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Helping Students With Dyslexia Thrive
Dyslexia Basic
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having difficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading. Students with dyslexia usually experience difficulties with other language skills such as spelling, writing, and pronouncing words. Dyslexia affects individuals throughout their lives; however, its impact can change at different stages in a person’s life.
Dyslexia Assessment
Decades of research and national test scores confirm that reading problems commonly occur and affect as many as one in five bright and motivated students who have average or above average intelligence. Adult literacy problems are also common, affecting one in four who are intelligent but have not been able to attain a functional literacy level. Research demonstrates that additional direct instruction, provided appropriately beginning in kindergarten through third grade, can help all but the most severely impaired students catch up to grade-level literacy skills and close the gap for most poor readers.
Helpful Terminology
Like any professional field, education has its own unique terminology. The following list provides some of the most common terms. These terms may vary across geographical areas and even within states. In one part of the country, an instructor might be referred to as a therapist and in another a specialized tutor. Sometimes different words are used to refer to the same things, such as academic language therapy, educational therapy, and multisensory structured language instruction from a qualified tutor.
Universal Screening: K–2 Reading
Since research has shown that the rapid growth of the brain and its response to instruction in the primary years make the time from birth to age eight a critical period for literacy development (Nevills & Wolfe, 2009), it is essential to identify the instructional needs of struggling students as soon as possible. It is imperative to “catch them before they fall” (Torgesen, 1998). Thus, educators need to understand:
Accommodations for Students With Dyslexia
Accommodations, provided for both testing and instruction, change the way students access information and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities; they do not change academic standards or expectations. The purpose of accommodations is to ensure equal access to the full school experience for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities (e.g., providing extended exam time for a student who has slow processing speed affecting academic fluency). Click here to read more-
Dyslexia and the Brain
Developmental dyslexia is associated with difficulty in processing the orthography (the written form) and phonology (the sound structure) of language. As a way to understand the origin of these problems, neuroimaging studies have examined brain anatomy and function of people with and without dyslexia. Click here to read more
ADHD and Dyslexia Facts
AD/HD and dyslexia are distinct conditions that frequently overlap, thereby causing some confusion about the nature of these two conditions. AD/HD is one of the most common developmental problems, affecting 3–5% of the school population. It is characterized by inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsivity. It is estimated that 30% of those with dyslexia have coexisting AD/HD. Coexisting means the two conditions, AD/HD and dyslexia, can occur together, but they do not cause each other.
Working Memory: The Engine for Learning
Approximately 10% of us have weak working memory; however, the estimates of the percentage of weak working memory in students with specific learning disorders, including dyslexia, ranges from 20 to 50 percent. Weak working memory is a core difficulty for students with ADHD, Inattentive Type.
How to Advocate for Assistive Technology Tools and Services
Assistive Technology (AT) refers to both tools and services that facilitate access to grade-level curriculum for students with disabilities. Access to the curriculum means that students are able to take in and understand the material being taught in school, understand and complete assignments, and demonstrate what they have learned.
Effective Reading Instruction for Students With Dyslexia
The most difficult problem for students with dyslexia is learning to read. Unfortunately, popularly employed reading approaches, such as Guided Reading or Balanced Literacy, are not effective for struggling readers. These approaches are especially ineffective for students with dyslexia because they do not focus on the decoding skills these students need to succeed in reading.
Spelling
Spelling is difficult for many people, but there is much less research on spelling than there is on reading to tell us just how many people spell poorly or believe they spell poorly. Less is known about spelling competence in the general population than is known about reading achievement because there is no national test for spelling and many states do not test students’ spelling skills. Click here to read more
Advocating for Students With Dyslexia in Public Schools
Raising a child with a learning disability can feel lonely and overwhelming at times. Parents may find it stressful to navigate the systems designed to support struggling students in public schools. They may become disillusioned with their child’s school or teachers when progress is slow or the recommended interventions prove unsuccessful. These feelings of confusion and frustration are common.
Evaluating Educational Professionals
Help your child succeed in school by learning as much as you can about the effectiveness of the instruction he or she is receiving. You can do this by talking with his or her teachers and asking questions. The following guidelines will help you know what to ask, as well as to find and evaluate an educational professional independent of the school if you feel that your child is not receiving adequate instructional services from a qualified teacher within the school.
Common Core State Standards and Students With Disabilities
As the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are implemented in states across the country, parents and teachers have expressed concern regarding the education of students with disabilities. Many have questions, such as the following:
Gifted and Dyslexic
As individuals, each of us has a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses. But sometimes we are exceptionally strong or weak in certain areas. In the school setting, students with exceptional strengths and weaknesses may have different instructional needs than other students. Twice exceptional or 2e is a term used to describe students who are both intellectually gifted (as determined by an accepted standardized assessment) and learning disabled, which includes students with dyslexia.
