Do you have a child who is in first grade who receives special education services but is already struggling with reading? Have you been told by special education personnel that you are worrying too soon, and that your child does not have dyslexia? Many school districts have a very narrow view of dyslexia which is harming many children all over the USA! This article will discuss definition of Dyslexia as well as a tool called the Boder Test of Reading Spelling Patterns; that may be used as part of an evaluation, to determine if your child has dyslexia.
The International Dyslezia Association defines dyslexia as: A specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent work recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities, and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
Many school districts do not define dyslexia this way, and many children go undiagnosed, which harms children. Why is this harmful? Because children are not able to get the special education services they need for their dyslexia, if they are not diagnosed properly.
A tool developed in the 1980’s called the Boder Test of Reading Spelling Patterns was designed to specifically aid in the diagnosis of dyslexia. The test is recommended to be included as part of a comprehensive (psychological) educational evaluation.
The test was developed to differentiate between the four subtypes of reading problems; one unspecific reading disability and to classify the three types of dyslexia. The three types of dyslexia are called: dysphonetic dyslexia, dyseidetic dyslexia and mixed dypsonetic/dyseidetic. Dysphonetic dyslexia means auditory dyslexia and Dyseidetic means visual dyslexia, and mixed dypsonetic/dyseidetic means both. Another article stated that this test is also used to provide guidelines for the remediation of all subtypes of dyslexia. This would be extremely helpful to parents and special education personnel.
As part of a comprehensive psychological evaluation the Boder test is helpful in determining if a child has dyslexia. A standardized achievement test like the Weschler Individual Achievement Test including the reading comprehension subtest, requires that the child engage in higher level comprehension, which could also show difficulties in reading. Also testing in the areas of: Speech/Language (receptive and expressive), visual and auditory perception, sensory integration, visual spatial, visual motor integration, occupational therapy, phonological awareness, phonological memory, rapid naming, work finding ability, nonsense word ability, reading comprehension, spelling and written expression will be needed.
All of this information can be used by the IEP team to help determine if your child has dyslexia, and determine type of remediation given. Research has shown that children with dyslexia need a multisensory reading and spelling program that uses a synthetic code emphasis approach. A few names of these types of programs are: Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, and Lindamood Bell, though you may find more by using a search engine such as Google.
Recommend this test to your school district as well as testing in the areas recommended above. You will well be on your way to helping your child learn to read and enriching the rest of their life. Good Luck!
By: JoAnn Collins
Posts Tagged ‘Special Education Services’
Could the Boder Test of Reading Spelling Patterns Help Determine If My Child Has Dyslexia?
January 3rd, 20106 Parenting Tips To Help You Assertively Participate In Your Child’s IEP
December 30th, 2009
Are you the parent of a child with a disability in special education,
who would like parenting tips on how to be an equal participant
in your child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) development? Are
you afraid to give your opinion, because you are not a professional?
Then this article is for you; learn 6 easy to use tips that will help
you assertively participate in the process, for the good of your
child.
Tip 1: Ask a lot of questions. The process can be overwhelming;
The IEP meeting usually has 5-10 disability educators plus the
parents. Ask questions whenever you need to, so that you can
understand what is being said, by school personnel.
Tip 2: Ask the disability educator to slow down, and explain
something that you do not understand. Sometimes school personnel
speak very fast, and do not stop to explain what they are
talking about. This is especially true, when they are giving parents
results of a psychological evaluation. You should ask them to show
you the results of the tests and explain what the scores mean.
Tip 3: Bring a written list of items that you would like to discuss at
the meeting; it can be hand written or typed. Check off each item
as it is discussed. Leave space at the bottom of the list to handwrite
any new issues that come up at the meeting.
Tip 4: Consider bringing a parent input statement to your child’s IEP
meeting. A parent input statement is a one page document that states
what you believe your child’s needs are, and what special education
services your child needs. It should be typed, if possible, and ask
that it be attached to your child’s IEP.
Tip 5: Use the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to
support your position. Peter and Pam Wright have written several
books including Special Education Law; second addition. This book is
easy to read, and use as a reference at any school meetings.The book
can be purchased at http://www.wrightslaw.com.
Tip 6: Read the IEP document before you leave the meeting. What was
said at the meeting is not important, what is important is what is
written in the document. Make sure that any important discussions
about your child are included in the meeting notes, and that all
educational services promised are listed.
With these 6 tips, you are well on your way to learning to assertively
participate in your child’s IEP meeting. You know your child better
than school personnel, so you have a lot of valuable
information to share with the team. Good luck in your advocacy
journey!
By: JoAnn Collins
3 Ways to Use Tape Recordings to Help Your Child in Special Education
December 29th, 2009
Are you the parent of a child with autism? Are you the parent of a
child receiving special education services? Would you like to learn
parenting tips that will help you become an equal participant in your
child’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) meeting? This article will
discuss 3 ways that tape recording can help you in advocating for an
appropriate education for your child with a disability
3 ways to use tape recording:
1. Tape recording can allow you to focus on what is happening during
the meeting, rather than focusing on taking notes. Listen to
everything that is going on, and do write down important things. Speak
up and give your opinion as often as you need to, for the benefit of
your child.
2. If an IEP meeting is tape recorded, you will be able to go over it
at a later time, and fill in your notes. It will also allow you to
remember things that may have happened that you missed. IEP meetings
can be adversarial. A tape recording allows you to listen to the
interactions in the privacy of your own home.
3. Tape recordings of IEP meetings can be used as evidence at a due
process hearing. In order to use a tape recording, as evidence, it
will have to be transcribed. Tape recorders should be digital, and
powerful enough to pick up several different people’s voices.
A lot of special education personnel become very resistant when
parents want to tape record IEP meetings. Below is an interpretation
of tape recording under IDEA, by the Office of Special Education
Programs (OSEP).
OSEP published its question #12 opinion in the Federal Register Volume
57, No. 183, Sept. 29, 1992 interpreting tape recording IEP meetings
and stated “that it is permissible to tape IEP meetings at the option
of either the parents or the agency.”
There have also been several law suits that have given parents the
right to tape record IEP meetings. One of these court cases in
Connecticut V.W. v. Favolise had the court reason that parents have a
statutory right, to attend and participate in IEP meetings, and the
district could not legally engage in an act to limit the parents
rights.
If special education personnel refuse to allow you to tape record,
because they say that they have a district policy, ask for a written
copy of the policy. OSEP in a memorandum 91-24 July 18, 1991 stated
“Thus any policy limiting or prohibiting a parent’s right to tape
record the proceedings at an IEP meeting must provide for exceptions
if they are necessary to ensure that the parent is able to understand
the proceedings at the IEP meeting. . .” Ask your school district for
an exception, so that you can understand the IEP meeting.
With the written policy in hand, cancel the IEP meeting, and send a
state complaint to your state department of education. Tell them that
you asked school personnel for an exception and they refused. The
state will have 60 days to resolve your complaint.
Tape recording can help you be an active participant in your child’s
IEP meeting. Your child is depending on your help, do not let them
down.
By: JoAnn Collins
