I Think My Child Has Dyslexia
If you notice your child is struggling with reading, you might be concerned about dyslexia. Here, we will talk about some signs of dyslexia and other literacy weaknesses. We will also talk about what you can do to help.
Most people are familiar with the term dyslexia, and when your child is struggling to read, dyslexia is often the first thing that comes to mind. That said, there are many reasons why a child might have difficulty reading. Here, we will talk about a few of those reasons and how to best support your child.
In 2019, according to the National Assessment of Education Progress, only 35% of fourth graders and 34% of eighth graders read at proficient levels, and only 66% of fourth graders and 73% of eighth graders read at a basic level. If your child is having difficulty reading, they are not alone.
When kids learn to read, they need to go through a systematic process that begins with learning the names and sounds of letters, rhyming, and clapping out syllables. From there, children will learn to break words down into individual sounds and put sounds together to form words. Depending on the curriculum used to teach reading and writing, some children may learn through different approaches. If your child is having trouble reading, you may first want to consider how your child is being or was taught to read. While some students are able to learn to read efficiently through approaches like balanced literacy or whole language, research shows that all children benefit from instruction that includes phonological awareness and explicit and systematic letter-sound instruction. Therefore, we should strive for structured literacy instruction that benefits all children and is based on current research. Phonological awareness is the ability to perceive and manipulate the sounds in words, including, but not limited to: rhyming, alliteration, syllable clapping, as well as identifying and manipulating the sounds in words.
If your child is having trouble reading, first think about their reading instruction and ask their teacher for more information. Your child’s teacher can talk to you about the type of instruction your child is receiving, and they might have some ideas of next steps. You can also reach out to a local speech-language pathologist (SLP) for an evaluation of your child’s language and literacy skills. At home, you can engage your child in shared reading activities, rhyming games, and nursery rhymes to promote literacy skills. You can target print awareness by talking about letters you see on signs or in books.
Children who continue to struggle with reading despite adequate instruction may need additional support. The most common type of literacy disorder is dyslexia. According to the International Dyslexia Association, “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”
Some children who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing do not have dyslexia, and a specialist can help determine the source of the problem and the best type of intervention for your child. During the evaluation, a variety of skills will be assessed including, oral language, word recognition, spelling, decoding, phonological awareness skills, and more. During the evaluation, you can talk to the specialist about your concerns and the difficulties your child has.
Here are some common signs of dyslexia to watch out for:
For young children:
Late in developing speech
Difficulty producing word correctly
Difficulty learning letters
Difficulty with rhyming, including rhyming words
For school age children:
Reading well below average for their age
Confusing similarly looking or sounding letters, like “b” and “d” or the “f” and “v” sounds
Difficulty spelling
Weakness in sounding out words
Avoiding reading and writing activities
For teens and adults:
Difficulty spelling
Reading and writing slow and effortful
Avoiding reading and writing activities
Difficulty summarizing information
For more information on common signs of dyslexia, check out the information on understood.org, mayoclinic.org, and dyslexiaida.org.
If you are concerned that your child has dyslexia or more general language and literacy deficits, feel free to contact us or schedule a complimentary consultation.
References
Definition of Dyslexia. (2018, July 16). Retrieved January 10, 2021, from https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/
Dyslexia. (2017, July 22). Retrieved January 10, 2021, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dyslexia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353552
DYSLEXIA BASICS. (2020, May 18). Retrieved January 10, 2021, from https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics-2/
Kilpatrick, D. A. (2015). Essentials of assessing, preventing, and overcoming reading difficulties. John Wiley & Sons.
Gough, P. B., & Tunmer, W. E. (1986). Decoding, reading, and reading disability. Remedial and special education, 7(1), 6-10.
NAEP Reading 2019 Highlights. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2021, from https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/highlights/reading/2019/
Phonological Processing. (n.d.). Retrieved January 10, 2021, from https://www.asha.org/practice-portal/clinical-topics/written-language-disorders/phonological-processing/
Team, T. (2020, December 14). Signs of dyslexia at different ages. Retrieved January 10, 2021, from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-thinking-differences/signs-symptoms/could-your-child-have/checklist-signs-of-dyslexia-at-different-ages?_ul=1%2A15w2yer%2Adomain_userid%2AYW1wLXNuc0M0UUFaNEZCVy1IMjI2dENoQ3c.