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Max Matheny, 13, wore his Sacramento duds – black suit paired with a lime shirt, topped with a newsboy cap – up to the Capitol five times this year, carrying a wrinkled copy of his speech in a book bag. “I’m really smart, with an IQ higher than average,” he told the state Senate Education Committee last summer. This was hard-won self-knowledge, the farthest thing from 8th-grade braggadocio.
“Up until this past January, I read at a 2nd-grade level,” he told the senators.
Max has dyslexia, a reading disability thought to originate in the neurological structure of the brain. The words “smart” and “special education” aren’t spoken together often by educators, but Max, perched on a swivel chair before a microphone, did just that with the legislators. He told them he was smart, he had not received the correct instruction for dyslexia in seven years of special education and he wanted the legislators to do something about it.
“I’m really smart,” said Max Matheny, 13, a student with dyslexia.
They did. This month, Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1369, authored by Assemblyman Jim Frazier, D-Oakley. The new law requires schools to assess struggling readers specifically for dyslexia, the most prevalent learning disability in the U.S. and a disorder that affects as many as 80 percent of California students with learning disabilities in special education, according to Kathy Futterman, a supervisor in educational psychology and teacher education at California State University East Bay.
In addition, the law requires the California Department of Education, by the start of the 2017-18 school year, to post information on its website to help teachers find a proven, evidence-based approach for teaching reading to students with dyslexia. Such approaches, which include Orton-Gillingham and Wilson Language Training, involve direct instruction in breaking the “code” of letters and sounds. The law does not include two requirements initially sought by the grassroots organization that sponsored the legislation, Decoding Dyslexia California: that districts be required to use the tools posted on the California Department of Education website and that students in K-3 be screened for dyslexia.
Proponents of the law describe a dire situation in school for students with dyslexia, a condition that is so commonly conflated with low intelligence by teachers and parents that advocates have a ready list of impressive individuals who are dyslexic, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, Supreme Court litigator David Boies and Nobel Prize winner Carol Greider.
Among the most baffling experiences for students with dyslexia, according to Decoding Dyslexia California, is that many school staff tell parents there is no such thing as dyslexia or that dyslexia is not a disability. Some districts refuse to say the word at all.
“I was told, ‘We do not use the word dyslexia,'” said Holly Snyder, a member of Decoding Dyslexia California and a Sacramento-area parent whose 9-year-old son Ty has dyslexia.
“I think most school psychologists prefer the term ‘specific learning disability,'” said Barbara D’Incau, a past president of the California Association of School Psychologists. “Although we have been reluctant to use the word dyslexia, it’s clearly in common usage and you’re going to see teachers and school psychologists use it much more.”
The avoidance of the word has become such an issue that the federal Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation released a “Dear Colleague” guidance letter on Oct. 23 encouraging state offices of education and local school districts to ensure that their policies don’t prohibit the use of “dyslexia.”
Thank you @usedgov for encouraging schools to #SayDyslexia, #SayDysgraphia and #SayDyscalculia. https://t.co/hzXDdH5Aie
— Understood (@UnderstoodOrg) October 23, 2015
The letter followed a tweet earlier this month, which is Dyslexia Awareness Month, from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan:
It’s okay to say dyslexia! Schools must identify and meet the unique/individual needs of any child with a disability http://t.co/yf7TUo2gFW
— Arne Duncan (@arneduncan) October 5, 2015
Dyslexia “is still not recognized by most public schools,” said the Southern California Tri-Counties Branch of the International Dyslexia Association in a statement in support of the law. This is true, the group noted, even though dyslexia has been included in the California Education Code since 1990 and is included as a “specific learning disability” in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
“This is educational malpractice,” Snyder told the Assembly Education Committee earlier this year. “We know how to treat this.”
She added in an interview, “The ironic twist in this whole story is that I’m a kindergarten teacher and I didn’t know what dyslexia was. There’s no teacher training, no classes.”
As a result, with many schools not looking for signs of dyslexia or providing evidence-based interventions, parents of struggling readers are left floundering, said Riverside-area parent Jennifer Biang, who founded Decoding Dyslexia California in 2013. But now they are mobilizing, Biang said. Since 2011, when the original Decoding Dyslexia group was founded in New Jersey, the organization has become a national network with chapters in all 50 states.
Biang says she fields calls from parents who are all but resigned to their child’s academic failure because of dyslexia. “I explain to them that dyslexia is not a cognitive disability,” Biang said. Let the school handle it, they say. “No services, no understanding of dyslexia” is how Biang describes the three school districts her daughter, Violet, 16, who has dyslexia, has attended. Biang explains to these parents that they are probably going to have to get involved.
The law was opposed by the Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA) Administrators of California, an organization of leaders of regional agencies that oversee special education in the state, and the California Association of School Psychologists. In an apparent misstep, the special education administrators group released a statement that it opposed the bill in part because it was inappropriate to screen students for letter reversals – writing the letter “b” instead of “d” – before 3rd grade.
But screening for letter reversals is not how students are identified as dyslexic, said Kelli Sandman-Hurley, a co-founder of the San Diego-based Dyslexia Training Institute, who supported the bill. “Dyslexia is not seeing things backwards,” she said. “What was fascinating is they even put that in writing. I thought, ‘You just explained to the whole state how much we need this law.'”
The legislation will require schools that are testing struggling readers to test students’ “phonological processing,” which is the ability to discriminate and manipulate sounds at the sentence, word, syllable and individual sound level. A difficulty in phonological processing is a defining characteristic of dyslexia, according to the International Dyslexia Association, but a trait school psychologists often aren’t testing for, according to Futterman at Cal State East Bay. “My opinion is that people are not well versed, well trained or well educated in language-based learning disabilities,” Futterman said. “They are not able to do a differential diagnosis.”
Most teachers, including those in special education, aren’t taught to use evidenced-based reading interventions, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C. The council looked at 64 programs in California that prepare elementary school teachers and found that more than half did not cover the science of reading – how the brain processes information to decode sounds and words, said Sandi Jacobs, senior vice president of state and district policy for the council.
And while the California Association of School Psychologists opposed the law on the grounds that “phonological processing” assessments were already allowed, and that the law needed to clearly state that school psychologists would conduct the assessments as usual, the organization is now advocating for improved services for students with dyslexia.
D’Incau said the group is preparing a position paper with recommendations for the California Department of Education. These include identifying students in grades K-2 who have the characteristics of dyslexia and providing early interventions. In addition, the psychologists will recommend that the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing improve educator and school psychologist training in how to address dyslexia, she said.
Max, who lives in Aptos, finally is receiving an intervention designed for dyslexic students. In the first four months of the program, his reading level jumped from 2nd grade to the mid-year of 3rd grade. “I’m glad they are teaching me now,” Max told the legislators. “I had given up hope before. I just thought I was too stupid to learn how to read.”
Legislation that would remove one of the last tests teachers are required to take to earn a credential in California passed the Senate Education Committee.
Part-time instructors, many who work for decades off the tenure track and at a lower pay rate, have been called “apprentices to nowhere.”
A bill to mandate use of the method will not advance in the Legislature this year in the face of teachers union opposition.
Nearly a third of the 930 districts statewide that reported data had a higher rate of chronic absenteeism in 2022-23 than the year before.
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Diana Hansen 2 years ago2 years ago
I'm a mom who has been working and advocating for my adopted son all his life. He's now turning 20 and will graduate high school this June. I could kick myself that the word dyslexia I believe never appeared on any of his IEPs. I'm going to follow up with the Department of Education if I find that to be true and get him all services that he is entitled to. Right now … Read More
I’m a mom who has been working and advocating for my adopted son all his life. He’s now turning 20 and will graduate high school this June. I could kick myself that the word dyslexia I believe never appeared on any of his IEPs. I’m going to follow up with the Department of Education if I find that to be true and get him all services that he is entitled to.
Right now I am having a difficult time finding a Neuro-diversity therapist for him in my area. (Southern California near Murrieta). Please LMK if you know of someone qualified in this area. Thank you for this wonderful site.
Frank Provenzano 3 years ago3 years ago
What does a person have to do to be eligible to teach dyslexia to dyslexics?
I had dyslexia and, over many years, have self-taught to the point of overcoming dyslexia. Would like to help people with this learning disadvantage.
Home is in Carmel Valley, CA near Del Mar.
Thank you.
Anthony Gonzalez 4 years ago4 years ago
My name is Anthony, and I am 36 years old. I was born with dyslexia and still have it tell this day. During my years of education the school system failed me and push me long without proper teaching. I had abuse teachers and parents that beat me severely for the disability. I had one teacher that was able to teach me but my mother pulled me out the class so she wouldn't lose my … Read More
My name is Anthony, and I am 36 years old. I was born with dyslexia and still have it tell this day. During my years of education the school system failed me and push me long without proper teaching. I had abuse teachers and parents that beat me severely for the disability. I had one teacher that was able to teach me but my mother pulled me out the class so she wouldn’t lose my SSI benefits. When I was in the 5th grade I had a teacher tell me and my mother that I wouldn’t have a good job. And that I would be a bum homeless or cleaning floors at McDonald’s.