Oral Language Impairments and Dyslexia
Dyslexia is often defined as a language-based reading disability. What is the nature of this language disability, and how is it related to other difficulties in language development? This fact sheet answers these questions as well as others related to oral language impairments and dyslexia. Click here to read more
Morphological Awareness
Morphological awareness is a skill that helps students read and spell. When researchers have studied different skills that contribute to student performance on reading and spelling tasks, morphological awareness ability often is one of the skills that predicts how well students will perform on those tasks (e.g., Bowers, Kirby, & Deacon, 2010; Goodwin & Ahn, 2013). It is a skill that helps students problem-solve words they do not know how to read and spell.
The Dyslexia-Stress-Anxiety Connection Implications for Academic Performance and Social Interactions
Stress is the reaction of the body and brain to situations that put us in harm’s way. The stressor may be a physical threat (e.g., a baseball coming quickly toward you) or a psychological threat (e.g., a worry or fear that you will make a mistake delivering your lines in a play or write a passage that won’t make sense to the reader). Stress, or more specifically, the stress response, is our body’s attempt to keep us safe from harm. It’s a biological and psychological response.
Why Homeschool a Student With Dyslexia?
Homeschooling has emerged as a viable choice for many families. Homeschooling may also be an option for a child with dyslexia. A student with dyslexia requires direct, systematic, and individual instruction in reading and spelling, and traditional schools do not always provide adequate levels of service. Moreover, services may be offered at the expense of subjects in which a child with learning disabilities may excel, such as art, sports, or music.
Information and Resources for Adolescence and Adults With Dyslexia
Beginning in grade 4, skilled reading is necessary for school achievement in all subject areas. Beyond school, reading proficiency is just as important for job success. As we grow and mature, more and more is expected of all of us. But for individuals with dyslexia, the demands of school and the workplace are especially great.
At-Risk Students and the Study of Foreign Language in School
Students who have oral and/or written language learning difficulties in their mother tongue may have problems learning another language in school. This does not mean that they should avoid the study of a new language. With appropriate instruction most students can experience success. The keys to success are the responsibility of both teachers and students.
Transitioning From High School to College Help for Students With Learning Disabilities
An increasing number of students with learning and attention disorders plan to attend college, and that is great news! However, negotiating the process of taking standardized tests (possibly with accommodations), choosing the right colleges, and then navigating the application process can be overwhelming, even for the most organized student. Those who successfully gain acceptance to the schools of their choice are often frustrated to find that the accommodations they received in high school are not automatically granted in college.
Applying for Accommodation on College Entrance Test
The application process for individuals planning to enter college can be a daunting experience. For individuals with disabilities who are requesting testing accommodations, this can be even more challenging, as it often requires assembling necessary documentation, completing additional paperwork, and anticipating deadlines.
Applying for Accommodations on Graduate School Entrance Test
Individuals with disabilities can request accommodations for taking entrance exams for graduate school programs. Although in some cases more extensive documentation is required, the procedure is similar to that followed when seeking accommodations for college entrance tests. This IDA Fact Sheet gives a broad overview of the process in order to assist individuals who are pursuing test accommodations on high stakes entrance tests such as the GRE, MCAT, and LSAT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us at candi@dyslexiaandbeyond.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Certified Academic Language Therapists Are:
- Clinically Diagnostic and Prescriptive – Certified Academic Language Therapists (C.A.L.T) review comprehensive evaluation reports and academic samples, then administer academic skills assessments for baseline documentation. Throughout Multisensory Structured Language therapy sessions, student performance informs diagnostic and prescriptive intervention to create a high level of accuracy, fluency, and understanding for independence in written language skills.
- Skilled in Multisensory Structured Language – Certified Academic Language Therapists integrate visual, auditory, and motor processing with explicit understanding of the structure of the English language, which provides a solid foundation in written language skills.
- Intensive – Certified Academic Language Therapists provide expert, skilled one-to-one or small-group intervention, with high frequency over a sustained period of time, which links explicit understanding, repeated practice and performance to develop accurate and fluent reading with comprehension.
- Results-Driven – Certified Academic Language Therapists enable explicit understanding and application of the structure of the English language (phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and orthography), to create the foundation for age appropriate oral and written language, including reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension, spelling, and written expression.
Reading can be a difficult skill for many children to develop. Learning to read can be even tougher for children with dyslexia, who struggle to pair letters to sounds and turn sounds into words. With early diagnosis and special instruction, however, children with this condition can learn to read and write and reach their potential.
Dyslexia is a learning disability associated with language. It typically appears as children start learning to read. People with dyslexia have trouble reading and spelling because their brains function differently than people without dyslexia. This condition isn’t a reflection of intelligence or work ethic. Individuals with dyslexia simply process information in a way that makes reading more difficult.
Dyslexia symptoms vary from child to child, and some can be surprising to parents. Signs of dyslexia in kids include difficulties with:
- Learn the alphabet, shapes and numbers
- Learning the names and sounds of letters, and sounding out words
- Reading or writing their name
- Recognizing syllables and sounds within words
- Rhyming
- Speech
Dyslexia & Beyond Affiliations
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