Overcoming Dyslexia For Dummies

by Wood, Tracey

• ISBN13: 9780471752851
• ISBN10: 0471752851
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-27
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

Includes tips and strategies for kids, teens, and adults with dyslexia Understand what dyslexia is, assess schools and programs, and help your child succeed Does your child mix up d's and b's? Does he or she have trouble reading? If so, the cause may be dyslexia. But don't worry -- these days, there are many ways to overcome dyslexia. This hands-on guide leads you step by step through your options -- and explains how anyone with dyslexia can achieve success in school and life. Discover how to * Recognize the symptoms of dyslexia * Understand diagnostic test results * Set up an Individualized Education Program (IEP) * Work effectively with teachers * Improve your child?s reading skills

Author Biography

Tracey Wood, MEd, is a children's reading specialist and the author of several books, including Teaching Kids to Read For Dummies and Teaching Kids to Spell For Dummies.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	2	(1)
What You're Not to Read	3	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(2)
Part I: Figuring Out What Dyslexia Is All About	4	(1)
Part II: Determining When to Get a Diagnosis	4	(1)
Part III: Exploring Your Options for Schools and Programs	4	(1)
Part IV: Taking Part in Your Child's Treatment	5	(1)
Part V: Moving beyond the Childhood Years	5	(1)
Part VI: The Part of Tens	5	(1)
Part VII: Appendixes	5	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	5	(1)
Where to Go from Here	6	(1)
Part I: Figuring Out What Dyslexia Is All About	7	(32)
Understanding the Basics of Dyslexia	9	(8)
Defining Dyslexia in Plain Terms	10	(1)
Zeroing In on the Symptoms of Dyslexia	11	(1)
Deciding When to Have Your Child Tested	12	(1)
Exploring Different Schools and Programs for Your Child	13	(1)
Helping Your Child with Activities at Home	14	(2)
Watching Your Dyslexic Child Grow	16	(1)
Pinpointing What Dyslexia Is (And Isn't)	17	(12)
Understanding the Real Meaning of ``Dyslexia''	17	(3)
Looking at the straight facts	17	(1)
Moving away from common misconceptions	18	(1)
Classifying dyslexia as a ``learning disability''	19	(1)
Investigating the Causes of Dyslexia	20	(3)
Weighing up brain research	20	(2)
Getting into genetics	22	(1)
Breaking Down Dyslexia into Different Types	23	(1)
Looking at Other ``Dys'' Conditions Related to Dyslexia	24	(2)
Dysgraphia: Difficulty with writing	24	(1)
Dyscalculia: Difficulty with math	25	(1)
Dyspraxia: Difficulty with motor skills	25	(1)
Comparing Dyslexia to ADD and ADHD	26	(3)
Examining ADD	27	(1)
Checking out ADHD	28	(1)
Being Alert to Symptoms of Dyslexia at Any Age	29	(10)
Understanding Why It's Important to Look for Signs	30	(2)
Appreciating that dyslexia is unexpected	30	(1)
Being savvy about screening tests and what one teacher can do	31	(1)
Avoiding the ``wait awhile'' trap	32	(1)
Noticing Your Preschooler's Late Development	32	(1)
Watching Your School-Age Child Fade	33	(2)
Recognizing Signs of Dyslexia at Older Ages	35	(2)
Seeking out signs in teenagers	35	(1)
Acknowledging adult symptoms	36	(1)
Referring to Your Family's History	37	(2)
Part II: Determining When to Get a Diagnosis	39	(48)
Watching Your Child Carefully at a Young Age	41	(14)
Keeping a Close Eye on Early Skills	41	(7)
Talking late and unclearly	42	(1)
Battling ear infections	43	(1)
Seeing a range of vision problems	44	(2)
Having trouble with playing and dressing	46	(1)
Displaying weak pre-reading skills	47	(1)
Engaging in Pre-Reading Activities at Home	48	(3)
Developing print awareness	48	(1)
Zeroing in on phonemic and phonics skills	48	(3)
Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten	51	(4)
Stirring up good feelings about school	51	(1)
Helping your child with language skills	52	(1)
Nurturing other academic skills	52	(1)
Encouraging fine motor skills	53	(1)
Showing your child what's sociable	54	(1)
Putting your child in charge of his personal information	54	(1)
Acting Quickly with Your School-Age Child	55	(10)
Understanding Why a Quick Response to Reading Problems Is Critical	55	(2)
Noticing Dyslexic-like Behaviors at Home	57	(2)
