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Children each learn and develop at their own pace, and reading is no different from other skill building. It's common for kids to find reading challenging at one point or another. But if learning to read becomes an ongoing struggle that leaves a child falling behind their peers, it's possible that they have a learning disorder known as dyslexia.

Dyslexia is most commonly associated with trouble learning to read. It affects a child's ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in language. Kids with dyslexia have a hard time decoding new words, or breaking them down into manageable chunks they can then sound out. This causes difficulty with reading, writing and spelling. They may compensate by memorizing words, but they'll have trouble recognizing new words and may be slow in retrieving even familiar ones.

Dyslexia is not a reflection of a child's intelligence - in fact it's defined as a gap between a student's ability and achievement. Some youngsters with dyslexia are able to keep up with their peers with extra effort at least for the first few grades. But by the third grade or so, when they need to be able to read quickly and fluently in order to keep up with their work, they run into trouble.

With help and strategies for compensating for their weakness in decoding, students with dyslexia can learn to read and thrive academically. But dyslexia is not something one grows out of.

How common is dyslexia?

It is estimated that as many as one in five kids has dyslexia, and that 80 to 90 percent of kids with learning disorders have it. Sally Shaywitz, MD, co-director of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, notes that many children go undiagnosed as struggles in school are incorrectly attributed to intelligence, level of effort or environmental factors.

Although experts used to say that dyslexia occurred more often in boys than in girls, current research indicates that it affects boys and girls equally.

A young person with dyslexia may:

Struggle with learning even simple rhymes

Have a speech delay

Have trouble following directions

Repeat or omit short words such as and, the, but

Find it difficult to tell left from right

In school, children with dyslexia are likely to:

Have difficulty sounding out new words

Lack fluency compared to other children their age

Reverse letters and numbers when reading (read saw as was, for example)

Find it difficult to take notes and copy down words from the board

Struggle with rhyming, associating sounds with letters, and sequencing and ordering sounds

Stumble and have difficulty spelling even common words; frequently they will spell them phonetically (hrbr instead of harbor)

Avoid being called on to read out loud in front of classmates

Become tired or frustrated from reading

Dyslexia affects children outside of school as well. Kids with dyslexia may also:

Find it difficult to decode logos and signs

Struggle when trying to learn the rules to games

Have difficulty keeping track of multi-step directions

Struggle with getting the hang of telling time

Find it especially challenging to learn another language

Become incredibly frustrated, which can effect their mood and emotional stability

Social and emotional impacts of dyslexia

Dyslexia affects a lot more than reading - it can also impact a child socially. "A dyslexic person who has word-finding difficulties can have trouble with their expressive language," says Scott Bezsylko, the executive director of Winston Preparatory School, which specializes in teaching kids with learning disorders. "That has a social impact, in addition to your difficulties with reading and writing, that make you feel not so good about yourself."

Kids with dyslexia - particularly those who have yet to be diagnosed - often suffer from low self-esteem because they worry that there is something wrong with them, and are often accused of not trying hard enough to learn to read. "A lot of our work with dyslexic kids is to help them rediscover that they are smart and capable," notes Beszylko, "because they've stopped believing in themselves."

How is dyslexia diagnosed?

If your child isn't meeting expectations for reading, as parents you can ask the school district to perform an evaluation and share the results with you. The evaluation will test your child's intellectual capacity and reading skills, to see if there is an achievement gap. It should also rule out other potential causes like environmental factors or hearing impairment.

The school should then make recommendations on how they can support your child and maximize her learning.

If you are unhappy with the quality of the evaluation, you can also secure a private evaluation by a psychologist, a neuropsychologist, a reading specialist, a speech and language therapist, an educational evaluator or a school psychologist. This external evaluation can also be used to advocate for your child and get the accommodations and services she might need.

When should a child be evaluated?

Dyslexia can begin to reveal itself at a young age, and there are preschool evaluations that look at the child's awareness of the sounds that make up words, and ability at word retrieval. However, Matthew Cruger, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Child Mind Institute, suggests waiting until kids are at least six years old and have had some formal instruction in reading to seek out a formal evaluation.

But Dr. Shaywitz notes that as soon as a gap between intelligence and reading skills is apparent - and evidence shows it can be seen in first grade - it's a good idea to get help. Schools sometimes encourage parents to wait until the third grade to see if their child truly needs an intervention, but Dr. Shaywitz argues that the earlier intervention is important not only to help kids catch up but to boost their fragile self-image, which is damaged by continuing struggle in school and comparisons with peers.

How to help kids with dyslexia

A dyslexia diagnosis does not mean your child will never learn to read. Dr. Cruger says there are a number of programs that can help, which might include these features:

Multi-sensory instruction in decoding skills

Repetition and review of skills

Intensity of intervention - that is, more than being pulled out of class once a week for extra help

Small group or individual instruction

Teaching decoding skills

Drilling sight words

Teaching comprehension strategies, to help kids derive meaning from what they're reading

Reading programs that been shown to help kids with dyslexia include:

Dr. Cruger points out that traditional tutoring may actually be counter-productive for a child with dyslexia, particularly if it is not a positive experience. "If the child hates the experience of reading help, it's not helpful," Dr. Cruger notes. "And it's not treating the source of the problem, the decoding weakness."

