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Bright Solutions for Dyslexia, Inc.Sharing the latest research results with those who need to know |
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Click on the topic of interest, or scroll down and scan them all: |
Self EsteemAccepting DyslexiaDon't Wait -- Get Help NowReading Methods That WorkI.E.Ps504 PlansAttorneys and AdvocatesSpecial EducationHow to Hire a TutorEarly Intervention ProgramsGrantsClassroom AccommodationsState Standardized Testing - Opting OutRetentionOrganizational SkillsMathTechnology ToolsForeign Language WaiverCollege: Scholarships & Other InformationDyslexia ResearchVision TherapyADD/ADHDFamous Dyslexics: What They RememberWhat not-so-famous people with dyslexia remember |
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Related Topics |
Self Esteem |
Ways to Motivate and Support Children with Dyslexia Dr. Robert Brooks is an expert on ways to build a child's self-esteem, both in the classroom and at home. Here is one of my favorite articles by Bob Brooks: To learn even more, visit his website, which is: |
Self Esteem Continued |
Parents: Build Your Child's Self-Esteem Excerpts from: Self esteem is a feeling -- not a skill -- that is necessary for, and a consequence of, academic and social success. With careful observation, you can determine your child's self esteem. A child with low self-esteem will: * consistently make self-derogatory statements (i.e.: I'm so stupid.) * exhibit learned helplessness * not volunteer * practice perfectionism * be overly dependent * demonstrate an excessive need for acceptance: a great desire to please authority figures * have difficulty making decisions * exhibit low tolerance for frustration * become easily defensive * have little faith in their own judgment * be highly vulnerable to peer pressure It is up to parents and teachers to build a child's self-esteem. How? Read on. Excerpts from: In our society, Dad is expected to "fix things" -- the leaky faucet, the worn wiper blades, the loose railing. When a child has a learning difference, Dad often attempts to "fix it." These efforts are often fruitless and frustrating. Dad may feel powerless, ineffective, and even irrelevant. Dads also have a tendency to deny the existence of the problem. They are often responsible for the long-term goals and activities of the family -- the mortgage, their job, the family finances. Mom is left to deal with the day-to-day issues. As a results, Dad may not have an opportunity to view the cycle of failure and frustration that the child faces every day. As a father once told me, "I denied Tommy's problem for years and felt that my wife was overreacting. But I was home sick one day and saw Tommy when he got off the school bus. I had never seen that pain and sadness in his eyes before. I realized then that I had to help him." The child needs one thing from Dad -- unconditional love. She needs to know that you will accept and love her fully and without reservation. She recognizes that her behavior will, at times, be a source of puzzlement and frustration for you, but you must always communicate that your love for her is boundless and inexhaustible. Tell her so. And let your daily interactions with her reflect this. Praise her often and show genuine interest in her activities. Be available to her, and take pride in her successes and her small victories. Compare her only to herself. Focus on the positive aspects of her personality and life. Rick LaVoie is a superb writer and speaker. To read other
articles by Rick LaVoie, visit his brand new website: |
Self Esteem Continued |
The Importance if Mom's Support from a SchwabLearning.org interview
A: After may parents divorced when I was seven, my sister
and I lived with my mom. Being a single parent is tough, but I know it
was even harder for my mom because I really struggled in school and didn't
believe in myself. By high school, I was still doing poorly in school.
I discovered alcohol and illegal drugs and got into trouble. Q: When did you first realize how hard she was fighting for you? A: I nearly failed fourth grade at a private school.
My fifth grade teacher thought I might have a learning disability. Mom
agreed to have me tested, and my LD was confirmed. The interviewer also asked: Q: How did your mother keep her courage up and her stress level down? Q: What was the most important lesson you learned from your mother? Q: What was the best Mother's Day gift you ever gave
her? To read the answers to these questions, go to: www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=515 |
Self Esteem Continued |
Help Your Child Understand LD Excerpts from: Although parents are often reluctant to talk to their child about their learning problems, in my experience, children are the first to know a problem exists. The more intelligent the child, the more intensely she may feel the frustration of learning differences. She can't understand why she can't perform as her parents and teachers expect, and she is likely to feel isolated and alone with her problems. The child's fantasies about why she has a problem tend to be far worse than reality. Keeping it a secret only increases the mystery and reinforces the idea that the problem is too terrible to talk about. This, in turn, fosters a sense of shame. To learn how to talk to your child about learning disabilities,
read Dr. Betty Osman on Family Issues, part of the "Expert Answers"
series produced by the Schwab Center For Learning: |
Self Esteem and Teachers |
Teachers:
The following are highlights of the points Dr. Bob Brooks included in his keynote address at the recent International Dyslexia Association conference. Dr. Brooks is an expert on self-esteem, resilience, motivation, and family relationships. He is a clinical psychologist who has worked with special needs children and their families for over 25 years. Dr. Brooks is on the faculty at Harvard Medical School, is author of "The Self Esteem Teacher," and stars in the PBS Video, "Look What You've Done! Stories of Hope and Resilience."