Since then my life has been very hard for me as an adult. My mother throw me on the street at 12 years old and was force into a life of crime to survive. And I’ve been in and out of the system reaching for help that has organization not recognize Dyslexia as a disability at all. I’ve been face with discrimination and unfair treatment. And on top of that I was just diagnosed with PTSD, DEPRESSION, and ANXIETY. And it’s very to get treatment or help because the medicine these doctors give conflict with my dyslexia. And they to don’t acknowledge my dyslexia neither and it makes things very scary. My dyslexia is comprehension and retention… And I’m still trying to find help at 36 years old.
Julie 4 years ago4 years ago
Since Max received intervention for dyslexia, Is the intervention he received available for all other students in California ?
Mercedes 5 years ago5 years ago
My daughter was diagnosed by a psychological assessment I paid for. I did this because the school refused to help my daughter. I homeschool her now. I am teaching her that having dyslexia is no big deal. She’s lucky, better than cancer or blindness. You have to take things as you get them. This way when some kid hassles her again, she knows they’re the one with a problem, not her.
Naomi Paul 6 years ago6 years ago
I'm an older adult trying to finish grad school. I have been dope from the program and school due to not passing my clinical course. My preceptor evaluation stated that I lacked knowledge. She teased me on my pronunciations of some words. On review by my faculty I mispronounced a couple words and I was not passed in clinical. The head clinical faculty told me that my knowledge base was very low … Read More
I’m an older adult trying to finish grad school. I have been dope from the program and school due to not passing my clinical course. My preceptor evaluation stated that I lacked knowledge. She teased me on my pronunciations of some words. On review by my faculty I mispronounced a couple words and I was not passed in clinical. The head clinical faculty told me that my knowledge base was very low and that I may never become a midwife. I passed all other courses for the semester and completed 135 hours of clinical time.
I have been a labor and delivery nurse for over 30. School has always been a struggle for me especially reading writing and spelling. I have never been diagnosed with dyslexia, but have connected the symptoms during this process. I have attempted several times to to seek help from the disabled students office, but they do not test for any learning disabilities. They give me names of psychologists that can test you and offer you a treatment plan that cost 700 + dollars. I would really like to finish graduate school and become a midwife; this is my dream for so long. I have always struggled with school. I wanted to learn not just get by. I’m looking for some help/answers
so that I may obtain my dream.
Stephanie Ferreira 7 years ago7 years ago
Max's mother has done a great job raising an articulate, confident young man. Dyslexia has been swept under the rug for too long. I've been an educator in California for over 20 years, and I'm also the mother of a 13-year-old son in special education with a high I.Q. The regular classroom teacher has not been required enough to consistently screen kids for learning disabilities like dyslexia. And the SST process … Read More
Max’s mother has done a great job raising an articulate, confident young man. Dyslexia has been swept under the rug for too long. I’ve been an educator in California for over 20 years, and I’m also the mother of a 13-year-old son in special education with a high I.Q. The regular classroom teacher has not been required enough to consistently screen kids for learning disabilities like dyslexia. And the SST process is so long and arduous; kids wait too long to be assessed properly and get the help they need. If classroom teachers had the right tools to both assess and structure targeted lessons to help these students in the classroom, intervention could begin much sooner.
Evy 7 years ago7 years ago
I am so happy I found this website. My 15-year-old son has been struggling with dyslexia for so many years. Finally this year we found out he has dyslexia. The school district tested him and said, he is OK; he passed all the tests with flying colors, he just needs therapy. Still I knew something was not right, he is very smart and I didn't want to give up thinking he just doesn't want to excel … Read More
I am so happy I found this website.
My 15-year-old son has been struggling with dyslexia for so many years. Finally this year we found out he has dyslexia. The school district tested him and said, he is OK; he passed all the tests with flying colors, he just needs therapy.
Still I knew something was not right, he is very smart and I didn’t want to give up thinking he just doesn’t want to excel in school. We paid and had him tested again and for sure he is dyslexic. Finally an answer. Is so sad our school districts are not helping!
sandra hennigan 7 years ago7 years ago
So for my son who will be in 5th grade this fall, does he not qualify for the dyslexia reading evaluation? He is dyslexic and is currently seeing an out-of-pocket specialist who uses Barton program, but that’s expensive. What are your suggestions for someone starting public school this fall that will be going thru an IEP?
Replies
Ana Silva 5 years ago5 years ago
Never sign an I.E.P unless you read it first. They would like you to sign it and then they would give it later. I am so glad i did or else my son would have been screwed In there i found out that they weren’t going to give him the accommodations that he needs and was going to address it another time. I refused 3 times. They finally got it right.
Tara 7 years ago7 years ago
I have a 12-year-old daughter who is dyslexic. Of course the schools never formally called her dyslexic; it has been a hush hush word that the schools refuse to use. She was diagnosed with a specific learning disability at 5 years old and I had no idea what that was. Later she was diagnosed with phonological processing and awareness difficulties and as a parent, I still had no idea what that meant. … Read More
I have a 12-year-old daughter who is dyslexic. Of course the schools never formally called her dyslexic; it has been a hush hush word that the schools refuse to use. She was diagnosed with a specific learning disability at 5 years old and I had no idea what that was. Later she was diagnosed with phonological processing and awareness difficulties and as a parent, I still had no idea what that meant.
Then one day, while trying to help my daughter sound out words for homework in the 1st grade, I went over spelling, sounding out each letter at least 10 times. B – A – T. Over and over, that spells BAT. I had her say each letter individually, she could say the letters and sound out each letter. Then I asked her what the word was, she said “BIT” instead of BAT. Over and over she would say the word wrong after sounding it out right with me. It made no sense to me. Finally it clicked. What if she is dyslexic?
I thought until that day that dyslexia is letter reversal as well, but it’s not. It’s not even how the students see the letters as most see them correctly. It’s how their brain processes what they see, and interpret the letters. It is common for a dyslexic child to see a word that looks like a similar word they know and think that word is a different word because their brain doesn’t slow down to process the information correctly. But most teachers do not know this. And most special education teachers are not even taught how to help students decode and learn phonics. They still expect students to sight read, which then means when they come to a word they don’t know they can’t sound it out or spell it, or read it. And reading impacts these students’ ability to read instructions for all subjects and doing word problems. Reading is the foundation for all learning for students in a formal educational setting. And yet teaching students in reading who are dyslexic keeps getting either overlooked, ignored or done with short cuts that don’t work. Students are being denied access to being able to learn to read.
Fast forward this to the 6th grade, after 2 years of the Barton System when my daughter could only read at the Kindergarten level at the end of 4th grade, she is now reading at mid-year 3rd grade level. But the schools refused to provide this service for her. So the parents had to pay for it, costing thousands of dollars we didn’t have.
In 6th grade, she is reading at a 3rd grade level with only the intensive intervention the parents could afford to pay for, because the Resource Specialists are not trained in college to teach students how to read who struggle in this area – even though Dyslexia is one of the main learning disabilities students have in the nation.
Ignoring their needs leads to dropping out of schools, difficulty becoming employed, poverty, homelessness, depression, drug and alcohol abuse to numb the over whelming pain, which leads to desperation and criminal behavior. If we truly addressed their learning disability, many of the other social economic problems that exist would lessen.
But states and districts don’t want to invest in these critical needs of students because they believe that the expense only serves very few students in need. But the reality is the gaps in a child’s ability to read to their potential become wider and wider, and their struggle only becomes worse over time. So it is very big problem that needs to be addressed. Educate teachers. Use reading programs that work that have been identified as evidenced-based, intensive, sequential, multi-sensory approach, so students can have hope for a normal life as an adult.
Rachel Hurd 7 years ago7 years ago
Revisiting this article... I've been following the work of CDE's Dyslexia Guidelines Work Group. They did a nice job pulling together representatives of a variety of constituent groups and some renowned dyslexia researchers who together developed a table of contents and broke into groups to draft sections. However, it appears that the integration of the sections into a final draft was not collaborative with several important sections cut with no explanation to the … Read More
Revisiting this article… I’ve been following the work of CDE’s Dyslexia Guidelines Work Group. They did a nice job pulling together representatives of a variety of constituent groups and some renowned dyslexia researchers who together developed a table of contents and broke into groups to draft sections. However, it appears that the integration of the sections into a final draft was not collaborative with several important sections cut with no explanation to the contributors, just a surprise when they were sent the integrated “final draft” a few days before their January meeting.
