What is dyslexia

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability in reading words accurately and with ease (sometimes called “fluency”) and may have a hard time spelling, understanding sentences, and recognizing words they already know ¹. Kids with dyslexia have trouble reading accurately and fluently. They may also have trouble with reading comprehension, spelling and writing. Dyslexia is sometimes also called “specific reading disability”, which means it causes problems with certain abilities used for learning, such as reading and writing. Individuals with dyslexia can learn and be productive, however they may learn in different ways. For example, people with dyslexia read more slowly than other people and they may make lots of spelling errors. People with dyslexia are usually good at working things out and talking about their ideas, but they often hate having to read out loud to other people.

Dyslexia literally means having trouble with reading, but the word is used to cover other aspects of language.

• Phonological awareness which means being able to work out the sounds in spoken words.
• Verbal memory – being able to remember, understand and use spoken language.
• Verbal processing speed – how quickly a person can remember, choose and use the ‘right’ word in spoken or written language.

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects areas of the brain that process language. Dyslexia involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds (deficit in the phonological component of language) and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). People with dyslexia find it difficult to recognize the different sounds that make up words and relate these to letters.

Unlike a learning disability, people with dyslexia intelligence (IQ) isn’t affected and usually have normal vision. Often people with dyslexia have average or above average intelligence (IQ).

Dyslexia affects between 5 and 15 percent of the population and is the most common learning disability in children ².

• People with dyslexia are born with it and often have other family members with the condition.
• Dyslexia is lifelong problem that can present challenges on a daily basis, but support is available to improve reading and writing skills and help those with the problem be successful at school and work.
• Most children with dyslexia can succeed in school with tutoring or a specialized education program. Emotional support also plays an important role.
• Though there’s no cure for dyslexia, early assessment and intervention result in the best outcome. Sometimes dyslexia goes undiagnosed for years and isn’t recognized until adulthood, but it’s never too late to seek help.
• With appropriate intervention, a dyslexic student can expect to read with the same degree of accuracy as their age peers by the time they leave school. However, they tend to read more slowly. On average, the level of spelling accuracy achieved by people with dyslexia is just below the average range.

Your brain is like a really clever detective. It collects all the messages from all your five senses, (seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting), then uses them like clues to work out what is happening all around you, thinks things through and tells you what to do very quickly. If someone has dyslexia then the collecting part of the brain which deals with language may get the seeing and hearing messages muddled up. This means the detective part of the brain can’t work things out correctly and is not sure what to do, so the person feels confused and gets upset trying to work out what are the right messages.

Living with dyslexia can be a minor problem for some people and a big problem for others.

Kids who have dyslexia are often pretty smart or even super smart, so it must be really frustrating for them to have problems in reading, spelling, listening and understanding. Often others in the family have some difficulties too – it can be inherited – passed down in genes through mum or dad.

Some people with dyslexia also have other problems not directly connected to reading or writing, such as:

• difficulties with numbers (dyscalculia)
• poor short-term memory
• problems concentrating and a short attention span, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• poor organization and time-management
• physical coordination problems (developmental coordination disorder, also called dyspraxia)

Dyslexia and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) frequently occur together, although the link between the two conditions is not, as yet, fully understood. Approximately 30% of dyslexic students have Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Learning difficulties can also lead to anxiety, depression and behaviur problems.

Some students may have more than one type of learning disorder. Other learning disorders include:

Dysgraphia – Dysgraphia is a specific learning difficulty that affects writing skills. It is characterized by difficulties with spelling, handwriting and transferring thoughts to paper.

Dyscalculia – Dyscalculia refers to ‘a wide range of life long learning disabilities involving math. There is no single form of math disability, and difficulties vary from person to person and affect people differently in school and throughout life.’ People with dyscalculia may have difficulty understanding simple number concepts, lack an intuitive grasp of numbers and have problems learning number facts and procedures.

There is considerable overlap between dyslexia and dyscalculia and somewhere between 20% and 60% of students who have one of the two conditions also have the other.

Dyslexia affects between 5 and 15 percent of the population, many of whom remain undiagnosed and receive little or no intervention services. For some individuals who have never been diagnosed, dyslexia is a hidden disability which may result in underemployment, difficulty navigating academic environments, difficulty on the job, and reduced self-confidence. Even those who have been diagnosed are likely to struggle with reading or writing in some aspects of their lives. Dyslexia is a specific reading disorder and does not reflect low intelligence. There are many bright and creative individuals with dyslexia who never learn to read, write, and/or spell at a level consistent with their intellectual ability. Do you think you may have dyslexia?