These are just a few of the many practice suggestions made by Dr. Bob Brooks. You can sign up to receive his free monthly e-newsletter by visiting his website, which is www.drrobertbrooks.com |
Self Esteem and Parents |
Parents: Motivating My Son Throughout the past three years, I've tried to figure out what motivates my son and what doesn't. This hasn't been easy, but I now know what I need to do to support by son on those days that don't go smoothly for either of us: * Talk to him * Focus on how smart he is * Identify his strengths * Celebrate his successes with words To read the complete article, go to www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=389&g=3.
Parenting a Child with LD Ways to Support Your Child: * Praise him for both the small steps and the big leaps in the right direction. * Emphasize achievements, skills, progress, and effort. * Create an environment at home where you can accept his difficulties and talk openly. * Seek out areas of strength and talent. * Make sure he has a life outside of school. * Participate in planning his academic program. * Talk to his teachers regularly. * Have fun together -- go camping, visit a museum, coach his athletic team, or go out for ice cream. * Acknowledge that you make mistakes too -- and that mistakes are an important part of learning. * Be a positive role model -- every child needs someone to look up to. To read the complete article, go to www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=93&g=2.
Praise is Good. Encouragement Is Better. There are significant differences between praise and encouragement. Praise is a reward that must be earned. ("Way to
go, Daniel. You got a 90 on that spelling quiz.") Praise uses words that judge. ("You got 20 questions
right, Taylor. That's terrific.") Praise encourages competition. ("Jill, you got the
best grade in the class.") Praise reflects conditional acceptance. ("Shannon,
I love it when you do your homework by yourself.") Praise teaches the child to please the adult. ("Heidi,
you did a great job on the dishes tonight. Mom is very happy with you.") Praise can only be given when the child is successful.
("Adam, you did great on the spelling test.") Basically, praise works...but encouragement works better. To read the complete article, go to www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=500&g=2 |
Self Esteem Continued |
What You Say Matters Build a child or Break a child What you say, and how you react to a child who struggles, can either build them up or break them down. You can choose to: Build his confidence with sincere praise Define your child by want she CAN do Offer help when needed and wanted Notice her strengths To read the complete article, go to: |
Self Esteem and Parents |
How A Parent Can Build Self-Esteem This is a brief summary of an excellent article from LD Matters, a free newsletter from the Schwab Foundation for Learning. To subscribe to their newsletter, either call them at 800-230-2411 or visit their website at www.schwablearning.org. The article was written by Fellisa Richard, a parent whose child wasn't diagnosed with dyslexia until he was 13. Despite special education support, her child felt stupid and wanted to give up. Here's what she did: 1. Talked to her child about Dyslexia: 2. Focused on how smart her son is: 3. Identified his strengths: 4. Celebrated his successes. 5. Became his advocate: 6. Served as a role model: |
Self Esteem and Parents |
Find Your Child's Passion
Find and grow their gifted areas |
Self Esteem and Parents |
In this paragraph, from the book The Misunderstood Child (see recommended books on our To Learn More page), another parent echoes a similar strategy: The way I relate to Danny affects the way he sees himself. If I allow his problems to scare me, he too becomes scared. Communicating to him that he is worthwhile and lovable, and that I have hope for him, enables him to face his future with hope and courage. This places a great responsibility on me, but it is the only chance any of us have for a good life. If we have hope for Danny, he will have hope for himself. |
Self Esteem from the Child's Point of View |
What It's Like For A Child Liz Bogod, founder of LD Pride, wrote the following: This is the story of how I came to accept that my learning disability is nothing to be ashamed of. Through a long, painful journey, I have come to know my many strengths and to find skills I did not know I possessed. I offer my story to other LD children in the knowledge that, if they can come to the realization of their own true abilities and talents, then like me, they can shed the sense of shame which all too often leaves LD people feeling dumb, stupid, and altogether incapable. This story begins where all stories must begin… at the beginning… I was six years old. I did not know that the real reason was because I could only count to ten while my classmates were counting to one hundred. I could not tie my shoes, and I could not write my own name. To learn the warning signs of dyslexia, go to: Later, I was moved into a Special Education class. To read the rest of her story, go to: |
Self Esteem and Parents |
