How does ASDEC’s Sounds in Syllables work?

[Anonymous]

DD is mild to moderate dyslexic. She can read but it’s slow and comprehension has fallen behind likely due to the load from decoding. Her spelling is phonetic for longer, less common words but can spell most common words well.
Would she have to start right from the beginning with sounds in syllables? Do ASDEC tutors assess and adjust. She is 12.

[Anonymous]

Every student starts at the beginning with Sounds in Syllables, because they are learning a new way to read and new procedures for spelling. The first level is important for building a strong foundation and filling in gaps. However, academic therapists will go as quickly as they can and tailor lessons to the individual.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! That’s helpful. Does this program lend itself to be learned virtually or is in person a must/much more effective?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks! That’s helpful. Does this program lend itself to be learned virtually or is in person a must/much more effective?

It can be done virtually.

[Anonymous]

I’m a therapist trained by ASDEC and just supporting what pp said - virtual is very effective, especially for a 12 year old. SIS was actually developed originally for middle schoolers, so kids exactly in your daughter’s shoes. She’ll probably move fast through level 1. She’ll just need to have a little patience and trust that it will work, and she’ll soon move to material where she knows she is weak.

[Anonymous]

How many years does it generally take to move through this program if you are doing 3-4 sessions per week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many years does it generally take to move through this program if you are doing 3-4 sessions per week?

About two years.

I’m someone who studied as a teacher and then went back and did professional development in dyslexia remediation. Dyslexia is a relatively common diagnosis, and schools tend to be unprepared to remediate it, so educators turn to small programs with their own curricula to try to better help our students. Some remediation programs have tests that find students’ levels and then teach them from that level. SIS always starts at the beginning. The program’s philosophy is that starting from the beginning is important and that it teaches students how each lesson flows. The idea is that the lesson structure and how one learns are just as important as the content.

Every specialized program will tell its trained instructors that the program must be followed with absolute fidelity. And to the extent that we ever have data on program effectiveness, these curricula and approaches are usually only studied as a whole; we don’t tend to know which parts are most effective and why or whether they are still effective when adjusted. When someone makes adjustments to a program, she is using her judgment, and those adjustments may or may not maintain program efficacy.

I think SIS is a great program that has helped a lot of students, especially those with severe dyslexia. However, it is so very prescriptive. It wasn’t a good fit for my instructional style and philosophy, nor did I feel it was a good fit for a lot of the students I teach.

For an older student with mild-to-moderate dyslexia, SIS will certainly work. However, there are other approaches that have shown efficacy for mild-mod dyslexia. Some of those programs allow for more flexibility in finding a student’s level and working from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many years does it generally take to move through this program if you are doing 3-4 sessions per week?

About two years.

I’m someone who studied as a teacher and then went back and did professional development in dyslexia remediation. Dyslexia is a relatively common diagnosis, and schools tend to be unprepared to remediate it, so educators turn to small programs with their own curricula to try to better help our students. Some remediation programs have tests that find students’ levels and then teach them from that level. SIS always starts at the beginning. The program’s philosophy is that starting from the beginning is important and that it teaches students how each lesson flows. The idea is that the lesson structure and how one learns are just as important as the content.

Every specialized program will tell its trained instructors that the program must be followed with absolute fidelity. And to the extent that we ever have data on program effectiveness, these curricula and approaches are usually only studied as a whole; we don’t tend to know which parts are most effective and why or whether they are still effective when adjusted. When someone makes adjustments to a program, she is using her judgment, and those adjustments may or may not maintain program efficacy.

I think SIS is a great program that has helped a lot of students, especially those with severe dyslexia. However, it is so very prescriptive. It wasn’t a good fit for my instructional style and philosophy, nor did I feel it was a good fit for a lot of the students I teach.

For an older student with mild-to-moderate dyslexia, SIS will certainly work. However, there are other approaches that have shown efficacy for mild-mod dyslexia. Some of those programs allow for more flexibility in finding a student’s level and working from there.

Which programs do you recommend then for moderate dyslexia?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many years does it generally take to move through this program if you are doing 3-4 sessions per week?

About two years.

I’m someone who studied as a teacher and then went back and did professional development in dyslexia remediation. Dyslexia is a relatively common diagnosis, and schools tend to be unprepared to remediate it, so educators turn to small programs with their own curricula to try to better help our students. Some remediation programs have tests that find students’ levels and then teach them from that level. SIS always starts at the beginning. The program’s philosophy is that starting from the beginning is important and that it teaches students how each lesson flows. The idea is that the lesson structure and how one learns are just as important as the content.

Every specialized program will tell its trained instructors that the program must be followed with absolute fidelity. And to the extent that we ever have data on program effectiveness, these curricula and approaches are usually only studied as a whole; we don’t tend to know which parts are most effective and why or whether they are still effective when adjusted. When someone makes adjustments to a program, she is using her judgment, and those adjustments may or may not maintain program efficacy.

I think SIS is a great program that has helped a lot of students, especially those with severe dyslexia. However, it is so very prescriptive. It wasn’t a good fit for my instructional style and philosophy, nor did I feel it was a good fit for a lot of the students I teach.

For an older student with mild-to-moderate dyslexia, SIS will certainly work. However, there are other approaches that have shown efficacy for mild-mod dyslexia. Some of those programs allow for more flexibility in finding a student’s level and working from there.

I think OP could have her cake and eat it too (so to speak) by finding a CALT (fully certified) who can modify as needed but also has the deep knowledge of theory so they know what can be modified and what can’t. An academic language therapist who isn’t yet certified will have to use SIS with fidelity as part of their clinical supervision. A CALT can use their clinical judgment.