Let's Talk About The Myths Regarding Dyslexia!

I was recently asked to include a few items on my blog regarding Dyslexia. The first article submitted to me talked about "15 Common Myths About Dyslexia". I want to address each point of this article from the standpoint of a spouse of someone with Dyslexia and a parent of two children with Dyslexia. My responses are in italics.

Most people have heard of dyslexia and might even know someone who has it, but how many really know just what kind of learning difficulties it causes? Like most learning disabilities, there are a lot of myths and bits of misinformation surrounding dyslexia, and it can sometimes be difficult to separate fact from fiction, especially for those who don’t have or don’t know much about the condition.

Whether you’re pursuing a college degree in special education, have dyslexia yourself, or know someone who does, we’ve collected some of the most common misconceptions here so you can gain a better understanding of just what it all actually means — without all the potentially damaging myths getting in the way.

I want to first address the label of Dyslexia. I have the same problem with the label of Dyslexia as I have with a lot of labels. The label Dyslexia deals with a broad spectrum of learning differences. If you are told your child is Dyslexic it doesn't necessarily tell you what your child's specific issues are and what to do about them. The label itself is an umbrella that covers many different learning issues that are commonly associated together. But just like Down syndrome, no two Dyslexic children are alike. In my own family, my two children that would be given the label Dyslexia are very different. It is much more valuable to figure out what areas of a child's neurodevelopmental profile are not functioning properly. Are they cross dominant, do they have a visual or auditory processing issue, do they have a visual convergence issue, is there a fine motor issue involved? My son Ben is cross dominant and has an integration deficit in regard to his auditory processing while Sam is cross dominant but has an auditory decoding deficit in regard to his auditory processing, fine motor issues and he has visual and convergence issues.

1. People with dyslexia are less intelligent

   Despite the long-standing belief that if you can’t read well, you aren’t intelligent, there is no link between dyslexia and IQ. People of all intelligence levels can have the learning disability. Contrary to popular belief, there are quite a few highly intelligent, accomplished people out there who have difficulty reading due to dyslexia. Among them? William Butler Yeats, Albert Einstein, John Irving, and Charles Schwab.

   I find my husband and my sons to be highly intelligent. They may struggle with reading and writing but this in no way hinders their intelligence. In fact from our personal experience I would have to say that they are gifted in the area of mechanical aptitude and problem solving, just don't ask them to write things out for you...let them show you. The second item I was asked to include in my blog is a list of famous Dyslexic people. You can find this list at Patricia Duggan's site Psychology Degree or click on the word list to go directly to her site.

2. Reversing letters is a definitive sign of dyslexia

   Can reversing letters hint that a child may have dyslexia? Yes. But it is also a common phenomenon among children just learning how to write. They are still honing their fine motor skills, and it often takes some time for both dyslexic and non-dyslexic kids to properly form their letters. It actually may be more telling if a student has trouble naming the letters (a much stronger indicator of dyslexia), as only 10% of the diagnosed exhibit reversal symptoms.

   All three of my children had letter and number reversals. Yep, that's right I said all three. However Danielle does not have Dyslexia but letter reversal was something we saw as she was learning to write. Neither Ben nor Sam had any difficulty naming letters. Sam continues to have an issue with letter sound identification but that has more to do with his hearing and processing issues.

3. Only a specialist can help an individual with dyslexia

   Getting professional help can be great for children with dyslexia, but it isn’t the only option. Parents have a wide variety of ways to help out at home as well, particularly involving assistance with reading, writing, homework, and feeling comfortable and valued. These efforts can be just as important as the leg up sought through schools and specialists, and parents don’t need a degree in special education — just patience and love.

   I absolutely agree with this statement. I have had to learn how to work with Ben and Sam and have assisted them through their educational journey. For our family I have found the most helpful information and knowledge was given to us by The National Association For Child Development (NACD), www.nacd.org. They helped to understand the underlying issues for both of our boys and gave me strategies and exercises to overcome the challenges. I encourage every parent to learn as much as they can, attend conferences, do research, have your child evaluated, join listserves, read articles and books and never ever give up.