Accept and Appreciate Your Child by a parent of a child with dyslexia and AD/HD "Your daughter is deeply depressed," said the therapist. The words flooded me with heartbreak and anxiety. My ten-year-old Catherine has both AD/HD and dyslexia. She had endured years of social rejection by the other kids and their taunts that she was "stupid." (She's not; her IQ is above average.) Although she had been in a school program for kids with LD, the teachers hadn't been effective in helping handle peer difficulties. But peers weren't the big problem, the therapist told me. The main feelings Catherine had revealed during therapy were about ME. I knew Catherine had become increasingly defiant and moody at home, but I thought that was normal for kids with AD/HD and dyslexia. I didn't realize how large a part of the problem I had become. To learn how the author changed his behavior, and the
impact it had on his daughter Catherine, go to: |
Self Esteem: Parents and Teachers |
The Ingredients Every Child Needs from The LD
Child and the ADHD Child: Suzanne Stevens has written another excellent book for parents and teachers. In Chapter 11, she discusses the following: First and foremost, children with ADD and/or a learning disability are children. They have exactly the same hopes and needs as any other human being their age. They want to be warm and fed and cared for. They want to feel that they are important. They want to feel happy and safe. Here are the necessary ingredients that parents can provide: 1. All children need love. 2. All children need to feel accepted. 3. All children need success and genuine praise. 4. All children need to be protected. 5. All children need freedom to learn and grow. 6. All children need healthy outlets for their energy
and creativity. 7. All children need discipline. 8. All children need responsibility. The parents of a child with a learning disability often center their thoughts on how their youngster is different from other children. But the youngster is a child first. The learning disability may be a complication. The attention deficit may be a challenge. But the youngster's basic needs remain the same. To obtain your own copy of this wonderful book, just call the publisher, John H. Blair, at 336-768-1374. |
Accepting Dyslexia |
Process of Discovery For parents: Recently, a parent described her feelings to me. She said that at her child's birth, she believed her child was healthy and normal. But as the years passed, she discovered her child's delays, difficulties, and struggles. She confessed that it would have been easier to know there was something wrong when the child was born. Somewhere along the line, she felt that fate had played a trick on her. She conveyed so many of the emotions that parents of struggling children feel. Bewilderment and confusion as you try to make sense of what is happening. Fear of the unknown. Guilt that something you did or did not do caused the difficulty. Sadness at what the child has to experience. Gratitude that this child can teach you so much and offer you real joy. Perhaps a little denial mixed with fragile hope. Anger at the impact on your life and the system's inefficiencies. And finally, exhaustion. But no matter how hidden or overt the struggles, the child we hug, the child who sits next to us at the kitchen table, hasn't changed from what he or she always was. The difficulty was there. We just didn't know about it. What we have is the real child, the child who is loved and needs help. The child who overwhelms us, pushes us to the limits of endurance, and challenges our definition of love. For me, it was a child who taught me what mattered in life. But that realization only came with time. To read the rest of this article, go to www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/ parenting/process_of_discovery.html.
For fathers: don't ignore it Excerpt of an article
For college students: Seeking treatment for completely unrelated migraine headaches included a trip to see a neurologist. During a routine exam, he noticed something that had eluded educators and my parents for years. After a battery of tests, he asked "Has anyone ever told you that you are dyslexic?" Those nine words changed my life forever. Suddenly, I was not alone. I had an invisible community of millions of people living with the same challenges. That knowledge was very liberating. I could confidently stand up in my classroom and say, "I have a problem with how this information is presented. I'm having trouble comprehending it. Can we take a look at it my way for a minute or two?" For the most part, teachers responded positively to this approach. Why wouldn't they? Teachers are in their profession because they want students to learn. If someone has the courage to say, "Please explain this to me differently," most of them will respond positively. I learned never to be afraid to speak up. To read the rest of this article, go to www.ldonline.org/first_person/mark_williamson.html.
For children: My mantra as a little kid was, "You're stupid, crazy and lazy." This tape ran in my head constantly. In speaking with kids who have learning differences, and their parents, I find this is an almost universal mantra for kids who struggle in school. By high school, I was able to repress that mantra, but it was still there lurking in the background. As I worked with my mom and teachers who understood my learning difference, a more positive foundation began to form. My mom and some of my teachers told me, "This isn't your problem, Jonathan. It's our problem. You don't need to be fixed. It's the broken educational system that needs to be fixed." Susan Barton comments: The book is available in paperback from www.Amazon.com.