Instead, Dr. Cruger emphasizes that one of the most important ways to help kids with dyslexia is to make them more comfortable reading. This can be done in part by celebrating even small victories and accomplishments, while focusing less on correcting their errors.

Accommodations for kids with dyslexia

Kids with demonstrated dyslexia are eligible for accommodations in school. "Dyslexia robs a person of time," Dr. Shaywitz explains, "and accommodations give the time back to her." Accommodations may include:

Extra time on tests

A quiet space to work

The option to record lectures

The option to give verbal, rather than written, answers (when appropriate)

Elimination of oral reading in class

Exemption from foreign language learning

Other ways to support a child with dyslexia

One of the best ways to support a child with dyslexia - or any child who is struggling - is to encourage those activities that they like and feel good at, whether it is music, joining a sports team or anything else that helps build her confidence.

To help reinforce that dyslexia is not a marker of intelligence, it can also be helpful to talk about successful people - like Whoopi Goldberg and Steven Spielberg - who have also been diagnosed with dyslexia.

Other things that may help your child with dyslexia include:

Listening to audio books as an alternative to reading

Typing on a computer or tablet instead of writing

Apps that can make learning fun by turning decoding into a game

Using a ruler to help kids read in a straight line, which can help keep them focused

Emotional support

Dyslexia can result in frustration, embarrassment, avoidance and low self-esteem as a result of difficulties performing tasks that seem to come naturally to others. Demystifying the learning disorder with your child can help him develop the tools - and resilience - necessary to manage it, both in school and in social circumstances. Some things you can do to help include:

Discuss the specific challenges that result from dyslexia: "You know how you have a hard time reading signs or copying notes from the board? That's dyslexia."

Acknowledge their effort and celebrate hard work, even if there are still mistakes: "I know how difficult that reading homework was. I am so proud of how hard you tried."

Help them recognize their strengths: "You showed such great sportsmanship and teamwork in the soccer game the other night, and that was a great goal you scored!"

Combat negative self-talk: If your child starts saying things like, "I'm just stupid," don't ignore it. Instead, check out these ideas for helping kids who are too hard on themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does dyslexia work?

How common is dyslexia?

What helps students with dyslexia?

What are the signs of dyslexia?

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Understanding Dyslexia - Child Mind Institute

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Find out how to recognize dyslexia, the most common learning disability. The Child Mind Institute on how to help kids who have trouble learning to read.

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Accommodations do not change the content of instruction, give students an unfair advantage, or change the skills or knowledge that a test measures.

Accommodations, provided for both testing and instruction, change the way students access information and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities; they do not change academic standards or expectations. The purpose of accommodations is to ensure equal access to the full school experience for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities (e.g., providing extended exam time for a student who has slow processing speed affecting academic fluency). Accommodations are adjustments made to allow a student to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities without lowering learning or performance expectations and without changing what is being measured (e.g., providing text in audio-format when academic knowledge [e.g., history, biology, literature] is the target skill being measured). Accommodations do not change the content of instruction, give students an unfair advantage, or change the skills or knowledge that a test measures. Accommodations make it possible for students with dyslexia to demonstrate their learning without being hindered by their disabilities.

Appropriate accommodations need to be an integral part of the normal cycle of teaching and testing- never reserved only for periods of assessment. Classroom accommodations make it possible for students to learn and demonstrate their learning through full participation in classroom instruction. Assessment (testing) accommodations are changes in assessment materials (e.g., large print) or procedures (e.g., extended time) that allow students to demonstrate their abilities-not their disabilities-during tests and exams. Without accommodations, an assessment may not accurately measure the knowledge and skills of a student with a learning disability (e.g., dyslexia). An accommodation does not change item or test validity.

Modifications Are Different from Accommodations

Modifications to curriculum content, homework assignments, or assessments change the nature of instruction and assessments and what students are expected to learn-but they have the advantage of allowing interaction with other students in the classroom and school. An instructional modification (i.e., homework assignments) might be assignment of math problems requiring a lower level of math knowledge-skill. A modification in curriculum content might be to teach different, lower level concepts and information (e.g., continuation of work on multiplication when other students move on to fractions). Assessment modifications might include use of a calculator on a test of math facts accuracy or text in audio-format when reading comprehension is the target skill being measured. Modifications can be allowed for both testing and instruction. If the validity of a test item or the content of instruction is affected or altered, the change is a modification-not an accommodation.

Accommodation or Modification?

Choosing between an accommodation or a modification is a decision critical for future educational choices. Modifications change instructional content and knowledge-and their assessment; accommodations do not. A student's IEP team is responsible for making formal decisions related to accommodations (or modifications, if warranted).

Choosing Accommodations Wisely and Purposefully

Each accommodation needs to be matched to the individual student's educational needs. Decide which accommodations are needed to ensure that the student is on equal footing with those who do not have a disability. Provide evidence to support choice of accommodation requests. Are the accommodations linked directly to the student's functional limitations? How? Keep in mind that the answers to these questions may not be the same for instruction and assessment.

Accommodations are only helpful if the student knows how to use them effectively.

Extra time alone rarely improves performance for students with dyslexia-or for students without learning disabilities. Not every student needs, or benefits from, extended time. Extended time provides students with time to use strategies needed to accomplish tasks inherently difficult for them (e.g., systematic decoding strategies for students with poor single word decoding skills; rereading text with complex syntax and grammar in order to comprehend). Some students, who may benefit from extended time, need to be taught how to use the extra time. Students who routinely read too fast for either accuracy or comprehension need to learn explicit word identification strategies as well as strategies for improving their reading comprehension.

