Resources

Films on Dyslexia

The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia -  www.thebigpicturemovie.com
Embracing Dyslexia - www.embracingdyslexia.com
Dislecksia – The Movie -  www.dislecksiathemovie.com

Adult Book Resources

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level
by Sally Shaywitz, M.D.; Vintage (2005) — A great book that explains what dyslexia is and gives parents tools for helping their children become fluent readers. One of the most helpful and informative books that most parents read early in their journey that really open their eyes and pointed them in the right direction to seek the help their kids needed.

Parenting a Struggling Reader
by Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats; Broadway (2002) — This book helped explain how school systems work and provided real-world practical guidance on how to understand and work within the framework of the public school system. It also helped us understand the need to sometimes look outside public schools for additional resources.

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy: The Special Education Survival Guide
by Pam Wright and Pete Wright; Harbor House Law Press (2006) — Realizing that your child has an LD (or any disability) can set parents off on a roller coaster of emotions. This fabulous book helped us distinguish facts from emotions in order to properly document the facts and best advocate for our daughter.

The Human Side of Dyslexia: 142 Interviews with Real People Telling Real Stories About Their Coping Strategies with Dyslexia
by Shirley Kurnoff; London Universal, (2001) — Just as the title says, this book is packed with real stories by people with dyslexia. While many books on dyslexia focus on the mechanics of the learning disability, this is the human story of the people who live with it. Through their stories we learn their strategies and tools for coping with the reading disability. Many of the stories are inspirational and will be a comfort to parents who worry about their child’s future.

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
by Norman Doidge; Penguin Books (2007) — An astonishing new science called “neuroplasticity” is overthrowing the centuries-old notion that the human brain is immutable. In this revolutionary look at the brain, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Norman Doidge, M.D., provides an introduction to both the brilliant scientists championing neuroplasticity and the people whose lives they’ve transformed.

The Dyslexic Advantage: Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain
by Brock L. Eide M.D. M.A. and Fernette F. Eide M.D., Plume (2012) — In this groundbreaking book, Brock and Fernette Eide explain how 20% of people—individuals with dyslexia—share a unique learning style that can create advantages in a classroom, at a job, or at home. Using their combined expertise in neurology and education, the authors show how these individuals not only perceive the written word differently but may also excel at spatial reasoning, see insightful connections that others simply miss, understand the world in stories, and display amazing creativity.

The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: A Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of Learning
by Benn Foss (2013) –  In a passionate and well-articulated guide that puts to rest the idea that dyslexic people are unintelligent, disabilities advocate Foss (himself dyslexic and the creator of Intel Reader, a text-to-speech device) describes dyslexia as a characteristic and a disability that should be accommodated in the same way as blindness or mobility issues. Foss reframes the use of film, audiobooks, and material read aloud as ear-reading, in contrast to the eye-reading that is the educational standard. He hopes that parents can learn to explain their child’s needs in a way that will win them essential support, and that they can help their child build self-esteem. Foss also discusses how to navigate good accommodations in the school environment and determine if a school is inappropriate for your child’s welfare. This extremely practical and motivational book will be welcomed by parents of dyslexic children.

Wrightslaw: All About Tests & Assessments, Answers to Frequently Asked Questions.  by Melissa Lee Farrell, PhD SAIF, et al (2014) 
In this comprehensive, easy-to-read book, you will find clear, concise answers to frequently asked questions about assessments, evaluations, and tests.  You will learn:

• about psychological, academic, and neuropsychological tests and what these tests measure

• about selecting evaluators

• how to request a special education evaluation and how to provide parental consent

• about speech-language, physical and occupational therapy, processing, adaptive behavior, and functional behavior assessments

• test terms and the important realities about tests and assessment

• how small differences between tests can result in large differences in scores

The goal of Wrightslaw: All About Tests and Assessments is to demystify the assessment process and make it less intimidating.

If your child has a disability, you need accurate information about his strengths, weaknesses, and needs before making decisions about his education. You will find the information you need in the tests and assessments that have been completed on your child. 

Children's Books about Dyslexia

Dyslexia Wonders by Jennifer Smith 
Charlie's Challenge by Linda Gladden
Hank Zipzer series by Henry Winkler
It's Called Dyslexia by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos
Josh, A Boy with Dyslexia by Caroline Janover 
Lily and the Mixed Up Letters by Deborah Hodge
My Name is Brain Brian by Jeanne Betancourt
Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
The Alphabet War by Diane Burton Robb
If You Are So Smart, How Come You Can't Spell Mississippi? by Barbara Esham  
Fish in A Tree, by Lynda Mullally Hunt 

For Teachers

"How I Learn" Student Guide for Teachers

Please note that DD-CT does not officially endorse, represent or have any legal connection to any of the resources listed on our website. These are websites, films and books that many parents have found useful in their personal searches for information about dyslexia.