The Dyslexia Help Handbook for Parents: Your Guide to Overcoming Dyslexia Including Tools You Can Use for Learning Empowerment (Learning Abled Kids' How-To Books for Enhanced Educational Outcomes)

I purchased this awhile ago and hadn't had a chance to really read it. When I finally did, I was shocked and the great deal of detail provided in the book of really great resources. For those new to the process of IEP's Cook does an excellent job of describing what its like day in and day out of managing school conflict while trying to meet your childs needs, if you haven't encountered that yet and use this book as a resource up front, you'll be ahead of the game. For those who have dealt with the songs and dances of the districts many times, you will appreciate the honest feedback and information on how to manage such things while not losing your mind. In addition to honest to goodness tools, Cook spells oit exactly what dyslexia is and isn't and to what extremes of dyslexia you are dealing with, and what tools on the market are more for other types of diagnoses than dyslexia as marketed. Extremely helpful book. I am going to be highly recommending this book to my Decoding Dyslexia group. When you read the book I recommend having your highlighter handy to direct you to key tools you can use. There's a ton!!! I can't say enough great things about this book and highly recommend it to any parent whose child has been diagnosed or is undiagnosed dyslexia.

From someone who's been there and fought the school system, who taught her struggling fifth grader (reading at a K level in public school) via homeschool to a sixth grade level in less than a year....Sandy Cook is to be respected! This is a great, great book for those of us navigating the waters of school systems unable/unwilling to properly say what it is nor know how to instruct our children with DYSLEXIA. It's not a dirty word and it doesn't imply stupid, either. For some reason our schools think otherwise. Sandy shows us how to handle that. No matter what you've chosen in your path to educate your child, Sandy has sage advice and it's found here in a concise, impactful volume. She also has a great emailing list which has given me many nuggets of wisdom on this path. Greatly recommend, especially for those parents suspecting dyslexia and starting this journey.

If you have a child who is struggling with dyslexia, this is a wonderful guide. It is written from the point of view of another parent who has been there, invested in working with her child, and seen the resulting success. The author does a good job of defining what dyslexia is, explaining what other issues may be present, and how to get the correct diagnosis. For parents who are interested in working with their children to help them thrive, she outlines resources and strategies that can be employed at home. We have used many of those resources ourselves, and did indeed see progress using them. I also got many new ideas in reading this book that I am now able to utilize with another child.

I teach remedial reading for high school students who either weren't ready to learn phonics at the traditional age or, somehow, missed this critical stage in the reading continuum. I use many of the strategies in this book even though I am a public school teacher. The author is disdainful of the public school system and clings a little tightly to the idea that she is the one and only person who has the magic bullet. If you are a teacher, you better have thick skin because there are lots of negative comments about the limited ability of teachers to actually do research and listen to parents. I am sorry she had such a bad experience with teachers and administrators. If you can overlook all that, the book is full of wonderful information. I occasionally recommend the book to parents who want to do extra work with their student at home (with the caveat that the information is sometimes masked by a dramatic, high-pressure sales aura). Too bad that a large, professional audience is effectively dismissed within the first few pages. This woman had done her research and knows her stuff! She just has a disturbingly high opinion of herself so her writing can be very off-putting.

I enjoyed this book so much I found it difficult to put it down, thank you Sandra Cook. The way you explained working memory was amazing--short and simple and so clearly explained. I was finally able to explain to my daughter why couldn't she do copy work. I always knew it wasn't because she was lazy or defiant, her brain honestly just couldn't process it.I highly recommend this book to any parent with a child with executive function deficits.Lindap.s. I love your positive attitude and tagline of "Learning Abled Kids"--you give hope!

I think I've never done a review. I had to. This book is fantastic if you are lost in the sea of confusion relating to your child's educational development. I probably felt similar to a dyslexic trying to read as I tried to make sense of all the information out there. I really needed someone just to turn me in the right direction on how to help me help myself so that I can then help my child! Truly this is invaluable!

I am very impressed with the author, her tenacity, spirit and drive. It is VERY encouraging to see someone who has found a solution to this problem and is willing to help others.

I do not know where I would be without this book. Prior to this, we were spinning our wheels wondering why despite many valiant attempts and much hard work, our son could not read. Now we know. Do not rely on the school or it's professionals to know much about dyslexia, they don't. In my experience, reading seems secondary to all the other requirements the school might have, while they shuffle your child through the system. I have read many books on dyslexia, but this is was the easiest for me to understand. Sandy truly cares about your child and that passion is evident in this book. Please read this work, it will change your child's life as it did for her own son.

I’m the mom of a newly diagnosed child with dyslexia and ADHD. I have read this book, and have highlights and notes throughout. It is factual, extremely well organized and easy to read/understand. Good for a newbie, or anyone hoping to learn more about dyslexia. The only part I found less relatable were due to me being in Canada - so portions regarding legislation/policy are a bit different. The author is a supporter of home schooling BUT as you read through is also able to present valuable suggestions for learning in different environments, age ranges, etc. I highly recommend. It’s a book I will keep and refer back to again, I’m sure.

I am sure the book is a good one however it was more technical than I was hoping for

She repeated the same information over and over. She strongly dislikes the public school system and basically implies you have to homeschool in order to help your child with dyslexia. As a single mom, I don’t have the option to homeschool so that isn’t very motivating. Resources referenced are no longer available and also a lot of things not applicable as I live in Canada.