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Don't Wait
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Don't Wait -- Get Help Now Here's what three experts say: Susan Hall, coauthor of Straight Talk About Reading Question: Answer: Second, research shows that the crucial window of opportunity to deliver help is during the first couple of years of school. So if your child is having trouble learning to read, the best approach is to take immediate action. Knowing how soon to act is easy if you know the conclusions of recent research. Reading researchers say the ideal window of opportunity for addressing reading difficulties is during kindergarten and first grade. The National Institutes of Health state that 95 percent of poor readers can be brought up to grade level if they receive effective help early. While it is still possible to help an older child with
reading, those beyond third grade require much more intensive help. To see what else Susan Hall has to say, go to
Patricia Vail, author of 9 books on Learning Disabilities If your child has trouble in the early levels of school, get help immediately! Do not wait to see if the child will grow out of it. Prevention is always easier than remediation. Learning differences don't disappear spontaneously. If you worry that receiving extra help will make your child feel different, forget it. Your child already feels different by virtue of what he can and cannot do.
Dr. G. Reid Lyon This is a summary of Dr. Lyon's recent statement to the Subcommittee on Education Reform. Can Children With Reading Problems Overcome Their Difficulties? Yes, but only if they are identified early and provided with systematic, explicit, and intensive instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension strategies. Early identification, coupled with comprehensive early reading interventions, can reduce the percentage of children reading below the basic level in fourth grade from the current national average of 38% to less than 6%. Are Certain Early Intervention Approaches More Effective Than Others? Yes. The National Reading Panel found that intervention programs that provided systematic and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, repeated reading to improve fluency, and direct instruction in vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies were significantly more effective than approaches that were less explicit. Will Proper Reading Instruction Reduce the Need for Special Education? At least 20 million school-age children suffer from reading failure, but only a small fraction of these children receive special education services. By putting in place well designed, evidence-based early identification screenings and early intervention programs, the number of children suffering from reading failure would be reduced by at least two-thirds. To read Dr. Lyon's complete answers to these questions,
go to: |
Don't Wait |
Waiting Rarely Works |
| Don't Wait |
An Accurate Diagnosis No child struggles or fails on purpose. There's always a reason. It is important to find out WHY a child is struggling -- so that you can then read the research and discover the best way to help. Dyslexia can be accurately diagnosed in a child who is five-and-a-half years old. Testing should NOT be delayed until the beginning of third grade, as is commonly done in the public school system. The testing done by public schools, to determine if a child qualifies for Special Education services, is NOT the right way to diagnose dyslexia. There is NO SINGLE test that proves a child has dyslexia. If a child displays 3 or more of the warning signs of dyslexia, a parent should take their child to an independent dyslexia testing specialist. They should receive a written diagnostic report. Its recommendation section should be written in a legalistic manner to ensure that child receives classroom and testing accommodations through a 504 Plan. To receive a free list of the warning signs of dyslexia, click here and type in your name and street address. To receive a free list of dyslexia testing specialists, click here and type in your name and street address. To receive a free list of questions to ask BEFORE hiring someone to test your child, click here and type in your name and street address. |
Don't Wait |
10 Things I Wish I'd Known About LD |
Reading Methods That Work |
Which Reading Programs Work "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." -- Helen Bernstein For a child with dyslexia, independent, scientific, replicated research supports the use of a reading system that is simultaneously multisensory, systematic, and cumulative, with direct and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, followed by synthetic and analytic phonics with intense practice. Links to that research are on our website. This approach was originally created by Doctors Orton and Gillingham, and it is commonly referred to as an Orton-Gillingham system. For a list of the most well-known Orton-Gillingham systems,
go to: For links to important reading research, go to the Barton Reading & Spelling System website: www.bartonreading.com, and click on "Research." |
Reading Methods that Work, Continued |
Research-Based Reading Programs Lessons from the NICHD Early Interventions
Project
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Reading Methods that Work, Continued |
Reading Instruction That Works Research shows that 95% of reading failure is preventable -- by using appropriate reading systems and well-trained teachers. Dr. Orton and Anna Gillingham developed a unique method and sequence to significantly improve the reading and spelling skills of children and adults with dyslexia way back in the 1930's. All the latest scientific, independent, replicated reading research supports using the Orton-Gillingham sequence and methodology when teaching reading to students with dyslexia. And yet most teachers, reading and resource specialists are not exposed to even one of the Orton-Gillingham-based systems during their years in college. Here are links to some of that research: * A Scientific Approach to Reading Instruction * Teaching Reading is Rocket Science: * Researchers Support Early Intervention for ALL Children |
I.E.P.s |