4. Girls can’t have dyslexia

   While dyslexia is more common in boys than girls (a phenomenon still baffling researchers), it is not exclusively male. In a 2004 study, 6% of girls ages three to 17 had a reading-related learning disability. It is notable, however, that some believe there is no discrepancy at all. Rather, they think the gap between diagnoses stems from differing societal gender expectations rather than actual lack of reading ability. Either way, it’s important to watch both male and female children for signs that he or she is struggling with reading.

   In our family, the girls don't have dyslexia...but we might have some other issues.

5. Dyslexia can be outgrown

   As children grow up, they may struggle less and less with dyslexia, as they learn new methods to improve their reading and spelling skills. The reality is, however, the learning disability will follow any child into adulthood and cannot simply be outgrown. It is a lifelong battle for many, and even those who’ve mastered these skills will still read slowly and not automatically.

   Hmmmm...I agree and disagree. If you are able to work on the specific areas of the neurodevelopmental profile that are affected I think you can resolve all or most of the problems. However if you do not figure out what those areas are or a child decides they do not want to do the work involved in eliciting a change I agree that the child will learn methods and compensatory skills that will help elevate their issues but they will continue to have some challenges and struggles into adulthood.

   Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed in young children

6. While some children aren’t found to have dyslexia until later, professionals and specialists in the field can accurately diagnose it as early as age five. Many schools will not test children for dyslexia before 3rd grade, wasting precious time and causing undue difficulties. Parents who believe their child may have a learning disability should pursue testing as early as possible, as an early diagnosis can help kids get the help they need before their difficulties become more pronounced.

   Again I will reiterate that it is more important to find the underlying issues that present themselves as a learning disability or label of Dyslexia. To get your child the best help possible you have to go beyond the label. Ben and Sam have different issues and we work with each of them differently although their diagnosis would be the same. I didn't want a one size fits all approach to addressing the needs of either of my children. Pinpointing your child's specific needs is crucial to helping them succeed.

7. There is a cure for dyslexia

   Dyslexia is not a disease, it is an educational issue. As such, there is no cure. Individuals who have the condition cannot outgrow or get rid of their reading difficulties. They can, however, learn to overcome them, and there are number of successful treatments and programs to boost competence in reading, writing, and spelling abilities — though they may continue to struggle throughout their lives.

   I would answer this the same way I answered the myth about a child outgrowing Dyslexia.

8. Children with dyslexia simply lack in phonics instruction

   There is no indication that additional phonics training will help a student with dyslexia. In fact, many children with the condition already have a pretty good grasp on phonics — they just can’t apply it. Knowing how the word should be sounded out and being able to do it are two different things, and the inability to reconcile them is a key issue that many dyslexics face. While phonics tutoring can be a big help to children (and adults) with dyslexia, do not believe claims that it will cure or eliminate any difficulties.

   For both of our boys site word reading was the way to go. I will never forget sounding out the word "cat" for Ben and then asking him what word did I just sound out. He had no idea because he couldn't put the sounds together. Phonics rules were taught to Ben but he wasn't able to use them until he became more skilled in his reading.

9. The solution for dyslexic children is to read out loud more

   Some parents and educators would like to believe that practice makes perfect, but for children with dyslexia, this method simply won’t work. Reading out loud will not teach them how to pronounce words and may push them towards other methods, like context clues, to simply guess at what the page says. Only structured tutoring and practicing phonemic awareness skills can help dyslexics improve their reading.

   Again understanding and addressing the underlying issues makes reading easier. Ben did not like to read aloud, Sam likes to read aloud, Ben loved books on tape, Sam doesn't listen to books on tape. Ben does well with Kurzweil (an adaptive technology program that reads to him), Sam can not understand the voice on Kurzweil.

