Dyslexia- who knew?

What is dyslexia?
According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities:

Dyslexia is the name for specific learning disabilities in reading.

Dyslexia is often characterized by difficulties with accurate word recognition, decoding and spelling.

Dyslexia may cause problems with reading comprehension and slow down vocabulary growth.

Dyslexia may result in poor reading fluency and reading out loud.

Dyslexia is neurological and often genetic.

Dyslexia is not the result of poor instruction.

With the proper support, almost all people with dyslexia can become good readers and writers.

Some times I wonder if we read too much into what is going on with the boy. Last weekend we were struggling to help him with a studying for a test. I swore that he was unable to read. As it turns out he was unable to read my cursive (after continuously typing my handwriting is terrible). But still even words he has seen before, like stimuli, reactiveness, intervention, and pyschiatry. He struggled with pronunciation, definitions and appropriate usage.

Oddly enough, the grades and secondary are not really willing to test for dyslexia. I am not sure why that is. I had asked for it often enough. I think the one time in the grades I asked and was told, "No you moved him out of special ed english (remember cat, and and tv?) so he doesn't need to be tested for dyslexia. He's fine." This from a special ed teacher who later went after us in a very unprofessional manner. Bitch.

Anyhow, I have been thinking that we need to look at this as an option. I don't know if it will help the boy with his learning. I have NO clue what to do but there are some thoughts included from this website here:
It helps to identify dyslexia as early in life as possible. Adults with unidentified dyslexia often work in jobs below their intellectual capacity. But with help from a tutor, teacher, or other trained professional, almost all people with dyslexia can become good readers and writers. Use the following strategies to help to make progress with dyslexia.
Expose your child to early oral reading, writing, drawing, and practice to encourage development of print knowledge, basic letter formation, recognition skills and linguistic awareness (the relationship between sound and meaning).

• Have your child practice reading different kinds of texts. This includes books, magazines, ads and comics.
• Include multi-sensory, structured language instruction. Practice using sight, sound and touch when introducing new ideas.
• Seek modifications in the classroom. This might include extra time to complete assignments, help with note taking, oral testing and other means of assessment.
• Use books on tape and assistive technology. Examples are screen readers and voice recognition computer software.
• Get help with the emotional issues that arise from struggling to overcome academic difficulties.

Reading and writing are key skills for daily living. However, it is important to also emphasize other aspects of learning and expression. Like all people, those with dyslexia enjoy activities that tap into their strengths and interests. For example, people with dyslexia may be attracted to fields that do not emphasize language skills. Examples are design, art, architecture, engineering and surgery.
The warning signs:
Dyslexia: Warning Signs By Age

Young Children Trouble With: Recognizing letters, matching letters to sounds and blending sounds into speech Pronouncing words, for example saying “mawn lower” instead of “lawn mower” Learning and correctly using new vocabulary words Learning the alphabet, numbers, and days of the week or similar common word sequences Rhyming

School-Age Children Trouble With: Mastering the rules of spelling Remembering facts and numbers Handwriting or with gripping a pencil Learning and understanding new skills; instead, relying heavily on memorization Reading and spelling, such as reversing letters (d, b) or moving letters around (left, felt) Following a sequence of directions Trouble with word problems in math

Teenagers and Adults Trouble With: Reading at the expected level Understanding non-literal language, such as idioms, jokes, or proverbs Reading aloud Organizing and managing time Trouble summarizing a story Learning a foreign language Memorizing