Watching the live webcast of the January meeting and hearing the comments from various committee members, it doesn’t make sense why this would happen. They all seem to be on board with the intent of the effort. Then it came to light that CDE has shared the draft with a lobbyist who isn’t on the work group, whereas the other members of the group were following the direction to not share the draft guidelines with their constituent groups.
I’m not a subscriber of conspiracy theories, but it seems like people behind the scenes at the CDE just don’t want to address dyslexia. How can they continue to ignore dyslexia for another 25 years and continue to leave students like Max behind unless their parents have the financial means and the knowledge to fight back?
Instead of worrying about the document page count and whether the guidelines address more than AB 1369 requires, or if they are too prescriptive, the CDE should be out in front, leading the way to apply the research on dyslexia to public school settings. This is where the real challenge lies. Why wouldn’t they do everything they could to avoid another generation of bright students whose brains are not wired to learn to read easily being cheated of their right to a free and appropriate public education?
Why not get as much information to school districts as possible, so that they can address dyslexia in the RTI systems/Multi-Tiered System of Supports they are developing and can make decisions about professional development to provide and instructional materials to adopt? Their educators need to: (1) know what characteristics to be watching for, (2) have appropriate screening and assessments in place, (3) be able to provide the right kinds of instructional approaches with the right kinds of materials for these students to learn to read, spell, write, and do math, and (4) have knowledge and tech support to provide accommodations so that these students can access curriculum in other modalities while their basic skills improve.
This is important and difficult work, even for school districts that want to do it (like, thankfully mine does). Far too many school districts are only interested in the bare minimum to avoid being sued. Sadly, it appears that CDE is in a similar mindset.
Kristen Koeller 7 years ago7 years ago
Thank you for your article. I would love a follow-up article on the status of dyslexia in schools as we approach the release of the guidelines from AB1369 for the 2017-18 school year. As an RTI specialist in public schools, I work with students who have dyslexia long before they get an assessment or have an IEP. The fact is that even if a student receives an IEP, the classroom teacher still … Read More
Thank you for your article. I would love a follow-up article on the status of dyslexia in schools as we approach the release of the guidelines from AB1369 for the 2017-18 school year. As an RTI specialist in public schools, I work with students who have dyslexia long before they get an assessment or have an IEP. The fact is that even if a student receives an IEP, the classroom teacher still needs support in knowing how best to effectively teach literacy. I frequently support classroom and intervention teachers who feel ill-prepared to support students with dyslexia, though they desperately want to. Dyslexia doesn’t just happen in the special ed. classroom. How can I do a better job of supporting teachers and administrators in my district when it comes to dyslexia??
Cheri Rae 7 years ago7 years ago
Thank you for writing about California's long-overdue legislation about dyslexia. As the workgroup assembled by the California Department of Education develops its guidelines – due for implementation in 2017-2018 – it's probably time to report on their progress, which for many has been disheartening. The lobbyist for the California Teachers Association, who voiced the union's opposition to the legislation, has been receiving the workgroup's confidential documents, and invited to the most recent closed-door hearings in … Read More
Thank you for writing about California’s long-overdue legislation about dyslexia. As the workgroup assembled by the California Department of Education develops its guidelines – due for implementation in 2017-2018 – it’s probably time to report on their progress, which for many has been disheartening. The lobbyist for the California Teachers Association, who voiced the union’s opposition to the legislation, has been receiving the workgroup’s confidential documents, and invited to the most recent closed-door hearings in January. CDE has been very slow to post the videos of the meetings and agendas for public review, and this lack of transparency leads to great concern about what the final “guidelines” will contain, and whose interests they will serve. Check it out:
https://youtu.be/38CngQlPyZ4
Brandi 7 years ago7 years ago
This is great news, but what happens after the test come back as positive for dyslexia? California schools do not have the tools to properly accommodate students with dyslexia learning needs. They keep pushing my son through while labeling him as lazy and disruptive. He is now a 9th grader reading at a 4th grade level. He is frustrated. I'm frustrated. Mandating that the schools test is one thing, but it does not hold … Read More
This is great news, but what happens after the test come back as positive for dyslexia? California schools do not have the tools to properly accommodate students with dyslexia learning needs. They keep pushing my son through while labeling him as lazy and disruptive. He is now a 9th grader reading at a 4th grade level. He is frustrated. I’m frustrated. Mandating that the schools test is one thing, but it does not hold them accountable to teach dyslexia children in a manner that is specifically for dyslexic children.
dawn 7 years ago7 years ago
What about children already in higher grades?
Parent 7 years ago7 years ago
Next we need to work on the similar disabilities such as dysgraphia and dyscalcula. I have been working with my own child on concerns we've had since preschool. We've paid privately for services to address vision and fine motor skills. Several years later we see progress in gross motor and reading skills but writing is still far behind. The school district doesn't have procedures in place to differentially assess for dyslexia, dysgraphia or … Read More
Next we need to work on the similar disabilities such as dysgraphia and dyscalcula. I have been working with my own child on concerns we’ve had since preschool. We’ve paid privately for services to address vision and fine motor skills. Several years later we see progress in gross motor and reading skills but writing is still far behind. The school district doesn’t have procedures in place to differentially assess for dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalcula. Instead, they tell me it all falls under a specific learning disability. We need to push for the state of California to make these districts accountable for what they should be doing.
Tracy 8 years ago8 years ago
While I’m happy about this law, kids with Autism are still not being considered! And dual-diagnosis does absolutely exist! I’m still trying to get my child assessed for this, after it was determined there is an SLD present. I know what I’m seeing, I understand what ASD and Dyslexia looks like but where’s the fight for these kids?
Yolanda Lewis 8 years ago8 years ago
I’m so frustrated because the board of education think all I need to pass the GED math test is special accommodations. I have dyscalculia this means math is just a bunch of jumbled numbers that make no sense. Taking longer to finish the test will not help this: we need math substitutes such as analytical thinking in which the colleges use for such disabilities.
Tracy 8 years ago8 years ago
Same deal with the dyslexia testing. I know my son is dyslexic because in his 5th grade eval, they did a full testing and they used the term something like: significant discrepancy between his LA skill and his ability. He swaps his letters (especial D/B, has an A in math and has mad computer skills). I teach and this will help so much. I am sure you can imagine how hard it is … Read More
Same deal with the dyslexia testing. I know my son is dyslexic because in his 5th grade eval, they did a full testing and they used the term something like: significant discrepancy between his LA skill and his ability. He swaps his letters (especial D/B, has an A in math and has mad computer skills).
I teach and this will help so much. I am sure you can imagine how hard it is to teach a class of 32 and 6-10 of them have a “single learning disability” and what that range may look like. I teach science and dyslexia is so easy to handle if I know (or even if the student knows).
There is a very different feeing a child has knowing they have dyslexia versus a “single learning disability.” Famous scientists and others are dyslexic – they should not feel that it is just a different way of learning and not they have some sort of “disability.” If they feel that way – they will self-accommodate much more easily.
I am also dyslexic
Replies
Jane Meredith Adams 8 years ago8 years ago
Hi Tracy. You make a great point about the value of an explicit diagnosis. Jane
Chrystal 8 years ago8 years ago
Parents: Click on this link, California State Law requires schools to test your child after you request an assessment/testing in writing. Date it, sign it and include why you think your child should be tested. They have 15 working school days to respond to your request, an initial meeting takes place and then the school has 60 working school days to complete testing and report to you. I have 2 children with learning … Read More
Parents:
Click on this link, California State Law requires schools to test your child after you request an assessment/testing in writing. Date it, sign it and include why you think your child should be tested. They have 15 working school days to respond to your request, an initial meeting takes place and then the school has 60 working school days to complete testing and report to you. I have 2 children with learning disabilities, they are now protected by an IEP. Know your rights! http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/504001Ch02.pdf
Dr. Jane Pick 8 years ago8 years ago
This is long overdue. Ed law is finally catching up with research in diagnosis and remediation of dyslexia.
Natalie 8 years ago8 years ago
I was just told by my daughters IEP case carrier at school yesterday that there is no place in California that test for dyslexia. She is now a freshman is high school reading at barely a forth grade level and is failing her classes. They keep pushing her through each grade saying she just need counseling. She's very smart, she's articulate and wants to learn. She learns very quickly via visual and hands … Read More
I was just told by my daughters IEP case carrier at school yesterday that there is no place in California that test for dyslexia. She is now a freshman is high school reading at barely a forth grade level and is failing her classes. They keep pushing her through each grade saying she just need counseling. She’s very smart, she’s articulate and wants to learn. She learns very quickly via visual and hands on, but cannot not read on her own. She’s treated as if she’s not “trying hard enough.” She now is unwilling to go to school and feels like no one believes her when she says she doesn’t understand. I just found this article and an baffled. I had no idea! We need help!