Struggling with written words	57	(1)
Feeling unhappy	58	(1)
Being disorganized	58	(1)
Asking Your Child's Teacher to Look for Dyslexic-like Behaviors in Class	59	(6)
Laboring with reading	60	(1)
Writing with difficulty	61	(1)
Making predictable spelling errors	62	(1)
Coping with other classroom tasks and issues	63	(1)
Behaving unusually	63	(2)
Testing Your Child for Dyslexia	65	(22)
Deciding When to Get a Diagnosis	66	(1)
Examining Different Kinds of Tests	67	(7)
Looking at language tests for preschoolers	67	(1)
Making sense of vision and hearing tests	68	(1)
Surveying early screening tests	69	(1)
Understanding IQ tests	70	(1)
Picking out performance tests	71	(2)
Charging up for a test battery	73	(1)
Choosing Your Test Administrator Wisely	74	(3)
Selecting a specialist within your child's school district	74	(1)
Investigating independent testers outside your child's school district	75	(2)
Preparing Your Child (And Yourself) for Testing	77	(1)
Receiving Test Results and Putting Them to Work	78	(7)
Breaking down terminology in test results	79	(1)
Finding out that your child has an LD	80	(1)
Discovering that your child won't be recognized as having an LD	81	(4)
Looking at Your Options When You Decide Not to Test	85	(2)
Part III: Exploring Your Options for Schools and Programs	87	(72)
Choosing the Best School for Your Child	89	(24)
Questioning the Kind of School Your Child Needs	90	(2)
Looking at What a Traditional Public School Offers	92	(7)
Supplying assessment services	92	(1)
Homing in on school programs	92	(4)
Giving help above and beyond the classroom	96	(1)
Providing sensitivity to your child's needs	97	(2)
Meeting the Staff in a Traditional Public School	99	(5)
Familiarizing yourself with the classroom teacher	99	(2)
Acquainting yourself with the resource teacher	101	(1)
Checking out school specialists	102	(1)
Paying special attention to the support staff	103	(1)
Taking note of the principal	103	(1)
Getting the Scoop on Alternative Schooling	104	(9)
Finding out about charter schools	104	(1)
Feeling the pull of magnet schools	105	(1)
Choosing a private school	105	(1)
Examining Montessori schools	106	(1)
Walking the Waldorf (or Steiner) path	106	(1)
Deciding on a school for dyslexics	107	(1)
Thinking about home schooling	108	(5)
Investigating the Individualized Education Program	113	(12)
Probing into the Basics of an IEP	113	(4)
The nuts and bolts of an IEP meeting	114	(1)
The fine print of an IEP document	115	(2)
Ensuring a Successful IEP Meeting	117	(3)
Preparing yourself	117	(2)
Making the meeting work for you	119	(1)
Surveying the Services That Your Child Receives with an IEP	120	(1)
Looking at the Legal Nitty-Gritty of IEPs	121	(4)
Examining the acts governing IEPs	121	(2)
Knowing your rights -- and your child's	123	(2)
Securing Help without an Individualized Education Program	125	(18)
Making the Most of Choices in School	125	(1)
Looking for Help Outside School	126	(8)
Scoping out specialized dyslexia therapies	126	(1)
Considering dyslexia clinics	127	(1)
Paying an individual tutor	128	(2)
Opting for a general learning center	130	(4)
Giving Academic Support at Home	134	(9)
Letting your child take the lead with homework	134	(1)
Setting up homework management methods	135	(2)
Using technology	137	(4)
Steering clear of a math meltdown	141	(2)
Working Productively with Your Child's Teacher	143	(16)
Requesting and Preparing for a Conference	144	(2)
Asking the teacher to meet	144	(1)
Assembling important info	145	(1)
Determining whether to bring your child	145	(1)
Keeping a Conference on Track and Following Up Smartly	146	(4)
Creating a positive mood	146	(1)
Emphasizing your child's needs	147	(1)
Pushing your points firmly	148	(1)
Adhering to the teacher's goals	149	(1)
Taking action after a conference	149	(1)
Coming Up with Cool Accommodations	150	(4)
Understanding oral instructions clearly	151	(1)
Reading large amounts of text	151	(1)
Comprehending text	152	(1)
Writing large amounts of text	152	(1)
Copying from the board with ease	153	(1)
Spelling successfully	153	(1)
Finishing classroom work and homework on time	154	(1)
Avoiding Dyslexic Land Mines with a Teacher's Help	154	(5)
Being graded, tested, and (worst) retained	154	(4)
Learning in parrot fashion	158	(1)
