Dyslexia & FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Could you please tell me where you had your private neuropsych evaluation done?

Kennedy-Krieger in Baltimore. DS had about 5 hours of testing with them. We're awaiting results but were impressed with the thoroughness and even their perspectives based on a review of his previous testing over the years.

[Anonymous]

Hello all... I am an educational consultant and parent advocate (16+ years). I live clear across the country in Nevada. I'm doing some research on dyslexia and school systems. Came across your website. Just a note to let you know that I have found your on-going discussion about identification very interesting, in the sense that you all have great ideas and comments. Great 'perspective' 'research' info to digest. Thank you for your forum. candy in nevada.

[Anonymous]

FCPS does not know what it is doing WRT kids with dyslexia. Check out the International Dyslexia Association website www. interdys.org. There are excellent fact sheets about dyslexia, finding an academic therapist (aka tutor or dyslexia specialist) and a link for local specialists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would make sure your tutor is trained in the Orton - Gillingham method of tutoring. It is research based.
The schools do not know how to help kids with dyslexia. Even with an IEP, they don't know what they're doing. You need someone who knows what dyslexia is and knows how to target it. Schools deny it, say "it's a broad term" ( that is a universal excuse), say they don't recognize it, yada yada yada - all designed to throw us off the scent.
How can the schools help if they don't even know what it is?Go to an expert and get your child some real help.

Linda Mood Bell program is similar and evidence based as well.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why our FCPS school seems so surprised when a child is diagnosed with dyslexia. Our DC has a weakness in visual memory; that is, it is difficult for DC to remember the spellings of words, but DC can read. In speaking with moms of other kids in DC's second grade class, at least two other kids have the same issue. In each case the teacher has told us that the kids need to work on spelling. But with our DC's recent diagnosis of dyslexia, I'm wondering how many other kids are out there with similar symptoms and don't get recognition from the school for their weakness. DC's teacher was surprised DC was diagnosed with dyslexia, as DC can read, albeit slowly. Witht the diagnosis, there seems to be a shift from a view that this child is lazy/dim, to this is a bright child with an LD. I am saddened to think of how many kids have gone through school with undiagnosed dyslexia, thinking that they are dim, and their school experience reinforcing that view.

[Anonymous]

Dyslexia affects 15% of the population and the best remediation is 1x1 tutoring, 5 days a week with a highly trained therapist. Simply put, FCPS does not want to spend the money for this remediation or training. It does offer some Wilson, although not 1x1 as far as I know and Wilson is not appropriate for the most severely dyslexic. Reading specialists and special education teachers often have NO training in dyslexia. IEP's often are not written with the goal of providing the highly structured language therapy a student needs to catch up to grade level. The teachers simply DO NOT KNOW.
Another local resource: Atlantic Seaboard Dyslexia Education Center in Rockville, MD.

[Anonymous]

I have multiple postings to this site and just wanted to update our experience. I recently ran into one of my child's past sped teachers. We had coffee and they revealed in great detail to me that the year they were my child's sped teacher very little benefit if any was provided to my child. This was the same year we fought the school to provide meaningful services to our DC. We fought over the IEP and eventually started a legal suit that year but FCPS and the Principal toughly fought back stating they were correctly providing services for our dyslexic child.
This teacher stated that they followed a general reading program from a book and tried to create lesson plans to help but was so far out of her league. The teacher knew at the time they were not providing any real benefit to the children. The sped teacher explained they were a student that FCPS hired as they sometimes do with the provision that the new teacher would finish school within a specified time period after being hired. This new teacher tried and tried to meet with their supervisor for guidance and help but was told over and over by the supervisor to make a list and email it and the questions would be answered once a month. When the sped teacher stated they needed more help and wanted to meet face to face weekly they received a bad end of year review. This very intelligent and child centered new teacher was the first and only of many teachers I gave massive amounts of dyslexic material to take the time to read the info. My DC clicked extremly well with this teacher despite not having received benefit that year.
Long story short- She was fired and can never again work for FCPS!
My only thought here is while monitoring your DC it may be important to ask the sped how they are being supported, how they create their lesson plans, ask about materials used and the multiple methods they would use to solve problems like lack of support or knowledge.
We did some of this but didn't know to ask about support.
I cannot stress enough the importance of documentation and to be diligent about documenting everyday.
I kept a journal in the car and when picking up my child just asked how their day went and what they studied and with who and jotted it down. Nothing can be done later without documentation.
No wonder my child continues to be underserved from FCPS. This came straight from the source folks!

[Anonymous]

Bumping thread. Any new experiences or updates, positive or negative?

[Anonymous]

I heard this fall that there is some kind of change coming on this issue, and FCPS will be recognizing dyslexia as a SLD. I'm fuzzy on the facts, though, so perhaps someone who knows more can weigh in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard this fall that there is some kind of change coming on this issue, and FCPS will be recognizing dyslexia as a SLD. I'm fuzzy on the facts, though, so perhaps someone who knows more can weigh in.

I would love to hear more about this. Anyone have any details?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard this fall that there is some kind of change coming on this issue, and FCPS will be recognizing dyslexia as a SLD. I'm fuzzy on the facts, though, so perhaps someone who knows more can weigh in.

I was amazed by this comment, but I did find this presentation online from the Parent Resource Center from this past October. Maybe something is afoot?

http://www.fcps.edu/cco/prc/resources/events/documents/PRCPresentationonDyslexiaSeptember_2012.pdf

[Anonymous]

Thanks for sharing that link.

I wonder what it means in the bigger picture for Fairfax County Schools?

[Anonymous]

Don't get your hopes up for FCPS and dyslexia. They may have a workshop, they may even use the word dyslexia (before, they denied it existed), but the ignorance that I have seen as an advocate is appalling. My advice to most parents is not to fight for services. Most of the services they offer are not worth it. I have worked with children who received services through the county for years, only to fall further behind.

It will take change at every level -- at the top administrative level, to the principal level, to mandatory, comprehensive education for the teachers. As a friend to several FCPS teachers, I know this is not happening at the teacher level. As a witness to what many principals are doing, there is much resistance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't get your hopes up for FCPS and dyslexia. They may have a workshop, they may even use the word dyslexia (before, they denied it existed), but the ignorance that I have seen as an advocate is appalling. My advice to most parents is not to fight for services. Most of the services they offer are not worth it. I have worked with children who received services through the county for years, only to fall further behind.

It will take change at every level -- at the top administrative level, to the principal level, to mandatory, comprehensive education for the teachers. As a friend to several FCPS teachers, I know this is not happening at the teacher level. As a witness to what many principals are doing, there is much resistance.

So what do you advise parents to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't get your hopes up for FCPS and dyslexia. They may have a workshop, they may even use the word dyslexia (before, they denied it existed), but the ignorance that I have seen as an advocate is appalling. My advice to most parents is not to fight for services. Most of the services they offer are not worth it. I have worked with children who received services through the county for years, only to fall further behind.

It will take change at every level -- at the top administrative level, to the principal level, to mandatory, comprehensive education for the teachers. As a friend to several FCPS teachers, I know this is not happening at the teacher level. As a witness to what many principals are doing, there is much resistance.

As a former FCPS SPED teacher, I have to agree, although building awareness is an important first step. Perhaps better services will happen 10 years down the road, but that is too late for anyone in the county now. Private tutoring is really the only option for remediation while an IEP will help with classroom and testing accommodations. When I taught HS, I had an 11th grader who started after school reading tutoring with an OG program. It was the positive difference in him that highlighted just how much FCPS fell short. The parents had an advocate, but, as far as I know, never got the county to pay for anything.