Practice is the key to effective use of accommodations. Accommodations should be integrated into classroom practice before use is expected in assessment situations.

Types of Accommodations

Presentation, Response, Setting, and Timing/Scheduling are the four basic types of accommodations used during instruction and assessment:

Presentation accommodations allow students to access instructional materials in ways that do not require them to read standard print presented in a standard visual format:
Presentation Accommodations-Instruction

Verbal instructions

Repetition of instructions

Text/Instructions in audio-format

Larger print

Fewer Items per page

Visual prompts or cues (e.g., arrow pointing on page)

Alternative answer sheet

Information in songs or poems (e.g., facts, definitions).

Presentation Accommodations-Assessment

Calculator

Speech-to-Text software

Text-to-Speech software

Electronic dictionary

Spelling checker

Grammar check.

Response accommodations allow students alternatives for completion of activities, assignments, and tests. Students may be permitted to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in alternate ways, or to solve or organize their work using an electronic device or organizer.

Mark answers in test book instead of on separate answer sheet

Dictate to scribe or record oral responses on audio-recorder

Record oral responses on Livescribe pen

Point to response choices

Type (keyboard) response.

Setting accommodations change the location in which a test or assignment is given or the conditions of the assessment setting.

Individual or small group

Reduce visual and/or auditory distractions (e.g., separate desk or location within classroom-"private office")

Distraction-free setting (separate room)

Alternative furniture arrangement (e.g., facing frontèteacher for whole group lessons vs block of tables for small group work).

Timing/Scheduling accommodations change the length of time allowed for completion of a test, project, or assignment and may also change the way the time is organized (e.g., breaks):

Flexible scheduling (e.g., several sessions vs one)

Extended time

Allowing for more frequent breaks (as appropriate)

Changing order of tasks or subtests.

Organization, Study Strategies, and Increasing Accessibility to State/District Tests
Organization
In addition to the types of accommodations and examples listed, devices and strategies that help students to organize their time and their work can sometimes be helpful. Some examples are listed:

Timers to keep track of time

Highlighters to mark text

Planners for tracking assignments

Graph paper to organize math problems on paper

Color Coding (e.g., subject areas, categorization within notes).

Study Strategies

Visualization

Retelling as soon as possible after a lecture

Putting new learning into own words as soon as possible after class-talking about learning

Organizing a study group for discussion (practice).

Accommodations and State/District Tests
Accommodations provided, and routinely used, should be the same, or similar, during classroom instruction, classroom tests, and state/district tests. However, some accommodations are only permitted during instruction and cannot be used on state/district assessments. Requirements vary from state to state and from district to district, but accommodations that are written into students' IEPs and 504 plans should be available.

The 2004 reauthorization of IDEA requires states to have accommodation guidelines for assessments and to report the number of students using accommodations during state and district assessments. All fifty states currently have published guidelines indicating the specific assessment accommodations that are permitted. Policies in some states also include instructional accommodations. The purpose of these state guidelines is to ensure that test scores actually reflect what students know and are able to do. For those states that have adopted Common Core State Standards, CCSS testing companies have created universal accessibility features (e.g., magnified text, repetition of instructions, scratch paper, digital notepad for note-taking, spell-check software, use of a highlighter) available to all students taking these tests. Details of accessibility features and requirements and guidelines for provision of accommodations, different for each of the two CCSS testing companies, are included in the following documents:

PARCC Accessibility Features and Accommodations Manual (link)

Road to Success for Students with Dyslexia: Intervention and Accommodations-with Appropriate Intensity and Duration

An accommodation is not a substitute for appropriate intervention-remediation. An accommodation, such as extended time, can be the bridge between success and failure for a student with dyslexia-the critical difference that levels the playing field. To achieve this success, students with dyslexia usually require a purposefully planned combination of intervention-remediation (with appropriate intensity and duration) and accommodations:

Intervention specific to the patterns of individual strengths and challenges of each student provides the opportunity for academic achievement; this specialized instruction is not a crutch but a lifeline.

Accommodations level the playing field for students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities; they do not give an unfair advantage.

As either a parent or a teacher, do not assume a student learns the same way you do.

Always keep the goal in mind-and plan instruction, assessment, and accommodations accordingly.

Please note that this fact sheet does not provide a comprehensive list of accommodations-only a sampling of options. It is up to families and each student's instructional team to explore alternatives as they plan the optimal combination of instruction and accommodations that is the best match for each student.
Helpful Resources
National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD): www.understood.org; Accommodations: What They Are and How They Work

ADA-Americans with Disabilities Act-Testing Accommodations https://www.ada.gov/regs2014/testing_accommodations.pdf

Accommodations, Modifications, and Alternate Assessments: How They Affect Instruction and Assessment

High-Stakes Assessment (Teaching LD) http://www.dldcec.org/ld_resources/alerts/4.htm

Forum on Accommodations in the 21 st Century: Critical Considerations for Students with Disabilities. Joint Publication of National Center on Educational Outcomes. https://nceo.umn.edu/docs/OnlinePubs/AccommodationsForumReport2011.pdf
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) thanks Nancy Cushen White, Ed.D., BCET, CALT-QI, for her assistance in the preparation of this fact sheet.
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). IDA encourages the reproduction and distribution of this fact sheet.
If portions of the text are cited, appropriate reference must be made. Fact sheets may not be reprinted for the purpose of resale. © Copyright 2020. The International Dyslexia Association (IDA). For copyright information, pleaseclick here.

