When Your Child Is Diagnosed with a Reading Disorder/Dyslexia
As defined by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), dyslexia is “a neurologically-based, often familial disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language.”
Some researchers define further subtypes of dyslexia based on the underlying weakness, while the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) groups dyslexia as a neurodevelopmental disorder that qualifies for a diagnosis of a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) as an impairment in reading (APA, 2021).
Approximately 20% of the population is affected by dyslexia and 50% of those will carry another learning disability diagnosis (Shaywitz et al., 2021; Moll, 2022).
Typically, students are identified and diagnosed before or during 3rd grade; however, there are signs of future reading difficulties that appear as early as the preschool years, such as:
- Difficulty with rhymes and rhyming
- Difficulty recognizing and remembering letters
- Mispronunciation of words that persists into later toddler years
- A history of family reading, spelling, or speech-language challenges
Without significant and timely intervention, these difficulties will persist into adolescence and adulthood as the child continues to fall behind more globally in school. For students with unremediated or severe dyslexia who failed to receive appropriate intervention in the early grades, the struggles of middle and high school will be even more pronounced (Leach, Scarborough, & Rescorla, 2003).
Regardless of age at the time of diagnosis, the research-based approach to dyslexia remediation is Structured Literacy (SL). Depending on your location, curricula that meet these specifications may vary. The DVFriends Adolescent Literacy Program is an SL program and meets all of the criteria listed below. No program fits every student; a good program requires a qualified and certified instructor who can adapt materials, pacing, and sequencing to meet the needs of each unique learner.
An SL approach is:
- Direct and explicit
- Systematic and structured
- Sequential and cumulative
- Synthetic and analytic
- Multisensory/multimodal
- Diagnostic and prescriptive
- Individualized
Within that approach, the curriculum should include:
- Phonemic awareness
- Decoding (sounding out)
- Encoding (spelling)
- Oral reading fluency
- Reading comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Morphology
- Grammar
- Writing
While dyslexia isn’t “curable,” intervention can make a profound difference.
If you are unsure if DVFriends serves your student's learning profile, please contact the Admissions Office to speak to Jim Miller or Kavitha Patel.
Kavitha Patel
Assistant Director of Admissions, Director of Financial Aid
(610) 640-4150 x2120
Assistant Director of Admissions, Director of Financial Aid
(610) 640-4150 x2120