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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.

6 Reasons Why Waiting to Test Your Child for Dyslexia Will Cost You More In the End

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Moms and dads, trust your intuition.  If you have been thinking about getting your child tested for dyslexia, just do it.  The peace of mind you will have after the testing is worth every penny of the testing cost.

Here are 6 reasons why waiting to test your child for dyslexia will cost you more in the end.

1. The longer you wait, the more hours of tutoring that will be needed. This is going to cost you more money because tutoring is typically $65/hour and up.

2. Waiting to get the right type of reading instruction increases the chance that your child will never catch up. The gap between your child and his/her peers will widen.

3. There is a greater risk of loss of self-esteem as your child fails for a longer period.  We can make accommodations for academic weaknesses much easier than trying to fix a child’s self-esteem.

4. The longer he/she struggles to learn to read, the more likely he/she will never love reading.  I’ve worked with many families of boys and girls where the kids don’t love reading and will not read for pleasure.  These kids are missing out on one of life’s greatest joys.

5. The child’s vocabulary will end up smaller than peers because he/she is not reading as many books and words as their peers.  This becomes a disadvantage when your child is trying to write descriptive essays.  His/her vocabulary weakness becomes a huge issue when it’s time to take the SAT or ACT.

6.  If your child is not a proficient reader then by the fourth grade his/her grades will be much lower and your child won’t be working to his/her potential.

In addition to being a private practice school psychologist, I am also a dyslexia testing specialist and have completed specific training in how to test and teach children with dyslexia. Additionally, I have a child with dyslexia and have helped him overcome dyslexia.  If you need dyslexia help in the Palm Beach, Jupiter, Stuart, or anywhere in Florida, contact me.  The truth is that public schools usually do not test for dyslexia nor do most provide the type of dyslexia teaching that will help your child overcome dyslexia.  As I stated at the beginning, trust your intuition!  If you have been concerned that your child might have dyslexia, get it checked out.  The longer you put off testing, the more it will cost you in the end.  It probably does not cost as much as you think so call Dr. Forgan for details and payment options.

Dyslexia Testing in Jupiter- Palm Beach

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Are you searching for a certified dyslexia testing specialist to test your child?  You’ve found the right source as Dr. Jim Forgan is a certified dyslexia testing specialist and licensed school psychologist.  This means his testing is accepted by all Florida public and private schools, colleges, and universities.

Dyslexia is a language disorder that is neurological in origin and often hereditary.  According to the National Institute of Health, approximately 15-20% of school age children have dyslexia.  This means in a class of 25 children as many as 5 children could have dyslexia.  It is the number one type of learning disability served in public schools.  Children with dyslexia have difficulty with reading and spelling.  Unfortunately, most teachers and reading specialist have not been trained in the most effective methods that children with dyslexia need in order to be successful readers and spellers.  If you think your child is dyslexic, get him or her evaluated as soon as possible so you can begin the most effective remediation program.  According to dyslexia expert Susan Barton, programs that don’t work well for children with dyslexia include: Hooked on Phonics, the Phonics Game, Reading Recovery, Accelerated Reader, Reading Recovery, and most commercial learning chains.

What Works for Teaching Kids With Dyslexia?

Scientific, independent, replicated reading research supports the reading programs based on Orton-Gillingham sequence and methodology.  Dr. Sam Orton and Anna Gillingham developed a unique method and sequence to significantly improve the reading and spelling skills of children and adults with dyslexia during the 1930’s.  Orton-Gillingham programs are “best practices” when teaching reading to students with dyslexia.  An Orton Gillingham based reading system is simultaneously multisensory, systematic, and cumulative with direct and explicit instruction in phonics.  This type of program shows how reading and spelling are related and provide intense practice for a child with dyslexia.

One-on-one tutoring using Orton-Gillingham methodology is the gold standard for dyslexic reading instruction.  The benefits of this type of tutoring are supported by research.  Consider the evaluation and tutoring the best investment you can make for the future success of your child.  Their self-esteem will rise along with their academics.  For a list of local tutors using Orton-Gillingham methods, call me.

I am a certified dyslexia testing specialist located in Jupiter, Florida (West Palm Beach area for anyone reading this out of town) and I can test your child for dyslexia.  Dyslexia testing is a four hour process that is completed in two, two hour sessions. It can be done in one day. Use my contact form or call me so I can help you determine if your child has dyslexia and how to help him or her overcome it.  I can also help you find a dyslexia tutor or dyslexia school in the West Palm Beach area.

Reading: No Tricks, Only Treats

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Many people agree that giving a child the gift of reading is one of the best gifts available. Remember who taught you to read? About 20 percent of children start school reading, 60% learn with instruction from a good teacher, and 20% seriously struggles to learn to read. I advise you to get an evaluation if your child does not enjoy reading, constantly misreads words, reads choppy and slow, or doesn’t comprehend well. Kids in the bottom 20-25% that struggle to read need more specialized help than what the average teacher with 22 kids in her class can provide. These kids need special and intensive tutoring using a reading program matched to their specific needs.

Consider this. Is there only one way to learn to drive, cook, or learn how to manage your money? Of course not but in many schools teachers are given one way to teach kids how to read. It’s no wonder why some kids seriously struggle. If your child struggles to read an evaluation can help pinpoint the breakdown and identify his or her strengths. Then a specialist can use the best reading program to target this area and improve your child’s reading and build their confidence. I know most of the specialized reading programs available.

My evaluation is the starting point so that you don’t lose valuable time in your young child’s life. I often explain to parents that the evaluation uncovers strengths and weaknesses so we understand exactly how to proceed. You don’t want to waste your time and money doing things that don’t fix the problem. The bottom line is don’t let anyone trick you into believing that waiting will solve the problem. If your child’s reading concerns you then get it checked out and give your child the biggest treat ever: becoming a great reader.

Everything About Dyslexia

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All children with dyslexia can read some.  It’s surprising for some when they learn dyslexia is more of an auditory processing problem than visual processing problem.  Kids with dyslexia often don’t discriminate sounds well.  For example, say aloud the sounds /s/, /th/, and /f/ as in the words sing, thing, finger.  Those three sounds can sound similar.  This makes spelling difficult as well as reading.  The other area that kids with dyslexia have difficulty is in learning the sound to letter relationship.  For example, if I said sounds, can you write down the letters that go with the sounds?  Many kids with dyslexia can’t do this.  Furthermore, they may have difficulty with the letter to sound relationship.  So, the child with dyslexia sees the letter but does not know what sound goes with it.  He or she relies upon visual memorization of how a word looks.  That’s why some kids say the word truck or trunk when they read the word trumpet.  They over rely upon visual cues.  These kids usually “hit the wall” by fourth grade because they can’t memorize all the new vocabulary words being introduced. 

Warning signs of dyslexia in elementary students include: slow choppy reading, difficulty remembering the sounds of words, difficulty sounding out words, and poor spelling.  Warning signs of dyslexia in older students include: unable to learn a foreign language, difficulty remembering what was read, slow reading, difficulty telling important information from unimportant details, spells poorly, and when speaking, has difficulty finding the correct word.  These warning signs do not go away and get worse with age.  Children as young as age 5 ½ can be evaluated for dyslexia. 

Dyslexic children can learn to read well if they have the correct instruction.  Unfortunately, most public schools do not teach children using Orton Gillingham materials and instead use ‘whole language’ teaching.  I can evaluate your child and let you know if he or she has dyslexia and also which reading program will work best with your child.