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Accommodations for Students with Dyslexia - International Dyslexia Association

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Stephen Spielberg, Whoopi Goldberg, Cher-people often cite these celebrities as individuals who managed to thrive despite the potential limitations of their dyslexia. While it's encouraging to know that people can overcome the challenges of this learning difference, educators need practical tools to help them support students with dyslexia.

An advanced degree in education can equip educators with key teaching strategies for students with dyslexia, helping to ensure equity for all learners.

What Is the Definition of Dyslexia?

By definition, dyslexia is a learning disorder that includes trouble recognizing language sounds and how they relate to written language, also known as "decoding." Areas in the brain responsible for processes that detect and link sounds to their corresponding letters don't function in people with dyslexia the same way that they do in people without it. Research published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities suggests dyslexia can affect up to one in five people.

Although it doesn't impair development or intellectual functioning, this variation in neuro processing makes it difficult for students with dyslexia to quickly and accurately hear, store, remember, and produce different speech sounds. As a result, students with dyslexia can struggle with reading, writing, and spelling. They frequently take longer to decode words when reading and may have limited comprehension of what they've read. They also may have trouble rapidly verbalizing responses to what they see.

Dyslexia Symptoms

Dyslexia presents itself in various ways, but a student's age strongly factors into the symptoms teachers may observe.

Students with dyslexia in grades K-5 struggle to remember letter names and sounds. Recognizing sight words also poses a problem. When reading aloud, these students may substitute words and confuse letters with similar appearances or sounds. For example, students commonly mix up the letters b and d.

Additional signs of dyslexia in this age group include difficulties:

Blending letter sounds

Sounding out unfamiliar words

Recognizing words that rhyme

Skipping smaller words such as of and by when reading aloud

Spelling the same word consistently

Remembering important details from readings

It's common for younger students with dyslexia to feel frustrated and overwhelmed when reading. Many avoid reading as much as possible.

Students in grades 6-12 may have a hard time recalling common abbreviations and acronyms such as approx. and ASAP. These students may need much more time to read assignments than their peers. When speaking, they may struggle to find the right words and use substitutes instead. For example, they may substitute the word gate for fence.

Other common signs of dyslexia for older students include:

Taking notes and copying material from the board

Following multistep instructions

Spelling all words phonetically

Summarizing stories

Making sense of jokes, idioms, and puns

Reading at a normal or quick pace

Effects of Dyslexia on Students

Dyslexia can significantly affect students in classroom environments, especially when educators don't use inclusive teaching strategies for students with dyslexia to help address its related challenges. For starters, dyslexia can impede a student's academic progress. Students with dyslexia may struggle to keep up with their peers. Their basic skills, such as word reading, can fall below grade level, as do their reading comprehension and analysis skills.

Research also shows that dyslexia can affect students' ability to perform across the curriculum. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Learning Disabilities found that students with dyslexia performed well below their peers in both reading and math. Such learning deficits build up over time, making it more and more challenging for students with dyslexia to experience academic success.

In addition to its academic impact, dyslexia has social and emotional impacts. As noted, some students with dyslexia struggle to find words, making it hard for them to express themselves. This can interfere with their ability to make social and emotional connections.

At some point, students with dyslexia also begin to notice that they don't learn as fast as their peers. This may cause them to question their intelligence and develop low self-esteem. It may also cause them to withdraw or misbehave out of frustration.

Tips for Teaching Students With Dyslexia

While students with dyslexia face challenges, they can still thrive in school if given the right support. Teaching strategies for students with dyslexia can help these learners compensate for the different ways that their brains process information, giving them a chance to succeed academically.

Incorporate Multisensory Learning

In many classrooms, students rely almost entirely on their sight and hearing to learn. Multisensory learning aims to incorporate tactile and kinesthetic activities into the learning process as well. This gives students with dyslexia more ways to understand, remember, and recall new information.

Multisensory learning engages students in movements and activities that involve touch. This, coupled with the use of visual and auditory materials, creates multiple opportunities for students with dyslexia to absorb and retain information. It also helps take abstract ideas and turn them into something more concrete.

Multisensory activities may include:

Sand Writing

For sand writing activities, students receive paper plates with sand. The teacher calls out a sound and students repeat it. Students then trace a letter in the sand corresponding to that sound as they verbalize the letter's name and sound.

This kinesthetic activity stimulates the brain in many different ways, giving students a greater chance of successful retention.

Blending Boards

For blending board activities, teachers use large cards printed with individual letters; digraphs, such as ph and ck; or blends, such as sh and st, to form a CVC word: a word consisting of a consonant, a vowel, and a consonant. To help students read the word, the teacher covers up the letters and reveals them one by one. Students produce the sound of each letter individually and then blend them together to read the word in its entirety.

Arm Tapping

For arm tapping activities, teachers display a card with a word written on it. Using their dominant hand, students say the letters of the word. As they say each letter, they simultaneously tap their arms, starting from their shoulder down to their wrist. Next, students say the whole word and sweep their hands down their arms as if underlining the word.

