DyslexiaLand: A Field Guide for Parents of Children with Dyslexia

Welcome to DyslexiaLand (Population 1 in 5)

DyslexiaLand is an imaginary place, but a very real one for the 1 in 5 students with dyslexia. Especially in school, where these otherwise bright children struggle unnecessarily, and parents donít understand why, or how to help.

Parents are surprised, even shocked, to discover that most public schools do not teach dyslexic children in the way they learn, and they must take action and overcome many challenges to get the quality education their children deserve and is required by law.

In this guide, parents will find the help they need to navigate the tricky territory of the public school system with proven strategies, easy-to-follow directions and maps. While other books take an academic approach and dwell on dyslexia as a disability, DyslexiaLand provides a practical approach, focusing instead on the many talents and abilities of children with dyslexia and how parents can help them thrive in school, at home, and in the community. This guide helps parents save significant time and money by pinpointing the support a dyslexic child needs early on and avoiding larger costs, financial and emotional, that a family may incur if a childís school struggles are not promptly identified and addressed.

Author Cheri Rae successfully led her son with dyslexia from K through 12, has helped hundreds of children with dyslexia and their parents, and was honored for her dyslexia advocacy work with a special commendation from the California State Assembly. In DyslexiaLand, the award-winning writer introduces parents to a unique land, language and culture, empowers parents to be effective advocates for their children, and helps children and parents alike travel through the grades from elementary school to ìDyslexia Highî and beyond.

Discover:

• How to identify your childís strengths and challenges, meet with teachers, and effectively advocate for your child.
• Which reading approaches work for students with dyslexia, and which ones donít, and why the ìDî word is such a hot-button issue.
• How to turn obstacles into opportunities, stresses into successes, and how high tech can be a huge help.

DyslexiaLand takes the guesswork out of dealing with dyslexia. Whether your child is beginning pre-K or in the middle of high school, there is help here for all dyslexic kids and their parents.

Award-winning writer Cheri Rae leads Parent Empowerment Seminars, and shares her advocacy expertise at DyslexiaLand.com.

While serving as a consultant to the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Cheri established a Parent Resource Center, monthly "Dyslexia Dialogues" and a "Distinguished Dyslexic Speaker Series." She was named a "Local Hero" by the Santa Barbara Independent for her fearless efforts on behalf of students with dyslexia, and awarded a Resolution from the California State Assembly for her dyslexia work.

DyslexiaLand is a collection of hard-won wisdom over the course of ten years of advocacy for children with dyslexia, beginning with her own son. Cheri continues to work with parents to help them advocate for their dyslexic children, writes articles, and shares the trials and tribulations of DyslexiaLand as a public speaker. Her dyslexia-related assemblage art has been featured in several galleries, and she is currently working on a photographic project: 1 in 5: The Face of Dyslexia.

Two words best describe the direction of Cheri Rae’s writing career: worthy causes. After graduating from California State University Northridge with a degree in Political Science, Cheri embarked on a path of good works that blended her desire to make a difference and her considerable editorial skills.

Prior to moving to Santa Barbara, Cheri enjoyed successful stints as a magazine editor, holding key management positions with such popular lifestyle magazines as Runner’s World, Surfer, California Scenic, and Bicycle Sport. Cheri took up the cause of desert conservation and her maps and books, including Mojave National Preserve: A Visitors Guide, helped rally the public and preserve the wonders of the Mojave as national parkland.

In Santa Barbara, Cheri covered the city’s lively political scene as a columnist for Santa Barbara Daily Sound. In 2009 the California Association of Newspaper Publishers, awarded Cheri first-place honors in the Best Newspaper Column category. Her interest in preserving—and celebrating—Santa Barbara led her to pen books about the city, including Walk Santa Barbara: City Strolls & Country Rambles and Pearl Chase: First Lady of Santa Barbara.

Cheri lives with her family in a 1912 bungalow in Santa Barbara’s Bungalow Haven, located in the midst of the historic neighborhood district that she helped create through her advocacy.