Dyslexia Fact and Fiction
What Dyslexia is Not
There is a lot of misinformation in the general public about dyslexia. One of the most common misconceptions is that dyslexia causes letters or words to appear backward. Another similar misconception is that dyslexia is related to problems with vision. Some believe dyslexia is a term used to describe those who struggle with reading due to low intelligence. Others do not believe it is a real and legitimate disorder. All of the above are false and inaccurate.
What Dyslexia Is
Dyslexia is in fact a true diagnosable disorder. It is listed in the DSM-5-TR (i.e. the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States) under the category of specific learning disorders. Dyslexia is a strongly researched and well documented disorder that is widely accepted in the professional community. Some of the confusion about it not being a real, diagnosable disorder might come from it not being listed as a separate, individual diagnosis in DSM-5-TR. Instead, it is listed under the diagnosis of specific learning disorder as a term that can be used to describe “a pattern of learning difficulties characterized by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor decoding, and poor spelling abilities.”
Common Signs of Dyslexia
At its core, dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts phonological processing. In other words, those with dyslexia have deficits in brain functioning that impact their ability to hear the individual sounds that make up words. Early signs of dyslexia can include trouble learning the letters of the alphabet, confusing words that sound alike, frequent mispronunciation of words, and difficulty recognizing words that rhyme. When a child with dyslexia enters school they often have difficulty learning the sounds of letters and struggle with reading the sounds of simple consonant-vowel-consonant words such as “cat” and “mop.” When reading, they will often guess at words using pictures in the book or other context clues.
Many children with dyslexia avoid reading tasks which can exacerbate their reading difficulties and significantly impact their growth in reading skills compared to their peers. As these children get older they may experience a lot of anxiety at school as the reading demands increase. They may receive poor grades, see themselves as unintelligent, and develop a low self-esteem.
How Dyslexia is Diagnosed
As you can imagine, identification of dyslexia is crucial for supporting these children with their educational, functional, and emotional well being. In order for dyslexia to be diagnosed, a comprehensive evaluation needs to be completed by a mental health professional who is trained in and knowledgeable of dyslexia. These evaluations will obtain very detailed information about the child’s history, experiences, and home and school environments. Information will be obtained from parents, teachers, and the the child through a series of interviews, rating scales, observations, records review, and direct assessments to determine the causes for the child’s struggles with reading. There are many factors other than dyslexia that can impact reading development such as vision problems, attention concerns, or lack of appropriate reading instruction, among others. Through a comprehensive evaluation, a professional trained in dyslexia assessment is able to tease out the causes for reading difficulties and provide targeted recommendations to enable the child to start experiencing success and make progress in their reading.
School Supports for Dyslexia
Although dyslexia is a lifelong condition, implementing interventions and accommodations can significantly improve a child’s function and experience of success in school. Setting up a meeting with your child’s teacher, principal, or school psychologist at your child’s school is a great place to start. They will be able to explain options available through the school such as specific reading interventions, implementing accommodations through a 504 plan, or discussing the process of receiving supports through special education. Special education provides both direct intervention as well as classroom accommodations through an individualized educational program (IEP). It is important to keep in mind that a diagnosis of dyslexia is not enough to warrant special education supports be provided by your child’s school. Schools have their own process for determining what students qualify for and need special education based on federal and state guidelines.
Community Supports for Dyslexia
There are also many supports available in the community to support children with dyslexia or suspected reading difficulties. The International Dyslexia Association-Upper Midwest Branch has a great website with information about dyslexia, free webinars, local events, and a list of local tutors. Although dyslexia is a lifelong disorder, with accurate identification and targeted supports, those with dyslexia can experience success in all areas of their life.
To learn more about a dyslexia evaluation in St. Paul, MN visit the White Bear Psychological Services Dyslexia Testing page or contact us to schedule a phone call with our client care specialist.