Use Assistive Technology

Assistive technology empowers students with dyslexia to overcome some of the challenges that hold them back. These tools help students save time and give them a chance to showcase their abilities and knowledge in ways not possible before. Assistive technologies range from recording devices that allow students to take notes to voice recognition tools that transform speech into text on a screen.

Assistive technologies that can help students keep pace with their classmates include:

Pocket Spellcheckers

These devices contain dictionaries that recognize phonetically misspelled words. Students type in a word to the best of their ability and the spellchecker provides the word's correct spelling through text or audio. Students with dyslexia can use this tool to build their confidence when writing and get instant feedback on their spelling.

Line Readers

Some students with dyslexia struggle to see words accurately on the page. Letters may appear to be moving or students may see them in the wrong order. Line readers can help eliminate some of these distractions. The tool highlights a single line of text at a time and blocks the surrounding areas. This helps students keep their place and stay focused.

Digital Scanning Pens

Digital scanning pens can capture both handwritten and digital text and transmit it to a mobile device or a computer. Some versions of the tool read text out loud as a user scans it.

Provide Appropriate Accommodations

Students with dyslexia often have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) that lay out accommodations appropriate to their needs. Educators are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these accommodations, which may include the following:

Extended time to take tests

The option to provide oral answers rather than written ones

Exemption from reading out loud in class

A quiet study space

Additionally, when introducing new material, teachers can use teaching strategies for students with dyslexia such as:

Preteaching vocabulary and unfamiliar ideas

Providing outlines of the lesson with space for student to add notes

Creating advance organizers that preview the material covered in the lesson

Giving students a glossary of terms used in the lesson

Teachers may also consider the following inclusive strategies when giving instructions:

Offering written step-by-step directions and reading them aloud

Keeping instructions simple

Showing students how to break assignments into smaller tasks

Providing checklists that help students monitor their understanding and progress

Underlining keywords and ideas on materials that students should read first

Giving examples of completed work, along with rubrics

Empower Dyslexic Students to Thrive

Educators who effectively employ teaching strategies for students with dyslexia open doors for a group of learners who might otherwise be stifled. With the right training, educators can gain the skills needed to empower dyslexic students. Discover how AmericanUniversity's Online Master of Arts in Teaching prepares educators to create classrooms where all students can thrive.

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Teaching Strategies for Students with Dyslexia

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What is the definition of dyslexia? Explore teaching strategies for students with dyslexia that help teachers create accessible and inclusive classrooms.

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Dyslexia is defined as an unexpected difficulty in learning to read. Dyslexia takes away an individual's ability to read quickly and automatically, and to retrieve spoken words easily, but it does not dampen their creativity and ingenuity.

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Tips for Supporting Dyslexic Students in the Classroom

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What Can a Parent Do To Help a Child With Dyslexia?

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Helping Children reachtheir full potential The Children's Dyslexia Centers are nationally recognized for their dyslexia tutoring locations that provide intensive reading instruction for children in grades 1 through 12. FIND A LOCATION We Believe In a Child's Success We are a dedicated organization of people who believe every child should have access to high-quality reading [...]

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No two dyslexic children are exactly alike, and the above symptoms are just the more common ones. However, if a child is having difficulties with spelling and writing along with some of the above signs, it may be time to think about of a professional assessment. Child-Testing's diagnostic process is thorough and in compliance with state and federal law READ MORE ABOUT OUR DIAGNOSTIC PROCESS. All testing is done in your own home by a licensed school psychologist. After testing, parents will receive a comprehensive report which includes an official diagnosis along with detailed classroom accommodations for the student. Child Testing Solutions serves all Florida counties and cities, including: the entire Tampa Bay area, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Panama City, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm, Boca Raton and many more. Please call for more details. Call now (813) 468-6528.

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No two dyslexic children are exactly alike, and the above symptoms are just the more common ones. However, if a child is having difficulties with spelling and writing along with some of the above signs, it may be time to think about of a professional assessment.

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Is dyslexia a form of autism?

No, dyslexia and autism are separate conditions. Autism spectrum disorder and specific learning disorder (including dyslexia and the other two subtypes) all fall under neurodevelopmental disorders. But they aren't the same thing. You can have both at once, but having them at the same time doesn't mean one causes the other.

Similarly, dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are also separate conditions. Like autism, ADHD is in the same class as specific learning disorder, and you can also have both ADHD and dyslexia at the same time. However, they're also independent of each other, meaning having both doesn't mean one caused the other.

Is dyslexia always a learning disability?

No, dyslexia isn't always a learning disability. While developmental dyslexia (the learning disability form) is the most common type, another type is possible but much less common.

Acquired dyslexia is a form that can develop later in life. It's almost always due to another medical event or condition. Damage to your brain can disrupt processes like reading. It's most common with damage from a stroke, head injury or other illness that can injure your brain.

Is dyslexia a visual problem that causes letters to appear flipped or rotated?

Sometimes, but not always. Dyslexia is a condition that can affect your perception of letters and writing. However, not everyone experiences the exact same symptoms of dyslexia.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Having dyslexia can be frustrating or embarrassing at any age. For children, it can be a major source of fear or anxiety, especially if they don't know why they struggle to do something that others don't have trouble with. If you or your child has dyslexia, it's important to remember that it's a widespread condition. It's also not a sign that you're less intelligent, unmotivated or lazy. It's a difference in how your brain works. It creates challenges for you but doesn't have to stand between you and your goals.

