is there any self help books on dyslexia?

Question

I think my kid has the 'problem' but want to test him before I go to the doc/school and ask them to test junior

I can read,
junior has the dificulties.

Answer 1

Self help on dyslexia? That's funny. There are self help books, but only for those with severe dyslexia, you know, so severe they can't read.

Answer 2

If you want to do some research on dyslexia, go to www.ldonline.org. They are a great website to look into for materials and ideas. Your child's teacher would be a good resource as well. Learning disabilities aren't something that should be an "at home test kit" to determine. If you suspect that there is something going on, possibly there is but it should be tested by a professional.

Some things that dyslexic people do are reverse letters, and usually have auditory (hearing) processing problems. That means that they have a difficult time hearing the difference between hard sounding letters, b, d, t, hard c and k for example. If you can't hear the difference or it takes someone longer to process those sounds, then you won't know whether to use a b or a d.

Also, most times dyslexia runs in families. You might have a sibling, aunt, uncle, parent, or possibly yourself, who had difficulties similar to your child in school. Sometimes it was passed off as lazy, or backwards. There have been many advances in the area of learning disabilities. It is not the "problem" you make it sound. Many times children who have dyslexia are above average intelligence, at the very least they have average intelligence.

Your child is not doomed to a life time of failure or problems, he or she has gifts and intelligences to bring to the world. It just takes a different path to help him bring them out than the average student.

There are many great thinkers who have dyslexia. Leonardo da Vinci, Henry Winkler, Richard Nixon, Cher...all are dyslexic.

Answer 3

One of the best books I've found was The Gift Of Dyslexia. The guy who wrote it & runs the clinic is one himself. But one thing you need to know is most schools will fight you on testing for it because first it's expensive & second once determined the teaching methods are different from just learning disabilities but they don't get paid any more for the effort. But under the ADA you can send a certified letter requesting he/she be tested & by law they have to. I found out it works best if you study it yourself as they will try to argue there is no difference. A regular dr. can't test for it & I've never known of a school with the credentials except for some colleges. My son was 3 yrs. behind & once he rec. the proper diagnosis & teaching methods he caught up & ended up graduating high school on time. It was definitely worth the hassle. It's so much more than getting your letters & numbers right. In fact it's a myth all dyslexics have that problem continually. There are other signs much more common. Many don't even have that problem at all.

Answer 4

My son was "labeled " with bad behavior. I knew something was wrong in kindergarden. But the teacher said no he was fine. He didn't even know his letters and could count to 17. So pushed into 1st grade. The best thing I can tell you is start talking to his teacher if you get now where go to your doctor. But go with your gut feeling. Its usually right. Who knows your kid as much as you do. We found out our son has dyslexia when in 3rd grade. He gets lots of help and is coming along. Another thing have you had his hearing checked, They do this test in a sound proof room thats how we learned he had a processing disorder. Good luck.

Answer 5

Doctors can not diagnose dyslexia, only a specialised Optometrist or Dyslexic clinic can, such as the Irlen clinic.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder. Its underlying cause is believed to be a brain-based condition that influences the ability to read written language. It is identified in individuals who fail to learn to read in the absence of a verbal or nonverbal intellectual impairment, sensory deficit (e.g., a visual deficit or hearing loss), pervasive developmental deficit or a frank neurological impairment. The following conditions are sometimes confused with dyslexia because they can also lead to difficulty reading:

Auditory Processing Disorder is a condition that affects the ability to encode auditory information. It can lead to problems with auditory working memory and auditory sequencing.

Dyspraxia is a neurological condition characterised by a marked difficulty in carrying out routine tasks involving balance, fine-motor control, and kinesthetic coordination. This is most common in dyslexics who also have an attention deficit disorder.

Verbal Dyspraxia is a neurological condition characterised by marked difficulty in the use of speech sounds, which is the result of an immaturity in the speech production area of the brain.

Dysgraphia is a neurological condition characterised by distorted and incorrect handwriting.

Dyscalculia is a neurological condition characterised by a problem with learning fundamentals and one or more of the basic numerical skills. Often people with this condition can understand very complex mathematical concepts and principles but have difficulty processing formulas and even basic addition and subtraction.

