Dyslexia in K

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Dyslexia is fortunate in that there is a specific screening called the Slingerland Screening Test that can be administered to see if a child has dyslexia. It is common, however, that children have more than one disability. Often disabilities overlap making it difficult to determine what the disability actually is. If there is any suspicion of any other disability, it is essential one receives a comprehensive evaluation in order to determine if there are other disabilities and what those disabilities are. Only when all the disabilities are accurately identified can a parent or teacher know how to best help a child learn.

An essential element in choosing a private testing center or independent evaluator, is to find one that is completely objective and has no vested interest in giving your child a particular diagnosis. For example, you do not want someone to test for behavioral issues if he/she has a private behavioral therapy practice. It raises the question that the tester may simply need students to enroll in his/her particular program. Another element in choosing an evaluator is price. Independent evaluations are expensive. Some insurances will reimburse and some centers offer financial assistance. However, it can still be an enormous financial undertaking.

I suspected my daughter was ADHD, yet for ADHD to be diagnosed, it needed to be evident in 2 separate environments, which are basically home and school. School did not think she was ADHD because she was not a discipline problem. She held it all in and exploded on me when she got home! I took her to Children’s Health Council of Palo Alto to be evaluated. We received some financial aid and it was still pricey! Still, we decided to pursue the evaluation because they have a phenomenal reputation for “getting it right”! It was only after CHC evaluated her, did we learn that not only was she ADHD, she has a slow processing speed, sensory integration issues, and she has a dyslexic profile! Wow! Had we just thought she had ADHD, her other learning difficulties would have never been addressed! Then the question is raised as to how much of her ADHD isn’t exacerbated by her learning differences! This evaluation was worth absolutely every penny! It fully identified her strengths and weaknesses, which in turn facilitated in the development of specific learning strategies.