Part IV: Taking Part in Your Child's Treatment	159	(98)
Putting Memorizing, Visualizing, and Rhyming to Good Use	161	(18)
One by One: Starting with Single Letters	161	(4)
Drawing pictures into vowels	162	(1)
Knocking b and d into shape	163	(2)
Putting P in its place	165	(1)
Letters Joining Forces: Getting on Top of a Few Good Spelling Rules	165	(6)
Blatantly Bossy e	166	(2)
Extroverted and introverted vowels	168	(1)
An old favorite: ``i before e except after c''	169	(2)
I Know You! Having Fun with Sight Words	171	(5)
Ten at a time	172	(1)
Picture this	173	(1)
Bang!	174	(1)
Word roll	174	(1)
Five up	175	(1)
Bingo	175	(1)
Do You See the Sea? Distinguishing between Sound-Alike Words	176	(2)
The Hard Stuff: Remembering Especially Tricky Words	178	(1)
Playing with Phonics	179	(26)
Emphasizing Single Letters	179	(3)
Cozying up with consonants	180	(1)
Taking a long look at short vowels	181	(1)
Introducing letters by name	182	(1)
Building Three-Letter Words in Word Families	182	(2)
Putting together ``at''	183	(1)
Moving on up with ``bat,'' ``cat,'' ``fat,'' and more	183	(1)
Running through additional word families	184	(1)
Mixing It Up with Blended Consonants	184	(3)
Blends at the beginning	185	(1)
Blends at the end	185	(2)
Delving into Digraphs	187	(2)
Mastering Tricky Vowel Sounds	189	(9)
Opening up to long vowels	190	(1)
Hearing ``y'' sound like a vowel	190	(2)
Surveying schwa vowels	192	(1)
Singling out sound-alike chunks featuring vowels	193	(3)
Partnering vowels with ``r''	196	(1)
Lopping vowels off the ends of words	197	(1)
Bringing Consonants under Control	198	(7)
Unmasking consonants in disguise	198	(1)
Sounding out the softies	199	(3)
Spotting the silent types	202	(1)
Doubling up	203	(2)
Sprinting Ahead with Reading Basics and Practice	205	(18)
See Jane Read: Looking at Reading Fundamentals	205	(4)
Being quick to recognize sight words	206	(1)
Feeling good about phonics	207	(1)
Understanding about comprehension	207	(2)
In the Habit: Establishing a Happy Reading Routine	209	(2)
Page after Page: Using Special Strategies for Reading Success	211	(8)
Choosing the right books	212	(3)
Reading to your child first	215	(1)
Pairing up to read	216	(1)
Running through multiple readings	217	(2)
Nice and Gentle: Handling Your Child's Difficulties with Kindness	219	(4)
Knowing when to give a quick answer	219	(1)
Having your child figure a word out when the time is right	220	(1)
Helping your child find contextual cues	220	(3)
Taking Advantage of Multisensory Methods	223	(16)
Bringing the Term ``Multisensory'' Down to Earth	223	(3)
Distinguishing multisensory teaching from traditional methods	224	(1)
Fitting together ``multisensory'' and ``structured and sequential'' teaching	225	(1)
Setting the Stage for Multisensory Success	226	(1)
Making Homework Multisensory	227	(2)
Setting up a happier homework environment	227	(1)
Helping your child understand new information	228	(1)
Having Practical Stuff for Playing at Your Fingertips	229	(6)
Modeling clay	229	(1)
Gummy mixtures	229	(1)
Sandpaper	230	(1)
Laminate	230	(1)
Scissors	231	(1)
Flashcards	231	(2)
Board games	233	(1)
Computer games	234	(1)
Other great tools to have on hand	234	(1)
Working Physical Activity into Your Child's Routine	235	(1)
Experimenting with Alternative Multisensory Treatments	236	(3)
Coloring pages of text	236	(1)
Reading a new font	237	(1)
Listening to different messages in each ear	237	(1)
Eating fish	238	(1)
Handling Everyday Activities and Difficulties	239	(18)
Talking Your Child into Feeling Good	240	(5)
Understanding your child's feelings	240	(1)
Listening carefully	241	(2)
Empowering your child	243	(1)
Responding calmly to your child's mistakes	244	(1)
Helping Your Child with Space, Time, and Sequence	245	(9)
Spacing out	246	(4)
Timing is everything	250	(2)
Following a sequence	252	(2)
Maintaining Harmony in the Home	254	(3)
Sharing the load	254	(1)
Toeing the line	254	(1)
Strengthening bonds between siblings	255	(2)
Part V: Moving beyond the Childhood Years	257	(44)
Assisting Dyslexic Teens	259	(16)
Instilling New Life Skills	259	(4)
Aiming for high self-esteem	260	(1)
Fostering more independence at home	261	(1)
Making time for rest and play	262	(1)
Getting behind the driver's wheel	262	(1)
Facing School Challenges Head-On	263	(8)
