Dear Ruth,

Recently my son, who has been having a lot of trouble learning his reading skills in Kindergarten, was given a screening test by a physician. The doctor says he has Dyslexia. My son is already in counseling--we are getting divorced--and it is coming out that he has had other traumatic experiences as well.

I do not know how to cope with this new problem. His teacher has made it clear that she does not want him in her class because of his difficult behavior, and yet the school will not give him special help for his dyslexia. We cannot afford private therapy and I do not know how to help him myself.

I.V.

Dear I.V.,

Screening tests can never diagnose, but only point out whether a child needs a more thorough evaluation. And Kindergarten children should never be diagnosed as 'dyslexic' before they have had a reasonable chance to learn the skills of reading. Acute emotional stress by itself is enough to explain problems with behavior and learning at school.

Your son needs a teacher who likes him; otherwise, that is part of the problem. Is there another Kindergarten class he might attend? Ask your counselor to support your request to move him to a more positive atmosphere. Find out which specific skills he needs to learn--in Kindergarten, these are probably the awareness of sounds in words, the sounds that letters make, rhyming words, and the like--and get him some one-on-one help to catch up. You may be able to help him yourself, or you may find an older student with a positive attitude who could follow his teacher’s instructions. The school speech/language pathologist can check whether there is a hearing, auditory skill, or language problem interfering with his learning.

Best Wishes,
Ruth Alice Jurey, M.S.
Speech/Language Pathologist