By Richard Selznick, PhD, Psychologist
Director of the Cooper Learning Center, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper
When I ask parents if they know what dyslexia is, a large majority will say something like: “Isn’t that when you read upside down and backwards?”
Most parents are surprised when I explain to them that, of the thousands of dyslexic children we have assessed and treated at the Cooper Learning Center since 1995, virtually none of them read upside down or backwards.
In fact, we work with parents to help them understand what dyslexia actually is and what its characteristics can look like. Above all, it’s important for parents to seek an accurate diagnosis and timely and appropriate remediation for their child.
Recognizing and Understanding Dyslexia
Dyslexia is defined as 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 (phonics) abilities. These difficulties typically are the result of weaknesses that are seen in the phonological (sound) system of the language.
Take, for example, Sarah, an 8-year-old third-grader recently assessed at the Cooper Learning Center who was found to have dyslexia:
For Sarah, reading was a laborious chore, something that she avoided at all costs. Tensions were high each night around homework time. Our assessment of Sarah showed that she had great trouble with decoding (phonics) and that she frequently substituted words while she read (e.g., “pricopinny” for “porcupine”), which interrupted the flow of meaning in the text. The results of the testing and Sarah’s history suggested that she was dyslexic, yet there were no signs of reversals or upside down reading.
Helping Sarah’s parents understand that Sarah had a legitimate problem was essential. Like most families in these situations, Sarah’s parents needed to lighten up on the homework-time tension, yelling and pressure about reading. They needed to understand that Sarah’s difficulties were not the result of her not trying hard enough.
First Step: Assessment
When a school’s child study team performs an assessment, the primary focus is to determine whether the child has significant enough needs to warrant a special education classification. However, many children with a mild-to-moderate reading disability are struggling, but they are not seen as eligible for services. This can result in parents feeling perplexed about what else they can do since their child will not be receiving services from the school. It also is important to understand that “dyslexia” is not a category that exists in the special education code in the state of New Jersey. The category that is used in the special education code when the child is classified is “specific learning disability.”
Seeking an outside evaluation is an alternative. Outside assessments are not governed by state special education code. With outside assessments, the focus typically is not special education eligibility but a more basic question: Does the child have a problem? If so, how mild, moderate or severe is it? Such an assessment provides a snapshot as to where the child is in his/her stage of reading, writing and spelling development. Once that stage is known, then a remedial plan targeting specific areas follows.
For example, many children with a reading disability such as dyslexia remain stuck in an early stage of development, as was the case with Sarah. What this means is that a great deal of work will be needed to help the child master sight words (the commonly occurring words) and basic phonic patterns, which are the skills of early phases of development. A child who is in a somewhat later stage of development may receive remediation on more complex word patterns and reading fluency. The assessment provides the roadmap.
Also, assessment can be very energizing to children with dyslexia because it can help them realize that they are not “dumb” or “stupid” as they might have come to believe.
Next Step: Remediation
Learning to read is not that different from learning how to play music. For some people, learning to play music is fairly effortless; they are very musically inclined and have a great ear and a natural facility for playing music. For others, it is a much tougher road. They need much more explicit instruction and practice. Repetition to mastery is essential. It’s the same way with reading.
When a child has a reading disability (dyslexia) she/he requires specialized approaches to help overcome the areas of deficiency. Such children require direct, individualized instruction delivered in a manner that is highly explicit, structured and multisensory. It is essential that the instruction be provided in a supportive and encouraging style. The remediation cannot be rushed, as it is crucial that skill mastery at each step is achieved before moving on to the next step.
Later Stages
Once a child with dyslexia gains greater confidence, we can help the child’s skill development by shifting to reading less-controlled material and reading fluently. Additionally, there can be a greater emphasis on developing vocabulary and learning how to comprehend the text more effectively.
“Getting Around the Problem”
Along with the specialized, explicit instruction, there are different ways of getting around the problem of dyslexia. One of the best is the use of assistive technology. For example, there is a laser pen that is not very expensive that can scan over a word and read it back to the person. There are other computer-based technologies that can be very helpful to explore. These may give the child access to text material that they can understand but not yet have the facility to read independently.
Patience, Patience, Patience
It is important to understand that the process of helping a child with a learning disability such as dyslexia is rarely a rapid process. Parents and teachers need to be extremely patient and celebrate small successes. It is a long process to help the child overcome his/her difficulties and gain self-confidence. Finding the right type of assessment and follow-up remediation are the essential steps to helping the child achieve those successes.
To learn more about the Dyslexia Assessment & Treatment Program at the Cooper Learning Center, visit http://www.cooperhealth.org/departments-programs/cooper-learning-center. To schedule an appointment or for a consultation, call 856.673.4900.
Dr. Richard Selznick, Psychologist, is the Director of the Cooper Learning Center. He is also the author of “School Struggles,” to be published in July 2012, and “The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child.”