My child will be 16 years old and is in the 11th grade in a small country school. Last year, she was tested and diagnosed by a psychologist outside of school with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Specific Learning Disability. She does have a 504 plan and has several accommodations in place. She does receive tutoring before and after school. However, after discussing my daughter with her teachers, none of them have education pertaining to dyslexia. I also have provided my daughter with tutors throughout her academic life with only one that was knowledgeable about dyslexia.
So, today, thanks to your website, I found Tips, Tools, and Apps to help her succeed. I am excited for my daughter to try your suggestions. My daughters strength are in Art, History, and English. Her weakness are Algebra and Science/Chemistry. I have read several books that were recommended to me, but I feel she needs more help. I am overwhelmed and don't know where to turn. Can you make any other suggestions?
I'm sorry that your daughter is continuing to struggle. When you say that you have read many books, have you read Dr. Sally Shaywitz's book Overcoming Dyslexia? It was written for parents and really is the go-to book. If you could get a copy from the library, that would be good, since a revised edition is coming out in 2020. (So I've heard. I’m hoping we will learn more at the International Dyslexia Association annual meeting in November 2019…)
It is difficult to make specific recommendations without knowing your daughter's profile of strengths and weaknesses. Typically students in the upper grades need strategies for reading comprehension.
They may also need writing strategies. Study skills are another area that may need to be addressed. Shawn Sanders has some great advice. Test-taking strategies may need to be targeted.
There are many other areas we address. She needs to learn self-advocacy skills -- this is very important given her age.
Given that you have a recent assessment, perhaps you and your daughter could meet with a professional who could help interpret the assessment in order to make recommendations. A good assessment sets the stage for intervention. And, last, she should definitely continue to pursue activities that utilize her strengths and build on her interests! Hopefully, this will get you started in the right direction.