Get Methodology into an I.E.P. An Advocacy Tip of the Week Question from parent: Answer: In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Board of Education vs. Rowley, stated that at the IEP, "the primary responsibility for formulating the education … and for choosing the educational method most suitable for the child's needs was left … to state and local educational agencies in cooperation with the parents or guardian of the child." If you have to choose the method most suitable, then you have to discuss methods and compare them. If you have had great results from one approach previously used with your child, then the school must document why another approach would be more suitable. The IEP committee, according to the U.S. Supreme Court in Rowley, is NOT ALLOWED to settle for second best. If the school district still insists on another approach, they must give you Prior Written Notice explaining why they insist on that approach and are refusing your proposal. That notice must explain, in writing, every evaluation, test, record or report that the school uses to justify their position. If the school says, "We do not have anyone to evaluate, or use, the approach you are suggesting," then point out that they have a Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) by which they acquire and disseminate promising educational practices. So, if your local district is not familiar with the approach you want, they must contact the State for assistance. This is just one of MANY useful tips in the book ASK REED. Reed Martin has authored several useful publications
on 504 Plans and IEPs. |
I.E.P.s, Continued |
Research Support For IEPs If your child has an upcoming IEP, and you need to present research supporting the teaching of phonemic awareness, followed by a explicit systematic approach to phonics, you need the following report: Report of the National Reading Panel In 1997, the U.S. Congress asked the director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD, a division of the National Institutes of Health) to convene a national panel to assess the status of research-based knowledge, including the effectiveness of various approaches, to teaching ALL children to read (not just dyslexic children). This new publication presents the findings and determinations of that 14-member panel, which included leading scientists in reading research, representatives of colleges of education, reading teachers, educational administrators, and parents. You can order this free report by calling 1-800-370-2943. Or you can read the report, and results, online at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/ publications/nrp/smallbook.htm |
I.E.P.s, Continued |
Fight for your child's legal rights |
I.E.P.s, Continued |
Ammunition For Your Next IEP Meeting:
At the website for the California Reading Initiative, you'll find a summary of the research that caused California to insist that Phonemic Awareness and Structured, Systematic Phonics be taught to all children, along with a requirement that children at risk for reading failure should receive individual tutoring. This Reading Initiative was issued in 1996 by the California State Board of Education to comply with two new laws. It contains sold research-based information and quotes which should prove helpful at your next IEP meeting even if you're not in California. Visit that website at www.csbe.ca.gov. |
I.E.P.s, Continued |
Great Website For Advocacy Information Whether you are a professional advocate or a parent going to your first IEP meeting, the advocacy information at the Wrights Law site will prove invaluable. Here's a sampling of recent articles on their site which include: Your Child's IEP: Practical and Legal Guidance for Parents; Understanding Tests and Measurements for the Parent and Advocate; Seven Steps to Effective Mediation; IEP Goals and Objects. Visit the WrightsLaw website at http://www.wrightslaw.com/articles.htm |
I.E.P.s, Continued |
From Emotions To Advocacy excerpted from a superb book for parents If you are a parent with a child in a public school, you have probably already met the "Gatekeeper." The Gatekeeper's job is to limit the number of children who have access to special education services, and to limit the services children can receive. A Gatekeeper may tell you that your child is NOT entitled to: * an evaluation * any change in the IEP * more services * different services The Gatekeeper's job is to say "No."
Gatekeepers will often make outrageous (and illegal) comments, leading to questions such as: "Parents are being told that a standard score of 85 or higher on an academic portion of the Woodcock Johnson indicates the child is achieving at grade level and does not need special education services." or "My child receives reading tutoring at my expense. The tutor thinks he has dyslexia and advised me to get an evaluation. The school refused to evaluate because he makes good grades. When I pressed the issue, they said his IQ is too high to qualify for special ed." or "As advocates for students with learning disabilities, we see students being denied services because they are receiving Bs and Cs on their report cards and are being passed from grade to grade." As a parent, you must learn why Gatekeepers say no, and how to persuade them that your child's situation is different and needs a different approach. To learn 10 reasons why schools say no, go to: To learn effective persuasion techniques, buy and read
this excellent book: The Wrights have created a superb website summarizing the information in their book along with listings of advocates and other resources for parents. Go to: www.fetaweb.com Peter Wright has offered Advocacy Training workshops around the country for many years. Now he's making it easier to attend his Advocacy Training workshops by offering them online as webcasts. To learn more, go to: www.wrightslaw.com/webex/index.htm |
I.E.P.s, Continued |
IEP Help Here are many good web-based articles about Special Education and IEPs: www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/special_education/ |
504 Plans |
504 Plans Great New Book: Section 504 and Public Schools A Practical Guide for Determining Eligibility, by Tom C. Smith and James R. Patton Finally, a short book written in everyday language that explains the value of a 504 Plan -- to provide classroom accommodations for students who are not in the special education system -- and what public schools need to do to ensure compliance now that parents and attorneys are becoming more aware of the requirements of Section 504. This is an essential tool for all Certified Dyslexia Testing Specialists -- and for parents who want to use those excellent reports to obtain a 504 Plan at a public school. To read the 3-page introduction to this superb new book, go to: This book is published by Pro-Ed. To watch a free webcast by Susan Barton on classroom accommodations, go to: Also read these articles on Classroom Accommodations.