If you think you or your child may be dyslexic, you can take International Dyslexia Association’s test which will evaluate the chance that you have this condition. To take the International Dyslexia Association’s Dyslexia Test please click here (https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-test/).

For additional Ages Specific Dyslexia Tests

• Dyslexia Screener for Preschoolers: https://dyslexiaida.org/screening-for-dyslexia/dyslexia-screener-for-preschoolers
• Dyslexia Screener for School-Age Children: https://dyslexiaida.org/screening-for-dyslexia/dyslexia-screener-for-school-age-children
• Dyslexia Screener for Adults: https://dyslexiaida.org/screening-for-dyslexia/dyslexia-screener-for-adults

Other things that can cause learning problems

There are some other things that can cause learning problems, and these have to be thought about before deciding that the ‘problem’ is dyslexia.

• People with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD or ADD) have difficulty concentrating and staying on task.
• Problems at home can make it difficult to concentrate at school.
• Problems at school, such as being bullied, can make it difficult to stay focused on study.
• Being depressed, sad, lonely and worried all make learning hard.
• It can be hard to understand when English is not your first language.
• Not wanting to be at school and not wanting to study is also a problem!

You might like to have a look at other topics in our website if you think you may have one of these problems.

Support for people with dyslexia

If your child has dyslexia, they’ll probably need extra educational support from their school.

With appropriate support, there’s usually no reason your child can’t go to a mainstream school, although a small number of children may benefit from attending a specialist school.

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) each provide directories of professionals who provide services to individuals with learning differences.

• To access the Center for Effective Reading Instruction (CERI) Certified Professional Directory please go here (https://effectivereading.org/provider-listings/).
• The access the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) Provider Directory please go here (https://dyslexiaida.org/provider-directories/)

Techniques and support that may help your child include:

• occasional one-to-one teaching or lessons in a small group with a specialist teacher
• phonics – a special learning technique that focuses on improving the ability to identify and process the smaller sounds that make up words
• technology, such as computers and speech recognition software, that may make it easier for your child to read and write when they’re a bit older

Universities also have specialist staff who can support young people with dyslexia in higher education.

Technology such as word processors and electronic organizers can be useful for adults too. Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace to help people with dyslexia, such as allowing extra time for certain tasks.

Will my child be able to get a good education, go to university, get a job?

The answer to all these questions is YES.

To achieve at school, a dyslexic needs:

• High quality intensive literacy instruction, preferably one-to-one, particularly in the junior primary years from year 5 onwards, accommodations e.g., books on tape, printed notes, use of a computer, printed handouts of notes on board, additional time in tests, use of multiplication tables chart or calculator
  • use of a laptop/computer
  • modifications e.g. giving a powerpoint presentation instead of writing an essay
  • setting up personal routines to aid organization
  • making reminder lists
  • looking at the range of computer software available such as text-to-speech and speech-to-text programs
  • using a dictaphone, spell-checker etc.

Who are some famous people with dyslexia?

There are many talented and well-known people (past and present) with dyslexia. They include:

• Richard Branson (entrepreneur billionaire)
• Whoopi Goldberg (actor)
• Albert Einstein (physicist)
• Agatha Christie (author)
• Jamie Oliver (chef)

Do all students with reading difficulties have dyslexia?

No. Other causes of reading difficulties include:

• Intellectual disability
• Hearing or vision problems
• Lack of appropriate teaching
• Language disorder
• Emotional problems

Dyslexia core learning difficulties

Psychological, educational, and brain research over the past 20 years has consistently shown that dyslexia is a deficit of language processing. Dyslexia involves deficient decoding of individual linguistic units, called phonemes, which are the smallest detectable sound in a spoken word. Poor abilities in any part of this process (e.g, segmenting/blending, speed, memory) adversely affects overall reading ability. A child with dyslexia typically has problems with segmentation, the process of recognizing different phonemes that constitute words or with blending these sounds to make words. A problem with speed or with rapidly naming words or letters interrupts reading fluency. Additionally, visual sequential memory problems interfere with reading comprehension.

