Privately works too, I have been that route as well. What kept
(keeps) me going during the tough times is thinking "Dyslexia is
just a difference in learning". That is it. It is finding the
difference that can be frustrating. Good luck to you.

Lurisa

--- In dyslexiaclub@yahoogroups.com, Terri Newhouse
<newhouse_terri@...> wrote:
>
> I'm so sorry Lurisa, that you had to go through all of that for
your son.
>
> I will look for something for her privately.
>
> The teacher just emailed me and said the reason they didn't have
assessment til May is because they can't put her in the program mid-
year. They have to start her from the beginning of the school year.
>
> Thanks!
>
> iwannabeageekchick <iwannabeageekchick@...> wrote:
> Terri,
> I knew my son had a reading disability from the time he started to
> learn the alphabet. When my son was 5, I took him to CDRC (Child
> Development Research Center, which is run by Oregon Health
Sciences
> University). I learned of CDRC when I went to my primary care
> physician with my concerns about my sons lack of being able to
> recognize letters. I took him to CDRC on my own accord, and ran it
> through my insurance, paying the rest myself. Because of his age,
he
> was diagnosed with a "reading disability", and I was told to have
him
> retested in a year or two. It wasn't until he was almost 7 that he
> was officially diagnosed, at the same place, as being "severly
> dyslexic".
>
> During the almost two years that went by, I received absolutely no
> help from the school. They kept "band-aiding" his disability with
> whatever standardized reading program they wanted to try. As a
matter
> of fact, once he was officially diagnosed, to almost quote the
head of
> the special ed. department, "Thank you, Mrs. Carter, for bringing
it
> to our attention that we don't have an adequate reading program in
> place for children with dyslexia". What the hell? Dyslexia is at
the
> top of learning disabilities and he was telling me there is
nothing in
> place for these kids? Now to those of you that are going to tell
me
> that there is no "cure all" reading program for dyslexic's, don't
> bother, I know this.
>
> I did a research paper for an English class soon after my son was
> diagnosed. I learned enough that I know dyslexia fascinates me, as
> well as enough for me to be armed and dangerous.
>
> I felt we had the upper hand on my son because he was diagnosed so
> early; most children are diagnosed well past the age of 10. I
wanted
> to know what they were going to do with all this time we had. The
> bottom line is this.... More band-aids.
>
> So almost a year ago, I scheduled a meeting (IEP) with the head of
the
> Special Ed. department, principle, speech therapist as well as his
> classroom teacher. It basically consisted of me sitting there and
> listening to all the "wonderful" things they had done with my son
and
> his reading in the past couple of years, although the differences
were
> extremely subtle, they were there. I listened and listened and
> listened. Then came my turn. I told them that as a mom, it was
> obviously up to me to make sure my son received the education he
was
> entitled to and that his choices when he graduated from high
school
> were not going to be which gas station he pumps gas at. (Not to
> offend anyone who works at a gas station). I told them they had 6
> months to show me some monumental gains my son has made, or I was
> going to hire an attorney and file a class action lawsuit against
the
> school district. One for failing to diagnose my son, and two for
> failing to address his learning disability (dyslexia) with an
> appropriate reading program once he was diagnosed.
>
> Here we are today; My son is in the 5th grade, he is at a 3rd
grade
> reading level (which is amazing considering a few years ago we had
him
> at Sylvan Learning Center and he recognized 7 letters of the upper
and
> lower case alphabet). He has modifications made in his classroom
to
> help him with reading. For example, he excels at math, but can't
read
> the story problems, so either a volunteer is in the classroom with
> him, or there is an aid, or another student. He forgets the
letters
> when he tries to transfer them from an overhead to paper, so his
> teacher makes one out for him on paper ahead of time. Tests are
read
> to him, and he answers them. Next year, I will be looking at a
laptop
> for him.
>
> I can say this.... If you are able to, get your child diagnosed on
> your own. May is not only 6 months away, but it is also at the end
of
> the school year. So by the time they get her tested, and are able
to
> act upon it, you are probably looking at a month into the next
school
> year, which is September of 2007. A lot of time to waste. If you
> don't know of a place in your area, start with your primary care
> physician.
>
> Also, if your child is diagnosed with any learning disability, get
to
> know your childs "IEP", and your childs rights that go along with
it.
> That needs to become one of your closest friends. Whatever you do,
> don't go with the school just because they are the "educators" and
you
> think that they "know what is right". I truely think that had I
just
> let the school do what they wanted, my son would have been
illiterate
> when he graduated high school, if he graduated all.
>
> Good Luck to you,
> Lurisa
>
>
> --- In dyslexiaclub@yahoogroups.com, "Terri Newhouse"
> <newhouse_terri@> wrote:
> >
> > My daughter is 5 and is in Kindergarten. She is having trouble
> learning
> > to read. She writes most of her letters backwards and has
trouble
> > focusing.
> > I went online this past weekend and she has most of the symptoms
for
> > dyslexia.
> > I emailed her school today about getting her tested, but the
> counselor
> > says that the testing is booked til May 2007.
> > Is there a way I can get her tested privately? If so, What type
of
> > doctor do I need to look for?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Terri
> >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In HIM,
> ~ Terri ~
> Wife to Michael since 7/4/98
> Mama to Michael & Tara since 7/9/01
>
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