Dyslexia

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What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and distinguished from other learning disabilities due to weaknesses occurring at the phonological level. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

What Should I Do if I Suspect My Child May Have Dyslexia?

Email or call your child’s teacher and/or the school counselor or principal and share your suspicions.

Your school will contact you to schedule a Child Find meeting within 10 days. At this meeting the team, which includes the parent(s), will decide whether or not to evaluate to look for a learning disability.

Signs of Possible Dyslexia

Difficulty:

  • Delayed speaking in early childhood

  • Finding the right word

  • Reading words

  • Spelling

  • Learning letters and sounds

  • Reading quickly and smoothly

  • Memorizing facts, including math facts

Interesting Facts

  • Between 15-20% of people have some characteristics of dyslexia.

  • Dyslexia runs in families

  • Dyslexia occurs in all languages