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What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is defined as an unexpected difficulty in learning to read. Dyslexia takes away an individual’s ability to read quickly and automatically, and to retrieve spoken words easily, but it does not dampen their creativity and ingenuity.

(Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity)



Parents

  • Learn and look for signs of Dyslexia.
  • It's okay to use the word Dyslexia when speaking about their learning difference.
  • Talk about Dyslexia directly - with your child and others who support them.
  • Don’t delay - start early to take action for your child.

Know the signs

Does your child?

  • ...read slowly and with much effort
  • ...have trouble learning nursery rhymes
  • ...mispronounce familiar words
  • ...have messy handwriting or can’t spell
  • ...have trouble remembering dates and names
  • ...BUT, they are good problem solvers, their writing shows terrific imagination, and they can comprehend when others read to them?
  • ...If so, your child may have Dyslexia.

Statistics about Dyslexia

  • 1 in every 5 children has Dyslexia (20% of the population).
  • Dyslexia represents over 80% of all learning disabilities.
  • It crosses racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines.

How to help?

The best thing to do is to take action early

Ways to take action:

Get an Accurate Diagnosis

If you suspect that your child has Dyslexia, they are entitled to get an assessment to see if they have a learning disability. An assessment is a right regardless of if they attend a public, private or charter school. Getting an accurate diagnosis will identify the problem and ensure your child receives appropriate interventions and accommodations.

Seek Evidence-Based Instruction

Once your child is diagnosed, parents should immediately seek help. There are many programs that will teach children with Dyslexia from all ages how to read, spell, and write, more efficiently and effectively. The earlier you sign your kid up the better to ensure that time is not lost so your child will not get behind. This instruction can be obtained at school, through a private learning program, or via tutors.

Ensure your child gets Accommodations

In order to ensure your child's abilities, not their disabilities, are being assessed, they should be given appropriate accommodations. Common accommodations for Dyslexia include extra time on tests, a reader, the use of audio books and speech-to-text technology.

Join communities that support Dyslexics and their Parents

Parents can speak up and join others who advocate for children so they can overcome Dyslexia. Parents can also get the support they need to learn more, gain insight and share stories. All students can reach their full potential when they get what they need in and out of school.

Remember: You Are Not Alone.

Diagnosis


The signs of Dyslexia can be observed as early as preschool but can be diagnosed at any age. To learn more about the signs Parents and teachers can be on the lookout for, please click the button below:

Click Here to Learn More

An accurate diagnosis is the key to getting appropriate instruction and accommodations. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) gives rights and protections provided by the US Department of Education to kids with disabilities, including the right for an assessment. Sometimes a child's school can conduct an evaluation (a school is a great place to start) or by an outside specialist who can do psychoeducational and neuropsychological testing. Organizations like the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) can help direct you to specialists in your area. Please use the resource buttons below to learn more.

The International Dyslexia Association
The International Dyslexia Association - Provider Directories
Developmental Assessment & Intervention Center (DIAC)
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

No standard results. No standard support. Kids will receive a unique diagnosis and need specific recommendations, interventions and accommodations. Once a child has been diagnosed with Dyslexia, it is important that they know how to talk about it. Being ready with words can help: Dyslexia is a neurological learning difference. When someone has Dyslexia, his or her brain is wired to handle information differently. It is also genetic and inherited from family members. Age-appropriate scripts can be useful for elementary, middle school, high school and college students to help others understand. (https://homeschoolingwithdyslexia.com/how-to-explain-dyslexia/)

Intervention



Once a child has been diagnosed with Dyslexia, it is critical that they receive the appropriate interventions so that they can succeed in school. The International Dyslexia Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Dyslexic individuals and families who support them, outlines effective teaching methods in the IDA Dyslexia Handbook - What Every Family Should Know. It is critical that interventions are "research backed and evidenced based" as not all reading programs are appropriate or effective for students with Dyslexia.

It is helpful to be familiar with and use proper language concerning diagnosis and treatment when speaking with medical professionals and school administrators. The Yale Canter for Dyslexia and Creativity, who researches and advocates for Dyslexics so they can reach their full potential, provides useful terminology.

Used by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), Structured Literacy refers to the many programs that teach reading that are based on evidence, research and science. Orton-Gillingham is one such reading program that has proven beneficial for students with Dyslexia who struggle with reading.

Programs focus on one or more of the skills that underlie reading such as phonemic awareness, oral language, vocabulary, comprehension, spelling or writing. Your child might find that one type of programs works best. Most generally, these programs are best used in an individual or small group setting where customized assistance can be provided. DyslexiaHelp via the University of Michigan has provided a comprehensive list of some of the reading programs comparing their features.