10. Dyslexia is rare

    Unfortunately, dyslexia is all too common. The NIH estimates that it impacts over 20% of the U.S. population. This means one in five people will have varying degrees of difficulty writing, reading, and spelling. Often, individuals have very mild dyslexia that goes overlooked or undiagnosed and receive little assistance with their reading difficulties.

    I think processing issues are often overlooked and rarely diagnosed correctly. We need to stop looking at the symptoms, ie reading/writing difficulty and instead find the underlying cause and address those issues.

11. It is too late to help adults with dyslexia

    While it is best for those with dyslexia to get help early on, there is never a time too late for individuals to address it. There is a wide range of training and tutoring programs that can help adults with dyslexia improve their reading skills and phonological abilities. In fact, many of the same methods used to teach children can help adults with the condition as well.

    I do believe that the same methods and strategies used to help children can help adults. Jeff will be using Ben's program Dragon Naturally Speaking to help him dictate emails, letters and quotes at the office.

12. Dyslexia only affects a person’s ability to read

    One of the more noticeable effects of having dyslexia is difficulty reading, but this isn’t the only ability that may be affected. Children with the condition may also struggle with sequential memory and following directions, which can make tasks like tying shoes, doing mathematics, or typing just as challenging as reading. All of which could easily cause a wide range of other challenges in an educational setting.

    I feel like I'm repeating myself a lot, but again it is more important to figure out the underlying causes. In our family we see issues with auditory and visual processing, fine motor skills, reading, writing, spelling, math and organizational skills.

13. If a child can read, he or she can’t have dyslexia

    Being able to read isn’t a sign that a child doesn’t have dyslexia. Many kids get quite good at using reading strategies like context clues, word shapes, and guessing to give the appearance of literacy. The reality is that many have auditory processing problems preventing them from hearing a word’s individual sounds, so they cannot read by sounding out the letters. When reading progresses to higher grade levels, these alternative strategies no longer work. Many kids are diagnosed with dyslexia later on, despite appearing to read fine early in life.

    My guys showed issues early on. I was sure Ben had issues when he was four and Sam came to us with many different issues and he added more along the way.

14. All children with dyslexia will get help from LD programs

    Not all children with dyslexia meet the requirements for learning disability programs offered through school. In fact, many only accept those with the most severe reading difficulties. While over 80% of children with a learning disability have dyslexia, only 1 in 10 will qualify for special education. This means that parents, tutors, and help outside the school are a must for many students who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing.

    In our situation, Ben never wanted to be in LD or special ed classes. He knew he could understand what they were teaching he just needed help to show his work on paper and he needed assistive technology help with his reading and writing. I felt Ben needed the challenge of the regular curriculum to keep him focused on school and to keep him from getting bored which would have had a negative impact on his behavior.

15. Children with dyslexia will never learn to read well

    Will dyslexia always affect an individual’s ability to read? Yes, but it doesn’t mean they can’t learn to become good readers and writers with a little help from tutoring and school interventions. Many people with dyslexia have gone on to become successful authors, scientists, and businesspeople, so there is no reason to believe it curses one to a life without reading — it just might prove more of a challenge for them than others.

    The last point is the same one I have made over and over in regards to this article. If the underlying issues are figured out and worked on great improvement can be seen.

    As someone who has been on this journey for awhile I have learned that a label of Dyslexia gets me services in the school district but it didn't tell me enough about the challenges my children were facing. To help them I had to understand them. I suggest families look at neurodevelopmental programs and see if that is a possibility for their family situation. If not research, read and attend conferences and workshops but first and foremost really get to know your children. Knowing what their strengths and challenges are is very important. Facing these types of challenges can affect a child's self esteem and it is important to focus and help them pursue their strengths and those things that truly interest them. Ben's work ethic, interest in vehicles, love of making money and his natural curiosity on understanding how things work and how to make them better is his driving force. Sam's love of food, travel, swimming and being with his family is his driving force. A label of Dyslexia is not the end of the world. In my experience the label came with it's challenges but it also presented some amazing strengths. Ben's amazing memory, problem solving, mechanical aptitude, persistence and determination is going to take him far in this world. Sam's positive attitude, persistence and curiosity will continue to help him figure out what he really wants to do as he gets older.