If your child's teacher suspects your child has dyslexia, you can get help. Talk to your child's healthcare provider, teacher or their school administrators and specialists to learn more about how you can help your child manage and even overcome their dyslexia.

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Dyslexia: Finding a Way To Overcome Reading Difficulties

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Dyslexia is a learning disability that disrupts your ability to read. But it doesn't have to stand in the way of success.

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Accommodations: 10 Tips for Success in the Classroom

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ReadSource is a non-profit launched by The Schenck School as a means for sharing the reading expertise of the School with other struggling readers. Our mission is to empower communities to serve all students who are learning to read, especially those who struggle. This is accomplished through our teacher training offerings, direct reading remediation services, and partnerships with other schools and non-profits.

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ReadSource is a non-profit launched by The Schenck School to share the School's reading expertise with struggling readers.

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This toolkit helps parents and educators learn about dyslexia and how to support the literacy development of students with dyslexia.

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For kids with dyslexia, reading can be challenging. Spelling and writing can be challenging too. What classroom accommodations help level the playing field for students with dyslexia? Here's a look at some of the supports teachers can use to help students who struggle with reading, spelling, and writing.

Classroom materials and routines

Post visual schedules and also read them out loud.

Provide colored strips or bookmarks to help focus on a line of text when reading.

Hand out letter and number strips so the student can see how to write correctly.

Use large-print text for worksheets.

Use audiobooks like those available through services like Bookshare, a free online library for students with disabilities.

Allow the student to use a text reader like a Reading Pen or text-to-speech software.

Use speech-to-text software to help with writing.

Have on hand "hi-lo" books (books with high-interest topics for students reading below grade level).

Provide extra time for reading and writing.

Give the student multiple opportunities to read the same text.

Use reading buddies during worktime (as appropriate).

Partner up for studying - one student writes while the other speaks, or they share the writing.

Pre-teach new concepts and vocabulary.

Provide the student with typed notes or an outline of the lesson to help with taking notes.

Provide advance organizers to help the student follow along during a lesson.

Provide a glossary of content-related terms.

Use visual or audio support to help the student understand written materials in the lecture.

Give step-by-step directions and read written instructions out loud.

Simplify directions using key words for the most important ideas.

Highlight key words and ideas on worksheets for the student to read first.

Check in frequently to make sure the student understands and can repeat the directions.

Show examples of correct and completed work to serve as a model.

Provide a rubric that describes the elements of a successful assignment.

Help the student break assignments into smaller steps.

Give self-monitoring checklists and guiding questions for reading comprehension.

Arrange worksheet problems from easiest to hardest.

Completing tests and assignments

Grade the student on the content that needs to be mastered, not on things like spelling or reading fluency.

Allow understanding to be demonstrated in different ways, like oral reports, posters, and video presentations.

Provide different ways to respond to test questions, like saying the answers or circling an answer instead of filling in the blank.

Provide sentence starters that show how to begin a written response.

Provide extended time for taking tests.

Provide a quiet room for taking tests, if needed.

Do you have a student with dyslexia? Read a one-page fact sheet to learn more about this common learning difference.

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

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What types of accommodations can help students with dyslexia? Here are some classroom accommodations to talk over with your child's school.

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Parents want their children to do well at school and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Learning at home can play an important part in this when a child has dyslexia. Reading together and finding kids' computer programs and apps that support literacy skills development are a good first step. Some parents may want to work directly with their children on phonics, spelling, and homework. Others may be a bit more reluctant to take on the role of teacher. It does take a special set of skills, and it's not for everyone. Nevertheless, there is still plenty you can do to support learning at home, even if you don't directly tutor your child.

What is dyslexia?

If you haven't received a diagnosis, you may be wondering, is my child dyslexic? Not every parent knows for sure. A child with dyslexia often struggles with reading. Perhaps you have more than one child with a reading difficulty. Perhaps you or your partner or someone else in your extended family struggled to learn to read. It's possible that dyslexia is the cause.

Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that affects 10% of the population, and it can run in families. It can be mild, moderate, or severe. When a child has a specific learning difficulty like dyslexia, it does not mean they are less intelligent than their peers, they just process and learn in a different way. Dyslexia is most commonly associated with difficulties in reading and spelling. However, it can also affect an individual's ability to process and remember information, particularly at speed.

Dyslexia-friendly learning

Dyslexia isn't an illness, but it is something a child has for life. Nonetheless, with the right approach to learning the challenges associated with dyslexia can be overcome. There are also some positives. For example, some dyslexia-related strengths include enhanced spatial reasoning, creativity, and out-of-the-box thinking.

On the whole, dyslexic kids learn most easily when information is delivered in a multisensory way, in small incremental chunks, at the child's preferred pace, with opportunities for repetition, and plenty of positive reinforcement. However, a significant part of finding the "right approach" is understanding it is unique for every individual. It's important for parents to keep in mind no two children with dyslexia will struggle in the same way.

Strategies for helping a child with dyslexia at home

To parents who are supporting learning at home, we say: Good for you. You can only do your best in supporting your child's learning, so don't beat yourself up if you feel stymied in how much you can help. What's most important is for your child to know they are loved and supported outside of school.