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Attorneys and Advocates |
Attorneys and Advocates It is very difficult to find a well-trained Education Rights Attorney or advocate. These three organizations list attorneys and/or advocates: |
Special Education |
Crisis in Special Education This is from the cover story "Large classes and caseloads have dramatically reduced program quality for our most needy students." According to a recent survey of their members, over 50% of Resource Specialists in California exceeded their caseload limits. The article continues: "We are no longer teaching, but warehousing students. Speech and Language Therapists are also looking at huge numbers, over 100 plus. These numbers indicate an alarming trend in caseloads for both Special Day Class teachers and Resource Specialists. "Special education has lost the ability to be an effective program for thousands of children with special needs. It is not possible for a teacher to implement the new California Content Standards in classes spanning a number of age and grade levels. General educators have one grade level standard to teach, yet special educators have to span 3 to 6 sets of content standards with more students. It is preposterous! Large classes and caseloads have dramatically reduced program quality for our most needy students. "There has been a dramatic increase in the number of complaints filed at the California Department of Education, with "failure to implement the IEP" as the number one complaint."
This is from the cover story "The need for qualified special education teachers has reached a state of crisis." "We need more than 30,000 special education teachers in the United States today. In our rural and urban areas, nearly half of the special education positions are filled by individuals who are not qualified to teach children with disabilities. With these shortages, more than 600,000 children with disabilities receive instruction daily from teachers who are not certified. "Research has shown that the single most important factor in a student's educational success is the knowledge and skill of his or her teacher, and that fact is even more significant when the student has a disability."
These are just a few of the many reasons why Susan Barton advises parents to seek professional tutoring outside of the public school system. To bring the reading, writing, and spelling skills of a child with dyslexia up to grade level, a student needs five things: 1. The right system 2. The right tutor or teacher 3. Instruction at the right intensity level 4. The right setting 5. For the right duration.
Most schools cannot provide those five elements. So parents should either: 1. Send their child to a private school for dyslexic children, 2. Hire a private tutor who is certified in an Orton-Gillingham method, 3. Get trained in an Orton-Gillingham system and tutor their own child, or 4. Start a parents-as-volunteer-tutors program at their school. The Barton Reading & Spelling System is perfect for
options 3 and 4. For more information, go to: |
Special Education, Continued |
President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education Excerpts from the Executive Summary Finding 1: Finding 2: Finding 4: Finding 6: Finding 7: Finding 8: Finding 9: To read the full report, go to: |
Special Education, Continued |
Everyone is Frustrated With Special Education The Frustrations of the Resource Specialist Excerpted from an article entitled Inclusion
Threatened by Poor Teaching Conditions & Practices While there are numerous openings for special educators, few want these jobs because of the enormous disincentives. These include: * a staggering amount of paperwork * overwhelming caseloads * endless meetings * escalating discipline problems * increasingly adversarial, uncivil, and often litigious parents In addition, many feel that the job requires almost daily compromising of one's integrity. Special educators often must choose between protecting the financial interests of the school (upon which their jobs depend) and the educational needs and civil rights of the students on their caseload. More fundamental issues, however, are also at stake. Imagine, for example, being rushed into the emergency room on a gurney. Your heart is beating irregularly, you are flushed, sharp pans shoot through your chest and left arm. Soon, a cardiologist arrives on the scene. The doctor says, "This is a serious heart attack. You know Edith, who volunteers upstairs in the flower shop? We better have her come down and help. I've got some Medicaid forms to complete." Sound crazy? As Richard LaVoie aptly observes, this parable depicts special education as it is practiced today. All too often, the most highly trained special educators wallow in a sea of paperwork while well meaning, but under-trained and under-paid aides or classroom volunteers provide direct service to the nation's neediest students. Licensing more special educators or aides will NOT solve the problem. We need to make sweeping changes so that professionals can spend most of their time working with students. So let's hire paralegals to take care of the enormous volume of paperwork. Help Wanted Ad for a Principal Wanted: A miracle worker who can do more with less, pacify
rival groups, endure chronic second-guessing, tolerate low levels of support,
process large volumes of paper, and work double shifts (attending meetings
at least 75 nights a year). Frustrations of a Parent Excerpted from an talk by Al Blixit, a parent of a child
with a disability Unlike a special educator, being a parent of a child with a disability is a role you did NOT choose, did not plan for, and cannot change. You live in a confusing tangle of emotions, ranging from guilt to anger to despair to hope. You constantly struggle between hope and acceptance of the child's limitations. There's terror in not knowing how to help. And there's an incredible sense of urgency. As a parent, you don't have time to wait for the system to improve. Your child needs help now. All of these emotions influence how you interact with the school system.
