Yesterday the school confirmed my mommy-gut feeling that my DS7 is dyslexic. I asked them to evaluate him after reading about stealth dyslexia as seeing so much of it fit my DS. While I am saddened that he has yet another challenge he is facing, I feel happy that we caught it while he was so young and that there is an explanation for some of the struggles he faces. I am also having a good "mommy moment" in that I saw something that no one else had put together (because of all I have learned on this forum -- thank you!!), and I was able to get him the help he needed.
While the school was very clear they can not give an official diagnosis (because that needs to come from a doctor), the testing that they did said he fits the profile of a dyslexic. Even without the official diagnosis they are going to start him working with a specialist on the Wilson program as well as put accommodations in his 504 for dyslexia. Just a bit more info about him to give a full picture... He is HG+/PG with DCD and dsygraphia also.
I could use some advice from some others who have been down this road...
1. My son knows he struggles with spelling, handwriting and writing (getting thoughts on paper). It is obvious to him and everyone else, and he feels badly about it. He feels like he can't keep up in class at times and feels embarrassed by it. However, he is a stealth dyslexic in that he is reading and comprehending 4 grade levels above. He is doing an unbelievable job of compensating because he struggles with decoding new words, but he is great at using context to figure out words and once he has read it once he knows it. He LOVES to read, and easily spends over two hours a day reading -- sometimes four or five. He sees it as one of his strengths. Should we tell him he is dyslexic so that he can better understand why he struggles with spelling & writing? That it is just his brain is wired differently? My fear is that it will hurt his self-esteem and confidence around reading.
2. If we do tell him, any advice on what to say/not say?
3. His school has been unbelievable in setting up the accommodations and interventions he needs even without a medical diagnosis. They don't need it -- we live in a great school district when it comes to helping children who have challenges. However, are there other reasons to have it formally diagnosed at his age?
4. Last night I started reading Dyslexic Advantage, and it was like I was reading a book written about my son. He fits almost all the characteristics for a dyslexic person. It was eye-opening to me as well because it explained a number of other things that he struggles with that have nothing to do with spelling, reading or writing -- until you understand how in the brain these things are found to be connected. Are there other good resources out there people would recommend to help me better understand my DS and how to help him?