Replies
Michele W 7 years ago7 years ago
Luckily at the end of 2nd grade, teachers basically told us he qualifies for an IEP for a specific learning disorder. We had our own neuropsychologist test him as well and she was able to label it as dyslexia where as the school couldn't say the word at the time. Luckily, Lindamood Bell is close by. Yes it is soooooo pricey but we work it out as we figure it is well … Read More
Luckily at the end of 2nd grade, teachers basically told us he qualifies for an IEP for a specific learning disorder. We had our own neuropsychologist test him as well and she was able to label it as dyslexia where as the school couldn’t say the word at the time. Luckily, Lindamood Bell is close by. Yes it is soooooo pricey but we work it out as we figure it is well worth it. Now in 4th grade my son has so much more confidence and can figure things out somewhat easier. Of course it still is tough for him but he is trying to develop the tricks to get thru the words, etc. There is definitely a need for a similar company offering lower rates.
Heather 7 years ago7 years ago
Hi Natalie, I don't where in California you are, but there are some psychologists that test for dyslexia. This can be very pricey though and once you have a diagnosis how do you get the help needed? My son was recently diagnosed, and I ended up going through Lexercise which has therapists all over the country and is a web based tutoring program through your web cam. They did the assessment as well. It's still costly … Read More
Hi Natalie,
I don’t where in California you are, but there are some psychologists that test for dyslexia. This can be very pricey though and once you have a diagnosis how do you get the help needed? My son was recently diagnosed, and I ended up going through Lexercise which has therapists all over the country and is a web based tutoring program through your web cam. They did the assessment as well. It’s still costly but less than the psychologist. The therapist informed me that it will probably be a year to complete the program. We just started so I can’t say if he’s improved but I can see the potential in the what the program offers. It’s a multisensory approach, which is how kids with dyslexia learn best!
All I can do is be hopeful that the money spent will not be for nothing because I can’t rely on the school district to give my child exactly what he needs. I’ll be in credit card debt but if it eases my son’s frustrations with school it will be well worth it.
Adriana b 8 years ago8 years ago
Were can I even start to get help? My daughter clearly has dyslexia. We live in Orange County. They keep telling me she is slow, and this makes her feel bad and frustrated. She has been held back for grade 3 because she reads at a first grade level.
All I hear is that she is slow. I would appreciate any pointers and where to get help.
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Kim 5 years ago5 years ago
I was reading the comments from some parents. One caught my eye. We also live in Orange County and no help whatsoever. We paid a lot of money to have our son tested thinking they would help since we have proof he is not "lazy" and "aggressive." We were wrong; he is failing every class and is becoming a different child. He loved life, was happy go lucky always on the go. You could not … Read More
I was reading the comments from some parents. One caught my eye. We also live in Orange County and no help whatsoever. We paid a lot of money to have our son tested thinking they would help since we have proof he is not “lazy” and “aggressive.” We were wrong; he is failing every class and is becoming a different child. He loved life, was happy go lucky always on the go. You could not get him to stop! Now he comes home and lies in bed and refuses to move!
When we talk with the school, they say sound like mental issues you should talk with the school psychologist! Yes, they have become mental because he feels like he is too dumb and there is no hope! He is smart, very smart. Not just because I am his mom even the psychologist who examined him said “I have never seen a child with so many road blocks still strive to listen and learn.” She said he truly amazed her and she showed me on his testing why she was so impressed! It was truly outstanding what she had showed me! She did tell me he will really struggle because he can get dismissed as a lazy child who could careless and here we are! Because he has a high IQ and looks “normal” and is very athletic. He is dismissed as the jock who just wants to be a famous athlete and could careless about school. Which is so far from the truth. His older brother has always been on the honor roll and does not work for it at all.
It truly breaks his heart. Praying solutions can be found.
Elise Dixin 8 years ago8 years ago
My heart breaks reading the comments of so many struggling dyslexics. My 14 year old son has dyslexia and attended Charles Armstrong School 1st-3rd. Worked. We knew our 'California distinguished school' wasn't able/willing to help him. The retiring principal said 'I'll never admit I told you this but we can't help him here.' We also had many IEP meetings where they wouldn't acknowledge the dyslexia diagnosis but I finally lost it said if you … Read More
My heart breaks reading the comments of so many struggling dyslexics. My 14 year old son has dyslexia and attended Charles Armstrong School 1st-3rd. Worked. We knew our ‘California distinguished school’ wasn’t able/willing to help him. The retiring principal said ‘I’ll never admit I told you this but we can’t help him here.’ We also had many IEP meetings where they wouldn’t acknowledge the dyslexia diagnosis but I finally lost it said if you don’t put the dyslexia diagnosis in his IEP right now, I’m calling a lawyer from my phone while you listen in this instant.
I want to become an advocate. The whole situation is so upsetting. Literally child abuse.
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Sheri 8 years ago8 years ago
We all need to band together to stand up for our children. The money I have exhausted and wasted precious time on those claiming they can help is sad. We did 10 months of Lindamood-Bell and their intense program for about 32 weeks and had great success but with a price tag of $2,000 per week. But as you know dyslexics often struggle with education as a whole as they generally are outside the … Read More
We all need to band together to stand up for our children. The money I have exhausted and wasted precious time on those claiming they can help is sad. We did 10 months of Lindamood-Bell and their intense program for about 32 weeks and had great success but with a price tag of $2,000 per week. But as you know dyslexics often struggle with education as a whole as they generally are outside the box thinkers and mainstream school is challenging.
Colin Brietzke 8 years ago8 years ago
It is a superb post…thanks for the informative ideas. When a child is struggling in the classroom, learning turns from fun to frustration for students and parents alike.
Deb Scott 8 years ago8 years ago
This is absolutely ridiculous in this day and age we need to go through all this struggle I was told my child did not have her "confidence level up" or that she was "lazy." If I was not dyslexic myself and did not know that this was a issue in our family and sought help on the outside, my child would continue to struggle and the education system would continue to tell me the … Read More
This is absolutely ridiculous in this day and age we need to go through all this struggle I was told my child did not have her “confidence level up” or that she was “lazy.” If I was not dyslexic myself and did not know that this was a issue in our family and sought help on the outside, my child would continue to struggle and the education system would continue to tell me the same things. Waiting until 3rd grade to get any help from the school system is horrible for the child; this needs to be recognized and screened for earlier than later.
My child is currently at grade level with reading when she should be excelling due to her intelligence level, which is off the chart. I know if I would have waited until 3rd grade to get help, she would be so far behind her peers. We are blessed that we have the means to help her because it is costly $45 dollars, and she requires three hours a week. In this day and age, this type of treatment or specialist should be in every school helping children in kindergarten and 1st grade not 3rd which is what Ohio standards currently are!!!
Silvina 8 years ago8 years ago
How do I get the school or therapist to test my teenage boy 14 to be tested for dyslexia? His father has it as well.
Mad Mom 8 years ago8 years ago
This article is spot on. I just applied my dyslexic son to a private school and they said they didn’t have the resources to accommodate him. They never used the word dyslexia and ignored the information I provided on his being identified as dyslexic. I found it was discriminatory that they would not guarantee his admission even with our commitment to providing an Orton Gillingham tutor at our own expense. It was a Waldorf School.
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Sheri 8 years ago8 years ago
Waldorf Schools are awesome but from experience they would be difficult for dyslexic kids. Large classrooms with one teacher and no aid. My son loved his time at a Waldorf School, but Waldorf without intense intervention and in-house help would be a tough fit. I speak from experience.
navigio 8 years ago8 years ago
"And it is time consuming. It can take years. In some cases the 'remedy' is to teach the child coping mechanisms and ways to work around the disability." Well, there's your problem. The reason it is 'time consuming' and 'takes years' is exactly because our culture considers dyslexia a disability, which, essentially by definition, is something our 'normal' systems refuse to account for or address. As a reading specialist, you should know that reading is not … Read More
“And it is time consuming. It can take years. In some cases the ‘remedy’ is to teach the child coping mechanisms and ways to work around the disability.”
Well, there’s your problem. The reason it is ‘time consuming’ and ‘takes years’ is exactly because our culture considers dyslexia a disability, which, essentially by definition, is something our ‘normal’ systems refuse to account for or address.
As a reading specialist, you should know that reading is not an inherent faculty; the human brain was never designed to read. It is why we need to re-teach every single generation to do this. This process involves literally reconfiguring how existing and non-reading-specific neurological capacities work together to process a symbolic representation of natural language. How ‘well’ this happens is a function of many things, including age, language type, orthography, and brain structure (among others). When we do not understand this, it seems clear that ‘interventions’ might be reduced to coping mechanisms.
When we can have a teacher become certified who has never even heard of dyslexia, then I have zero faith even specialists know what they’re talking about when they assess ‘[which] specific part of the reading act seems to be the problem?’ The ‘problem’ is of course not with the reading act, but the underlying relationships between inherently non-reading cognitive capacities. When you’re a teacher–especially an early grade one–you have to understand what you’re working with. Clearly, not many people do.