To be a more effective advocate for your child, Susan Barton highly recommends the new book, From Emotions To Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide by Pam and Pete Wright. To learn more about this book, go to: |
How to Hire a Tutor |
How to Hire a Tutor If your child is struggling with reading, and your child doesn't have an IEP (or the Special Education teacher is not certified in an Orton-Gillingham-based method), then hire a private tutor. To receive a list of certified tutors in your area, click here, then type in your name and your street address. We will send you a list. Having spent years as a professional tutor of dyslexic children, Susan Barton highly recommends holding a telephone interview with a potential tutor and asking the following questions. No professional tutor will be offended by them, and you'll learn quite a bit. The following checklist, Questions to Ask a Potential Tutor, is from the book "Straight Talk About Reading." (see recommended books on our To Learn More page) 1. Please describe your background and training. 2. Do you use an Orton-Gillingham system? (If they don't know what you mean, run for the hills.) Which one? Are you certified in that system? How long have you used it? 3. How long have you been tutoring children in reading? 4. Approximately how many students have you tutored over the past 5 years? 5. Do you spend any of the session helping the student with homework, or do you concentrate only on remediation? 6. Will I be expected to work with my child at home between sessions? 7. How do you interact with the student's school? 8. How often will you provide feedback to me on my child's progress, and in what format? 9. What is your hourly fee? What happens if my child has to miss a session? 10. How many sessions per weeks do you recommend? (twice a week is MINIMUM for a dyslexic child) 11. Would you give me the name and telephone number of several parents of students you are currently tutoring? 12. Could we schedule a free consultation so that I can meet you and see your office? If you like what you hear, ask for a free face-to-face visit so that you can see the tutoring environment. Take your child with you and see how he/she interacts with the potential tutor. Make SURE the tutor has LOTS of experience working with dyslexic children. To receive a list of certified tutors in your area, click here, then type in your name and your street address. We will send you a list. |
Early Intervention Programs |
Assessing Reading Difficulties in Kindergarten and First Grade Dr. Joseph Torgesen, an NIH reading researcher and author of "Catch Them Before They Fall" has a detailed article designed for Special Education Teachers, Resource Specialists, School Psychologists, and other professionals on the best ways to assess reading difficulties in Kindergartners and First Graders. Read this excellent article by Dr. Torgeson at www.ldonline.org |
Early Intervention Programs, Continued |
How to Test First Graders As you know from reading my website, NIH research has proven that lack of phonemic awareness is the core and causal factor separating normal readers from disabled readers. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear and identify each sound within a word, as well as the ability to substitute sounds, to delete sounds, and to blend sounds. Ninety-two percent of children who lack phonemic awareness at the beginning of first grade will fail to learn to read -- except by memorizing words. Lack of phonemic awareness is the best predictor of children headed for reading difficulty. You can test a child's phonemic awareness even before you try to teach him to read. A test designed for 5 and 6 year olds was released in July 1999. It is normed and standardized, can be given in approximately 30 minutes, and provides a clear statistical profile of a child's phonemic awareness. You can purchase the CTOPP (Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, by Torgeson and Wagner) from Pro-Ed, 800-897-3202 or 512-451-3246, or visit their website at www.proedinc.com. This test is item # 8930. The package also contains a version of the test designed for people aged 7 to 24. I've used this test quite often in the last six months. I love it and highly recommend it. |
Early Intervention Programs, Continued |
Track Progress Using DIBELS How would a kindergarten or first grade teacher know a child was falling behind in essential early literacy skills? By using DIBELS -- a FREE screening tool designed by one of the NIH research teams. DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. Years of scientific research have led to quarter-by-quarter literacy benchmarks for students in kindergarten, first, second and third grade. If a regular education teacher (or her aide) gives the screening each quarter, she'll know which students are not meeting the benchmarks -- and she can then provide those students with more intense instruction to get them back on track. DIBELS is free. Download it -- and the research that supports it -- at http://dibels.uoregon.edu |
Grants |
Teachers: How To Write a Grant Many teachers get a grant to start an Early Intervention program using the Barton Reading & Spelling System. If you need help finding or writing a grant, visit www.schoolgrants.org. That site contains grant proposal samples as well as links to organizations offering grant money. |