• Processing the sounds in words (phonological deficit)
• Auditory short-term memory
• Retrieving words from vocabulary (naming speed)
• Recognizing and remembering the ‘look’ of words (orthographic processing)
• Attaining automaticity in underlying and component skills needed for reading and written language
• Multi-tasking

Phonological deficit

• Difficulty working with the sounds in words eg, identifying beginning and end sounds in a word, producing a word that rhymes
• Problems learning phonic (letter/sound association) skills

Poor auditory short-term memory leads to difficulty with:

• Blending sounds together
• Taking in verbal information
• Remembering instructions
• Learning lists of facts

Slower naming speed

• Difficulty recalling names and words
• Less fluent oral reading
• Trouble with basic sight words

Orthographic processing difficulties

• Reading and spelling problems

Attaining automaticity in underlying and component skills needed for reading and written language. They may be able to perform the required skills but the process is slow, effortful and mechanic:

• Can only do one thing at a time (eg, can’t focus on spelling and ideas when writing, can’t decode words and take in the meaning of the text) – difficulty with
  • Reading/comprehension
  • Written language
  • Listening/note-taking

Difficulty multi-tasking

• Problems with organization
• Problems with time management.

Dyslexia causes

The exact cause of dyslexia is unknown, but it often appears to run in families. Dyslexia appears to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language, as well as risk factors in the environment.

In people with dyslexia, it’s thought that certain genes inherited from your parents may act together in a way that affects how some parts of brain develop during early life. Family studies show that a reading disorder is heritable, is found in clusters in families, and probably reflects autosomal dominant transmission. Research has shown a high familial incidence of dyslexia and concordance among both monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Thus far, research has identified 8 isolated genetic defects among dyslexic patients, and at least another 20 genetic conditions with normal intelligence levels but associated reading disabilities with dyslexic features.

Neuroimaging has demonstrated variations in the right temporoparietal-occipital region among patients with dyslexia. The specific asymmetries have been located in the angular gyrus and corpus callosum. The angular gyrus is located in parietal lobe, specifically Brodmann’s area 39, and is involved in language, cognition, and mathematics. This may, in part, explain the association between dyslexia and dyscalculia.

Postmortem studies have documented disorganized neuronal migration involving other areas, such as the thalamus, subcortical white matter, and parieto-occipital region. EEG studies have also demonstrated differences between patients with and without dyslexia. Neurologically, positron emission tomography (PET) scan studies suggest that phonological defects in reading strongly relate to decreased activity in the left perisylvian region, including the superior and medial temporal gyri. Additional functional imaging work indicates that anterior regions of the brain are activated during phonological or rhyming tasks.

In addition, the left temporo-occipital region, which is active during the automatic perception and processing of visually presented words in skilled readers, is also implicated in reading problems. A lack of word-specific responsiveness in this region is found in adults with reading impairment. Anatomical lesion analysis has shown that this region is necessary for rapid perception of word forms.

Risk factors for dyslexia

Dyslexia risk factors include:

• A family history of dyslexia or other learning disabilities
• Premature birth or low birth weight
• Exposure during pregnancy to nicotine, drugs, alcohol or infection that may alter brain development in the fetus
• Individual differences in the parts of the brain that enable reading

Dyslexia complications

Dyslexia can lead to a number of problems, including:

• Trouble learning. Because reading is a skill basic to most other school subjects, a child with dyslexia is at a disadvantage in most classes and may have trouble keeping up with peers.
• Social problems. Left untreated, dyslexia may lead to low self-esteem, behavior problems, anxiety, aggression, and withdrawal from friends, parents and teachers.
• Problems as adults. The inability to read and comprehend can prevent a child from reaching his or her potential as the child grows up. This can have long-term educational, social and economic consequences.

Children who have dyslexia are at increased risk of having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and vice versa. ADHD can cause difficulty sustaining attention as well as hyperactivity and impulsive behavior, which can make dyslexia harder to treat.

Dyslexia signs and symptoms

The signs and symptoms of dyslexia differ from person to person. Each individual with the condition will have a unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses.

Signs of dyslexia usually become apparent when a child starts school and begins to focus more on learning how to read and write.

There are many signs of dyslexia. People who have dyslexia may have one or more of these:

• Read and write very slowly
• Reading very slowly and making mistakes.
• Not remembering or understanding what they just read.
• Not remembering or understanding what they just heard.
• Writing letters in the wrong order in a word.
• Difficulty working out the separate sounds which make up a word.
• Skipping words or lines when reading aloud.
• Finding it difficult to copy accurately from the board.
• Having problems writing neatly.
• Finding it hard to understand and follow instructions.
• Having problems learning spelling words.
• Finding it hard to remember the ‘look’ of words
• Confuse the order of letters in words
• Put letters the wrong way round – such as writing “b” instead of “d”
• Have poor or inconsistent spelling
• Understand information when told verbally, but have difficulty with information that’s written down
• Find it hard to carry out a sequence of directions
• Struggle with planning and organization

People with dyslexia will have to learn to be very, very careful to check their work and their understanding all the time.

