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Parent’s Quick Start Guide to Dyslexia

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My new dyslexia book, Parent’s Quick Start Guide to Dyslexia, was recently released and provides you with an immediate overview of dyslexia and specific steps you can take to support and help your child. Each chapter is packed with detailed and helpful information, covering identification, public schools versus private settings, and how (and when) to seek professional help. Topics include a wealth of research-backed activities, nurturing talent and creativity, motivating your child to read, and more.  Offering straightforward, easy to understand, and evidence-based information, this book is a go-to resource for caregivers parenting a child with dyslexia.

I’ve been diagnosing children with dyslexia for a while and providing parents this type of information in our review sessions. For those that know me, I’m a get to the point fast type of guy.  Now you can get trusted, get to the point help for your child with dyslexia in my new book.  Time is too valuable to waste so let’s do what is best to help your child and let’s do it now!

 

How Is Dyslexia Different From A Learning Disability?

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A mom of a 7 year old boy named Javier recently asked me, “How is dyslexia different from a learning disability?”  This was a great question because sometimes the public school staff don’t like to use the word dyslexia.  Instead they use the words specific learning disability.  The term, “dyslexia” is in Florida’s law for qualifying children for special education services and an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a type of a learning disability that affects a child’s reading and spelling.  One key feature of dyslexia is a processing problem with phonological processing.  This is understanding the sound system of language and is a prerequisite for a child’s phonics development.

The International Dyslexia Association and the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development define dyslexia as, “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.  It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and / or fluent word 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. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

Here’s a quick comparison of what dyslexia is and is not.

Dyslexia is:

A type of learning disability
A neurological disorder
A confusion with the sound system of language
A deficit in phonological processing
Something that requires a specialized reading instruction

Dyslexia is not:

A medical diagnosis
Only reversing letters or numbers
Temporary
Identifiable by one test
A myth

Testing Helps Identify if Your Child Has Dyslexia

It’ s important to identify if your child’s struggle is dyslexia because he or she needs to be taught how to read in a different way.  The primary specialized approach and gold standard for teaching dyslexics to read is called Orton-Gillingham multisensory reading instruction.   Dr. Samuel Orton and his student, Anna Gillingham, were pioneers in developing a specialized approach for helping dyslexics read.  This approach works but takes 18-36 months of instruction.

Call us if you are concerned your child’s reading struggle might be dyslexia.  We test children for dyslexia from ages 5.5 through college. Dr. Jim Forgan is a licensed school psychologist and certified dyslexia testing specialist.  Call (561) 625-4125

Florida Dyslexia Testing

Florida Dyslexia Testing

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Dr. Jim Forgan is a certified dyslexia testing specialist and school neuropsychologist in Jupiter, Florida. He has tested hundreds of children specifically for dyslexia. Jim will identify if your child has dyslexia along with its severity. He will also identify the best teaching methods and reading programs to help your child become a strong reader. After dyslexia testing with Jim Forgan you’ll have the answers you were hoping for and clear direction on how to help your child.

Florida Dyslexia Testing Expert

Call around and ask others if they are ‘certified’ to test for dyslexia and you’ll find people say they test for dyslexia but they are not ‘certified.’ There is a big difference.  Jim Forgan is certified by international dyslexia expert Susan Barton as a dyslexia testing specialist and licensed by the state of Florida as a school psychologist. Susan Barton is the creator of the Orton-Gillingham influenced Barton Reading and Spelling System that is used in school around the world.

Dyslexia Testing Process

Jim offers Florida dyslexia testing and works with families from around the state including dyslexia testing from Miami, dyslexia testing Orlando, and dyslexia testing Ft. Myers. Dyslexia testing takes four hours and can be completed in one day or over two days.   Most teens prefer to complete dyslexia testing in one day while younger children typically perform best in 2, two hour sessions. If you are coming from a distance we work with your schedule to perhaps do one afternoon session and then a morning session. There are many hotel options in the area where you can spend the night. In addition, Jupiter has the Loggerhead Turtle Rescue park, Jupiter Lighthouse, beach, and mini-golf that you may enjoy. There are many waterfront restaurants.

The dyslexia testing process begins with a parent meeting so we understand your concerns and the most important questions you want to learn from testing. After this your child starts testing and breaks are taken as needed. There is no one test for dyslexia so we use a battery of 15 plus activities to assess your child for dyslexia. These include:

Reading real and made up words
Reading speed
Reading comprehension
Spelling
Phonics processing
Rapid recall
Memory
Auditory discrimination
Sound to symbol knowledge
Symbol to sound knowledge
and other tests.

At the end of the testing process it takes us one week to score everything and write up the results. We discuss the results with you in person or by phone.

Group Dyslexia Screening Test in Florida

Jim Forgan, Florida Dyslexia Testing expert, is also available to screen groups of children for dyslexia at your school. This individual screening is ten minutes or less and ideal for schools that want to start an early intervention program to help children at-risk for dyslexia.  We come to your school to conduct the screenings. Call for additional information.

Dyslexia Help in South Florida

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If you have dyslexia concerns about a child or loved one then you’ve come to the right place because I provide dyslexia help in the south Florida area. I am a Barton certified dyslexia testing specialist.  Very few professionals in the south Florida area are certified for dyslexia testing.  If you are paying for dyslexia testing then I recommend you work with a professional that is certified in that area.  Just because a person has an advanced degree does not mean they have the specialized dyslexia testing and training to help parents and children with dyslexia.  If you don’t work with a dyslexia specialist then the tester may not identify your child’s true needs and this could result in years of lost time doing things that don’t help kids with dyslexia.

I understand dyslexia as a professional and a parent because I have a child with dyslexia.  In addition, my wife is a certified teacher with a master’s degree in special education and she tutors children with dyslexia using one of the best reading programs to help dyslexic children overcome their dyslexia. You could say we are immersed in helping our own child and other children with dyslexia.

 My wife tutors and teaches children with dyslexia using the Barton Reading and Spelling System.  This is an Orton-Gillingham Influenced Simultaneously Multi-sensory Explicit and Systematic Phonics Program that was specifically designed to help children with dyslexia. My wife is a pro at getting children to read on grade level.  Teaching a child with dyslexia to read on grade level can be achieved if you have three key ingredients.

1. The right program
2. The right child-tutor match
3.  The right number of tutoring sessions per week for the right length of time.

Helping children with dyslexia (in south Florida) overcome their dyslexia and read on grade level typically takes 18-36 months.  This depends on the severity of the child’s dyslexia as well as if the child has any co-ocurring issues like ADD/ADHD or processing problems.  You

What does Dyslexia Testing Involve?

There is no one test for dyslexia testing.  If anybody tells you they test for dyslexia by using one just one test you’d better run.  Dyslexia testing requires using multiple tests and that’s because dyslexia affects more than just reading.  Your child needs his or her spelling tested, reading speed, reading comprehension, letter to sound knowledge, sound to letter knowledge, nonword reading, phonological processing, and more.  Dyslexia testing takes about 4 hours and that is done over 2 different days.  At the end of the testing you’ll know the best reading program to use with your child.  It might be one like the Barton Reading and Spelling System but your child may need a different reading program first.  Some kids have an extremely difficult time with hearing the difference in sounds and if this happens your child needs a different program first.  I’ll test to find out how to help your child best.  The earlier you start using these reading programs the better the outcome for your child.  Take action and don’t procrastinate any longer.

Contact me if you are ready to help your child with dyslexia testing or dyslexia tutoring.  Let’s get him or her reading on grade level. The investment of time and money is well worth it when your child feels good about him or herself and has the love of reading that remains with them for life.