    Both of my boys are learning how to overcome challenges, how to compensate, how to problem solve and how to become the best that they can be. With their level of persistence I don't think anything can hold them back!!

Helping Teachers Understand Dyslexia

In my last post I talked about the importance of writing a letter of introduction to your child's teachers. This letter should contain some history, your child's strengths and weaknesses and your hopes and dreams for their future.

Along with that letter, I also outline from various sources what is Dyslexia, what is it like to be Dyslexic and how Dyslexia affects my particular child. Every child with Dyslexia is different and it is important to help your child's teacher understand how your child is affected. Here is the supporting documentation I give with the letter of introduction, it is long so bear with me, the information is important.

What is Dyslexia?
After having done much research on Dyslexia, I wanted to provide you with an overview of Dyslexia and indicate areas that affect Ben. Like most diagnosis, no two children are alike and Ben does not have some of the issues commonly associated with Dyslexia such as delayed speech or social interaction issues.

Dyslexia is a kind of mind. Very often it is a gifted mind - there have been many famous, productive, creative dyslexics. Every one of us is unique, different from everyone else, and people's ways of coming to terms with language are some of their normal differences.
Dyslexia is a learning disability characterized by problems in expressive or receptive, oral or written language. Problems may emerge in reading, spelling, writing, speaking, or listening.

Dyslexia describes a child that learns differently. Dyslexia is not the result of low intelligence. Intelligence is not the problem. An unexpected gap exists between learning aptitude and achievement in school. The problem is not behavioral, psychological, motivational, or social. Their problems in language processing distinguish them as a group. This means that the dyslexic has problems translating language into thought, as in listening or reading, or thought into language, as in writing or speaking. Dyslexics are average or above average in intelligence. They tend to excel in architecture, engineering, science, music, art and sometimes math. They like, and are good at, hands-on activities. They often have the knack to see the "big picture" with comparative ease.

What it feels like to be Dyslexic:

When speaking to groups, I explain that being dyslexic is like running a 100-meter track race. In my lane I have hurdles, but no one else does. I have this feeling that it's unfair that I’m the only one with hurdles but don’t know how to explain it. Soon the feeling leaves me as the starting gun shoots and I take off running. I try running like the other classmates, because we have all had the same education on how to run. But then I hit the first hurdle and fall flat on my face. My parents and teachers are yelling at me from the sidelines “ try harder, the other kids are making it down the track ok, you must be lazy or slow”. Pulling myself up I try running faster and fall even harder after hitting the next hurdle. Then someone takes the time to show me how to run hurdles and like an Olympic hurdler, I outrun the other classmates. The key, though, is that I have to do it differently, the way that works best for me. Learning is like a tailored suit; it takes a while and is unique to everyone.- Girard j. Sagmiller

When we first began to figure out that Ben was different I came across the following information on Dyslexia and checked off the areas that Ben struggled with as a small child and the areas he struggles with now:

Common Signs: Pre-School
May talk later than most children
May have difficulty pronouncing words, i.e., busgetti for spaghetti, mawn lower for lawn mower May be slow to add new vocabulary words
May be unable to recall the right word √
May have difficulty with rhyming
May have trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes, how to spell and write his or her name √
May have trouble interacting with peers
May be unable to follow multi-step directions or routines
Fine motor skills may develop more slowly than in other children √
May have difficulty telling and/or retelling a story in the correct sequence
Often has difficulty separating sounds in words and blending sounds to make words √

Common Signs: Grades K-4
Has difficulty decoding single words (reading single words in isolation) √
May be slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds √
May confuse small words – at - to, said - and, does - goes √
Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including: -- letter reversals – d for b as in, dog for bog √
Word reversals – tip for pit √
Inversions – m and w, u and n √
Transpositions – felt and left √
Substitutions – house and home √
May transpose number sequences and confuse arithmetic signs (+ - x / =) √
May have trouble remembering facts √
May be slow to learn new skills; relies heavily on memorizing without understanding √
May be impulsive and prone to accidents √
May have difficulty planning
Often uses an awkward pencil grip (fist, thumb hooked over fingers, etc.) √
May have trouble learning to tell time √
May have poor fine-motor coordination √

