduced to simple words and build upon this letter sound system the non-dyslexic acknowledges that words can be pulled apart to match the sounds of the spoken word. For dyslexic children this is difficult.

When you know you need to hire a reading tutor.

If your child is struggling to read it is important to know if they can pull the word apart as above (C...A...T…), which is called decoding and/or if they are reading by sight words. Reading involves both decoding and memorized sight words. The ability to do both results in a better reader. It is important to know if the child can decode.

Children can read simple material if they have memorized words but as text becomes more complex they will reach a roadblock. The approach of the tutor, the skills addressed, and how and what progress is monitored is important. Reading as a skill set takes off in non-dyslexic children in first and second grade so if your child is behind, time and money must be used wisely.

What to look for when choosing a tutor.

1. Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) or Practitioner (CALP)

Or someone who has almost completed this training. ALTA (Academic Language Therapy Association) can help you find a CALT in your area. There are plenty of reading tutors with no formal training and those with few days of training.

2. A tutor that has trained and worked extensively with dyslexic children

If your child is struggling with reading they are most likely struggling with spelling and writing. A good tutor understands this and has a comprehensive knowledge of dyslexia and will love your frustrated child.

3. The tutor needs to work with your child’s school and their teacher

To ensure the child is progressing toward reading fluency using decoding skills and oral text reading. Your child should not be overwhelmed by two systems of language, one with a tutor and one with a school.

If you need a reading tutor to help your child learn to help your child learn to read contact us at 225-384-5484 or fill out our contact form .

What to do when your child has dyslexia?

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

How to understand the intervention tier model offered at your school.

Struggling readers in the classroom (demonstrated in reading and or math) are referred to RTI (Response to Intervention). There is variability amongst the tiers in schools as to what is appropriate practice in each tier. The interventions and the instruction are research based, which means they are based on theory and not evidence. Here are explanations of each tier.

Tier 1 - is when additional resources are provided in the classroom or your child can be pulled out for additional support, usually no longer than 8 weeks.
Tier 2 - For those not showing “improvement”, Tier 2 would pull the child out for instruction in a small group to “catch the child up” on the general classroom lessons. This, again, is for probably no longer than 8 weeks.
Tier 3 - Individual instruction is provided that would vary from location to location. It is important to know that most dyslexic children in any of the tiers do not have a diagnosis and therefore are not getting instruction specific for the dyslexic child. If the child does not make progress in Tier 3 they are referred for an evaluation to consider Special Education. A parent may ask for an evaluation at ANY time.

The above intervention tier model does not help a dyslexic child.

Universal screening for dyslexia ( Shaywitz Dyslexia Screener ) is needed in K and First grade. We know the deficit is present in first grade and does not go away. (Jpeds, Nov, 2015). If your child is at risk of dyslexia, additional testing and an evaluation should be done immediately to make a clinical diagnosis of dyslexia. It should NOT be made on the discrepancy model but on a preponderance of data.

What to do after a dyslexia diagnosis?

Once the diagnosis of dyslexia is made, the child should receive an evidence based instruction, specific to dyslexia. This instruction is not for 8 weeks or 8 hours.

Teaching these children is difficult but it becomes more difficult as they age so early diagnosis is crucial. The teacher must have a depth of knowledge and training so that they understand the implications of dyslexia in reading, writing, spelling, speaking and math.

Dyslexia does not go away. It is for life.

If a child does not learn to read in the early years, they are less likely to graduate high school and/or college and are at risk of decreased wages and a possible life of crime. (JTXMed,Drs Moody et al)

Accommodations are necessary, such as longer test taking time, but accommodations without serious instruction will not teach a child with dyslexia how to read fluently.

Progress monitoring must be valid and include connected text fluency. Teaching children a few sight words to pass a single test is not an honest assessment of their reading ability. Also, a child may read a paragraph but not be fluent enough to read all the grade level material. One test cannot confirm a diagnosis or progress.

Parents must understand what dyslexia is so they can advocate for their child.

Do you still have questions about researching ways to test your child? Give us a call: 225-298-1223 or fill out our contact form.

We are Here to Help Parents and Educators Identify Dyslexia

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Could a Child You Know Be Dyslexic?