Moving toward self-reliance with schoolwork	263	(1)
Enforcing order on those files	264	(1)
Staying on top of all the reading and writing	264	(2)
Taking notes	266	(2)
Studying the right foreign language	268	(2)
Giving great speeches	270	(1)
Planning for college and jobs	270	(1)
Encouraging the Development of Work Skills	271	(4)
Keeping up with extracurricular activities	271	(1)
Doing some good with community service	272	(1)
Finding a part-time job	272	(3)
Heading Off to College	275	(18)
Keeping a Well-Stocked Portfolio	275	(7)
Providing proof of dyslexia	276	(1)
Gathering academic results	277	(4)
Giving evidence of school and community involvement	281	(1)
Researching Majors and Schools	282	(2)
Deciding on potential fields of interest	282	(1)
Examining different types of colleges	282	(2)
Focusing on Target Schools	284	(1)
Touring campuses	284	(1)
Asking about disability programs	285	(1)
Handling the Application and Interview Process	285	(3)
Completing applications with ease	286	(1)
Impressing interviewers	287	(1)
Picking the Winning School	288	(1)
Finding Help with Financing	289	(2)
Successfully Keeping Up with Grades	291	(2)
Succeeding with Dyslexia in Adulthood	293	(8)
Benefiting from a Late Diagnosis	293	(2)
Looking at Helpful Programs and Treatments for Adults	295	(2)
Heading to the classroom	296	(1)
Improving your reading skills at home	296	(1)
Knowing Your Workplace Rights as a Dyslexic Adult	297	(2)
Making small accommodations for big results	298	(1)
Receiving reliable advice	299	(1)
Keeping Family and Friends in the Frame	299	(2)
Part VI: The Part of Tens	301	(16)
Ten Tools for Making a Dyslexic's Life Easier	303	(4)
A Pencil Grip	303	(1)
Pens with Erasable Ink	303	(1)
Colored Files and Other Handy Items	304	(1)
A Wristwatch	304	(1)
A Pocket Spell Checker	304	(1)
A Cell Phone and a Personal Organizer	305	(1)
Books on Tape (Or CD)	305	(1)
A Photocopier	305	(1)
A Word Processor and the Internet	306	(1)
Speech-to-Text Software	306	(1)
Ten Well-Known Dyslexia Programs and Treatments	307	(10)
Orton-Gillingham and Other Phonics-Based Reading Programs	307	(1)
Treatments That Tune into Sounds	308	(3)
Berard Auditory Integration Training (AIT)	308	(1)
Fast ForWord Language	309	(1)
Earobics	310	(1)
Tomatis	310	(1)
Treatments That Focus on Vision	311	(1)
Davis Dyslexia Correction	311	(1)
The Irlen Method	311	(1)
Treatments That Get Physical	312	(1)
Balametrics	312	(1)
Brain Gym	312	(1)
The DORE Program	313	(1)
Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes	313	(1)
Audiblox	314	(1)
Pace	314	(1)
All Kinds of Minds	315	(1)
The Feingold Program	315	(1)
Levinson Medical Centers	316	(1)
Part VII: Appendixes	317	(2)
Appendix A: An Informal Assessment of Phonemic Awareness and Phonics Skills	319	(14)
Picking Out Pre-Reading Skills	320	(4)
Visual discrimination	320	(1)
Auditory discrimination	321	(2)
Phonemic awareness	323	(1)
Examining Early Reading Skills	324	(3)
Knowing single letters	325	(1)
Trying three-letter words with short vowels	325	(1)
Blending letters	326	(1)
Diving into digraphs	327	(1)
Testing for Independent Reading Skills	327	(6)
Looking at long and short vowels	328	(1)
Getting the hang of y endings	328	(1)
Sorting out vowel combinations	329	(1)
Spotting soft and hard letters	330	(1)
Watching out for silent letters	330	(1)
Placing vowels before r	331	(2)
Appendix B: Contacts and Resources	333	(14)
Getting General Information Online or by Voice Mail	333	(2)
Five general Web sites to start you off	333	(1)
Five big organizations	334	(1)
Talking to Someone Directly	335	(1)
Checking Your Child's Eyes, Ears, and Mouth	336	(1)
Surveying Self-Tests	336	(1)
Focusing on Alternative Schooling and School Reading Programs	337	(2)
Schools	337	(1)
School reading programs	338	(1)
Laying Down the Law	339	(1)
Finding Independent Programs, Therapists, and Learning Centers	339	(3)
Dyslexia treatments	339	(1)
Therapists and tutors	340	(1)
Dyslexia clinics	341	(1)
General learning centers	341	(1)
Trying Technology	342	(1)
Lending a Hand to Teens, College Students, and Adults	343	(4)
College entrance exams and other tests	343	(1)
College and general education information	343	(1)
Financial aid and scholarships	344	(1)
Jobs and other life skills	345	(1)
At-home dyslexia programs	345	(2)
Index	347