FAQ
Below are just a few of the most frequently asked questions about dyslexia. If you have a question, please contact The Dyslexia Center of Princeton. If we don't have the answer, we will try to find it for you!
Does medical insurance pay for dyslexia assessment or treatment?
Each insurance carrier and policy is different. This is why receipts that you receive from our Center carry insurance codes. We recommend that you contact your insurance carrier to see if you have coverage for out-of-network expenses relating to dyslexia assessment. Some clients have been able to receive reimbursement for assessments, consultations, etc., but this varies by insurance carrier and type of coverage.
Can my child's school test for and help with his/her dyslexia?
Some schools test for or treat dyslexia; others do not. This is a question for your child’s school. Ask the individual in charge of special education if your school tests specifically for dyslexia, and if it is found, what type of programs your school offers.
My husband is dyslexic. Does that mean that our children will be dyslexic?
Not necessarily, but hereditary and genetic factors do play a part in dyslexia, so a family history of dyslexia can increase its likelihood. When in doubt, get the facts and have your child assessed to identify or rule out dyslexia.
How long will it take The Dyslexia Center of Princeton to help my child become an independent, literate learner?
The answer depends on the type and severity of the dyslexia present. As part of the assessment, The Dyslexia Center of Princeton will provide an estimate of the time required for the program to be effective.
My child's teacher says she will outgrow some of the things she is doing, such as reversing letters. Is that true?
Human beings do not outgrow dyslexia. Many children reverse letters and typically outgrow this habit by the ages of 8 or 9; however, simply reversing letters is not dyslexia. Dyslexic individuals might (or might not) reverse letters and might exhibit other indications as well, indications or habits that they will not outgrow. For these reasons, it is essential to determine whether an individual is dyslexic.
How early can a child be accurately diagnosed?
The Dyslexia Center of Princeton uses standardized, normed tests for accurate diagnostic assessment beginning at the age of seven years, six months (age 7-6), or second grade, first month (Grade 2.1). However, The Dyslexia Center of Princeton can identify as child as being “at risk for dyslexia” beginning around age five. However, each child is different, so please contact us for information specific to your circumstances.
What is Home Practice? Do we have to add that to an already heavy homework load?
Dyslexic students usually spend much more time doing homework than their peers because they are not able to work efficiently.
That said, Home Practice is not to be confused with “homework.” Home Practice reinforces components of therapy; it does not teach new material. Progress testing after every 24 sessions proves that Dyslexia Center clients and their parent(s) or caregiver(s) who engage in the expected Home Practice achieve optimal results. Home Practice is expected to be done NO MORE THAN four (4) times per week, for NO MORE THAN 15 – 20 minutes each time (a total of 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes, maximum).
In therapy, the learner has been shown, taught, and begun practicing a specific skill, and Home Practice reinforces that skill.
We advise two things. First, when children have their dyslexia sessions on weekdays after school, parents should communicate that to teachers so that teachers require less or no homework that night. Second: we recommend that parents explain or show their child’s teacher(s) what the child is working on in Home Practice to promote a collaborative approach, and also to consider it as a partial replacement for that evening’s homework (very often the “15 minutes of reading” that schools frequently require. Home Practice more than fulfills that requirement.)
Note: It is very common to see school homework, or the time it takes, decrease once appropriate temporary accommodations are put in place for the dyslexic individual. Additionally, around the 24th session of dyslexia therapy, most clients’ parents report that their child appears to be “turning a corner” in their ability to do schoolwork, and homework for school begins to become less stressful.