Dyslexia
Dyslexia Diagnosis & Treatment in Charlotte
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that affects reading and related language-based processing skills. The severity can differ in each individual, but can affect reading acquisition, decoding, fluency, reading comprehension, recall, writing, spelling and sometimes speech. Dyslexia can exist along with other related disorders.
Diagnosing Dyslexia
Diagnosing dyslexia begins with gathering information from interviews, observations and specialized testing. This information is collected by various members of our team that may include a speech/language pathologist, educational specialist and psychologist.
Our educational specialists interpret this information. They are thoroughly familiar with the characteristics of dyslexia at different stages in the development of literacy skills. Our team also has knowledge regarding the influence of language development and behavior on literacy learning.
What’s included in a Dyslexia Evaluation?
Background information – Information from parents and teachers tells us a lot about a student’s overall development and pattern of strengths and weaknesses. Family history is also important.
Word recognition – The ability to read single printed words. It may also be called word reading or word identification. Tests of word recognition require that students identify alphabet letters and read individual words printed on a list.
Decoding – the ability to read unfamiliar words by using letter-sound knowledge, spelling patterns and chunking the word into smaller parts, such as syllables.
Spelling – measures the student’s ability to spell individual words from memory using their knowledge of, letter-sound pairings, patterns of letters that cluster together to spell one sound (igh in high; oa in boat), the way plurals may be spelled (s, es, ies) to name a few. Spelling is the opposite of word decoding, but is even more difficult.
Phonological processing – Phonology is one small part of overall language ability. It is a low-level language skill in that it does not involve meaning. Phonology is the “sound system” of our language.
Automaticity/fluency skills – Students with dyslexia often process information more slowly (visual or auditory). Assessment items often include measuring a child’s reading fluency as well as their ability to rapidly name objects.
Reading comprehension – Typically, students with dyslexia score lower on tests of reading comprehension because they struggle with decoding and accurately or fluently reading words. When a student is so focused on what the words say it is hard to simultaneously comprehend what they are reading. Which is why it is important to measure their reading comprehension skills as well.
Vocabulary knowledge – It is important to test vocabulary knowledge, because the difficulties students with dyslexia might have had in learning language or with memory can affect the ability to learn the meanings of words (vocabulary).
Our educational specialists provide the support a student requires to overcome or manage a learning disability such as dyslexia. Educational specialists are experienced in evaluating and treating the underlying deficits in the diagnostic subtypes including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. Educational specialists develop a holistic treatment plan which addresses each student’s individual learning needs as their difficulties impact school success.
Child & Family Development assists parents in identifying and addressing concerns and then develop comprehensive recommendations to move forward.
Contact us to schedule a dyslexia assessment today.
