About Dyslexia

The word ‘Dyslexia’ developed from Greek roots: ‘Dys’ meaning difficulty and ‘Lexia’ meaning words. The International Dyslexia Association defined Dyslexia as "a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.” (IDA, 2002) 

Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and spelling. It can present itself in a variety of ways, even from early childhood. Some common look fors in children include:

• difficulty learning and remembering letters of the alphabet, including those in his/her/their name
• mispronounces familiar words
• difficulty associating letters with their corresponding sounds
• difficulty remembering dates, names, numbers, etc.
• reading errors that show no connection to the sounds of the letters on the page
• difficulty sounding out (blending) words - even simple ones
• slow acquisition of reading skills
• difficulty reading unfamiliar words, often making wild guesses
• doesn’t have a strategy for reading new words
• oral vocabulary is limited compared to peers of similar age
• poor spelling
• messy handwriting/printing
• low self-esteem
• family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties

(Adapted from Overcoming Dyslexia)

As a parent of a Dyslexic child and a Special Education teacher, I have been through the process from detection, identification, intervention and ongoing support. 

Dyslexic children need an approach to literacy acquisition that emphasizes highly explicit and systematic teaching of both important foundational skills (e.g., decoding, encoding/spelling) and higher-level literacy skills (e.g., morphology, reading comprehension, written expression).

(Adapted from IDA, Volume 8, Issue 2, June 2019)

Reading with Dyslexia provides remedial one-on-one support for the treatment of various reading delays, including Dyslexia, using the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading and writing skill development. The Orton-Gillingham approach is direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive.  The Orton-Gillingham practitioner performs an in-depth academic inventory of skills, and devises an individualized instructional plan to support the needs of the learner.