Here are some additional things parents can try:

1. Get them to work independently.
Encourage your child to ask his or her own questions andtackle work independently - and consider that you might follow up afterward. Did you use your plan? Can you rewrite this so it's less messy? Is this your best work? Can you explain this to me, or show me how to do it?

2. Help them build a positive self-image.
In the fairly recent past, dyslexia was not well understood, and many children were unfairly labeled as thick, stupid, lazy, not trying hard enough, or being willfully uncooperative. None of it is true. Dyslexic children can have good and bad days, and remembering one day over the other can give the impression that they are being willful or lazy. In fact, they may be having to try much harder than other kids to keep up with school work, which can be tiring and can eat away at self-esteem. Remind them of their strengths and help them keep things in perspective when they're having a bad day. Read more about learning difficulties andhow parents can foster positive self-esteem in this article.

3. Set up a study space.
Each child's learning style is different. Some will be happy at the kitchen table with a buzz of activity going on around them; others will need peace and quiet to get anything done - learn more about helping children withattention difficulties and auditory processing disorder. Make sure they know they have a dedicated space to retreat to when they need it.

4. Establish some ground rules.
If you have a target for work to be completed, or have agreed one with your child's teacher, don't let him or her turn on the television or be distracted by a phone. Avoidpower struggles, and don't tolerate conflict. Parents are in charge. Clearly set out your expectations. Choosing not to finish work is choosing not to enjoy certain privileges. Be consistent. Make it clear you mean what you say, even if it takes a few days for the message to sink in.

When school is closed

Many parents are struggling with the prospect of homeschooling their child with dyslexia while schools are physically closed. If your kids are at home and there are expectations of school work to be done, having a structure to your day is very important, especially during periods of self-isolation. Decide together how the days are going to be spent. Routine can help give clarity to expectations and help everybody to be more productive. When will you wake up? When will you finish your work for school?

A structured morning might include your child working on an assignment for 45 minutes, followed by independent reading for half an hour, then a break, then work on a different assignment. They might benefit from seeing you work on a project of your own too.

Do half an hour's exercise of some kind, then prepare lunch together, and make a batch of cookies or cheese twists or a recipe which can help with fractions, weights, measures, etc. Planting some seeds in a pot or window box can involve aspects of biology, counting, measuring.

At what temperature does water boil? What's the weather like today? How do you make ice cubes? Learning doesn't have to be formal and can be a lot of fun. Parents know their children and can make it age-appropriate. Learning can just happen without anyone noticing, especially if your child is curious.

Storage and resource materials

Every child should have their own designated storage space for all those bits of paper, half-completed assignments, models, study guides, local library cards, etc. Keep them together in one place. A plastic crate works well. Parents should be resigned to the fact that their children will go on losing pencils, erasers and other supplies, and keep extra on hand.

Kids with dyslexia who struggle with writing will often grip a pencil too tightly and break the point. Get pencil grips to make the shaft of the pencil thicker and easier to hold, and invest in a pencil sharpener or two. Markers will be handy to underline and color code text. Some large envelopes might be needed for larger assignments.

Some parents might find a use for a timer or stopwatch. Graph paper for arithmetic will help keep columns straight (as will lined paper turned sideways), and a ruler will help your kid not to lose track of their place on a page of text.

Some children with dyslexia (and those who may have Irlen Syndrome) will be sensitive to light, particularly to the glare that they experience from a white piece of paper or computer screen background. You might want to try out colored acetate sheets as overlays to see if cutting down on the glare helps. You can also get them a definitive test for light sensitivity by a trained optician.

Put together a 'Remember Book'

A 'Remember Book' is a kind of reference binder that helps establish good study habits from a young age. It assists your child with dyslexia in remembering procedures, sequences of operation, rules, and strategies, and helps them with keeping significant items together in a coherent order.

He or she may need help with setting up and maintaining a filing system for the different kinds of information. You could color code with card dividers in a ring binder, or use plastic wallets. However, as we move more and more to technological solutions, your young learner might prefer working with something like Google Docs, where you could share information in a series of files stored in the Cloud.

Help them learn vocabulary

Children with dyslexia will benefit from developing and sorting out lists of terms in each subject they struggle with. These problematic words will likely be unique to them. A great way of helping them learn and recall tricky words is to create custom spellings lists. Parents can make them into flashcards, use them in activities, and get children to produce them in meaningful ways. Any exercise that gives them multisensory practice involving the eyes, ears, and sense of touch will be appropriate.

TOP TIP: Touch-type Read and Spell is a dyslexia-friendly typing program you can use to create custom word lists. Your child will hear the words you input, see them written, and be taught how to type and spell them. You can enter simple definitions as well, and even open up a free-writing session where they then type these words as part of a creative piece. Print their writing out and put it on the fridge and see how proud they are of their achievement. Learn more in this article on using typing to learn spelling words.

Introduce mnemonic devices

Mnemonic devices are one strategy that can help a child remember the spelling of words. They work best when a child designs his or her own, perhaps with their parents' help. You can have fun with these too. An example might be as follows: You know that your child has always had difficulty differentiating between "bear" and "bare." You could suggest that his/her chosen strategy be to illustrate the word "bear" with a drawing that includes a bear, a bee, and a honey pot. This would evoke the association of "be..." with "bear." Picturing this image when needing to retrieve the spelling of the word adds a multisensory dimension.

