So often when we think about Dyslexia we think of letter or number reversal but Dyslexia is so much more.
According to Merriam-Webster, Dyslexia is defined as
a variable often familial learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing.
I will never forget when my now 8-year-old was in Kindergarten and learning sight words was apart of his homework. I remember how incredibly frustrated I was when I would sit down to work with him. I would hold up the flash card to him and almost always he would say “I don’t know.” The other scenario that would happen is that he would learn the word but then a week later would have no clue what the word was. I started trying different methods with him and I found if we played games he had a better chance of learning the word but not at all just by using flash cards. By this point in my life I already had successfully gotten my oldest through Kindergarten and he mastered the sight word ring by the end of the year. My youngest never made it past week 6 of sight words in the entire year of Kindergarten. At Conferences his Kindergarten teacher kept telling me that the information is there but finding out how to get the information out of his brain is a struggle.We made it to the first conference of first grade when the teacher told me he just can’t focus to read a word. The reading specialist who was working with him said the same thing. The teacher started to show me his work from the first quarter and one of the papers all he had to do was copy exactly from the white board but he couldn’t do it. It was that day I finally had the gut feeling that he had Dyslexia.
I contacted Laura Busby, CEO of Dyslexia Pros, right away and sent her everything from his conference. She suggested that I have him tested by her and It turns out he has Dyslexia.
Laura Busby is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to helping kids with Dyslexia and how to navigate the school system. I can’t thank her enough!
You can detect dyslexia as early as preschool. Check out the warning signs in this image below. If you are able to check 3 or more off, that is an indication that a full evaluation by a professional should be done.
If you think your child has Dyslexia, early intervention is key. Do not wait!
After you get the diagnosis you take the evaluation to your child’s school and request to have them put on an IEP. IEP stands for Individualized Educational Plan. The IEP insures your child receives everything they need to be successful. Navigating the school system can be challenging and I do highly recommend that you hire an advocate as they know education law and will insure your child gets what they need.
Kids with Dyslexia need “use of a reading system that is simultaneously multi-sensory, systematic, and cumulative, with direct and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, followed by synthetic and analytic phonics with intense practice,” according to Bright Solutions. This comes in the form of a Orton-Gillingham method. Wilson or Barton are programs based on the OG Method. All require a special certification to teach and the school system is required to provide this to any kid diagnosed with Dyslexia.
If you have a gut feeling that your child is struggling to read please do not wait to get the testing done. Do not be afraid of the word Dyslexia, every kid needs a champion who will fight for them. Be a champion!
Resources:
Dyslexia Pro’s https://www.dyslexiapros.com/
Bright Solutions https://www.dys-add.com/ DysWarningSigns
Understood https://www.understood.org/en
Raising Special Kids https://m.raisingspecialkids.org/
