October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.
Dyslexia awareness matters EVERY month!
Why?
Because dyslexia awareness changes people's lives for the better.
As an advocacy practice with a decade of experience, we have seen countless children's lives be turned around by helping those around them become aware of and better understand dyslexia.
🌟 Students who were reading years behind their peers unlocked the "code" of reading and became proficient readers.
🌟 Parents who just couldn't understand why their bright and capable child was struggling to read and spell have come to understand their child's learning differences.
🌟 Students who were suffering the mental health effects of an unremediated learning disability were able to build their confidence and leave mental health facilities.
🌟 Families who never thought their child would finish high school, have seen their child not only graduate, but go on to college and live successful adult lives.
What do people need to know about dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a language processing disability.
Dyslexia is a language processing disability due to difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition, poor spelling (encoding), and the ability to sound out unfamiliar words (i.e. decoding).
Dyslexia is not just "seeing letters backwards". While reversals may be a symptom some individuals with dyslexia experience, that doesn't tell the whole story. Dyslexia is often due to a deficit in an individual’s phonological and/or orthographic processing. That is, a difficulty in processing how language sounds and how it looks.
Dyslexia is not a reflection of a person's intelligence or effort. Their language processing deficits are often unexpected when compared to their average or above average intelligence. They are some of the hardest workers in the room!
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability.
According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, 1 in every 5 children have dyslexia. Some may be severe cases, while others may be less severe, but dyslexia touches the lives of twenty percent of the student population. This means that in a typical classroom, a teacher could encounter around 5 students with dyslexia in each class. This is why teacher training in dyslexia and appropriate reading remediation is critical.
80% of the special education population who have ‘learning disabilities,’ have dyslexia. A dyslexia diagnosis is often missed because another more understood disability gets identified first. For instance, a child may be diagnosed with ADHD, so their struggles with written language get attributed to the known issues with attention. By overlooking their language processing disorder, the child will not get the multi-sensory, structured, explicit, sequential, and phonologically based approach that they need to learn.
48% of the prison population has been found to have dyslexia. People who struggle to read have low self esteem and are left out of a society so heavily based on printed language. Read more about the correlation between dyslexia and the prison population here. With increased awareness parents and schools will be able to recognize the disability and remediate, not leaving so many children behind.
Early identification and remediation is the key!
Students are taught to read in kindergarten through 3rd grade. After that, students are expected to read to learn. Therefore, if a child is still learning to read in 4th grade they are beginning to miss out on the curriculum they are supposed to be learning, as well as no longer being taught how to read in the general classroom. So their difficulties begin to multiply... because they cannot read the content, they begin to fall behind in other subjects... because they still need reading instruction they fall farther behind in their reading skills.
Students with dyslexia should be taught to read from the start with a multisensory, structured, explicit, systematic approach that is taught in a sequential and cumulative order, requiring mastery at each level. This type of instruction is evidence based to work for them, as well as for the general population learning to read. Exposing young children to print in this way allows them to process written language in a way that works with their learning differences. A study from the University of Washington showed that “targeted, intensive reading programs not only leads to substantial improvements in reading skills, but also changes the underlying wiring of the brain's reading circuitry." This will lead to early success in reading and more motivation to continue reading!
While it is never too late to try to remediate a student with dyslexia, it is much more difficult. Once a child has been taught reading techniques, even if they are not effective for the child, it is challenging for that child to unlearn those techniques. A child who is now being taught to read in an appropriate way for them not only has to learn the new skills, but has the added burden of unlearning their old skills.
Knowledge is power... and empowerment leads to pride!
People with dyslexia often have creative minds and tend to see the world a little differently. This often leads to people with dyslexia making big things happen in the world! Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, Cher, Steve Jobs, Erin Brokovich, Bruce Springsteen, Agatha Christie and Steven Spielberg are just a few of the changemakers in this world with dyslexia.
Parental pride can motivate children. When parents show pride in their child’s differences and abilities it leads children to value that part of themselves. By boldly accepting and embracing your child’s dyslexia, and all that comes with it, you can allow your child to accept and embrace that part in themselves. If you have a child with dyslexia and want to show your pride, share our blog and tag us! We will send you a free Dyslexia Awareness Car Magnet! (see below)
Awareness and acceptance of dyslexia can help children avoid shame about their disability and learn to play to their strengths. Listen to Ben Foss, a proud dyslexic, inventor, and entrepreneur share his story of growing up with dyslexia, then choosing strength over shame.
Do you want to help spread the word about dyslexia?
Share our blog and tag our business page in your post, and we will send you this FREE Dyslexia Awareness Car Magnet!
While Supplies Last
As an educational advocate with over a decade of experience, Lorraine and her team are here to answer your tough questions and share the possibilities that exist when you hire a team of Certified Dyslexia Advocates to help your child.
Are you worried that your dyslexic child is falling behind in school?
Are you ready to see your child learn and thrive?
If so, let's start with a consultation where we will provide you with personalized and professional recommendations. Click the link below to schedule your consultation today!
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