Scotopic Sensitivity also known as Irlen Syndrome is a sensitivity to certain wavelengths of light which interfere with proper visual processing.

Individuals with dyslexia:
Appear bright, intelligent, and articulate but are unable to read, write, or spell at an age-appropriate level.
Have average or above average intelligence, yet may have poor academic achievement; may have good oral language abilities but will perform much more poorly on similar written-language tests.
Might be labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or as having a "behaviour problem."
Because dyslexia primarily affects reading while sparing other intellectual abilities, affected individuals might be categorised as not "behind enough" or "bad enough" to receive additional help in a school setting.
Might feel dumb and have poor self-esteem, and might be easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
Might try to hide their reading weaknesses with ingenious compensatory "strategies".
Might learn best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.
Can show talents in other areas such as art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
Have related problems with inattention in a school setting; for instance they might seem to "zone out" or daydream often; get lost easily or lose track of time; and have difficulty sustaining attention.


With lots of support from mum and a few good teachers I made it through school, it has being very hard at times, to keep focused when I did not understand what is being asked of me. I have recently completed Certificate IV in Disabilities, so we dyslexics can achieve heaps with the right support. Thank god for computers and spell check, or I would really have been stuffed.
The reason I went into disabilities, was because the young people I have worked with, did not give a stuff if I could not spell or read very well, they accepted me for me, as I did them.


Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 6

1. 'How to Reach and Teach Children and Teens with Dyslexia' by Cynthia Stowe - comprehensive, practical resource giving educators at all levels essential information, techniques, and tools for understanding dyslexia and adapting teaching methods in all subject areas. Over 50 full-page activity sheets that can be photocopied for immediate use and interviews with students and adults who have had personal experience with dyslexia. Organized into twenty sections, information covers everything from ten principles of instruction to teaching reading, handwriting, spelling, writing, math, everyday skills, and even covers the adult with dyslexia

2. 'Overcoming Dyslexia' - Yale neuroscientist Sally Shaywitz demystifies the roots of dyslexia and offers parents and educators hope that children with reading problems can be helped. Shaywitz delves deeply into how dyslexia occurs, explaining that magnetic resonance imaging has helped scientists trace the disability to a weakness in the language system at the phonological level. According to Shaywitz, science now has clear evidence that the brain of the dyslexic reader is activated in a different area than that of the non-impaired reader. Interestingly, the dyslexic reader may be strong in reasoning, problem solving and critical thinking, but invariably lacks phonemic awareness-the ability to break words apart into distinct sounds-which is critical in order to crack the reading code. The good news, Shaywitz claims, is that with the use of effective training programs, the brain can be rewired and dyslexic children can learn to read. She walks parents through ways to help children develop phonemic awareness, become fluent readers, and exercise the area of the brain essential for reading.

3. 'Glue Ear' by Lindsay Peer.
Glue Ear is a common condition among young children but until recently its long-term effects on learning and achievement weren't fully understood. Lindsay Peer's research has found significant links between the condition and dyslexia. As well as helping teachers to understand the potential consequences of temporary hearing loss, this book will be useful for health professionals who may be aware of the medical implications of Glue Ear but not the educational reverberations. Similarly, parents of children who have the condition will appreciate the accessible, jargon-free text and practical, credible ideas.

Answer 7

with due respect,the question should read:are there any self help books on dyslexia?
please do not give your child a complex about it if he does have it.
before it became better understood many children were labelled as dumb or retarded and worse.
chances are your child is highly intelligent.the exact cause is unknown and it is nothing to be shameful about.speak to you doctor asap.

Answer 8

does he seem to mispell words with letters backwards, or missplaced, does he have a hard time reading? he may need glasses, but you are right to look into it yourself first... for one thing, it is less intimidating and schools have a tendancy to label kids who are tested and then place them into classes that they think are helping, but don't.

Answer 9

Check on the web. There must be other sources of help locally, too.
Ask your GP There is no need to avoid that

Answer 10

Google "dyslexia books". I'm sure you'll find something there.