However, people with dyslexia often have good skills in other areas, such as creative thinking and problem solving.

Some of the most common signs of dyslexia are outlined below.

Dyslexia in Preschool children

In some cases, it’s possible to detect symptoms of dyslexia before a child starts school. Symptoms can include:

• delayed speech development compared with other children of the same age (although this can have many different causes)
• speech problems, such as not being able to pronounce long words properly and “jumbling” up phrases – for example, saying “hecilopter” instead of “helicopter”, or “beddy tear” instead of “teddy bear”
• problems expressing themselves using spoken language, such as being unable to remember the right word to use, or putting together sentences incorrectly
• little understanding or appreciation of rhyming words, such as “the cat sat on the mat”
• difficulty learning nursery rhymes or playing rhyming games
• difficulty with, or little interest in, learning letters of the alphabet
• problems remembering or naming letters, numbers and colors

Dyslexia in School children

Symptoms of dyslexia usually become more obvious when children start school and begin to focus more on learning how to read and write.

Symptoms of dyslexia in children aged 5-12 include:

• finding it really hard to write by hand – neat writing is very difficult!
• problems learning the names and sounds of letters
• spelling that is unpredictable and inconsistent
• swapping letters over when reading – like saying “was” instead of “saw”, mixing up “b” and “d”, “p” and “q”
• writing letters and numbers the wrong way round – such as writing “6” instead “9”, or “b” instead of “d”
• confusing the order of letters in words
• reading slowly or making errors when reading aloud – for example, missing words out when reading, or reading words that are not there
• losing their place when reading, finding it hard to keep their eyes on the right line
• visual disturbances when reading – for example, a child may describe letters and words as seeming to move around or appear blurred
• answering questions well orally, but having difficulty writing down the answer
• difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions
• struggling to learn sequences, such as days of the week or the alphabet
• slow writing speed
• poor handwriting
• problems copying written language, and taking longer than normal to complete written work
• finding it difficult to copy things accurately off the board
• not remembering or understanding what they just read or heard
• having difficulty writing down what they think
• finding it hard to understand and follow instructions
• mixing up left and right
• getting letters mixed up when spelling out loud
• poor phonological awareness and “word attack” skills (see below)

Phonological awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to recognize that words are made up of smaller units of sound (phonemes) and that changing and manipulating phonemes can create new words and meanings.

A child with poor phonological awareness may not be able to correctly answer these questions:

• what sounds do you think make up the word “hot”, and are these different from the sounds that make up the word “hat”?
• what word would you have if you changed the “p” sound in ‘pot’ to an “h” sound?
• how many words can you think of that rhyme with the word “cat”?

Word attack skills

Young children with dyslexia can also have problems with “word attack” skills. This is the ability to make sense of unfamiliar words by looking for smaller words or collections of letters that a child has previously learnt.

For example, a child with good word attack skills may read the word “sunbathing” for the first time and gain a sense of the meaning of the word by breaking it down into “sun”, “bath”, and “ing”.

Dyslexia in Middle or Secondary School Student

Background

• family history of literacy learning problems
• seems bright and capable but not making expected progress
• may excel in debating, drama, art, sport, technology, computing, etc

Compared to their age peers, dyslexic children often display difficulties in the following areas:

Reading Difficulties

• is a slow and labored reader
• dislikes reading aloud
• difficulty decoding unfamiliar words according to alphabetic principles
• relies on a visual ‘look and say’ approach to reading
• uses the context of the story and flow of language to identify words
• tends to confuse words that look alike (e.g., was/saw, for/from, the/that, unclear/nuclear)
• mis-reads, omits or adds small function words (e.g., the, an, of, this, etc.) and word endings
• misses a line or repeats the same line twice
• misreading which undermines comprehension
• difficulty pinpointing the main idea in a passage
• difficulty using dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias

Spelling and writing difficulties

• disparity between spoken and written language
• trouble getting thoughts down on paper
• difficulty planning and organizing written work
• written work appears disjointed
• difficulty with punctuation and grammar
• frequent spelling mistakes
• phonetic spelling (e.g., anxiety – angsiaty)
• spells the same word differently in one piece of work (e.g., more, mor, moor)
• confuses similar looking letters (e.g., b/d, m/w)
• produces untidy written work (i.e., lots of cross outs, poorly set out)
• writes slowly and has difficulty completing written work on time
• problems copying notes at speed and taking notes in lessons