Finally, there are no miracle cures because we generally ignore and even castigate dyslexics (and others) while their brains are still in a stage where they might be better trained to do something in a way that differs from how their brains actually work; or better yet, figure out a way to take advantage of the special structures their brains do possess. The list of people we consider ‘geniuses’, yet who were dyslexic should be enough to make us reconsider this idea of ‘disability’, especially for something as fundamental to societal inclusion as ‘reading’.
Jackie Stewart probably made this point best, “No, I cant recite the alphabet, but i know every single gear change and braking distance required to negotiate the 187 corners around the 14.7 mile circuit in Germany. And all that information remains banked in my head to this day. Now is that stupid or clever? I may never know.”
http://dyslexia.yale.edu/sirjackiestewart.html
Lastly, anyone who cares even remotely about reading in general, or dyslexia specifically has to read Proust and the Squid. In fact, I think it should be required reading for every single teacher candidate. I will remain neutral on any of its prescriptive ideas to the extent it even has any, but its description of the neurological processes involved in reading is fascinating and enlightening. And its framing of reading in historical and cultural contexts (especially this point that reading is not natural) seems like exactly what we need to get us past this myopic view of reading that seems to have been used more to hold children back than to help them develop.
Rigo Pedraza 8 years ago8 years ago
I need help. My kid really shows the signs of dyslexia, but he was placed on special ed.
Cellis Lias 8 years ago8 years ago
When will the United State hear the cry of the children the laws need to change.
Marcia Dale-LeWinter 8 years ago8 years ago
This happened to my dyslexic son starting 45 years ago in New York. It is a crying shame that it has taken so long for a hide-bound educational establishment to begin to make progress.
Elizabeth Partenski 8 years ago8 years ago
Wow, finding this article is amazing! We just recently moved to California from Michigan. My son Luke has had an IEP since 1st grade and we have struggled so hard getting him to read. In Michigan, the teachers and people involved in the IEP process totally dismiss Dyslexia. They wont even test for it. We have tried many of the popular home reading programs and Luke also went to Kumon for the past 3 years … Read More
Wow, finding this article is amazing! We just recently moved to California from Michigan. My son Luke has had an IEP since 1st grade and we have struggled so hard getting him to read. In Michigan, the teachers and people involved in the IEP process totally dismiss Dyslexia. They wont even test for it. We have tried many of the popular home reading programs and Luke also went to Kumon for the past 3 years for tutoring. He is still reading at a 1st grade level. He has no other issues and has a high IQ. Yet we still have been unable to get anywhere. I am 100% convinced that he has Dyslexia. His problem is clearly phonetic awareness. Luke just started school here in CA and they are doing a tri-annual evaluation which will take 60 days to compile. I am determined to get his “disability” listed as Dyselxia and get the school to provide him with one-on-one tutoring using the Orton-Gillingham approach with a teacher trained in it. I am praying that it is not a crazy uphill battle. In Michigan it was very hard to get him anything, and the advocate I had in Michigan for his initial IEP had said that it was the worst written IEP she had ever seen. I was able to have a better evaluation done, but we still were unable to get him what he needed. Even just navigating the IEP process was a mess, it felt as if the school did not want parents to be knowledgable about the process for the fear that parents would request and fight for services.
I just spoke with the resource teacher here and I feel positive yet still skeptical that Luke will get what he needs here without having to pull teeth. She said she read over Luke’s last IEP (done in Jan 2015) and she thought it was pretty bad. She asked if I would mind a change in his listed disability and I said not at all. She is in agreement that his listed disability is not accurate, but she didn’t mention what she thought it really should be. I explained that I wanted a comprehensive evaluation so we can get to the bottom of this and get the right method in place.
Mssy 8 years ago8 years ago
I'm so pleased to read that the "D" word is no longer a bad word and is a word that can be used! I have a 15-year-old with dyslexia. I knew when he was very young that he had dyslexia and an amazing company in our town brought in the Wilson program for him. After 3 years of therapy, he reads at least 1 book a week and is in AP and honor classes in … Read More
I’m so pleased to read that the “D” word is no longer a bad word and is a word that can be used! I have a 15-year-old with dyslexia. I knew when he was very young that he had dyslexia and an amazing company in our town brought in the Wilson program for him. After 3 years of therapy, he reads at least 1 book a week and is in AP and honor classes in high school with a 3.86 gpa. Early intervention is key!
Elise Proulx 8 years ago8 years ago
I also have a question for Max's mom (Thanks for being so open about sharing your experience). I have a 3rd-grader who is obviously dyslexic. School has dragged their feet and initially they were simply diagnosed with "attention" problems. But now that he's on medication, that can no longer be the source of his problems with reading and writing. We've hired a private educational therapist to see him two times a week, but it's a … Read More
I also have a question for Max’s mom (Thanks for being so open about sharing your experience). I have a 3rd-grader who is obviously dyslexic. School has dragged their feet and initially they were simply diagnosed with “attention” problems. But now that he’s on medication, that can no longer be the source of his problems with reading and writing. We’ve hired a private educational therapist to see him two times a week, but it’s a huge expense. How did you go about convincing the school to pay for a tutor?
My son does get one-on-one time for 20 minutes each day with the school’s resource teacher (moderate special ed teacher) and the school already feels like this is a lot. However, he’s very smart and has been consistently behind in grade-level reading. Right now, the school places him at mid-second grade but his therapist says he’s more first-grade. I think resources available at school don’t meet his needs. Any tips on how I can convince them to pay for outside help? When you say you hired an advocate, what type of advocate was that and where did you find him or her?
Thanks for any guidance!
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Christine Matheny Max's mom 8 years ago8 years ago
Elise, Thank you for asking your questions. It’s more complicated than you would think to get the schools to do right by the Dyslexic student. First of all it depends on the state you live in and if there are any laws in place related to dyslexia. We live in CA and Max’s school knew that we were very involved in the process of CA’s new dyslexia law, AB1369, so they knew that they could … Read More
Elise, Thank you for asking your questions. It’s more complicated than you would think to get the schools to do right by the Dyslexic student. First of all it depends on the state you live in and if there are any laws in place related to dyslexia. We live in CA and Max’s school knew that we were very involved in the process of CA’s new dyslexia law, AB1369, so they knew that they could not talk us into believing that dyslexia is not real or that the school does not remediate for dyslexia.
Also we paid for a private psycho educational assessment outside of the school system and he was diagnosed with Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia and ADHA. After our private evaluation, the school did a tri-annual evaluation that almost mirrored the private one. Plus there were 4 different IEP meetings totaling about 12 hours. The advocate that I hired attended all of the IEP meetings with me and every minute was recorded. This backed the school into accountability and they contracted with a SLP that had a Master’s Degree in Dyslexia to work with him 3 days a week using the Barton system. This is where we started seeing the positive change in reading. Also he was in a SDC so his resource services were for 4 periods a day, although not much of what they did in SDC helped him because he never belonged there in the first place. Being in SDC for 4 years is what created such a large gap for him!
By the end of 7th grade and the entire school year of battling the school, we decided to unilaterally place him in a private setting for the 8th grade even though his school said that they would not pay for that placement. It all came down to Due Process/Mediation, and through an agreement in mediation he was awarded compensatory education for placement in his current educational setting.
In answer to your question about an advocate, the one I hired was not familiar with dyslexia so I was the resource of info there. But she knew how to read evaluation scores and all the other stuff that I did not know. Between us, we got through it. I’m now a Dyslexia Advocate and I help other students that are local to me. One resource that you could check would be to contact the Dyslexia Training Institute in San Diego and see if they can refer you to any dyslexia advocates near you.
My two dyslexic boys 8 years ago8 years ago
Thank you for your information. I am the mother of two high school students that have dyslexia in the Corona-Norco school district. I am looking for a local advocate and or some guidance on how to encourage the school to help my boys academically. I would greatly appreciate any referrals.
Linda 8 years ago8 years ago
This is awesome that this child spoke out for himself and others. I was dyslexic when in grade school all the way through high school,and I was pushed back because of that. So much so that I gave up on school. I hate myself for quitting. I wish I would have graduated, but when you are struggling, and you get no help from the school or teachers you just give up.
Peggy Rhine 8 years ago8 years ago
The young boy that finally got help, what program did they begin to use to get his reading level to come up in just a few months? My son is 11 and has dyslexia and the school does not have a specific program that is working for him. They do not have an Orton Gillingham program at our school.
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Jane Meredith Adams 8 years ago8 years ago
Hi Peggy.
I’ve asked Max’s mom to respond to your question. Another avenue for information is Decoding Dyslexia California at http://decodingdyslexiaca.org/.
