Possible dyslexia and language immersions school?

[Anonymous]

Hi all. I am hoping some of you may be able to share experiences and knowledge regarding reading/language disorders in language immersion schools? The research I've done online seems inconclusive.

My 2nd grade DS is about to undergo testing for what may be dyslexia (or some other reading disorder and possibly dysgraphia). He's been in a language immersion charter school since PK for a language we don't speak at home. He is a struggling reader (well below benchmark) in both languages, but does well communicating verbally in his foreign language and in English. Writing is torturous for him in both languages. He is at grade level in math and science (for now…I know these subjects will get more connected to his ability to read soon…). The school's special ed team seem fabulous, so I'm hoping we'll be able to continue at this school. (We REALLY can't afford private, so that's not an option even if we wanted to, which we don't). Any tips or advice on how to navigate this?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

If you take him for a full neuro-psych, this would be a question for the evaluator. A public school evaluation may not be enough to answer this question. Some kids with dyslexia do very well learning a foreign language 'by ear' whereas others simply cannot do it. If he is expected to read / write in the immersion language, it could be quite challenging. If he is expected to read in another alphabetic language, he will have the problem of not fully knowing his English sounds and then having to possibly learn another set of letter-sound correspondences. It can add to the confusion and frustration. People with dyslexia can learn a foreign language, but the teaching needs to be consistent with their learning style.

[Anonymous]

Do you plan to get a private neuropsych evaluation? That's what I would do. You need to know the severity of the potential LD.

[Anonymous]

DS is in middle school and still in an immersion program, despite a reading disability and ADHD. Kids with LDs like dyslexia CAN learn a foreign language but yes, you've pointed out a number of difficulties. In our case, we are fluent (but not native) speakers of the immersion language, like learning languages ourselves, and are good at finding different ways to expose DS to the language. We also have figured out how to adapt some of his accommodations - we are able to take his class reading in the immersion language, turn it into PDF files, and have the files read to him on a computer. We often scribe or type for DS too (he also has a writing disability).

We are glad that we have kept DS in immersion and do not think that removing him would do anything to significantly amerliorate his LDs - but it is a commitment. Our school system does not provide any real special ed support in the immersion language and we've had to work with both regular and special ed teachers to educate them on things that can help DS.

A lot will turn on the immersion language too. Some languages cause more problems for LD kids (I also speak French, and French reading/writing would be really hard to master for a kid with dyslexia) and you have to judge the degree of difficulty in the language.

Good luck, OP! As I said, we are glad that we have done it but it does take a lot of work.

[Anonymous]

PP again. I have looked at the research too and don't think it's inconclusive -- it seems to state that, overall, kids with LDs can learn another language. The real issue is the amount of special ed/remedial support a school can provide -- and most do a poor job of this. I think immersion is actually an ideal way for kids with LDs to learn another language because the education, of necessity, tends to be more multi-sensory.

[Anonymous]

My suggestion would be to get a tutor since no one in the family knows the immersion language. I also have a child with Sp needs in 2nd grade at a language immersion school since preK. Having someone who can go over the homework, speak and read the language, and provide language support at home is a lifesaver and many parents at our school do this for their NT kids.