Definition
Learning disability affected by the way the brain processes written material, causing people to read at significantly lower levels than other people of their same age and intelligence.
Early Red Flags for a Reading Disability or Dyslexia
Parents are often told that you cannot diagnose a reading disability or dyslexia until the third grade. This is actually not the case, and the earlier you are able to detect a reading problem, the quicker you will be able to put intervention strategies into place. Research indicates that early intervention can have a significant impact on reading disorders.
Here are some red flags to watch out for in the early years of reading acquisition:
- Naming the letters of the alphabet has not yet become automatic, and is labored or slow.
- Difficulty hearing the different segments of a word to help them spell it out. For example, when asked to spell “tiger,” they may write “tire.”
- When writing, they insert or delete letters. For example, when asked to write “born,” he or she may write, “boirn.”
- Difficulty recognizing sight words that are common in their environment, such as the word STOP, and are rather trying to sound it out.
- Difficulty with learning. For example, once you have taught them a word on one page of a book, they have “forgotten” it by the next page.
- When reading aloud, they pronounce the first segment of the word and then make up a new word. For example, with the word, “fire,” they may say “find.”
- Not reading sentences by the end of kindergarten, not reading text in first grade, not reading smoothly and with expression in second grade
Testing for Dyslexia: A Parent Webinar
Support Services: What do you do?
Early detection of a reading disability is crucial. There are many types of dyslexia including phonological dyslexia, orthographic dyslexia, difficulty with heard sounds (auditory processing) that impacts reading, or challenges with the written word and visual motor integration. MindWell recommends testing to determine what type of reading challenges your child has to inform the appropriate intervention which can be put into place. Get testing early!!!! Don’t wait. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our Northern Virginia office.