Best,
Jane
Christine Matheny Max's mom 8 years ago8 years ago
Yes, The program that is being used with my son is the Susan Barton Reading and Spelling Program. http://www.dys-add.com/ Another great program is the Wilson Reading System. http://www.wilsonlanguage.com/programs/wilson-reading-system/ The school bought the program for my son and hired a tutor to teach him 3 days a week. I did need to fight the school to get this done and I hired an advocate to attend IEP meeting with me. My Contact information is on the Decoding Dyslexia … Read More
Yes, The program that is being used with my son is the Susan Barton Reading and Spelling Program. http://www.dys-add.com/
Another great program is the Wilson Reading System. http://www.wilsonlanguage.com/programs/wilson-reading-system/
The school bought the program for my son and hired a tutor to teach him 3 days a week. I did need to fight the school to get this done and I hired an advocate to attend IEP meeting with me.
My Contact information is on the Decoding Dyslexia CA website if you would like to contact me directly. Thank you for asking :0)
Joe Maruca 8 years ago8 years ago
I posted my earlier comment without reading the others, and I found that there is a profound misunderstanding of dyslexia. The condition affects far more issues than reading. These people simply process everything differently through different brain paths, and there are far more issues than simply struggling with reading. There is also another group who claim it to also be visual issues that are the root of the cause. The definitive … Read More
I posted my earlier comment without reading the others, and I found that there is a profound misunderstanding of dyslexia. The condition affects far more issues than reading. These people simply process everything differently through different brain paths, and there are far more issues than simply struggling with reading. There is also another group who claim it to also be visual issues that are the root of the cause. The definitive bible, in my opinion, is (pardon me if the name is wrong) Sheywitz’s book Understanding Dyslexia or something like that. Google it and buy it used on line cheaply.
Joe Maruca 8 years ago8 years ago
Thank God. No one can understand the horrors brought about by having a smart student who suffers from dyslexia. The public schools unintentionally instilled in him a feeling of total inadequacy. While I was working with him every night, and I mean every night when he was literally fighting with spelling, math, reading, etc, he kept saying that he was sorry he was so dumb. Then I would have to put … Read More
Thank God. No one can understand the horrors brought about by having a smart student who suffers from dyslexia. The public schools unintentionally instilled in him a feeling of total inadequacy. While I was working with him every night, and I mean every night when he was literally fighting with spelling, math, reading, etc, he kept saying that he was sorry he was so dumb. Then I would have to put all books aside and explain to him than my brother was not dumb, and he is a millionaire(he is dyslexic), and he has several close relatives on both side of his family that are dyslexic. When he went to high school, he is a senior now, we had to enroll him into a private school with class ratios of about 5 students. There they were able to offer him the academic help and could better understand him than a public school classroom with more than 30 students and no program to help such students. Now we have the issue of choosing a college that is equipped to deal with such students. It is strange that there is more specific help in public and private universities than there is in California public schools for dyslexic children. I have a niece who went through the Virginia public school system who was also dyslexic. She actually had a one on one tutor throughout her entire 12 years. She is now a special ed. teacher in the public schools. I have a friend from North Carolina, a retired public school psychologist, who called me a liar when I told him that I had to put my son in a private school because California did not recognize dyslexia as a disability. Now that we spent more than $60,000 for 4 years of private high school, we are hoping to find a good college. I am so happy for the young people coming into schools at this time who will not have to fight with the school to even feel good about themselves and not seen as being dumb by teachers. Its sad to think about those children whose parents could not afford to do what we did to ensure our child’s success. One other thing: I was a county supervisor (elected position) in California for eight years. I had the ear of some very influential State legislators. I pleaded with them to look into the dyslexia problem. They told me that the education committee did not want to hear anything about any new program that costs money. Yet, they were advocates of spending more money to educate students that were not even legal citizens. Than God for the person that finally introduced this bill.
Samantha 8 years ago8 years ago
This is very encouraging. I have wanted information about dyslexia for years and knew despite what I'd been told that there were children struggling with dyslexia. I knew there had to be something to support those children. As a teacher you know your kids and their family backgrounds and want to see them succeed and develop confidence and a love of learning. Unfortunately dyslexia strips the self confidence. All teachers should … Read More
This is very encouraging. I have wanted information about dyslexia for years and knew despite what I’d been told that there were children struggling with dyslexia. I knew there had to be something to support those children. As a teacher you know your kids and their family backgrounds and want to see them succeed and develop confidence and a love of learning. Unfortunately dyslexia strips the self confidence. All teachers should have access to information about the best way to support students experiencing difficulties.
Jo-Anne Gross 8 years ago8 years ago
It`s not as complex as you make it out to be..when you teach phonemically to all the senses simultaneously,you certainly impact the acceptance of the brain to receive and hold the info so the kids can learn to read and spell..after the phonemic activity,it`s imperative to show what the sounds look like(the letters) and anchor that knowledge in reading and spelling. Let`s help them for once instead of arguing on semantic! The IDA conference next year should … Read More
It`s not as complex as you make it out to be..when you teach phonemically to all the senses simultaneously,you certainly impact the acceptance of the brain to receive and hold the info so the kids can learn to read and spell..after the phonemic activity,it`s imperative to show what the sounds look like(the letters) and anchor that knowledge in reading and spelling.
Let`s help them for once instead of arguing on semantic!
The IDA conference next year should highlight instruction,not more and more research..that`s where we fail them..over and over again!
Gary Ravani 8 years ago8 years ago
There is a reason educational professionals are resistant to using the term "dyslexia." It basically means: "word blind." Think, for example, if you took a person who's conventionally blind to a doctor for a treatment. The doctor would want to know the source of the blindness prior to making any diagnosis or propose a treatment. Was the situation due to diabetes, or trauma to the eye or brain, or macular degeneration, or what? The specific … Read More
There is a reason educational professionals are resistant to using the term “dyslexia.” It basically means: “word blind.” Think, for example, if you took a person who’s conventionally blind to a doctor for a treatment. The doctor would want to know the source of the blindness prior to making any diagnosis or propose a treatment. Was the situation due to diabetes, or trauma to the eye or brain, or macular degeneration, or what? The specific cause would be driver of the proposed remedy.
So it goes with reading problems. Is it a (relatively rare) visual problem? Was there (a more common) problem with ear infections as an infant” Is there a history of high fevers? What specific part of the reading act seems to be the problem? All of these would be part of a discussion by Reading Specialists, Psychologists, Speech pathologists, etc. before a mediation plan (or IEP) was developed for the student.
Just saying a child has “dyslexia” is of no clinical or education advantage in this situation.
The US Dept of Education finds little validity in the assertion that the proposed programs in this article are actually “evidenced based.”
As with all issues related to children educational or health issues, parents should beware those offering “miracle cures.” If it sound too good to be true it likely is. Remediating reading problems involves complex investigations of the causes and probable remedial programs. And is time consuming. It can take years. In some cases the “remedy” is to teach the child coping mechanisms and ways to work around the disability.
As in all things, caveat emptor. This coming from a CA Credentialed Reading Specialist of 35 years experience.
Paula Torrey 8 years ago8 years ago
The law is such welcome news. Our son was tested in second grade (1987) and has visual dyslexia and an IQ of 135. After YEARS of special tutoring, Sylvan reading classes, advanced classes in the years of public school, and finally(1996) tutoring by a teacher trained in dyslexia, our son graduated from high school in the top 10% of his class. He graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Engineering/Computer … Read More
The law is such welcome news. Our son was tested in second grade (1987) and has visual dyslexia and an IQ of 135. After YEARS of special tutoring, Sylvan reading classes, advanced classes in the years of public school, and finally(1996) tutoring by a teacher trained in dyslexia, our son graduated from high school in the top 10% of his class. He graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Engineering/Computer Science 2004 and a Masters in Computer Science in 2006.The price paid for his accomplishments is measured in tears, anger, hope, depression, pride, desperation, failure, success, sadness, happiness and untold effects on his self esteem. We were an island and we fought like pirates to help our son and to find a way to get through what we called ‘the fog.’ The ‘fog’ included his learning abilities/style and the educational and health communities in general. Their lack of knowledge and even interest in obtaining dyslexia knowledge was like the stone ages even in a large city like Houston. It is hard enough to help someone with this condition without support from knowledgeable professionals and the community. Thanks for trying.
Decoding Dyslexia CA 8 years ago8 years ago
From Decoding Dyslexia CA (AB 1369 Bill Sponsor): The two new California Dyslexia Laws enacted under AB 1369 are special education laws. Please click on link to see full text of final chaptered bill: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB1369 The anticipated effective date of new phonological processing CA Education Code Section 56334 is 1/1/16. The new special education program guidelines under CA Education Code Section 56335 are to be completed in time for use no later than the 2017-2018 academic year. We … Read More
From Decoding Dyslexia CA (AB 1369 Bill Sponsor):
The two new California Dyslexia Laws enacted under AB 1369 are special education laws. Please click on link to see full text of final chaptered bill: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520160AB1369
The anticipated effective date of new phonological processing CA Education Code Section 56334 is 1/1/16.
