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Palm Beach Dyslexia Testing

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Dyslexia is one type of a learning disability.  There are different types of dyslexia and most children have phonological dyslexia which means they rely upon their visual memory to take a visual picture of a word and have significant difficulty sounding out made up or new unfamiliar words. Their breakdown occurs because of a phonological processing disorder.  This causes reading, spelling, and writing difficulties.

I test children for dyslexia in the Palm Beach area (including Boca Raton, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm, Wellington, and Delray Beach).  People from all over Florida and various parts of the USA work with me for dyslexia testing. Since I am a state licensed school psychologist my reports are accepted by most schools. Most public school do not test children for dyslexia. In fact, public schools seem to have cut back on the services they provide. Parents that want public testing usually wait at least four to six months. I find this unacceptable because then the child falls further behind. I test children using a customized battery of tests that tells me if there is dyslexia and the best reading program for you to use.

Some of the dyslexia tests I use include reading tests where the child reads aloud for accuracy, speed, and comprehension.  I also use silent reading tests, reading made up words, identifying letter and sound relationships, spelling real and made up words, auditory discrimination, auditory memory, visual memory, visual-spatial thinking.  An important test is one that assesses your child’s phonological processing.  This battery takes about four hours and is priced about the same as a reasonably priced leather couch.  After dyslexia testing you know if your child has dyslexia and the best reading program to use to help your child.

If your child has dyslexia and needs specialized dyslexia teaching, the Barton Reading and Spelling System ( Read a Reading Research summary )is one of the best to use and there are dyslexia tutors in the Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, and Stuart area using this, and other good reading programs. If you reside outside of Florida there are dyslexia tutors in every state using specialized reading instruction for kids with dyslexia.

Dyslexia testing helps you because then you don’t wonder about how to help your child and just do a hit and miss approach to help your child. Time is too valuable. Your child may already be turned off to reading or be feeling dumb. Don’t waste time. My process takes two to three weeks. Start now.

If you are in south Florida and the Palm Beaches, call me to discuss dyslexia testing for your child. The testing investment can help positively change the course of their life. Call today.

Bahamas Learning Disabilities

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Learning disabilities occur in children living in the Bahamas just like they do in kids in the USA. Some kids in Nassau and Grand Bahama require specialized instruction for such learning disabilities as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and math disorders.

One of the most effective treatment programs for reading learning disabilities such as phonological dyslexia is the Barton reading and spelling system. This is an Orton Gillingham influenced multisensory reading curriculum that Bahamian home school parents can use with their child. This program is ideal for parents since there are limited Bahamian dyslexia resources. Bahamian parents interested in using the Barton reading program should take the free tutor screening test. If you pass the Barton reading dyslexia screening test then you can teach your own dyslexic child.

Dyslexia treatment takes between 18-36 months so it’s ideal for Bahamian parents to teach their child or a small group of children during this time period. Teach your dyslexic child using one level at a time by purchasing the Barton Reading and Spelling System. Each level builds upon the previous so most children start with level one and move forward. Teaching your own child with dyslexia is the most affordable way to help your child overcome dyslexia. I can test your child for dyslexia if you want to make sure your child has dyslexia before you begin tutoring. This is the best way to make sure you don’t just do a hit and miss approach but that your child really is dyslexia.

During the summer I can come to the Bahamas for dyslexia testing you or you can bring your child to me during the school year for dyslexia testing. If there is a long weekend I may be able to come test for dyslexia in the Bahamas but there is a charge for travel and time. In addition to testing for dyslexia, I can test children from the Bahamas or ADHD, anxiety, depression, information processing problems, and other issues. Email me for additional information.

A Father’s Affirmation

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Father’s day was this month and I am blessed to have had a father that took an interest in my life and was a role model for my parenting as a father. Many dads’ didn’t have a good dad for a role model so they are unclear of their role and take it too superficially. Even though I had a great dad I am constantly reminding myself to affirm and complement my children. Children need their father’s encouragement and positive reinforcement. It does not matter what age your child is, he or she needs to hear dad say statements like, “I’m proud of you. You are such a good person. I love you.” If dads don’t affirm their child then child will find other way to get that affirmation. Is that want you want your child to do? If you are a dad, consider reading one of these two books.

One of my favorite books for dads is called “The Difference A Father Makes” by Ed McGlasson. His small book is a quick, but meaningful, read to help fathers understand the importance of their power in preparing a children for life. He shares personal examples of how he influenced his sons and daughters to become leaders in life. This includes an awesome chapter called Rites of Passage that has information to give fathers the power to change his relationship with his son or daughter forever.

The second book is “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know” by Meg Meeker. This book contains ideas that can dramatically improve a father’s relationship with his daughter. I believe books can be valuable tools in helping parents build stronger relationships with their children. These two books are a great starting point for any dad who wants to connect with his kids.

Help Learning to Read

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Learning to read is a very complex process for about 20% of all children.  Some children have a hard time unlocking the reading ‘code’ because they need multisensory reading instruction.  This means that all senses are activated and the instruction is direct, systematic, and taught from most common to least common.  Surprisingly, that is not the way reading is traditionally taught in most elementary classrooms.

If your son or daughter struggles to learn to read, the one thing to know is don’t wait to get help.  The investment you make by starting testing and/or tutoring will give a life time of dividend returns.  Study after study shows that early intervention is better than waiting to see if it is just a developmental issue.  With the high stakes testing in our public schools, waiting can mean your child being retained.  A year of specialized tutoring can make a world of difference.

Once your child becomes a good reader, I like Dr. John C. Maxwell’s philosophy of paying your child to read a book.  He is an internationally known author who explained that rather than getting allowance to do childhood chores, his parents paid him to read a book and write a one page summary.  The idea of this is that parents need to invest in nurturing what is important.  If reading print is too hard for your teen then have her listen to an audio book and then write up the report. 

The take away message is that if your intuition has you worried about your child’s reading skills, get them checked out.  I recommend that for tutoring you don’t just use any teacher but that you use a tutor who follows a specialized curriculum.  I know dyslexia tutors in our area (Jupiter Florida, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Wellington, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach) that can help you.

IEP or 504 Plan

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If your child receives special education services then they have an IEP. While the federal legislation called Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA or IDEA, 2004) spells out the rules and regulations for students who are placed in special education settings, and have an IEP; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, specifically Section 504, describes rules to protect students from discrimination because of their differences. When a student gets to college, it is Section 504 that ensures that they won’t be excluded from college because they cannot meet the SAT requirement because of their learning disability. It also ensures that an individual will not be discriminated because of chronic illness when they apply for a job. However, Section 504 also has an impact on education in grades k-12 too.

A 504 plan is a legal document that describes an instructional plan for children with disabilities when they are in the general classroom. The 504 plan focuses on the “reasonable” accommodations and modifications that will support the child’s learning. In practice, students with IEPS (like SLD or ASD) also need accommodations and modifications. However they do not also have 504 plans, as their IEPS contain the accommodations and modifications that are needed. IDEA requires specific criteria for each disability, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act doe s not. Therefore, the Rehab Act is more global, indicating only that the child/adult has to have an impairment of one of the systems of the body (skeleton, neurological, sensory, respiratory, etc). So a 504 plan may be developed for a student identified with AD/HD, ADD, Asthma, Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, Bipolar Disorder, or many other chronic illnesses. The 504 plan provides strategies and direction for the general classroom teacher. The strategies are not very different from those used in IEPS, it is just that they are provided in the general class environment.