Grants, Continued |
Grants In a shrinking economy, school budgets are being cut drastically. So teachers must write grants to purchase materials or attend trainings classes. Here are some available grants: To attend our week-long courses: Walmart Target Parents Council for Exceptional Children On-site staff training: No Child Left Behind Act Early Intervention Programs using Parents as Volunteer Tutors: Barbara Bush Foundation NEA Foundation Lists of Grants Related to Reading: National Institute for Literacy School Grants Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Grants U.S. Department of Education |
Classroom Accommodations |
Classroom Accommodations While a child is being tutored using an Orton-Gillingham-based system, that child will also need Classroom Accommodations. Accommodations are NOT a change in the curriculum. Instead, they are a slight change in the way a regular education teacher: * presents new information * helps a student master a new skill, or * tests a student These accommodations allow dyslexic students to master the curriculum and prove their knowledge -- even though they are not (yet) reading, writing, or spelling at grade level. Parents: in addition to classroom accommodations, any accommodation your child will need to pass the high-stakes state standard tests, and to pass the high school exit exam, must be in writing on your child's I.E.P. or 504 Plan. Classroom accommodations are fair. They are your child's civil rights -- because they provide equal access to education despite a child's disability. But a parent must ask for these accommodations. Each year the parent must educate their child's new teachers on the accommodations their child needs. The parent must also visit the classroom from time to time, to make sure the accommodations are implemented properly. We've created a great one-hour video called "Classroom Accommodations for Dyslexic Students." It's an ideal way to educate teachers and parents on why accommodations are fair, which ones a dyslexic student needs, and how to implement them without making the child feel different. Watch that video, free, as a webcast, by going to: Or you can buy that one-hour video for just $24.95. Click here to order it on-line. To download a description and an order form that you can fax in, click here. Or call our office at 408-559-3652. |
Classroom Accommodations, Continued |
Texas Study on Accommodations |
Classroom Accommodations, Continued |
Education's Most Damaging "Urban Legend" |
Classroom Accommodations, Continued |
Classroom Accommodations for College Students College students with learning disabilities are also entitled to accommodations, but 504 Plans work differently in college. To download an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) flyer from the Wrights Law website, entitled Help For College Students With Disabilities, go to: www.wrightslaw.com/flyers/college.504.pdf College students taking medications for their ADD/ADHD face additional challenges. For a fascinating article entitled Ten Things I Wish College Students with ADHD Knew About Their Medications, go to: www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/ add_adhd/ postsecondary_medication.html |
Classroom Accommodations, Continued |
Voice Recognition Software People with dyslexia have wonderful ideas. They just
have a hard time getting their ideas onto paper. This type of software comes with a microphone. You talk into the microphone, and it types in what you say -- spelled correctly. Finally, students can their thoughts onto paper without first having to know how to type, and then having to know how to spell. Susan Barton was recently interviewed about this amazing technology for E-School News. To receive a copy of the article, just click here, then type in your name and street address. |
Recorded Books |
Good sources for recorded books |
Classroom Accommodations, Continued |
PARABLE:
The Animal Story Once upon a time, the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of the "new world," so they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming, and flying. To make the school easier to administer, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming, better in fact than his instructor, and made passing grades in flying. But he was very poor in running. Since he was so slow in running, he had to stay after school. He also had to drop swimming to have time to practice running. This was kept up until his web feet were badly worn, which made him only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school, so nobody worried about that -- except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of the class in running, but had a nervous breakdown because of so much make-up work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustration in the flying class, where his teacher made his start from the ground up, instead of from the tree top down. The eagle was a problem child and was disciplined severely. In the climbing class, he beat all the others to the top of the tree, but he insisted on using his own way to get there. At the end of the year, an abnormal eel who could swim exceedingly well, |