The new special education program guidelines under CA Education Code Section 56335 are to be completed in time for use no later than the 2017-2018 academic year.
We wholeheartedly agree with the comments that we need early dyslexia identification and evidence-based intervention and appropriate teacher training! The original AB 1369 had this language in it. You can click on the attached link (http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/15-16/bill/asm/ab_1351-1400/ab_1369_bill_20150504_amended_asm_v97.pdf ) and see what was removed from the original bill by groups opposing this legislation.
You can follow the history of AB 1369 on our website (http://decodingdyslexiaca.org/history-of-ab1369/). Our grassroots movement will continue to push for early dyslexia identification & evidence-based intervention and appropriate teacher training but we need your help in making our voices heard. Please go to our website and signup at http://decodingdyslexiaca.org/contact-us/email-signup/ to join the movement in driving future dyslexia legislation in CA. You can also “like” us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DecodingDyslexiaCA/).
Maria barajas 8 years ago8 years ago
I’m a parent of a struggling reader with above average IQ. It is a difficult task trying to get school staff to address my son’s reading difficulties with evidence based reading strategies. This new legislation sounds promising only if it requires the implementation if evidence based intervention strategies for children with reading disabilities. Otherwise an identification will mean nothing as it has meant for my son !
Melissa Rodriguez 8 years ago8 years ago
I am dyslexic and a SpEd teacher in a high school. It is amazing how many students I come across who are dyslexic. It is very frustrating that they have not received the proper interventions to help them develop their reading skills at a much younger grade level. I had proper intervention at the end of the 2nd grade. When I asked my peers at all grade levels how this keeps happening they have no … Read More
I am dyslexic and a SpEd teacher in a high school. It is amazing how many students I come across who are dyslexic. It is very frustrating that they have not received the proper interventions to help them develop their reading skills at a much younger grade level. I had proper intervention at the end of the 2nd grade. When I asked my peers at all grade levels how this keeps happening they have no clue to how to answer this. I am excited and would love to learn more about this to help my students. Exciting times!
Sonia 8 years ago8 years ago
You are failing to state that dyslexia is a neurological condition that can only be appropriately diagnosed by a neurologist. A school psychologist can only detect problems in the basic psychological processes as learning problems. It can only be expressed as a specific learning disability and not as true dyslexia without appropriate neurological assessments.
Marylea Adams 8 years ago8 years ago
This is great news! Let’s tackle dyscalculia next, a math disability akin to dyslexia. Many of our most intelligent young adults are denied a college degree because they cannot pass algebra due to this disability.
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Dr. Lisa 8 years ago8 years ago
Dear Marylea, I appreciated reading your comment about the percentage of students diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia who are unable to pass college algebra and are unable to meet graduation requirements for a bachelors degree. This is a tragic reality! I would've been just a statistic had it not been for the wisdom and compassion of the head of the math and science department at Notre Dame De Namur located in Belmont, California. The year … Read More
Dear Marylea,
I appreciated reading your comment about the percentage of students diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia who are unable to pass college algebra and are unable to meet graduation requirements for a bachelors degree. This is a tragic reality!
I would’ve been just a statistic had it not been for the wisdom and compassion of the head of the math and science department at Notre Dame De Namur located in Belmont, California. The year was 1992. I was a college senior with a 3.8 cumulative grade point average. I was also incapable of passing college Algebra. In fact, I had never passed high school algebra or pre-algebra for that matter. By today standards I might not even qualify for a high school diploma… I digress. So imagine, a Summa Cum Laude student at risk for not graduating!?
After barely graduating high school I decided to take several gap years. Building upon my natural talents and a strong work ethic, I developed many skills that would later serve me well as a college student. l began undergraduate studies at the ripe old age of 25. By that time I had excellent self advocacy skills and was determined to become a clinical psychologist.
Prior to gaining acceptance at the college of Notre Dame I attended 7 different community and state colleges. Somehow I managed to fly under the radar. Thankfully for three years the fact that I had not passed algebra had gone unnoticed.
With the exception of math I excelled in all other subjects including foreign language.
Eventually the past caught up with me and I was forced to explain the gap in my education requirement needed for graduation.
So many years have past honestly I don’t really recall the exact method of petition. I only remember that
I successfully argued that by earning an “A” grade in Research Methods, an upper division requirement for psychology majors (The prerequisite for which was two semesters of college algebra) I had demonstrated sufficient quantitative reasoning skills required for a bachelor of arts degree in psychology. Thankfully, the administration at the college at that time College of Notre Dame agreed with my rationale.
Fast forward 10 years. I earned a doctorate in clinical psychology. Prior to enrolling in graduate school, I fully understood that there would be no course waivers or substitutions for the dreaded ‘Statistics Requirement’.
With a lot of determination, tears, and, hard work I beat the odds and successfully completed graduate level statistics.
With my doctorate in hand, and huge financial debt I was faced with yet another math hurdle. In order to practice psychology in the state of California I needed to earn a passing score on State Board of Psychology Examination. Successful examinees must be able to apply mathematical knowledge including statistical concepts on a multiple-choice style test.
After months of grueling preparation I passed the test – thankfully my first attempt.
Fast forward another 11 years, I am blessed to hold a staff position at a major Bay Area Medical Center where I evaluate students of all ages. I am passionate about working with children and adolescents and young adults with dyslexia discount Kilea and other related learning challenges.
I am also a mother of a child with Dyslexia. We are fortunate enough to be enrolled at the Charles Armstrong school located in Belmont what a godsend!
Your post reminded me today in a very big way of how the decision of one college administrator can change the life and career path of a student. I am forever grateful.
Best,
Dr.Lisa
Jo-Anne Gross 8 years ago8 years ago
Identification, basically labeling unaccompanied by reading intervention based on the science of reading, will not improve the situation.
Ann 8 years ago8 years ago
Dyslexia: any of various reading disorders associated with impairment of the ability to interpret spatial relationships or to integrate auditory and visual information. Really? This legislation would seem wholly unnecessary in a normal system. The most important information here is: Most teachers, including those in special education, aren’t taught to use evidenced-based reading interventions, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C. The council looked at 64 … Read More
Dyslexia: any of various reading disorders associated with impairment of the ability to interpret spatial relationships or to integrate auditory and visual information. Really? This legislation would seem wholly unnecessary in a normal system. The most important information here is: Most teachers, including those in special education, aren’t taught to use evidenced-based reading interventions, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality, a nonpartisan research group in Washington, D.C. The council looked at 64 programs in California that prepare elementary school teachers and found that more than half did not cover the science of reading – how the brain processes information to decode sounds and words, said Sandi Jacobs, senior vice president of state and district policy for the council. This study is, I believe, this one from 2006
http://www.nctq.orgdmsStageWhat_Ed_Schools_Arent_Teaching_About_Reading_NCTQ_Report
although the NCQT has expanded their examination of the failure of ed schools since. This dearth of training is undermining every thing that could be possible for California school improvement. Teaching reading looks like an afterthought, an addendum if you will in the Common Core. None of the College and Career readiness has any meaning without literacy.
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Gary Ravani 8 years ago8 years ago
Every CA teacher is required to take course work in reading instruction and pass a rigorous test on same. The NCTQ is not “non-partisan,” it is an offshoot of the far-right Fordham Foundation. You can find an analysis of NCTQ by googling Diane Ravitch’s article on it. She was a member of of Fordham’s board when NCTQ was formed.
ann 8 years ago8 years ago
The coursework in the ed schools is plain lousy as evidenced by the graduates of said schools and moreover by the poor teaching and outcomes at our elementary schools. The RICA, if that's what your speaking of, was intended to assure teachers were prepared but what exactly does a passing score of '220' mean? I encounter new teachers every year who become increasingly frustrated and have no idea what to do with their students who … Read More
The coursework in the ed schools is plain lousy as evidenced by the graduates of said schools and moreover by the poor teaching and outcomes at our elementary schools. The RICA, if that’s what your speaking of, was intended to assure teachers were prepared but what exactly does a passing score of ‘220’ mean? I encounter new teachers every year who become increasingly frustrated and have no idea what to do with their students who are not progressing in reading. While I am not familiar with the programs mentioned in this article I do know of a few comprehensive and systematic reading programs that would provide the structure and consistency, including formative assessment, that these teachers and their students need. Common core addresses reading instruction almost as an afterthought. Most districts do not purchase actual early reading programs and if they do use them as intervention rather that in regular classrooms. You want to see how it benefits students to use them consistently and for all students? Visit a Catholic or private school. Without reading, everyone is hamstrung.
