Learning to read can be a frustrating experience for many children. It can be even more frustrating when a child is hindered by a learning disability.
Jamie Williamson, Marburn Academy’s head of school, talks recognizing symptoms, and how parents and schools can support a child diagnosed with dyslexia.
Healthy New Albany: Is there a “cure” for dyslexia, or is there just management?
Jamie Williamson: Dyslexia is a neurological, brain-based issue that creates difficulties with reading fluently, or accurately decoding words and spelling. A common misconception is that students with dyslexia read backward. Rather, it is often the result of a phonological processing deficit, not a visual issue. Phonological processing is essentially the ability to hear and break down the individual sounds that make up a word.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia affects as much as 15-20 percent of the population. Issues related to dyslexia will often persist throughout one’s life, and there is no “cure.” However, people with dyslexia can, with the right kind of intervention and instruction, learn to read. They need explicit diagnostic instruction that is highly structured and delivered using multisensory techniques.
HNA: What are some common signs of dyslexia? Is there a certain age at which it’s more noticeable?
JW: Characteristics of dyslexia can be seen early, by the age of 5. Marburn’s free screenings assess whether a child is likely to encounter difficulty in learning to read, write and/or spell. Preschool-aged children might have delays in the development of oral languages as well as limited vocabulary, such as problems “finding words” when speaking. Older children have trouble retaining verbal information they’re unaware of, cannot manipulate individual sounds in words, and have delays in learning letter names and sounds and problems remembering how to write letters.
HNA: Can dyslexia range in severity? How so?
JW: Dyslexia can certainly range in severity. The depth of difficulties and impact on academic progress may be fairly mild in one student’s case, while another student may have difficulties recalling specific letters when they see or hear them or remembering sounds, despite repeated intervention.
HNA: What are some ways parents can support their child if the child is dyslexic and feeling demoralized?
JW: Seek help. Talk to your child’s teacher and discuss your and their observations in order to gather as much information as possible. Have your child evaluated by a psychologist, and then find a well-qualified professional to provide assistance and/or tutoring.
HNA: How should a parent go about notifying teachers? What can schools do for a child with dyslexia?
JW: Working to create a strong partnership and having open lines of communication are critical throughout this process. Bring the data you have collected. Most teachers don’t have specialized training in dyslexia and may be unfamiliar with the issues related to it, so it helps to share information and any resources you have found useful. If you have had your child evaluated by a psychologist, invite the psychologist to attend the meeting with you. If you find yourself in a challenging conversation, you may want to revisit the meeting after enlisting additional support, such as an educational advocate.
If your child has been diagnosed with dyslexia that is significantly impacting his or her ability to succeed academically, the school is required to conduct an evaluation to determine eligibility for its services. Although many schools have worked to strengthen their core reading programs, most don’t have the specific reading intervention program (diagnostic, explicit, structured and multisensory) that students with dyslexia need. Therefore, you may benefit from seeking outside help, through tutoring, summer programs or a school-based program such as Marburn’s.
HNA: What’s the difference between dyslexia and any other reading/writing disability?
JW: Dyslexia is specifically focused on the phonological processing required to decode, spell and read fluently and accurately. Other reading issues may be more closely related to the areas of comprehension. Students with dyslexia may also have difficulties with comprehension, but not necessarily. Some students can comprehend well if allowed to listen to the material rather than read it.
HNA: What causes dyslexia?
JW: Dyslexia is a neurological, or brain-based, issue. There is no single “reading center” in the brain; rather, multiple areas of the brain have evolved to work together to accomplish this task. Dyslexia is a breakdown of communication between these areas.
HNA: How should someone with dyslexia be accommodated at home and at school?
JW: Education is powerful. Parents can help by learning as much as they can about dyslexia and seeking the appropriate help for their children. They should be patient and understanding, and have empathy for the struggles their children are facing. Parents and teachers alike should build on the students’ strengths, and be explicit about what those are. Educators and guardians must be consistent with plans and interventions.
To have a deep and lasting impact, the techniques take time and lots of work. There is no quick fix. Further, children with dyslexia are not “broken;” they don’t need to be “fixed.” They simply need to be taught in a way that works best for them. Most importantly, parents can remember to love the child they have, not the child they wish they had. Children with unconventional neurology are often the most creative thinkers, the most inspired problem-solvers and the most resilient students. When educators and parents meet these students where they are, it allows these students to maximize their neurological strengths and minimize their deficits.
About the Expert
Jamie Williamson
Jamie Williamson is the head of school at Marburn Academy, an independent day school devoted to serving the educational needs of bright students with learning differences such as dyslexia, executive function difficulties and attention issues. Williamson is a graduate of Western Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and he holds a master of science and education specialist degree in school psychology from Miami University.
Hannah Bealer is an editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com
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