Helpful Resources for your Child
Information below provided by The International DYSLEXIA Association®
Is My Child Dyslexic?
Individuals with dyslexia have trouble with reading, writing, spelling and/or math in spite of average or above average intelligence and plenty of opportunities to learn. Individuals with dyslexia can learn, but they often need specialized instruction to overcome the problem. Often these individuals, who
have talented and productive minds, are said to have a language learning difference.
Common Characteristics of Dyslexia
Most of us have one or two of these characteristics. That does not mean that everyone has
dyslexia. A person with dyslexia usually has several of these characteristics that persist over
time and interfere with his or her learning.
Oral Language
• Late learning to talk
• Difficulty pronouncing words
• Difficulty acquiring vocabulary or using age appropriate grammar
• Difficulty following directions
• Confusion with before/after, right/left, and so on
• Difficulty learning the alphabet, nursery rhymes, or songs
• Difficulty understanding concepts and relationships
• Difficulty with word retrieval or naming problems
Reading
• Difficulty learning to read
• Difficulty identifying or generating rhyming words, or counting syllables in words (phonological awareness)
• Difficulty with hearing and manipulating sounds in words (phonemic awareness)
• Difficulty distinguishing different sounds in words (phonological processing)
• Difficulty in learning the sounds of letters (phonics)
• Difficulty remembering names and shapes of letters, or naming letters rapidly
• Transposing the order of letters when reading or spelling
• Misreading or omitting common short words
• “Stumbles” through longer words
• Poor reading comprehension during oral or silent reading, often because words are not accurately read
• Slow, laborious oral reading
Other Common Symptoms that Occur with Dyslexia
• Difficulty naming colors, objects, and letters rapidly, in a sequence (RAN: rapid automatized naming)
• Weak memory for lists, directions, or facts
• Needs to see or hear concepts many times to learn them
• Distracted by visual or auditory stimuli
• Downward trend in achievement test scores or school performance
• Inconsistent school work
• Teacher says, “If only she would try harder,” or “He’s lazy.”
• Relatives may have similar problems
Common Characteristics of Other Related Learning Disorders
Dysgraphia (Handwriting)
• Unsure of handedness
• Poor or slow handwriting
• Messy and unorganized papers
• Difficulty copying
• Poor fine motor skills
• Difficulty remembering the kinesthetic movements to form letters correctly
Dyscalculia (Math)
• Difficulty counting accurately
• May misread numbers
• Difficulty memorizing and retrieving math facts
• Difficulty copying math problems and organizing written work
• Many calculation errors
• Difficulty retaining math vocabulary and concepts
ADHD—Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (Attention)
• Inattention
• Variable attention
• Distractibility
• Impulsivity
• Hyperactivity
Executive Function/Organization
• Loses papers
• Poor sense of time
• Forgets homework
• Messy desk
• Overwhelmed by too much input
• Works slowly
Resources and Programs
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to the study and treatment of the learning disability, dyslexia as well as related language-based learning differences.
We are the oldest such organization in the U.S. serving individuals with dyslexia, their families, and professionals in the field. We have approximately 8,500 members – 60% in the field of education and 30% are individuals with dyslexia or parents of children who are dyslexic.
The Yale Center for Dyslexia serves as a nexus for research on dyslexia, and is as well a leading source of advocacy and information to better the lives of people with dyslexia.
Wilson Reading System and Wilson Fundations
Wilson Reading is an IDA approved Structured Literacy Program designed for small group instruction. It utilizes a Structured Word Analysis approach to teaching reading.
The Wilson Reading System directly and systematically teaches students how to fluently and accurately decode. It is unlike traditional phonics programs in that instruction is very interactive and multisensory. It also thoroughly teaches total word construction. The Wilson Fundations letter formation paper is beneficial for students of all ages with Dysgraphia (dys=difficulty graph=writing).
Making Math Real is an innovative, fun, hands-on method of learning math that integrates key cognitive development such as symbol imaging, detail analysis, and sequential processing, within every lesson and activity. Students who struggle with math do not lack the intelligence or the motivation to be successful. Typically, they lack the underlying development that supports the acquisition of the basic tools to do math.
The Barton Reading & Spelling System is a 1:1 or 2:1 tutoring system that will greatly improve the spelling, reading, and writing skills of children, teenagers or adults who struggle due to dyslexia
or a language-based learning disability.
Learning Ally
The difference we make in a dyslexic student’s educational and personal growth goes far deeper than audiobooks!
Learning Ally, a national nonprofit since 1948, has partnered with those who learn differently to ensure academic and lifelong success.