In terms of what you can do yourself, now: In a large city, I would expect you could find specialized tutoring (e.g. Lindamood Bell, Barton, Wilson), which lots of people on the board could speak to. I think the general conclusion is very expensive but effective.
An alternative, if you think you might have the capacity to start some reading remediation at home, is using a scripted program to teach your DS yourself.
We are using "All About Reading" (
www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-reading/) with DD8 (going into grade 4). She was diagnosed with dyslexia last fall, and AAR is working miracles with her reading. Like syoblrig's DS, my DD found her diagnosis a huge relief. We too emphasized that she was very capable of learning, she just needed to be taught
differently. We started AAR because wheels were grinding excruciatingly slowly, and I needed to be able to do something for her
now. The program is really easy to use, and we could see early results fast. This has been crucial for proving to her how well she can learn when she is taught the way she needs, and in keeping her willing (if barely somedays
) to keep at it.
My caveat with this particular program is only that you are dealing with an older and male child. While it's excruciating keeping DD at it, the themed activities and stories do at least appeal to her: she's quite whimsical and loves animals. The program is a good match for her. I have to be honest though, I have often given thanks that its not DS11 - very techie, hates animal stories, not an ounce of whimsy in him - that has to do this program; that would be very, very painful. So depending on his tastes and temperament, an older child might be fine with AAR, or he might prefer a different program that doesn't even try to be cute and fun. I've seen older reccomendations for Toe by Toe on this board, for example. However, I do get the sense it's less "multi-sensory", and a much less comprehensive approach to reading as a whole: hopefully others on this board could chime in with more direct experience.
Don't hesitate to keep asking questions. Supporting our 2E children is exhausting and lonely at the best of times, even with two parents working together. You are an incredibly strong and caring mother to be managing so much under such difficult circumstances. The knowledge, experience and support of the people on this board can really help you feel like you have a great team at your back.
