Dyslexia

Could My Child be Dyslexic?

Statistics show us that 20% of students in the United States are Dyslexic. That is 1 out of 5 students. In a classroom of 20 students, 4 are most likely struggling significantly.

Sadly, many of our schools are not addressing Dyslexia. Funding is the primary reason that public schools cannot address Dyslexia. They simply do not have the resources or the staff to provide Dyslexia evaluations or Dyslexia therapy. Therefore, most public schools do not identify children as Dyslexic. Dyslexic children will not catch up without specialized instruction. Meanwhile, and sadly, these children are losing ground while waiting to be evaluated.

The National Center for Education statistics reports that 80% of children with an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan) have reading difficulty and 85% of those are Dyslexic. What does this mean? It means that while some schools are evaluating for reading problems, they are not providing intensive and thorough evaluations to appropriately diagnose Dyslexia, therefore, students are often receiving minimal remediation for “broad-based” reading disorders, and not specific to Dyslexia.

If your child is struggling, please review the following items which might indicate a need for a Comprehensive Psycho-Educational Evaluation.

Do you believe that your child has the intellectual ability or academic potential to develop reading, writing and spelling skills? Yet, are your child's reading, spelling, or writing grades below what you would expect in view of perceived intellectual ability or academic potential?

Simply put, does your child have reading, writing or spelling difficulties that seem unexpected compared to other abilities?

(In other words, maybe you have said to yourself or others, "My child is so smart! I know they can do the work, but I don't understand why they are struggling. We studied those spelling words, yet they failed the test. They read that for me yesterday, but today they can't read it.)

Does your child:

Read slowly
Read with hesitations
Make frequent reading errors
Need repetition to learn something new
Display poor handwriting
Display slow or delayed responses
Forget what is said in a few minutes
Mix up left and right
Prefer to have stories read to them

Does your child have Difficulty:

Memorizing words for spelling tests
Understanding what he/she reads
Answering questions in a textbook
Writing sentences correctly
Writing stories
Understanding stores read to them
Finding the right word at times
Explaining ideas
Recalling sequence of things
Understanding verbal directions

Does your child have Difficulty:

Rhyming
Naming the first sound in a word
Naming the last sound in a word
Blending sounds together to make a word
Learning or remembering the name of letters
Reciting the alphabet
Recognizing letters of the alphabet
Writing the alphabet with no help or model
Learning the sounds of letters
Remembering the sounds of letters
Sounding out unfamiliar words
Reading words accurately

The purpose of a Dyslexia Evaluation is to identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses and determine if a Diagnosis of Dyslexia is warranted. Valuable information can be gained from a thorough evaluation. Dyslexic children sometimes have co-existing conditions that might include, for example, ADHD. These areas will also be identified.

Children with Dyslexia will often perform well in Math. Likewise, their other assets should be identified. This will help "paint a complete picture" of how the student learns best and what is needed for success.

Along with gathering background history on the student, a parent interview and teacher checklists, the following areas will be evaluated and/or addressed in a thorough Dyslexia Evaluation at the MS Dyslexia Evaluation Center.

Phonological Processing

*Phonological Awareness

* Phonological Memory

*Rapid Naming

*Letter Knowledge

Word Recognition
Word Attack
Oral Reading Fluency
Reading Rate and Accuracy
Listening Comprehension
Spelling
Reading Comprehension
Written Expression
Cognitive Ability – IQ Testing
Working Memory
Processing Speed
Math Calculation
Math Problem Solving
Oral Language : Oral Expression and Listening Comprehension
Visual-Motor
Attention
Auditory Processing Screen

“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. 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.”

The definition of Dyslexia, as adopted by the International Dyslexia Board of Directors, Nov. 12, 2002 is cited above. Also known in the State of Mississippi as House Bill 1031, it can be read in entirety here.

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2012/html/HB/1000-1099/HB1031SG.htm

AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE MISSISSIPPI DYSLEXIA THERAPY SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA PROGRAM;

TO PROVIDE FOR STUDENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR RECEIPT OF A SCHOLARSHIP AND RESTRICTING ELIGIBILITY THEREFOR; TO PROVIDE FOR THE TERM OF THE SCHOLARSHIP;

TO STIPULATE THE OBLIGATIONS OF PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS, STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS;

TO REQUIRE THAT ALL COMPULSORY-SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN BE SCREENED FOR DYSLEXIA DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE SPRING OF KINDERGARTEN AND THE FALL OF GRADE 1 AND OTHER APPROPRIATE TIMES AS DEEMED NECESSARY IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THIS STATE;

TO ESTABLISH THE PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED IN SCREENING AND EVALUATION OF STUDENTS FOR DYSLEXIA AND RELATED DISORDERS AND PRESCRIBING WHO SHALL ADMINISTER THE SCREENING AND EVALUATION; TO REQUIRE THAT SCHOOL DIAGNOSTICIANS RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TRAINING IN THE EVALUATION AND DIAGNOSIS OF DYSLEXIA; TO REQUIRE THAT STUDENTS RECEIVE COMPREHENSIVE ACADEMIC EVALUATIONS BY TRAINED DIAGNOSTICIANS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF DYSLEXIA IF SCREENING INDICATES RISK OF DYSLEXIA;

TO PRESCRIBE APPROPRIATE DYSLEXIA QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND INSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL;

TO REQUIRE THE STATE TO PAY DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL ANY FEDERAL OR STATE AID ATTRIBUTABLE TO A STUDENT WITH A DISABILITY ATTENDING THE SCHOOL;

Furthermore, House Bill 1046 EXPANDS THE ELIGIBILITY FOR THE MISSISSIPPI DYSLEXIA THERAPY SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA PROGRAM TO INCLUDE STUDENTS IN GRADE 1 THROUGH GRADE 12. Click the attached link for this bill in its entirety:

http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2017/html/HB/1000-1099/HB1046IN.htm