The halfway point of the school year is already upon us. Our Educators say it is a good time to evaluate your child’s early academic skills. While each child progresses at a slightly different pace, parents should take note of certain patterns in reading development. Difficulty in a combination of these areas can present a sign of dyslexia in early readers:
· Letter recognition
· Letter-sound associations
· Identification and generation of rhyming words
· Recall of sight words that he/she has reviewed many times
· Letter reversals
· Omission of small words, such as the, on, or and
· Confusion with words that look similar
It is important to keep in mind that dyslexia should be diagnosed through a comprehensive psychological-educational evaluation completed by trained professionals.
Child and Family Development educational diagnosticians administer the academic achievement portion of the evaluation, along with additional measures to determine any underlying processing difficulties that are interfering with academic success. They are experienced in evaluating diagnostic subtypes, including ADHD, language disorders, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) and the diagnostic subtypes including dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and non-verbal learning disability (NVLD).
Educators offer tutoring and academic coaching servicse. They also consult with parents and schools to provide further information and recommendations.
Children with dyslexia can overcome their struggles and go on to become very successful individuals, espcecially when identified and supported from an early age.