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CREATING LITERACY SUCCESS & EMPOWERING CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA
COMMON QUESTIONS
What Causes Dyslexia?
The exact causes of Dyslexia are varied and still not fully established, but anatomical and brain imagery studies show structural differences in the way the brain of a person with Dyslexia looks, develops, and functions. Other factors like educational experiences can impact the severity of the condition. Dyslexia is not due to either a lack of intelligence or a desire to learn.
Dyslexia runs in families. One-fourth to one-half of all children who have a parent with Dyslexia also have the disorder. If Dyslexia affects one child in the family, it is likely to affect half of the siblings. Recent studies have identified several genes linked to Dyslexia.
IS THERE A CURE FOR DYSLEXIA?
There is no cure for Dyslexia because it is not a disease. Dyslexia is a life-long condition that will continue to have an impact throughout adulthood. With early screening, early diagnosis, proper evidence-based reading instruction, appropriate accommodations, support, and hard work, many children with Dyslexia can become highly successful students and adults.
HOW COMMON IS DYSLEXIA?
Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing, and spelling difficulties and affects 20% of the population. It is estimated that 1 in 5 children who struggle with learning disabilities have Dyslexia. The symptoms of Dyslexia range from mild to severe. It affects males and females nearly equally as well as people from different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.
WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK MY CHILD MAY HAVE DYSLEXIA?
You should get help immediately. Depending on where you are, you can get support from the school to get your child tested and receive special education services. In some countries like the United States, public schools are required to provide free and appropriate education to students. If your child is eligible for special education services, your child's school will collaborate with you to create an individualized education plan (IEP) that will outline the learning targets and strategies needed to meet your child's needs both at school and at home. This will include classroom accommodations such as extended time to complete assignments, using audiobooks, having a reader, or using speech-to-text software, etc.
If free testing & educational provisions are not available at your child's school, find an educational psychologist or neuropsychologist to conduct a full psychoeducational evaluation. Locate interventionists or specialists or organizations to get support for your child. It is important to find those who are extensively trained or certified, and have the knowledge to work with your child using the appropriate instructional approaches. Approach local Dyslexia associations to get information and support.
You can also contact me at Dyslexia PowerUp for support!
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY CHILD TO LEARN HOW TO READ & BE A PROFICIENT READER?
Most children with Dyslexia can learn to read if they receive effective phonological awareness and phonics training in Kindergarten and 1st grade. Your child will start learning to read and spell simple words during the first 8 weeks, but there is no guarantee how many sessions he or she will need to close the gap and reach the expected grade level. If children are identified late and helped at 3rd grade, there might always be a gap. Therefore, the earlier you get support, the better.
It is impossible to give a definite timeline or guarantee a timeframe since every child develops and learns at his or her own pace. Many factors could affect the duration of the intervention required to learn how to read or spell, such as:
- your child's age
- other accompanying comorbidities i.e. ADHD or autism, etc.
- the severity of the language needs
- social-emotional and behavioral needs
- your child's capacity to learn
- your child's mindset and attitude towards learning
- past school experience
- the gap between your child and his or her peers
- attendance to therapy sessions (intensity and duration)
- commitment to practice and apply knowledge independently at home
It is common to have intervention for 1 to 3 years or longer, but this varies for each student. There is no quick-fix literacy intervention for children with Dyslexia. Do not believe the myth of the quick fix!
DOES ONE-TO-ONE OG INTERVENTION WORK?
Yes, OG intervention does work! It can be the most effective way to help your child learn, make progress, and achieve success, especially if support is not available at the school. Instruction by a trained and knowledgeable interventionist or specialist can have a significant impact on a child's ability to learn to read, spell, and write. You may see results in the first two to six months. But the amount of time it takes to show progress will vary greatly for each child. Please schedule a free 30-minute consultation to see if this could be an option that would work well for your child.
WHICH PROGRAMS OR APPROACHES DO NOT WORK FOR CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA?
There are plenty of claims that a certain approach or program or treatment can help children with Dyslexia. Unfortunately, most of these are not supported by strong evidence, have not been rigorously tested, not been subjected to extensive and critical peer review, and accepted in the professional Dyslexia community worldwide.
Some of these are:
- Whole language approach
- Balanced literacy approach
- Guided reading and writing approach
- Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Program
- Leveled Literacy Intervention System
- Reading Recovery
- Any reading programs not based on the Science of Reading and the Structured Literacy approach
- Learning reading through inquiry based learning
- Conventional tutoring or tuition
- Cognitive literacy/brain-based training programs ie. Fast Forward, Cogmed, Arrowsmith, Lumosity, etc.
- Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
- Whole Brain Teaching
- Neurofeedback Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Colored glasses and overlays
- Vision therapy
- Davis Dyslexia Correction Program
- Sylvan Program
- Kumon Program
- Brain Gym
- Supplements i.e. Omega-3 and Omega-6, fish oil
- Essential oils
All of the above are not substitute for explicit literacy instruction. Reading intervention takes preparation, experience, and persistence. While the web is full of empty promises, the good news is Structured Literacy and Orton-Gillingham are time-honored approaches that work.