Brainspring in a research-based professional development tool for educators, special education teachers, and reading specialists across the country and offers support through online education (Phonics First®, a nationally accredited Orton-Gillingham methodology to teaching literacy).

LindamoodBell improves the lives of students through evidenced based reading instruction.

If you are able to choose a school to educate your child, there are Dyslexia specific questions to ask and items to consider when selecting a good fit school. When considering school options, try to gather information on programs and services that might be offered to your child, faculty training in reading intervention, school culture, extra curricular activities, accommodations and the use of assistive technologies. A Yale Center Guide for questions to ask can be found here. IDA has consolidated a list of independent schools dedicated to children with learning differences.

Regardless of where you child enrolls in school, you should take advantage of opportunities to partner with their teachers and reading specialists. Being prepared for these meetings is important - here are some tips on how to maximize sessions with those supporting your child.

Accommodations



Dr. Sally Shaywitz said in Overcoming Dyslexia, “Dyslexia robs a person of time; accommodations return it.” The most significant barrier to fairness in education is the difficulty students with disabilities have in obtaining the accommodations they are rightfully entitled to by law. Examples of accommodations for Dyslexia include assistive technologies such as:

  • Speech to Text (STT) - helps commit ideas to paper more easily, improves writing, speeds up spelling
  • Text to Speech (TTS) - can be very useful to help struggling readers get through material more quickly and free them up cognitively to focus on content rather than decoding the words on the page. Many devices have built in TTS (computers, phones, Chrome, etc.) but audiobooks and web-based tools, apps and software can also be used to overlay the words on the page. Understood.org explains what TTS is and how it works. Book scanning is another option to convert text into PDFs and eBooks to help Dyslexics read.
  • Extra-time on tests in school and on high-stakes standardized tests
  • Partial waivers of foreign language requirements in high school and college
  • The use of 'readers' and resources that help convert notes to study guides
  • DyslexiaHelps via University of Michigan has consolidated a list of apps that may be helpful to Dyslexic students and their parents. The apps are reviewed to ensure they use evidence based techniques for helping Dyslexics.

Community

Learning Ally focuses on providing equitable solutions for literacy. In addition, their YES-Program pairs younger students with Dyslexia with a team of older students with the goal to help students recognize their strengths and weaknesses, build confidence and be stronger self-advocates. Finding a community of like minded peers can be hugely beneficial for your child.

To explore more resources, please Click Here.

Lime Connect helps individuals with disabilities reach their full potential. They provide tools, education, webinars, community, connections, and assistance with the job search.

The International Dyslexia Association is a great place to start when looking for information and to build a community with other parents who have Dyslexic children. Every year, they host a reading, literacy and learning conference which connects a global network of researchers, educators, families and people with Dyslexia... "until everyone can read".



Advocacy



Know that your child is working hard, likely spending more time than their peers on assignments and reading. Make sure your child knows that you see the effort they are making - and credit them for their effort, hard work and persistence. You can also be an advocate for others with Dyslexia. The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity (YCDC), a preeminent source of cutting-edge research, informed advocacy and trustworthy resources to help those with dyslexia reach their full potential, has consolidated a guide for talking about Dyslexia.
Tips to encourage the use of the word “Dyslexia” (from the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity):



  • If you have been diagnosed with Dyslexia, use the word when talking about your specific disability. Just using the word itself can bring a sense of comfort, confidence and identity.
  • Own your own Dyslexia. Talk about it and don’t be afraid to ask for help.
  • For teachers and parents, be aware that instruction, intervention and related services must be based upon the child’s unique needs as an individual with Dyslexia. Using a broad term such as “learning disability” instead of the word Dyslexia makes that far more difficult. Never use even less-specific terms such as “learning differences."
  • Using Dyslexia as a term that follows the student from year to year helps each teacher provide continuity in supports and accommodations.


Be aware of Dyslexia friendly fonts that facilitate easier reading, like Comic Sans that is used on this site. Other Dyslexia friendly fonts include: Dyslexie, OpenDyslexic (chrome web extension that can be downloaded and applied to all web pages), Arial, Helvetica, and Verdana.
To find more resources on this topic, please click here.

About Us



The information on this site was gathered as part of a Girl Scout Gold project. My name is Gabi, and I was diagnosed with Dyslexia in 2nd grade. My biggest supporters were my parents who helped me better understand myself and be successful in school throughout my early education and high school. When my parents learned about my diagnosis, they quickly went online to learn more but were overwhelmed with the amount of material out there. My goal in creating this website was to condense relevant and trustworthy resources for parents when they first learn that their child has Dyslexia so they can take action quickly to advocate for their child and get them the support that they need.

Remember: all kids can be successful!