School evaluations are free. Clinical diagnosis often
requires out-of-pocket payment, although health
insurance may cover some of it.
The purpose behind a school identification is to
determine if a child is eligible for special education,
whereas the purpose behind a medical diagnosis is to
understand the cause of symptoms to guide decision
on treatment.
The support and services your child may receive
through school includes how and what students learn.
For example, a student who has been identified with
a learning disability might get extra time for work
or tests and breaks throughout the day. They might
also work in smaller groups or a quieter space and be
required to do fewer problems on a page.
The range of professionals that can assist a child with
dyslexia outside of school include reading specialists,
speech-language pathologists, child psychologists,
child neuropsychologists, and special education
teachers. They employ specific teaching methods such
as an approach called Orton-Gillingham (OG), which
uses highly structured, sequential and multisensory.
Reading specialists and speech-language pathologists
also focus on phonological awareness, an early
language skill that’s key to reading. They can also
help with decoding, word recognition, spelling and
reading fluency. If your child is getting specialized
instruction through an IEP at school, it’s likely he’ll
be taught these methods as well.
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