Memory Difficulties

• difficulty remembering instructions
• overwhelmed by large amounts of verbal information
• misunderstands complex instructions
• memory difficulties which affect the recall of learned facts in exams
• difficulty remembering basic number facts and tables
• trouble doing mental calculations at speed

Difficulty managing organizational demands

• difficulty organizing life around a timetable
• is often in the wrong place at the wrong time
• forgets which books to bring to class
• difficulty organizing homework and completing assignments on time
• overwhelmed by the amount and complexity of the tasks at this level

Speech difficulties

Dyslexic children typically have well-developed oral language skills but display specific speech problems, such as:

• word finding problems – has trouble finding the exact words wanted and so uses non-specific words (e.g., thing, stuff, junk, etc.)
• difficulty pronouncing multi-syllable words (e.g., statistical, preliminary, etc.)
• difficulty learning foreign language vocabulary
• difficulty remembering basic number facts and tables
• trouble doing mental calculations at speed

Additional characteristics

• works more slowly than other students
• has problems working under time pressure, e.g., exams
• is able to do one thing at a time but has trouble with ‘multi-tasking’
• obvious good and bad days with no apparent reason

Students with dyslexia may also display the following:

Attention problems

• has trouble sustaining attention on schoolwork
• tires easily because of the amount of concentration and effort required to cope

Social/emotional/behavioral problems

• suffers poor confidence and low self-esteem
• displays frustration
• employs work avoidance tactics
• becomes withdrawn and isolated, sitting at the back and not participating
• acts as the class clown or is disruptive to mask difficulty coping with schoolwork.

Dyslexia in Adults and Teenagers

As well as the problems mentioned above, the symptoms of dyslexia in older children and adults can include:

• Difficulty doing math problems
• Poorly organized written work that lacks expression – for example, even though they may be very knowledgeable about a certain subject, they may have problems expressing that knowledge in writing
• Difficulty planning and writing essays, letters or reports
• Difficulties revising for examinations
• Trying to avoid reading and writing whenever possible
• Difficulty taking notes or copying
• Poor spelling
• Struggling to remember things such as a PIN or telephone number
• Struggling to meet deadlines
• Difficulty reading, including reading aloud
• Slow and labor-intensive reading and writing
• Avoiding activities that involve reading
• Mispronouncing names or words, or problems retrieving words
• Trouble understanding jokes or expressions that have a meaning not easily understood from the specific words (idioms), such as “piece of cake” meaning “easy”
• Spending an unusually long time completing tasks that involve reading or writing
• Difficulty summarizing a story
• Trouble learning a foreign language
• Difficulty memorizing.

Dyslexia diagnosis

The earlier a child with dyslexia is diagnosed, the more effective educational interventions are likely to be.

However, identifying dyslexia in young children can be difficult for both parents and teachers, because the signs and symptoms are not always obvious. Furthermore, there is no single test for dyslexia. To reach a diagnosis, a psychologist analyses the results of an IQ battery, achievement tests and questionnaires to determine the reason for a child’s learning difficulty. Diagnosing dyslexia can be difficult as individuals present inconsistent and contradictory profiles.

It is important to remember that the levels of development and speed of learning in early childhood differ significantly for each child. For this reason, psychologists tend to not formally diagnose dyslexia until a child is seven years of age or older.

Nevertheless, much can be done for children 7 years and under to prevent later difficulties. A good starting point is a comprehensive assessment by an educational psychologist who will identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations to help address identified difficulties. A psychologist will also suggest other specialists if appropriate (e.g., speech pathologist, occupational therapist, tutor, etc.)

If you’re worried about your child

• If you’re concerned about your child’s progress with reading and writing, first talk to their teacher. You may also want to meet with other staff in the school.
• If there’s an ongoing concern, take your child to visit a doctor. It may be that your child has health problems that are affecting their ability to read or write. For example, they may have:
  • vision problems, such as short-sightedness (myopia) or a squint (strabismus or amblyopia)
  • hearing problems, as the result of a condition such as glue ear
  • other conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Your teacher may give you some special help.

• If the tests show that you have dyslexia, there are special programs that you can do at home and at school to help you learn and cope.
• If you are having trouble copying things off the board, your teacher may provide the instructions on a piece of paper.
• You may be able to do some of your work on a computer in class or at home.
• You may be able to get an electronic copy of the work or book that can be read aloud by a text-to-speech program.
• Your teacher is likely to have many other ideas about how to assist your learning.

