Help for Older Dyslexic

Please let me know if help is available for a dyslexic teenager. My granddaughter has above-average intelligence but has struggled through nine years of public education. She is so frustrated that I am concerned she may drop out of school shortly. Any information you provide will be greatly appreciated. — Granny
Answer: Help is available for your granddaughter. The mystery is why she has not been receiving help all along. If she has not been tested, her parents need to request that her school test her right away to discover why learning has been so challenging for her. Testing sometimes takes several months, and then if anything is discovered, a team of educators and other professionals in specific fields related to the disability will meet and write up and Individual Education Plan (IEP) to address issues discovered during testing. If she has been tested and has an IEP, the parents must request that the team immediately discuss how your granddaughter can receive more meaningful help.
A dyslexic has a severely impaired ability to read. Reading problems cause pervasive problems in all the academic areas where students need to read to learn. Because high-school subjects often require more reading than your granddaughter had to do previously, she may feel far more frustrated now. Also, the coping techniques that she used earlier to make up for poor reading skills may no longer be effective.
If your granddaughter is dyslexic, much can be done to make school easier for her. For a start, she could be using books on tape — this will make it easier for her to acquire necessary information from her textbooks. Also, she could be given more time to complete tests and more appropriate homework assignments. Furthermore, it is not too late for her to receive special instruction to improve her reading ability.
Before the school discovers why your granddaughter is struggling, the best approach may be to have her work with a tutor, who could possibly eliminate some of her stress. Her family could also help by reading textbook materials to her.