You may have heard the term “dyslexia” in an education setting, but are confused as to what exactly dyslexia is. There are many misconceptions about dyslexia. Dyslexia is not just a struggle with reading, reversal of letters, or reading backwards. Dyslexia is an actual learning disability. Dyslexia is included in the Individuals with Disabilities Act (also known as IDEA) as a specific learning disability. This means dyslexia specially affects decoding, accurate word recognition and even spelling. Dyslexia can also affect reading comprehension and writing. According to researchers, dyslexia may affect up to 15 to 20 percent of the population.
Signs and symptoms of dyslexia can show up as early as 1 to 2 years old, but most symptoms become apparent when children begin learning to read. Some signs of dyslexia include:
guessing at words
mispronouncing words
difficulties matching letters to sounds
struggling to recognize sounds in words (phonemic awareness)
frustration with reading or avoiding reading in general
confusing similar looking letters such as b and d
substituting words (saying house instead of home)
poor spelling
Dyslexia is not something you can outgrow. During my second year as a special education teacher, I had a parent ask when her son would “get over” dyslexia and start reading at grade level. My answer was not what she wanted to hear. There is no magic cure for dyslexia, but there are strategies and teaching approaches that can help students improve their reading and decoding skills. Results do not happen overnight and often take years. Some strategies and therapies for helping kids with dyslexia include:
a specific, systematic and sequential reading program- Orton-Gillingham (OG) based is research based and proven to help improve reading in children with dyslexia
use a multisensory approach. Do not just give word lists and flashcards. Children with dyslexia need to use many different senses to connect language to words. Have your child build letters with magnetic boards, write words in sand, count sounds on their fingers or clap syllables
teach phonics. Phonics rules are important for learning how to decode words
include encoding (spelling) into your reading lessons
Early intervention for dyslexia is key. If you believe your child has dyslexia, have a discussion with their teacher to determine the best course of action. If your child has dyslexia, they may qualify for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in school that can offer additional support and accommodations to help them succeed in reading.
Sources:
“What Is Dyslexia.” Understood, https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-dyslexia.
“Specific Learning Disability and SLD/Dyslexia--FAQ.” CT.gov, https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Special-Education/Specific-Learning-Disability-and-SLD
Osborn, Corinne O'Keefe. “Dyslexia Symptoms by Age.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 20 June 2017, https://www.healthline.com/health/dyslexia-symptoms-by-age.
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