If you as a parent or a teacher have a bright child that is struggling to learn to read in school, please read on. Dyslexia can be identified in kindergarten and if given the proper instruction dyslexic children can read without an audio device. In public schools, the law says the parent or teacher can initiate the process of evaluation for dyslexia. This “ child find ” is described below in an excerpt from a letter sent out by the U.S. Dept. of Special Education.

OSERS/ Melody Musgrove sent out a letter in 2011 regarding “child find”. It said that identification of children with disabilities should be timely and that no procedures or practices delay that identification. It further said that some instances, “LEAs maybe using Response To Intervention (RTI) to delay or deny a timely initial evaluation for children suspected of having a disability.”

It further stated that the “While the Department of Education does not subscribe to a particular RTI framework, the core characteristics that underpin the RTI modes are:

students receive high quality research-based instruction in their general education setting;
continuous monitoring of student performance;
all students are screened for academic and behavioral problems; and
multiple tiers of instruction that are progressively more intense, based on the student’s response to instruction.”

It further says, “children who do not respond to interventions and are potentially eligible for special education and related services are referred for evaluation; and those children who simply need intense short- term interventions are provided those interventions.”

The OSERS/Musgrove letter further stated that “the criteria adopted by the State:

(1) must not require the use of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement for determining whether a child has an SLD
(2) must permit the use of a process based on the child’s response to scientific research-based intervention; and
(3) may permit the use of other alternative research based procedures for determining whether a child has an SLD.

In other words, as Dr. Sally Shaywitz said …. “very foundation and basis of dyslexia whose definition resides in a comparison between a person’s reading (accuracy or fluency) and his intelligence, level of education, or professional status. Thus, dyslexia at its core and in its definition is disparity within the person, not comparing one person to another.…. In diagnosing dyslexia, you are comparing that person’s reading ability to his cognitive ability, educational level, or professional stature.”

Where can I get help?

We is here to help parents and educators so that children with dyslexia are identified and given the instruction needed for them to succeed. Issues can arise as when to test for dyslexia, how to test, what kind of instruction is necessary and for how long? How do I know my child will learn to read? Graduate high school?

If you have questions about your child or a child in your class or school, please call us at: (225) 298-1223

How to obtain special services for a bright student who struggles academically?

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 00:00:00 GMT

My child is struggling at school and I feel they may have dyslexia.

Children with dyslexia have a difficult time getting the special services needed in school because schools often use a formula looking at the discrepancy between their IQ and their school achievement.

This gap must be large per a formula to qualify for special educational services in schools. That can mean that the child must be failing rather than have mediocre grades despite much effort put forth by the child. That means failure and shame are often necessary to diagnose a valid entity – dyslexia.

The federal government allows this model but said it cannot be the only method of evaluation. Unfortunately, many schools use this formula as it allows a “fill in the blank”/calculator approach rather than really understanding what dyslexia is and the services a child with dyslexia needs. Instead, the school can and should use a “preponderance” of appropriate data.

Why is this problematic for students with dyslexia?

Children with dyslexia have average to above average intelligence. They read using a different pathway than non-dyslexic students use to read which means they read slower and with much effort. The pathway used is not as “efficient” as a non- dyslexic child. For children with dyslexia to learn to read equal to their IQ, they must be identified as dyslexic and taught in a specific way that works with their alternate reading pathway. If not identified, the child may be labeled as “lazy” or “dumb”.

This “inefficient” pathway slows down reading despite their intelligence. So, they must be identified, given the appropriate instruction, and always get more time for reading and testing regardless of their grade(s).

This alternate system is used for reading but not for critical thinking. Parents see these bright children with normal to above normal IQ’s struggle with reading, writing, and speaking which can be confusing. But, it is crucial for parents and educators to understand this concept. A bright child struggling academically needs to be evaluated by appropriate tests for dyslexia.

Dr. Sally Shaywitz says, “the disparity within the person, not comparing one person to another..” The discrepancy model will often prevent the child being identified as dyslexic. But, an evaluation of the correct tests/data and discussion with the parents and the child will lead to the identification of children with dyslexia.

What can you do now?

Louisiana Key Academy offers a place for your child to learn and be evaluated if you suspect they may have dyslexia. Please look at the information on our web site, https://www.lakeyacademy.com/admissions , to apply now. You can also contact us for help or additional information.