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WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
7 COMMON MYTHS ABOUT DYSLEXIA
Credit: https://www.understood.org/articles/en/common-myths-about-dyslexia-reading-issues
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DYSLEXIA'S SEA OF STRENGTHS
Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia 2nd Edition, pp. 98.
Dr. Sally Shaywitz describes common dyslexia attributes as a Sea of Strengths.
Although there are negative impacts of dyslexia that involve reading fluency, there are also positive affects. Dyslexia can bring enhanced creativity and problem solving. Those with dyslexia are often extremely bright.
Look below for some more common attributes of dyslexia. If any of these attributes remind you of yourself or your child, reach out to your doctor and/or your child's school to get their input.
You can also reach out to us at Developing Readers Academy to begin support services!
YOU MAY BE DYSLEXIC IF YOU...
READ SLOWLY AND WITH MUCH EFFORT
Are often the one to solve the problem
HAVE DIFFICULTY RETRIEVING AND PRONOUNCING SPOKEN WORDS
Have excellent vocabularies and ideas
STRUGGLE WITH SPELLING; HAVE MESSY HANDWRITING
Show terrific imagination in your writing
HAVE TROUBLE REMEMBERING DATES AND NAMES
Think out-of-the-box; grasp the big picture
GETTING HELP
Identification of a problem is the key to getting help
Credit: S. Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia 2nd Edition, 2020.
PRESCHOOL
If your preschool age child struggles with language, particularly rhyming and pronunciation of words, do not keep your worries to yourself.
Contact your general pediatrician.
You can also turn to a speech-language pathologist to carry our assessments.
You can call or visit the website of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (800-638-8255; www.asha.org/profind) for names of certified speech-language pathologists.
KINDERGARTEN
The gap between a dyslexic reader and a typical reader will begin to show early. Kindergarten is the time to act.
Contact your child's teacher. It is helpful to write down your concerns and observations so you can give them a clear picture of what you see.
Some schools will want to take the "wait and see" method. This is not acceptable. If you have concerns about your child's reading, the sooner you can address it the better.
You can also contact your child's general pediatrician. Explain your concerns and see if you can get a referral for an evaluation.
There are more resources listed below as well.
SCHOOL AGED-CHILD
Similar to children in kindergarten, the sooner an evaluation can take place, the sooner appropriate interventions can happen. If you are suspecting your child may have dyslexia, advocate for them and search for help.
Contact your child's teacher and general pediatrician with concerns. There are also more resources listed below.
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT AVAILABLE READING RESOURCES, TUTORING SERVICES, OR HAVE A GENERAL QUESTION?
PLEASE REACH OUT! WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Contact us below with your questions, comments, etc. We would love to hear from you!