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Appropriate Assessment of Dyslexia
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Myths About Dyslexia
1.
Dyslexia does not exist.
2. Dyslexia, or any reading disorder, cannot be identified before 3rd
grade.
3. It is not important to know whether a child's reading difficulties
are related specifically to dyslexia.
4. People with dyslexia cannot read at all.
5. Dyslexia is due
to bad parenting.
6. Dyslexia is due to poor teaching.
7. People with dyslexia see things backwards.
Despite what some school systems may try to argue, dyslexia does exsit, and it is important to identify
whether a child's reading difficulties are related to dyslexia. There are decades of research identifying exactly
what dyslexia is, and what can be done to treat it. Academic interventions should be based on an accurate diagnosis
of the problem...a child who struggles with reading will need different interventions than a child who struggles with reading
because of a language disorder. Historyically, learning disabilities were not diagnosed until a child's academic
performance was significantly below intellectual ability...this typically took until 3rd grade; however, we know understand
enough about dyslexia to identify it long before children fall so far behind in their reading skills. Reading disorders,
including dyslexia, can be identified well before 3rd grade, though it takes a trained professional with a solid understanding
of dyslexia to identify the early signs. Individuals with dyslexia can read, and many children with dyslexia
will make progress in their reading skills...but that progress is not as fast as the progress of other children, and ultimately
still leaves them "behind" in reading skills. Dyslexia is a neurological condition that is highly genetic;
if someone in the family has dyslexia (e.g., parent, sibling, cousin, uncle, etc.), there is a high likelihood that a child's
struggles to read are also related to dyslexia. Unfortunately, it is very common for reading disabilities in earlier
generations to not be diagnosed as dyslexia...so families should consider that family members who were smart but always struggled
in school might have dyslexia. While it may seem that individuals with dyslexia see things backwards, research
has consistently proven that this is not the case; rather, the brain processes what it sees in an inconsistent and inefficient
manner, such that the sequencing of letters is sometimes overlooked, making it appear that the person is seeing words backwards
(writing letters backwards can be related to poor mastery of the visual aspects of letters or poor motor skills).
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Dyslexia Evaluation
To appropriately assess for dyslexia, an evaluation should include the following components:
1. Measure of intellectual functioning (IQ).
2. Ability to read (or recognize) real words.
3.
Ability to "sound out" fake words that cannot be memorized.
4. Reading comprehension.
5.
Reading fluency (passage fluency).
6. Phonological awareness (ability to process and work with the sounds in
language).
7. Spelling.
8. Writing skills.
9. Listening comprehension/receptive
language skills.
10. Math reasoning and math calculation.
Other tests related to memory skills and executive
functioning abilities may be warranted, if there are concerns related to attention or memory.
A
Word of Caution
Please be aware that brief measures of academic functioning or reading
skills can lead to the false impression that a child's reading skills are age appropriate. Many children with dyslexia,
especially when bright and in the early grades, can memorize enough words to pass a test of reading real words.
It is critical that reading assessment also include decoding (i.e., sounding out) skills with fake words
that cannot be memorized. In addition, it is imperative that reading fluency (i.e., speed and accuracy) be measured
with reading passages rather than simply reading word lists, as this added complexity reflects real-word reading
and often reveals the true fluency deficit, compared to simply reading lists of words. Comprehension tests are also
important, as this will help document the negative impact of the reading difficulties. Finally, measures of spelling
and written expression are also imperative, as dyslexia affects each of these areas in addition to reading.
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Adolescent Child Specialty Services * 8455 Adair Street, Douglasville, GA * 30134 Phone: (404)310-1161
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