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Spread Awareness: October is Dyslexia Awareness Month π
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Hi Reader, β October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, so we're sharing information and resources all month long! Today we're sharing part 1 of our Lexercise Dyslexia Information series, with important definitions, facts, and more. β π Take a free dyslexia screener and learn more about dyslexia therapy options for struggling readers and writers! β β What Is Dyslexia? β Dyslexia Definition: Dyslexia is a learning disability that refers to a "cluster of symptoms" that negatively affect a person's ability to read, write, spell, and process language. β The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) explains, β βDyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.β β Causes: We donβt know all the reasons why dyslexia occurs, but scans of the brain (fMRIs) show that the dyslexic brain works differently from the non-dyslexic brain. β Dr. Sally Shaywitz (2020) calls this the "neural signature for dyslexia" - meaning that connections of the reading systems in the back portion of the brain don't function efficiently. β Key Characteristics: Symptoms and severity of dyslexia vary from person to person. Dyslexia occurs on a continuum, meaning it can be mild, moderate, or severe. β People with dyslexia tend to have trouble with spoken language, recognizing word sounds, making sound-symbol connections, decoding words, spelling words, and slow reading. β How Common Is Dyslexia? Dyslexia is much more common than you might imagine! β According to the IDA, it's estimated that dyslexia may affect up to 20% of the population. It's the most common learning disability, accounting for 80% of all those with specific learning disabilities. β Based on these numbers, along with recent statistics for children receiving special education services in US public schools, we can infer that about 2 million children are receiving special education services for dyslexia. β But this number reflects only the kids who have been through a full diagnostic assessment and have been found eligible. β We know millions of kids have yet to be screened, assessed, or officially tested; these are the kids who are sitting in our classrooms, struggling, failing, and desperate for help. β β π Did you know? Dyslexia is also known to run in families, so having a parent with dyslexia is a risk factor. In fact, a study done by Snowling and Melby-Lervag (2016) found that if a parent had dyslexia, they have a 45% chance of having a child with a reading disorder. β But it's important to note that at this time, there is no genetic factor that can be tested to identify dyslexia. You can get a free dyslexia screener and learn more about your child. β Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia β Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are often confused with each other, and for good reason! They are all neurological disorders, and there's definitely some overlap in how they present. β That said, they are separate and distinct disabilities, and recognizing how they differ is really important for teachers and parents because it helps us know how to support and advocate for kids! β β All three (dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia) are neurobiological. They can occur alone, together, or with other learning disabilities or disorders like ADHD. β All three are characterized by language processing problems like working memory, processing speed, and verbal comprehension. They all involve incomplete automaticity for foundational, basic skills. β π Dyslexia is related to problems with reading and language processing. It makes decoding words and understanding the meaning of words difficult, which means people with dyslexia have trouble reading text and spelling. A free dyslexia screener is a great place to start if you have or concerns about your child. β π Dysgraphia is related to problems with writing. The hallmarks of dysgraphia are poor handwriting, poor spelling, and difficulty organizing ideas in writing. It has to do with orthographic coding, which is, "the ability to store written words in working memory while the letters in the word are analyzed," according to IDA. You can take a free dysgraphia screener if you have concerns about your child. β π’ Dyscalculia is related to problems with the brain processes numbers and number relationships. Research indicates that high rates of comorbidity have been reported for dyslexia and dyscalculia, anywhere from 17-60%.* Best Practices for Teachers Research gives us lots of insight into how we can better help students with reading and writing difficulties.
β Looking for a structured literacy curriculum for your students? Check out Lexercise for Schools for a program that actually works! β Resources & Expert Help for Parents β If you're a parent of a child struggling with reading and writing, we understand how overwhelming it can be to find the right support. You may be unsure of where to start or how to best help your child. But don't worry, weβre here with resources you can trust. β Our friends at Lexercise offer professional, research-based therapy thatβs expertly tailored to meet your childβs unique learning needs. β
β β β Helpful Resources to Dive Deeper β Books We Recommend
International Dyslexia Association Articles
Yale Center for Dyslexia
National Institutes of Health Articles
Unlocking Dyslexia (NPR Series)
β Thanks to our friends at βLexerciseβ for helping us spread awareness about dyslexia this month!! β Be sure to stay tuned for the next installments of this series (coming soon!):
β We hope this information has been helpful for you! If you have any questions or concerns, please reply to this email and let us know! β Happy Learning, β Do you want to stop receiving emails about dyslexia? Click here and we'll update your preferences!
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