My dd is 9 and in the 4th grade. Last year she was diagnosed by Scottish Rites as having dyslexia and dysgraphia. We looked into the private tutor Scottish Rites suggested and it was going to be 160.00 a week. I spoke with the counselor at her school at the time and she tutored her for $40.00 a week. We moved her this year to a public school (Harrison Lane in Hurst) hoping to take advantage of the free help from the school. Well, her grades have dropped horribly. They used to be a's and b's. Now all c's. They have classified her as 504. Did anyone else have any experience or advise to share. I have no clue and am wondering if I will have to get a tutor after all. I'm not sure what is going on at her school, but I am starting to think nothing. She tutors there three times a week, but I honestly don't see any improvement.
I have a child with autism and I can tell you that schools try to help but private tutors are the best. It's a lot of money, but maybe you can find someone a little cheaper, but it will pay off in the end. At least, you can train around dyslexia and dysgraphia, so it's not the end of the world.
I would start with finding out from the school what program they are using to help her with the dyslexia. By law, they are obligated to offer an intervention that is proven to work with dyslexics--Alphabetic Phonics, MTA are two of the more common ones. If her dyslexia is severe enough to qualify her as a 504 student, then she should be receiving special instruction in reading everyday (not a special ed or resource class, but a reading class specifically for students with dyslexia.) Is her IQ in the average range--85-115? After finding out specific information about what the school is offering, I would look into specialized tutoring. If a dyslexic student is in the average range of intelligence, they can learn strategies to overcome many of the obstacles of dyslexia. Of course, the younger she starts, the better the chances of successfully learning to cope with both the dyslexia and dysgraphia. Good luck.
I agree with the first response I was a school teacher until finally having my babies and I stay at home now. There is nothing better than having a private tutor. I know the school tries there hardest, but there are so many children who need help it is really hard to have one on one time. I am not sure of your financial situtation, but if you can some how find the money get her back with her private tutor.
J.:
I know HEB has a Dyslexia department & should be providing class for her on a regular basis. 504 is very helpful in offering her accomodations, especially on TAKS. My suggestion is that she spends regular time in an alphabetic phonics program. At first progress is very slow; but it will pick up & you will see great growth.
Let me know if you have any questions.
M.
