In my last post, I discussed all the signs that led up to us getting Harlow tested for a learning difference or disability. I want to caveat this post by reiterating that Harlow was in a private school when we began to suspect that she had dyslexia. Beyond a special group for slower readers in 1st and 2nd grade, the school offers no additional support for kids with learning differences. They also do not offer any testing. So, our first step was getting a neuropsych from an independent evaluator. We have no experience with the free testing available at public schools, but I will say, from conversations with friends and followers who have gone through the public school testing process, many of them have found it insufficient and have gone on to get an independent evaluation to make the case for more support and/or accommodations at their school. It’s costly, but for certain students, it’s greatly beneficial to have an unbiased diagnosis. More on that within the post.
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