Your family doctor

• may want to check your vision and hearing. The hearing test will tell if you need support to hear more clearly in your class.
• The doctor may refer you to a specialist in checking vision (an optometrist or ophthalmologist), who can see how well your eyes work. Your ability to clearly see close things (near vision) and things that are far away (distance vision) may be checked, as well as how well your eyes work together (convergence).
• The doctor will also ask about whether you have other health problems, because some illnesses and some medicines can make it harder to learn, or cause people to miss so much school that they have difficulty with schoolwork.

The eye doctor will want to see how well your eyes work in different ways.

• Can you see things clearly when they are close to you?
• Can you see things clearly when they are further away?
• Do both eyes work together to give you a clear picture?
• These tests will help decide if you have a vision problem or a learning problem like dyslexia.

If your child doesn’t have any obvious underlying health problems to explain their learning difficulties, it may be that they’re not responding very well to the teaching method, and a different approach may be needed.

How to diagnose dyslexia

If there are still concerns about your child’s progress after they’ve received additional teaching and support, it may be a good idea to have a more in-depth assessment.

• This can be carried out by an educational psychologist or appropriately qualified specialist dyslexia teacher.

They’ll be able to support you, your child and your child’s teachers by helping improve the understanding of your child’s learning difficulties and by suggesting interventions that may help them.

Requesting an assessment

Ask your child’s teacher and/or the school principal for their advice about where to get an assessment. They may be able to organizse one for your child through the school.

There are various ways to request an assessment for your child, although it can sometimes be a time-consuming and frustrating process.

The first step is to meet your child’s teacher and their school’s special educational needs co-ordinator to discuss your concerns and any interventions that have been tried already.

If your child continues to have difficulties despite interventions, you can ask for them to be referred for assessment by a local authority educational psychologist or other specialist in dyslexia.

Alternatively, you can approach an independent educational psychologist or another suitably qualified professional directly.

You can also contact a national or local dyslexia association for help arranging an assessment.

Psychological assessments

Who does the assessment?

• A psychologist is a person who has learnt about how people think, feel and act. They can help people understand more about thinking and behaviour through talking with them and sometimes doing testing (psychological assessment).
• A psychiatrist is different to a psychologist – psychiatrists also help people with their thinking, feelings and behaviour, but they trained first as doctors, and they can prescribe medicines. They don’t do psychological assessments.

A psychologist will be able to check how quick you are at learning things, and whether you have trouble with certain types of memory (like remembering something that you have just heard).

• Some people are slower than others with learning. This is not dyslexia.
• Others are able to learn many things quickly, but have trouble with just a couple of types of learning, like reading – and this may be dyslexia.
• A psychologist may also ask about your family life and school life, as problems in each place can affect learning.

The assessment procedure

Before the assessment takes place, you and your child’s school may be sent a questionnaire that asks about your child and related issues, such as their general state of health, how well they perform certain tasks and what you think needs to change.

The assessment itself may involve observing your child in their learning environment, talking with key adults involved with your child’s learning and asking your child to take part in a series of tests.

• A psychologist will meet with you and with other people who know you well (like your parents/carers and teachers).
• The psychologist will ask you lots of questions and ask you to do some special tasks.
  • Sometimes the psychologist may use a watch to find out how long it takes you to do the task.
  • Some of the tasks are like things you do at school – some are different.
• Some things are easy and some are really hard. No-one gets all the questions right.
• The psychologist wants to know what you think. He or she can’t give you any help with answers. The psychologist is not even allowed to tell you if your answers are right or wrong!
• It is OK to ask for a break if you need to go to the toilet or have something to eat or drink.
• It is important that you just try your best.

These tests may examine your child’s:

• reading and writing abilities
• language development and vocabulary
• logical reasoning
• memory
• the speed they can process visual and auditory (sound) information
• organizational skills
• approaches to learning

What happens afterwards

• The psychologist will usually write a report. It can take a while for this report to be finished.
• The psychologist will usually talk to you and your family about the report and may send it to your school.
• The report is about the things you do well and the things you need some help with – and some ideas about things that might help you at school and at home.

After your child has been assessed, you’ll receive a report that outlines their strengths and weaknesses, with recommendations of what could be done to improve areas they are having difficulties with.

Depending on the severity of your child’s learning difficulties, it may be possible for their difficulties to be managed through an action plan drawn up for them and undertaken by their school, called an individual education plan. This will be reviewed with you and your child each term.

In a small number of cases, where a child’s difficulties don’t improve and progress doesn’t seem to be made, you may want to request a fuller assessment that covers all aspects of your child’s development.

