My son has been diagnosed with dyslexia (mild). He is 12 and still can barely read. He has reasonable math skills. He is very sports oriented. Please advise as to what to do. I have a tutor who I pay myself, and he also goes to a Kumon program twice a week. The school says he is doing fine considering his IQ, but I believe he should be doing a lot better. Is it possible he would benefit from going to a school that teaches mainly kids with dyslexia? I have mentioned this to the school, but they are resistant to the idea.
Let’s start with who diagnosed him with dyslexia and how long ago. (It may have been seen as mild when done; however, he is now several years older.) This person should advise you about specific needs. If he has dyslexia and can barely read, he has more than a “mild” disorder. The treatment is to work with professionals who are trained and skilled in helping students with dyslexia (often called learning disabilities specialists). Kumon and general education tutors are nice people; however, they are not trained to work with students who have specific learning disabilities.
You need to do two things: 1) Find a private tutor who is skilled/trained to work with students like your son. And 2) be sure that the testing you have is current and comprehensive. You can only challenge the school for more help if you have updated data. (If you can afford it, get private testing and use these data to approach the school.)
Topic
Reading & Dyslexia