8 minute read
Decoding Dyslexia
The impacts of the learning disability can be wide-ranging.
BY KATHERINE WYRICK
“You might want to get him evaluated,” my cousin said out of earshot of our 5-year-old, Harrison (who was probably fashioning a robot out of whatever was close at hand). A learning disabilities specialist, she had noticed some early markers for dyslexia during her visit. His preschool teacher had recently recommended that he enroll in a transition year before kindergarten, so my cousin’s observation confirmed that something was amiss. When he was diagnosed with dyslexia soon after, his dad and I felt grateful to have found out while he was so young, but we were shocked. Harrison was articulate, an early talker who had an extensive vocabulary by age 2. His dad and I were both avid readers and read to him often. How could this bright, creative kid be dyslexic? What followed was a crash course in a learning disability that affects one in five people, or 20 percent of the population. This was just over 10 years ago, and much has changed since then — for the better — but there’s still a long way to go. Early screening and intervention remain key. Parents, too, need a lot of patience and support along this journey as they learn how to advocate for their children. Sounds like a tall order, but do not despair — help is at hand. In honor of National Dyslexia Awareness Month, we offer the following resources and information.
WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
First, let us dispel the commonly held belief that dyslexia results in seeing words, numbers or letters reversed or backward. Dyslexia is not due to a problem with vision. (An aside: Just because your first-grader still confuses his “b”s and “d”s doesn’t necessarily mean there’s cause for concern.) According to the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), dyslexia “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. 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.” In short, dyslexics process information differently.
WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DYSLEXIA?
The impact of dyslexia, different for each individual, can be significant and far-reaching; it depends on the severity of the condition and the effectiveness of remediation. The IDA says, “Some individuals with dyslexia manage to learn early reading and spelling tasks, especially with excellent instruction, but later experience their most challenging problems when more complex language skills are required, such as grammar, understanding textbook material and writing essays.” Our now college-aged son struggles with these issues in addition to having some problems around spoken language, like expressing himself clearly or confusing words that sound similar but have different meanings.
Dyslexia can also affect a person’s self-worth, leaving one feeling discouraged, inadequate or less intelligent than others. As a parent, it’s tough to witness this. Our son suffered from both low selfesteem and anxiety. Because he had to work twice as hard as his peers, he also experienced constant frustration (and headaches) when at school or doing homework. Harrison also received a diagnosis of ADHD, which compounded his hardships. Therapy, both traditional and academic, helped.
In a recent conversation, Kimberly Newton, MS, LPE-I and psychological examiner for ACCESS®, stressed: “There is a high rate of comorbidity, but that’s why a comprehensive evaluation is necessary. Sometimes what looks like ADD or ADHD is avoidance ... as examiners, we’re tasked with teasing that apart. Is it avoidance? Inattention? Anxiety? Maybe there’s all of that.”
Dr. Elizabeth Speck-Kern, a neuropsychologist in Little Rock who sees a lot of dyslexics in her practice, says, “For individuals with dyslexia, my job starts with diagnosis and description of the academic problems and identification of intellectual strengths and weaknesses so realistic plans are made. I also help the parents and child by steering them into areas for vocational development and getting them services to succeed in school. Sometimes changing schools is needed to find a better fit for the child. I encourage the parents to find emotional, physical and artistic outlets for the child, so they can experience success. It is very discouraging to fail in something as important as reading. So, they need other areas of success and to blow off steam and frustration. It is important to develop self-compassion to encourage persistence.”
DEVELOPING A PLAN OF ACTION
If you suspect your child is dyslexic, the first step is to get an evaluation and diagnosis and follow up with academic support, and there’s a wealth of specialists throughout the state. Our son’s tutor was trained in the Orton-Gillingham method — a phonetic, multisensory approach for teaching reading — but there are others, including the DuBard method and Wilson Language Training (now used for all students in the Little Rock School District).
To help you find your footing, it’s imperative to seek out parents who understand what you are going through. The Dyslexia Project — an organization that aims to raise awareness, empower families to support their children, and inform policy-makers on best practices to support students — is one excellent resource. There, you can connect with parents and find tutors and other specialists.
There’s also the ACCESS Evaluation and Resource Center, which looks at the whole picture when assessing your child. ACCESS offers screening, evaluation and tutoring and serves students from a variety of different schools. Kimberly Newton, co-president of the Learning Disabilities Association of America’s Arkansas chapter, has been working with children and families for over 20 years. “It’s important to play to their strengths ... and tailor accommodations accordingly,” she says. “Not every dyslexic student has the same area of deficit.”
And then there’s the Hannah School, Arkansas's first and only school solely devoted to educating dyslexic students. The school, which serves students K-12, has grown leaps and bounds since it began as a homeschooling group in a garage in 2016. “There was such a huge demand that we extended our services over the past four years,” co-founder Melissa Hannah said.
Our son, Harrison, stumbled through private elementary school with some success but in middle school (also private) received little to no support in the classroom. Then came public high school, which presented its own set of challenges. Harrison got a 504 plan, an essential step that ensures the children with disabilities receive necessary accommodations. IPEs — Individualized Education Programs — and 504s offer modified curriculums for K–12 students struggling in school. Yet, for him, it did little to ease his burden or anxiety. One unforeseen challenge in high school was encouraging him to use those hardwon accommodations — like getting more time on tests, not having to take a foreign language, not having spelling mistakes counted against him. During those tween/teen years, he became increasingly self-conscious about his learning disability, at times denying that he had one or claiming that dyslexia wasn’t “even a real thing.” This kind of behavior isn’t uncommon. A constant source of frustration for him was having to work twice as hard or harder than everyone else to get the same results. At some point, someone explained it to me this way: “You wouldn’t give someone who couldn’t walk ‘more time’ to make it up the stairs in a wheelchair; you’d build them a ramp.” In other words, though necessary, 504s only go so far, and there’s room for improvement. We still need a ramp.
Fortunately, improvements have been made since our son was in school. Due to recent laws, public schools in Arkansas are now mandated to screen for and remediate dyslexia, and the Little Rock School District hired a dyslexia specialist, Clinton School graduate Chandle Devor Carpenter, in 2018. “As educators, our job is to teach so that all students can learn, but many of us didn’t know how,” Carpenter said. Her duties include building systems to address the needs of dyslexic students, providing professional development that addresses dyslexia awareness, offering support to dyslexia interventionists, and collaborating with the literacy team to develop a district-wide literacy plan. By all accounts, she has begun to implement a robust program; sadly, however, the pandemic has complicated matters, causing parents and teachers to worry that some students may fall through the cracks. Private schools are exempt from these laws, so screening and remediation vary school to school.
Newton from Access strikes an upbeat note: “Having dyslexia doesn’t mean that there’s an inability to learn. … I try to show my families the silver lining.” It’s not an easy path and can be a lifelong battle, but heartening news is on the horizon. For one thing, neurodiversity is becoming a competitive advantage in the workplace. Major corporations like Microsoft at times actively recruit dyslexics and others with learning differences because of their ability to think outside the box. Our dyslexic, who railed against school for the entirety of his K-12 years, is now thriving in art school and at work. Even though Harrison is now considered a “compensated” dyslexic, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever enjoy curling up with a good book (unless it’s illustrated) — reading will always be slow-going — but we, his parents, can now see that silver lining with greater clarity. We’re starting to believe that it’s because of, not despite, that beautiful, imperfect brain of his that he’s living from a place of creativity and curiosity — and on the way to becoming his most authentic self.