This would result in a more formal, legally binding educational plan being drawn up for your child, known as an Education Healthcare Plan. This sets out what your child’s educational needs are and the support required to meet those needs in a document that is reviewed formally every year.

Dyslexia treatment

While dyslexia is a lifelong problem, there’s a range of specialist educational interventions that can help children with their reading and writing.

These interventions are generally most effective if they’re started at a young age.

The type and extent of intervention necessary will depend on the severity of your child’s difficulties. A specific action plan for your child may be drawn up and implemented by their school.

Most mainstream schools should be able to offer suitable interventions for your child, although a small number of children may benefit from attending a specialist school.

Early treatment

Children with dyslexia who get extra help in kindergarten or first grade often improve their reading skills enough to succeed in grade school and high school.

Children who don’t get help until later grades may have more difficulty learning the skills needed to read well. They’re likely to lag behind academically and may never be able to catch up. A child with severe dyslexia may never have an easy time reading, but he or she can learn skills that improve reading and develop strategies to improve school performance and quality of life.

What parents can do

You play a key role in helping your child succeed. Take these steps:

• Address the problem early. If you suspect your child has dyslexia, talk to your child’s doctor. Early intervention can improve success.
• Read aloud to your child. It’s best if you start when your child is 6 months old or even younger. Try listening to recorded books with your child. When your child is old enough, read the stories together after your child hears them.
• Work with your child’s school. Talk to your child’s teacher about how the school will help him or her succeed. You are your child’s best advocate.
• Encourage reading time. To improve reading skills, a child must practice reading. Encourage your child to read.
• Set an example for reading. Designate a time each day to read something of your own while your child reads — this sets an example and supports your child. Show your child that reading can be enjoyable.

Educational interventions

A number of educational interventions and programmes are available for children with dyslexia.

These can range from regular teaching in small groups with a learning support assistant who delivers work set by teaching staff, to one-to-one lessons with a specialist teacher.

Most interventions focus on “phonological skills”, which is the ability to identify and process word sounds. These interventions are often referred to as “phonics”.

Phonics interventions can involve teaching a child to:

• recognize and identify sounds in spoken words – for example, helping them recognize that even short words such as “hat” are actually made up of three sounds: “h”, “a” and “t”
• combine letters to create words, and over time, to use the words to create more complex sentences
• practise reading words accurately, to help them read more quickly
• monitor their own understanding while they read – for example, by encouraging them to ask questions if they notice gaps in their understanding

These interventions should ideally be delivered in a highly structured way, with development in small steps, and should involve regularly practising what’s been learnt.

If available, tutoring sessions with a reading specialist can be helpful for many children with dyslexia. If your child has a severe reading disability, tutoring may need to occur more frequently, and progress may be slower.

Kids with dyslexia have to work really hard on listening.

• Listening to what people say.
• Listening to instructions.
• Listening to themselves reading out loud or inside their heads.
• Practising spelling and practising writing.

It can also help if your child is taught in a “multisensory” way, where they use several senses at the same time. An example of multisensory teaching is where a child is taught to see the letter “a”, say its name and sound, and write it in the air, all at the same time.

Individual education plan

In the United States, schools have a legal obligation to take steps to help children diagnosed with dyslexia with their learning problems. Talk to your child’s teacher about setting up a meeting to create a structured, written plan that outlines your child’s needs and how the school will help him or her succeed. This is called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

How you can help your child

As a parent, you might be unsure about the best way to help your child. You may find the following advice useful:

• Read to your child – this will improve their vocabulary and listening skills, and it will also encourage their interest in books.
• Share reading – both read some of the book and then discuss what’s happening, or what might happen.
• “Overlearning” – you may get bored of reading your child’s favorite book over and over, but repetition will reinforce their understanding and means they will become familiar with the text.
• Silent reading – children also need the chance to read alone to encourage their independence and fluency.
• Make reading fun – reading should be a pleasure, not a chore. Use books about subjects your child is interested in, and ensure that reading takes place in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

Parents also play a significant role in improving their child’s confidence, so it’s important to encourage and support your child as they learn.

Technology for older children

Many older children with dyslexia feel more comfortable working with a computer than an exercise book. This may be because a computer uses a visual environment that better suits their method of learning and working.

Word processing programs can also be useful because they have a spellchecker and an auto-correct facility that can highlight mistakes in your child’s writing.

Most web browsers and word processing software also have “text-to-speech” functions, where the computer reads the text as it appears on the screen.

Speech recognition software can also be used to translate what a person is saying into written text. This software can be useful for children with dyslexia because their verbal skills are often better than their writing.

