Who is the specialist to see. My 12year son is struggling with school and cannot read. His not dull but I don't know what to do.

[okom]

Am new here. Please help. Which doctor can examin my son. His 12 but he is struggling with school. He cannot read or comphrend but he is not a dull person. I don't know what is wrong or which doctor to see

[Onthemove1971]

Okom hope I can help... Big breath, sorry he is 12 and this just being tackled now but let's see if I can give you some advice. I need to ask a few questions...

When is the last time your son had his eyes checked by a doctor? Does he wear glasses? Does he hold papers close to his face or sit really close to the TV?

There are many things involved in reading and then understanding what we read..

Let's start there.

[okom in reply to Onthemove1971]

Hi he does non of the things you just mentioned. When he was a child he didn't talk till 4 years. He does not well and easily distracted

[Kate1027]

Hi Okom,

You will likely want to see a neuropsycologist to do testing. In order to do this you will likely need a referral from your sons pediatrician. Have you expressed your concerns with your sons school? They must be aware in which case they might also be able to do testing (depending on where you live, in the US you have rights under the IDEA) There are many reasons why your son struggles to read. If he is strong or average in math or other subjects it could be a specific learning disability like dyslexia. Testing with a neuropsycologist, psychologist or school psychologist will give you a better idea about what the issue is you can treat it.

[okom in reply to Kate1027]

Hi thanks for your quick response. He finds it difficult to connect things. Teaching him is frustrating

[Onthemove1971]

Have you had his eyes checked? If Yes then you don't need a Specialist who deals with kids that can't see.

Next you need to look at a learning specialist.

Good luck..

[Hidden]

It could be dyslexia. Ask his school to screen for dyslexia. As for online resources:

dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/dysl...

dyslexia.yale.edu/dyslexia/...

[anirush]

Neither of my grandkids or their mother before them did well with reading in school. My youngest grandson's comprehension is bad. I have hired a reading tutor to come once a week and it is helping. I think their brains are too scrambled to sit and read anything of length and remember facts.

[WendyKirkpatrick]

First you can contact your School District's Board of Education in writing and request testing for Special Education services in your school. Beware that the schools just want you to drug your child and you have to fight for services. There is a classification called "Other Medical Impaired". A.D.D. alone is not classified under Special Ed., but symptoms other than the ADD will suffice. Make a list for them. And you will have a school psychologist assigned to your son to make the case for him and that is the primary person you will work with. On line, there are various learning centers and tutor services available, sometimes even at a local college. Best of luck. I am reading so many stories from parents that years later, I know I wasn't alone in my struggles with my son. That's why I self-published a book to tell the story from his point of view. It was very helpful to get it all down and put it out there. I wish you and your family the best of luck.

[okom in reply to WendyKirkpatrick]

Thanks. It's frustrating

[dubstepMaul in reply to WendyKirkpatrick]

Wendy, what is the title of your book?

[rollercoaster22]

I would recommend a psych-ed evaluation. In Canada, the school does them for free, but there is a huge waitlist (years), and it doesn't seem like a guarantee they will even do it. Or you can pay privately, but it costs about $3000. It sucks.

[okom in reply to rollercoaster22]

Thank you

[Want2BHappy3]

Hi do you live in the USA? If so by law you have the right to have him tested by the school it's called IEP testing by professional councilors to diagnose him. Sound's like he has dyslexia? Which is what my daughter has, she's grown now. I didn't know about this till her teacher told me. Make Sure they test him, and go to All the meetings they might try to get away with things.

Go prepared, Google IEP. Dyslexia is hereditary and no cure, it's going to take a lot of work depending on how bad he is. If technology now you'll do just fine. DON'T give up

[okom in reply to Want2BHappy3]

Thanks

[WendyKirkpatrick]

I am not an expert but I am the mother of a 30 year old son with ADHD. You can start with the pediatrician who unfortunately may just recommend medication, and go to a neurologist before letting anyone recommend medications. A child psychologist specializing in behavior modification can help. You can research nutritional remedies. You can even consider an allergist. There are learning centers, like the Sylvan Learning Center and others you can find on line that help children with school work and learning.

I self-published a book on createspace.com and amazon.com called "I have ADD and I'm Proud to Be Me." No one seems to write about the disorders from the child's perspective so I wrote a book and illustrated it regarding our child's feelings and experiences. Please don't think I am just trying to sell a book. My percent of profit is about $2.00 a book so I'm not going to Europe if you buy it. Just trying to help. Write any time. Glad to talk to other parents.

I really wish I knew about this site when my son was little. It would have given me comfort and support to talk to other parents.

Best wishes to you and your family. Wendy Kirkpatrick

[Danseuse]

Please watch this video. It provides a lot of great information.

youtu.be/YSfCdBBqNXY(Not working as expected?)