Common Signs: Grades 5-8
Is usually reading below grade level √
May reverse letter sequences – soiled for solid, left for felt √
May be slow to discern and to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other reading and spelling strategies √
May have difficulty spelling, spells same word differently on the same page √
May avoid reading aloud √
May have trouble with word problems in math √
May write with difficulty with illegible handwriting; pencil grip is awkward, fist-like or tight √
May avoid writing √
May have slow or poor recall of facts
May have difficulty making friends
May not understand body language and facial expressions of others
May have trouble with non-literal language (idioms, jokes, proverbs, slang)
May forget to hand in homework or to bring in homework √
May have difficulty with planning and time management √

Common Signs: High School and College Graduates
May read very slowly with many inaccuracies √
Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing √
May procrastinate reading and writing tasks √
May avoid writing √
May have trouble summarizing and outlining √
May have trouble answering open-ended questions on tests
May have poor memory skills
May not adjust well to new settings or to change
May work slowly
May have poor grasp of abstract concepts
May pay too little attention to details or focus too much on them √
May misread information √
May not complete assignments; may complete them and not hand them in
May have an inadequate store of knowledge from previous reading
May have difficulty with planning and time management

Common Signs: Adults

May hide their reading problems; many subterfuges
May spell poorly; relies on others
Avoids writing; may not be able to write
Often very competent in oral language
Relies on memory; may have excellent memories
Often has good “people” skills
Often is spatially talented; engineers, architects, designers, artists and craftspeople, mathematicians, physicists, physicians (especially orthopads, surgeons), dentists
May be very good at “reading” people (intuitive)
In jobs is often working well below their intellectual capacity
May have difficulty with planning and organization
May have difficulty with time; often too early, late or forgets appointments.
Relies on digital watches; cannot tell time
Often entrepreneurs; may have lost one or more businesses they started

Here are the basic abilities all dyslexics share including Ben:

They can utilize the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions (the primary ability). They are highly aware of the environment. They are more curious than average. They think mainly in pictures instead of words. They are highly intuitive and insightful. They think and perceive multi-dimensionally (using all the senses). They can experience thought as reality. They have vivid imaginations.

Struggles in School

Ben struggles with Reading although we have worked on this and brought him close to grade level. His biggest struggles are in Writing and Spelling.

I have detailed each area of difficulty as I have observed, been told by his teachers and tutors and by Ben himself:

Difficulties with reading

In reading, Ben has an inability to remember letters, words, or numbers. He often substitutes names he knows for names he does not. He has no ability to scan text to locate answers, he either compensates with his great memory, reads the full text over or just gives up and gets the answer wrong. When attempting to read, he has a tendency to skip over or scramble letters, words, and sentences. He often looses his place while reading. He tends to have a poor, slow, fatiguing reading ability prone to compensatory head tilting, near-far focusing (which we have worked on with his home program), and finger pointing. Ben still struggles with reversals of letters such as b and d, words such as saw and was, and numbers such as 6 and 9 or 16 and 61. Additionally, Ben has poor concentration and can be easily distracted, he has some sensitivity to light, and delayed visual and phonetic processing.

Difficulties with spelling

Spelling is just plain difficult for Ben. The observation of spelling errors in short, simple words is the way in which most dyslexic children are first identified and is true for Ben. Ben often spells words in the way they would be expected to be spelled if the spelling system were rational, for example: does/dus, please/pleeze, knock/nock, search/serch, journey/jerney, etc. He sometimes amazes me on how he can remember to spell longer words like “component” but then can’t spell “when”.

