Schools avoiding the word 'dyslexia'

[Anonymous]

It is often asserted here than school districts will not acknowledge dyslexia by name. This NPR piece examines the practice http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/12/03/502601741/dyslexia-the-learning-disability-that-must-not-be-named?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=202803

[Anonymous]

Haven't read that yet, but naming it would mean they have to address it properly!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't read that yet, but naming it would mean they have to address it properly!

It still doesn't. The school districts don't invest in evidence based programs:
http://www.wrightslaw.com/press/best.kept.secret.htm

It's such a scam. Money talks.

[Anonymous]

Seems like the problem is this:

"As the most common learning disability in the U.S., dyslexia affects somewhere between 5 and 17 percent of the population. "

With numbers that high, it seems like they would have to give every general ed teacher training iin dyslexia.

[Anonymous]

The problem is that training and certification for these evidence-based programs require extensive training and a high cost that is outside of the university. Further, even if the university could figure out how to get this training to fit within their programs and pay for it, whether or not someone is ultimately certified is not within the school's hands, but with the organization who 'owns' the reading program. Finally, if you go through the time and expense of ensuring training, are they programs that can be implemented with fidelity in a public school setting? Many of these programs require continuing education to maintain certification. Who is going to pay for the cost and provide the time to teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem is that training and certification for these evidence-based programs require extensive training and a high cost that is outside of the university. Further, even if the university could figure out how to get this training to fit within their programs and pay for it, whether or not someone is ultimately certified is not within the school's hands, but with the organization who 'owns' the reading program. Finally, if you go through the time and expense of ensuring training, are they programs that can be implemented with fidelity in a public school setting? Many of these programs require continuing education to maintain certification. Who is going to pay for the cost and provide the time to teachers?

Wrong. Many ST or Special Ed Master programs offer training in things like Wilson or O-G.

Also, give me a break about fidelity of implementation. What the schools offer now aren't evidence based to treat dyslexia. So if you take any medication even something OTC like Tylenol, you'd want to take something based on scientific evidence right? Not a sugar pill.

[Anonymous]

A classroom teacher can not diagnose your child with a learning disability. He or she can recommend that you look into getting your child tested based on XYZ. The classroom teacher would be putting themselves in a difficult position to tell a parent that their child has a LD and it is often frowned upon in schools. If you child has gone through the proper channels and been fully tested and diagnosed then I don't understand why they would have a problem saying the word.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A classroom teacher can not diagnose your child with a learning disability. He or she can recommend that you look into getting your child tested based on XYZ. The classroom teacher would be putting themselves in a difficult position to tell a parent that their child has a LD and it is often frowned upon in schools. If you child has gone through the proper channels and been fully tested and diagnosed then I don't understand why they would have a problem saying the word.

Read the article. They say it is because school districts believe that parents will want a specific kind of remediation (e.g. a Orrin Gillingham-based method)i if the diagnosis is dyslexia. And they won't or can't provide it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A classroom teacher can not diagnose your child with a learning disability. He or she can recommend that you look into getting your child tested based on XYZ. The classroom teacher would be putting themselves in a difficult position to tell a parent that their child has a LD and it is often frowned upon in schools. If you child has gone through the proper channels and been fully tested and diagnosed then I don't understand why they would have a problem saying the word.

Read the article. They say it is because school districts believe that parents will want a specific kind of remediation (e.g. a Orrin Gillingham-based method)i if the diagnosis is dyslexia. And they won't or can't provide it.

My DC charter did. I went in and asked, "so which of these three evidenced based models for dyslexia will you be providing my child?" I'm a former school social worker, and they knew it. They sent someone to OG training, and when that person left they sent someone else. My son gets OG pullout 4 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A classroom teacher can not diagnose your child with a learning disability. He or she can recommend that you look into getting your child tested based on XYZ. The classroom teacher would be putting themselves in a difficult position to tell a parent that their child has a LD and it is often frowned upon in schools. If you child has gone through the proper channels and been fully tested and diagnosed then I don't understand why they would have a problem saying the word.

Read the article. They say it is because school districts believe that parents will want a specific kind of remediation (e.g. a Orrin Gillingham-based method)i if the diagnosis is dyslexia. And they won't or can't provide it.

My DC charter did. I went in and asked, "so which of these three evidenced based models for dyslexia will you be providing my child?" I'm a former school social worker, and they knew it. They sent someone to OG training, and when that person left they sent someone else. My son gets OG pullout 4 days a week.

I got the same thing from my kid's DC charter school a few year's back. But from speaking with others I don't think our experience is typical. Charter schools can be (they aren't always) much more flexible. I had no specialized training but had done research ahead and knew what was likely to work for my kid.