Wednesday November 9th @9am- Dyslexia Overview: This presentation will provide families with information on identification, evaluation, and instruction related to dyslexia. Log in information coming soon. Spanish Flyer Englsih Flyer

Check out the September presentation Organization and Study Skills video and slides!

And the October presentation Supporting your Developing Reader video and slides

Tuesday November 15- Thursday November 17 Family Academy Conference 2022

In celebration of National Parental Involvement Day, Austin ISD proudly presents the 2022 Family Academy. The academy will present live zoom sessions around varioustopics and an in-person event featuring keynote speaker, Dr. A.C Cristales. City of Austin will be there helping families to fill out all the Registrations for all their programs, like Reduce or free Utilities, RENT, housing, etc. And You can ask them directly if there is a Relief money for families in need! There will be door prizes and many community partners.

Note: Thursday is in person PDC- 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Dr, Austin, TX 78752

Flyer: English / Spanish

Register HERE

The International Dyslexia Association defines “dyslexia” in the following way:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by

difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding

abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of

language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of

effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading

comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and

background knowledge.

What are some common signs of Dyslexia?

The following difficulties may be associated with dyslexia if they are unexpected for the individual's age, educational level, or cognitive abilities. To verify that an individual is dyslexic, he/she should be tested by a qualified testing examiner.

• May talk later than most children
• May have difficulty pronouncing words, i.e., busgetti for spaghetti, mawn lower for lawn mower
• May be slow to add new vocabulary words
• May be unable to recall the right word
• May have difficulty with rhyming
• May have trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes, how to spell and write his or her name
• May have trouble interacting with peers
• May be unable to follow multi-step directions or routines
• Fine motor skills may develop more slowly than in other children
• May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence
• Often has difficulty separating sounds in words and blending sounds to make words

I suspect my child has Dyslexia, what now?

Schedule a time to meet or talk with your child's teacher. Get their perspective and see if perhaps their struggles are common amongst the class or if the teacher notices that there is more. If you feel like you want your child to be tested, the teacher will refer you to the administration. The administration will send your request to the district and then an LSSP will call to get your consent for a Full Individual Evaluation (FIE), which means they will test your child for everything unless you deny the consent for an FIE and say you ONLY want them tested for Dyslexia. Once your child is tested, we will convene to discuss the results and see what the next steps will be.

How can I help my child at home who has Dyslexia?

1. Nurture thinking skills.
   Encourage thinking skills that support your child in becoming an independent and active, rather than passive, learner. Encourage their curiosity. Discuss the problem or topic involved in a school assignment or reading. Listen. Share points of view. This can be fun and quality time spent together.
   
2. Help them engage with reading.
   Ask your child: What is happening? What do you have to find out? What do you already know? Who are the main characters? What are the main ideas? Have you read something like this before? What’s your plan for answering this question? Can you divide it into parts? What are the hard parts?
   
3. Get them to work independently.
   Encourage your child to ask his or her own questions and tackle work independently - and consider that you might follow up afterward. Did you use your plan? Can you rewrite this so it’s less messy? Is this your best work? Can you explain this to me, or show me how to do it?
   
4. Have your child teach it to you.
   “While we teach, we learn,” said the ancient Roman philosopher Seneca. Studies have shown this to be true. At Stanford University, two groups of students were introduced to a computer program. One group was told they were to teach the program, and the other, told to use it for self-study. The first group performed significantly better on tests. (1)
   
5. Break material down into chunks.
   Parents can help a child break assignments down into small manageable chunks. You might separate out the questions on a worksheet by drawing circles around different groups. If on Monday the school assignment is a list of 10 spelling words or a times table to be learned by Friday, encourage your child to do a little bit each day.
   
6. Give appropriate praise.
   Appropriate praise and rewards, especially from you, mean a lot to your child. Take opportunities to acknowledge their effort and stress the positives where you can. Whether it’s for trying hard and achieving a significant goal, or finally making a small incremental step they struggled to master, offer support and praise.
   
7. Help them build a positive self-image.
   In the fairly recent past, dyslexia was not well understood, and many children were unfairly labeled as thick, stupid, lazy, not trying hard enough, or being willfully uncooperative. None of it is true. Dyslexic children can have good and bad days, and remembering one day over the other can give the impression that they are being willful or lazy. In fact, they may be having to try much harder than other kids to keep up with school work, which can be tiring and can eat away at self-esteem. Remind them of their strengths and help them keep things in perspective when they’re having a bad day.
   
8. Ensure they get enough sleep.
   This is relevant, whether your child has dyslexia or not. A well-fed and well-rested child learns better, so get them off to bed in good time so they wake up refreshed. A good night’s sleep boosts confidence. Reviewing information right before bed can aid retention, so encourage it.
   
9. Set up a study space.
   Each child’s learning style is different. Some will be happy at the kitchen table with a buzz of activity going on around them; others will need peace and quiet to get anything done. Make sure they know they have a dedicated space to retreat to when they need it.
   
10. Create a custom calendar.
    Parents can put a nice big calendar on a notice board or the fridge and keep it up to date. Go over it together with your child, and get prepared for tomorrow the night before. This saves rushing around in a panic in the morning.
    
11. Establish some ground rules.
    If you have a target for work to be completed or have agreed on one with your child’s teacher, don’t let him or her turn on the television or be distracted by a phone. Avoid power struggles, clearly set out your expectations, and be consistent. Make it clear you mean what you say, even if it takes a few days for the message to sink in.

I'm excited to be back and feel great about starting the new year off!

Take Flight is a two-year curriculum written by the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders of the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Take Flight is designed for use by Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALT). It is intended for small group instruction with no more than five students per class. Take Flight includes 132 lessons for a total of 230 hours of direct, systematic, cumulative, multisensory instruction. Students will meet four times a week for 1 hour.

Take Flight addresses the five components of effective reading instruction identified by the National Reading Panel's research and is a comprehensive intervention for students with dyslexia.

Please email me if you'd like to co-chair the support group with me. My hope is to have monthly meetings to help parents with resources, tips, and general support.

Email: crystal.contreras@austinisd.org
Phone: 512-650-8044