Ben also experiences difficulties with jumbled spellings. These are spelling attempts in which all the correct letters are present, but are written in the wrong order. Examples include: dose/does, freind/friend, siad/said, bule/blue, becuase/because, and wores/worse. Jumbled spellings show that the child is experiencing difficulty with visual memory. Non-dyslexic children and adults often use their visual memory when trying to remember a difficult word: they write down two or three possible versions of the word and see which spelling “looks right.” They are relying on their visual memory to help them, however Ben is unable to do this.

Writing letters or numbers backward

Children who are learning to write invariably will write letters backward. However, Ben often mixes up “b”, “d”, ”q” or “p” and the numbers 9 & 6. These letters are the same in their mirror image and cause him a great deal of confusion. When Ben becomes fatigued or is in a hurry he will write the letter “b” as an upper case or capital “B,” because it is much easier for him to remember in terms of the direction it faces. When Ben becomes fatigued he inserts capital letters in the middle of words. I have often used the font Lexia to assist Ben with his reading. This font assists dyslexics in distinguishing b, d, p, q, 9 & 6 because they all look different in this particular font.

Ben still struggles with left and right. He compensates by taking the time to remember which hand he uses to shift his motor bike.

By far my biggest worry with Ben is to keep his self esteem intact. He understands he has struggles that other students don’t but he struggles with appearing different than his fellow students.

NACD

Ben has been on a home program through NACD, http://www.nacd.org/ since 4th grade. I homeschooled Ben in 4th grade to work specifically on reading, auditory processing, spelling strategies, and to help him research Dyslexia so he could come to understand his struggles and realize that they need not hold him back from accomplishing great things.

What are we looking for as Ben’s Parents

We want to see Ben succeed and not have his struggles overcome his abilities. Ben is a very bright boy but he learns differently. Ben can give good verbal answers but if he has to write them, he will reduce them down to something that will not make the grade. We would like to see adaptive technologies (Kurzweil, Dragon Naturally Speaking) utilized to assist Ben in making his educational process easier and more rewarding for him.

General Strategies for Teachers from Research

For dyslexics in school, it is often the way information is relayed rather than the difficulties most dyslexics have with basic skills that is the main issue to consider when teaching to the dyslexic. Key points for teachers include:
Focus on strengths while working on weaknesses. Provide a clear subject overview. Match teaching approach with learning style (ask the student how they feel they learn best). Link key concepts and constantly revisit previously covered areas of work, applying new knowledge when appropriate. Provide clear and concise visual handouts using plenty of diagrams, mind maps and even pictures. Use large text, preferably on colored paper. Build confidence by enabling the student to present work in a format that they feel confident with, i.e., verbally, through a mind map or even as a drawing. All of these forms of relaying information can prove to be at an equal level of understanding to that of a long essay and in many situations showing an even higher level of understanding. Promote good practice relating to the organization of students’ work. A dyslexic might have a weakness in this area. Files with color-coded subject areas for example will enable the individual to develop their organization skills (Juggins).

Varied Teaching Approaches Work Best

Using varied teaching approaches benefits all students but is essential when working with a dyslexic. Traditional teaching techniques are designed for the learning style of sequential learners. Concepts are introduced in a step-by-step fashion, practiced with drill and repetition, assessed under timed conditions, and then reviewed. This process works for sequential learners whose learning progresses in a step-by-step manner from easy to difficult material. By way of contrast, dyslexic learners are global thinkers. They need to see the whole picture before they can understand the parts (Evans).

The use of visual aids, such as video and other forms of visual representation, are of key importance to the dyslexic’s understanding. Visual diagrams and bullet points enable the dyslexic to see and understand the information being relayed more effectively and in a far shorter time. Plowing through truckloads of text is time consuming and often tiring. Short-term memory difficulties means that usually what is read never fully gets remembered or understood. Using diagrams, models and charts as notes are a useful tool in linking concepts and revising subject areas at speed. Unlike heavy blocks of swaying text, images are usually pleasurable to look at for the dyslexic. The diagrams that promote learning and itemize key points should be plain and to the point to be most effective. (Juggins)