There are also many educational interactive software applications that may provide your child with a more engaging way of learning a subject, rather than simply reading from a textbook.

There are two main areas in which computers may be able to assist people with dyslexia.

Assistive Technology

1. There are programs which can actually read aloud text from the screen: – these range from free to high end programs which are very customisable to the users needs. We generally advise that you try some of the free options first before spending money on the expensive options. Just because it is more expensive does not necessarily mean it will be more help to you. If the text is already available as editable text on a computer screen this is easy. If the text is only available as paper copy in book or document format then you will need to learn how to scan the document as editable text or try to obtain a copy from publishers. There are also many other options such as audio books for both younger and older users.
2. Many types of software are available which provide talking spell checkers, word prediction and also a number of tricks which can be utilised to make programs such as MS Word much more dyslexia friendly.
3. It is important that students from a very early age, even if they cannot write very well, can have some way of recording their ideas so that they realise it is the ideas which are valued not the method of recording. There are many ways of doing this including free (Audacity) and low cost software (2Simple Story & Text Ease). For the older user Dragon Naturally Speaking is now a very viable option for many people which converts talking into text. Although we do not advise use of Dragon below about 10 years of age there are many skills which younger users can be developing which make the introduction of Dragon much easier when the time is right. Presentation of knowledge via video, talking Power Points and many other options mean that students should be encouraged to demonstrate what they know by an alternative means if writing is not something they find easy.

Subject Software

For both younger and older users there are many programs which will both teach phonics, reading and maths and also give the repetitive practise needed to reinforce these skills. There are a few sites available free on the web and an abundance of software for all ages ranging from cheap to ridiculously expensive and a higher price tag frequently does not equate with good value. Some of these are able to be used without assistance and others will need a helper sitting alongside.

Dyslexia treatment for adults

Much of the advice and techniques used to help children with dyslexia are also relevant for adults. Making use of technology, such as word processors and electronic organizers, can help with your writing and to organize daily activities.

Using a multi-sensory approach to learning can be helpful. For example, you could use a digital recorder to record a lecture, and then listen to it as you read your notes. It can also be useful to break large tasks and activities down into smaller steps.

If you need to draw up a plan or make notes about a certain topic, you may find it useful to create a ‘mind map’, rather than writing a list. Mind maps are diagrams that use images and keywords to create a visual representation of a subject or plan.

Success in employment can be difficult for adults struggling with dyslexia. To help achieve your goals:

• Seek evaluation and instructional help with reading and writing, regardless of your age
• Ask about additional training and reasonable accommodations from your employer or academic institution under the Americans with Disabilities Act

Academic problems don’t necessarily mean a person with dyslexia can’t succeed. Capable students with dyslexia can be highly successful, given the right resources. Many people with dyslexia are creative and bright, and may be gifted in math, science or the arts. Some even have successful writing careers.

Adjustments at work

If you’re in work, let your employer know that you have dyslexia, as they are required by law to make reasonable adjustments to the workplace to assist you.

Examples of reasonable adjustments may include:

• providing you with assistance technology, such as digital recorders or speech to text software
• giving you instructions verbally, rather than in writing
• allowing you extra time for tasks you find particularly difficult
• providing you with information in formats you find accessible

Coping and support

Emotional support and opportunities for achievement in activities that don’t involve reading are important for children with dyslexia. If your child has dyslexia:

• Be supportive. Trouble learning to read may affect your child’s self-esteem. Be sure to express your love and support. Encourage your child by praising his or her talents and strengths.
• Talk to your child. Explain to your child what dyslexia is and that it’s not a personal failure. The better your child understands this, the better he or she will be able to cope with having a learning disability.
• Take steps to help your child learn at home. Provide a clean, quiet, organized place for your child to study, and designate a study time. Also, make sure your child gets enough rest and eats regular, healthy meals.
• Limit screen time. Limit electronic screen time each day and use the extra time for reading practice.
• Stay in contact with your child’s teachers. Talk with teachers frequently to make sure your child is able to stay on track. If needed, be sure he or she gets extra time for tests that require reading. Ask the teacher if it would help your child to record the day’s lessons to play back later.
• Join a support group. This can help you stay in contact with parents whose children face similar learning disabilities. Support groups can provide useful information and emotional support. Ask your doctor or your child’s reading specialist if there are any support groups in your area.

1. Dyslexia At a Glance. https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-at-a-glance/[↩]
2. American Psychiatric Association. Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2013. 66-74.[↩]