Gary Ravani 8 years ago8 years ago
Ann: You are the one who said teachers get no instruction in teaching reading. I don't know what your credentials are to judge the curriculum. As a 35 year Credentialed Reading Specialist I think current reading strategies are too limited to skills based programs and way too much direct instruction in phonics and decoding. Much of this is a result of the state's section of sills based programs over the course of the last decade. As … Read More
Ann:
You are the one who said teachers get no instruction in teaching reading. I don’t know what your credentials are to judge the curriculum. As a 35 year Credentialed Reading Specialist I think current reading strategies are too limited to skills based programs and way too much direct instruction in phonics and decoding. Much of this is a result of the state’s section of sills based programs over the course of the last decade.
As to Catholic and private school solid research show when SES conditions of students are accounted for regular public schools outperform private schools. There is nothing to be learned by looking at them. BTW: Catholic schools are disappearing and so are many private schools whose parents have been able to manipulate charter applications to get the public to support their previously privately funded institutions.
Allison 8 years ago8 years ago
My daughter was just tested for a "specific learning disability" by her school. She is 9, I asked for testing for the last 3 years. They tried to tell me that her IQ is 82. The principal stated verbatim,"She is just going to have to own stupid, and get over it." Wow! The psychologist used the word dyslexic, but all of the test results say problems with conceptualization and phonemic processing. … Read More
My daughter was just tested for a “specific learning disability” by her school. She is 9, I asked for testing for the last 3 years. They tried to tell me that her IQ is 82. The principal stated verbatim,”She is just going to have to own stupid, and get over it.” Wow! The psychologist used the word dyslexic, but all of the test results say problems with conceptualization and phonemic processing. I feel like the school system is failing this population.
I have had costly private tutors for the past 3 years. This is something that needs to be addressed. She is not the only child who has been ignored.
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Jodi 8 years ago8 years ago
If your daughter actually has an IQ of 82 (which may or may not be true..if she’s dyslexic, taking the traditional test will provide false results), then she qualifies for special ed services and the school should be paying for those costly tutors. Get an IEP immediately and have it written in.
Slammy 8 years ago8 years ago
Does this mean that students will actually receive evidence based reading instruction? Does the new law require districts to anything beyond screening, such as providing appropriate instruction? My child is dyslexic but very bright and good at compensating with other skills. She is frustrated with reading and writing and has struggled hard to reach "grade level." However, she isn't getting instruction that meets her needs. Despite an educational psychologist's diagnosis of SLD … Read More
Does this mean that students will actually receive evidence based reading instruction? Does the new law require districts to anything beyond screening, such as providing appropriate instruction?
My child is dyslexic but very bright and good at compensating with other skills. She is frustrated with reading and writing and has struggled hard to reach “grade level.” However, she isn’t getting instruction that meets her needs. Despite an educational psychologist’s diagnosis of SLD dyslexia and recommendation that she receive instruction in phonemic awareness, we were told that no services were available for kids unless they are 2 grade levels behind. All we wanted was some explicit reading instruction or tutoring rather than more frustrating and useless word searches. We finally asked for an IEP evaluation and were told that she doesn’t qualify for any services because she isn’t far enough behind.
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Jane Meredith Adams 8 years ago8 years ago
No. The law specifies only the screening — and that is only for special education assessments– and that the information about effective programs be posted on the website of the California Department of Education. In my reporting, I learned that Decoding Dyslexia California intends to go back to the Legislature to seek services for kids with dyslexia.
Jane
Lisa 8 years ago8 years ago
What specific assessments will be used for this label to be specified outside of SLD? Will there be assessments indicated besides those used for phonological and auditory processing and academic achievement tests? Will school psychologists receive training in identifying dyslexia specifically, rather than just using the IDEA term SLD?
Jonathan Raymond 8 years ago8 years ago
There is a sign at one of my children's school that reads " children with dyslexia view the world differently, isn't the world lucky." Given all we now know about how children learn from brain science, diagnosing language disabilities needs to be part of every teacher preparation program. Evidence-based programs such as Orton-Gillingham are ready available to address children's learning needs. What needs to change are attitudes and beliefs about how children learn … Read More
There is a sign at one of my children’s school that reads ” children with dyslexia view the world differently, isn’t the world lucky.” Given all we now know about how children learn from brain science, diagnosing language disabilities needs to be part of every teacher preparation program. Evidence-based programs such as Orton-Gillingham are ready available to address children’s learning needs. What needs to change are attitudes and beliefs about how children learn and what they are capable of doing.
Ari 8 years ago8 years ago
Does anyone know how this affects the identification of Dyscalculia (“math dyslexia”)?
My son is 3 years behind in math & gets pullout math instruction. Even so, they aren’t assessing him for Dyscalculia as part of his Triennial (he has a muscle disease that qualifies him for an IEP), even though we’ve been talking about it for years!
Talking to the assessing school psychologist tomorrow, so any info would be great.
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Kathy 8 years ago8 years ago
I would bring in this "Dear Colleague" letter released this past Friday, Oct. 23rd from the US Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education & Rehabilitation Services addressing the issue of using the words "dyslexia" "dyscalculia" and/or "dysgraphia"... "The purpose of this letter is to clarify that there is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility determinations, or IEP documents." http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/guidance-on-dyslexia-10-2015.pdf Read More
I would bring in this “Dear Colleague” letter released this past Friday, Oct. 23rd from the US Dept. of Education, Office of Special Education & Rehabilitation Services addressing the issue of using the words “dyslexia” “dyscalculia” and/or “dysgraphia”…
“The purpose of this letter is to clarify that there is nothing in the IDEA that would
prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility
determinations, or IEP documents.”
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/guidance-on-dyslexia-10-2015.pdf
Ari 8 years ago8 years ago
I gave a copy of the "Dear Colleague" letter to our school Psych, & emphasized that according to the US Dept of Ed, she could feel free to use the terms "dyscalculia" etc. She seemed glad to have it - maybe she's sick of the double-speak herself... Read More
I gave a copy of the “Dear Colleague” letter to our school Psych, & emphasized that according to the US Dept of Ed, she could feel free to use the terms “dyscalculia” etc. She seemed glad to have it – maybe she’s sick of the double-speak herself…
Christine Matheny Max's mom 8 years ago8 years ago
Jane Thank you for writing such a wonderful article on Dyslexia…your story is on target with the changes that need to take place in CA and our Nation for all Dyslexic Students. I wanted to make a comment about why Max has the courage to speak up about the need for the new law and facing giants to share his story, this is a quote from him: “Because I don't want other dyslexic kids to … Read More
Jane Thank you for writing such a wonderful article on Dyslexia…your story is on target with the changes that need to take place in CA and our Nation for all Dyslexic Students.
I wanted to make a comment about why Max has the courage to speak up about the need for the new law and facing giants to share his story, this is a quote from him: “Because I don’t want other dyslexic kids to go through what I went through, not learning to read. There are ways to teach kids like me that work. I hope that my story can help others learn what works.”
For parents seeking answers about the new CA Dyslexia Law AB 1369 please visit Decoding Dyslexia Ca website, http://decodingdyslexiaca.org/
Margo 8 years ago8 years ago
I hope they actually follow through with using Orton-Gillingham based programs, such as the Wilson, which I use in tutoring struggling readers and dyslexics. I also wish Virginia would follow course. I taught my two dyslexic children how to read and had tutors for them. I just want to see my grandchildren have a chance to get effective mediation if they are dyslexic.
Melissa MTR 8 years ago8 years ago
How soon can kids get tested? As in, does the law begin immediately, or at the beginning of the new school year?
I did see “by the start of the 2017-18 school year, to post information on its website to help teachers….” but didn’t see when the actual testing/screenings are available….
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Jane Meredith Adams 8 years ago8 years ago
Hi Melissa.
It would seem to go into effect immediately.
I will try to find a definitive answer.
Best,
Jane
Chantille 8 years ago8 years ago
I have a child who has dyslexia,age 7. I was just told by his grade 2 teacher that although she knows that he is dyslexic , he needs to stay in grade 2 because his reading is not on the same level as the others. He gets extra reading classes but it seems that his teacher doesn't want to struggle with him. I'm frustrated as a mother because I know that my child does … Read More
I have a child who has dyslexia,age 7. I was just told by his grade 2 teacher that although she knows that he is dyslexic , he needs to stay in grade 2 because his reading is not on the same level as the others. He gets extra reading classes but it seems that his teacher doesn’t want to struggle with him. I’m frustrated as a mother because I know that my child does not need to stay behind in grade 2 because there’s nothing wrong with him cognitively.
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Jane Meredith Adams 8 years ago8 years ago
Hi Chantille.
You might contact Decoding Dyslexia California, a very active parent group. They have legislative leaders in almost every corner of the state. http://decodingdyslexiaca.org/regional-legislative-leaders-draft/
They are committed to helping parents.
Best,
Jane