Here's another for a teenager who is off to take a driving test or needs to follow directions on a map. Suggest they draw a red spot on their right hand with a washable marker and they can think of red for right to help them differentiate between their left and right. How about the common confusion between lowercase "b" and "d"? One strategy is to remember that the bat comes before the ball. First, draw the bat - the downward stroke - then the round shape of the ball.

Troubleshoot problematic symbols

Sometimes visual processing difficulties can co-occur and might be part of a child's dyslexia. If your child has difficulty differentiating between the different symbols used in mathematics, help them prepare a sheet for these symbols (if they haven't been given one at school). On the left-hand side, list five big symbols in a column. On the right, describe each one. For example, you may want + for addition; sum; sum total; all together, - for subtract; minus; take away; less; fewer than, x for multiply; product; bring together; times, / for divide, missing, = for equals; total; sum total; end result (2). Learn more about helping a child who is struggling with mathematics.

Read, read, read

Encouraging reading is one of the best ways you can support your child with dyslexia. Encourage your child to read, reread, and read some more from a very young age. If kids have difficulty reading, they may well try to avoid it and become reluctant readers. The gap in performance between them and their classmates will only continue to widen, and their self-esteem and self-confidence can suffer.

Reading is a great way to improve language skills. With little kids, parents can start reading to them as soon as possible - even before they are born! Snuggle up and look at the pages of a storybook together. Point as you go. Read to them, even if you have to grit your teeth to read the same story for the ninety-third time if that's the book they like best.

Here are some tips to get more out of reading together:

Stop in the middle of a line and see if they can provide the next word you are pointing to. After ninety-two previous read-throughs, they might be doing this from memory, which is absolutely fine.

As you go through the book, discuss how the pictures they are seeing give clues to words on the page. This is a strategy they can apply for themselves later when trying to understand (i.e., decode) text.

With older kids, help them find reading material on subjects that interest them. The planets? Dinosaurs? Huge numbers of reluctant readers were inspired to read so they could follow the exciting adventures of Harry Potter.

Try alternative reading material. One mother used a toy store catalog to motivate her child. Not only did it work, but the child used information on products as a stepping stone to other learning, including writing a wish list of toys he wanted for his birthday, considering how much money he needed to purchase toys and how much was in his piggy bank, looking at the size of certain toys and measuring the amount of space they would take up in his room, etc.

Let your child see you reading. It's so important for parents to model regular reading habits.

Turn the sound off on the television and turn on the captions, so reading becomes a significant part of watching an exciting movie.

Private tutors

You may not have been trained as a teacher, but you know your child and can be there to ensure he or she gets the necessary support. One way might be through hiring a private tutor. Tutors often have a particular set of qualities and skills and have been trained in techniques, methods, and strategies to aid with the learning process. It helps if they enjoy what they do, and love seeing their students thrive. You can even find remote tutors who will work with your child through video chat sessions. What's important is that the tutor is qualified to work with children who have dyslexia and understands the dyslexic child's unique learning style. Learn more about how to find the right tutor for your child.

More about dyslexia

If you haven't had a definitive diagnosis, either in the form of a teaching assessment, or an in-depth assessment by an Educational Psychologist, you might use this checklist of symptoms as a guide.

-Is your child articulate when talking but struggles to read and write? Is the quality of their verbal vocabulary reflected in their writing?
-Do they avoid using long words because of the difficulty of spelling them?
-Do they have trouble recognizing letters of the alphabet?
-Do they only recognize one part of a word, or are they slow to see the word?
-Do they recognize similarities and differences between words?
-Do they reverse letters or numbers? Note, reversals are a classic sign of dyslexia but are also common in young children who are learning to read and write.
-Do they ignore punctuation?
-Do they read out loud slowly, and without cadence?
-Can they read individual words but struggle to get the meaning of the sentence?
-Do they struggle to tell left from right?
-Do they have difficulty learning nursery or other rhymes?
-Did they struggle to learn to tell the time?
-Do they have problems with, or confuse abstract symbols?
-Are they disorganized?
-Is their work messy?

Top Tip: You might find your child's writing hard to read (and so might they!) Learning to touch type is recommended for kids with dyslexia as it's a skill that makes writing more readable (especially when you use a dyslexia-friendly font) and can also help with spelling. That's because typing transfers spelling into a sequence of key-presses, which are remembered using muscle memory. Learn more about dyslexia and typing.

Touch-type Read and Spell

Touch-type Read and Spell was originally developed to help children with dyslexia improve their reading and spelling skills while teaching them to type. It's a unique way of learning typing as within a few minutes the child is writing whole words - fed wed red led. It builds confidence through small and manageable modules, which include repetition of high-frequency sight words to help with reading. It also delivers phonics lessons without the child noticing, through the introduction of targeted groups of words they must type. All of this is done in a multisensory way. Learners see and hear the words, then touch the keys.

An interesting thing happens as a child with dyslexia begins to master the keyboard. They start to learn the finger patterns involved in words, and it's as if the fingers develop a memory of their own. Without having to give conscious thought to spelling, a child can write a word. As they get further into the course, they are mastering and remembering more and more words, while building up accuracy and speed, and most importantly, confidence.

TTRS is great for children, teenagers, and even adults - so it's something the whole family can benefit from. Parents can start a child around the age of seven, once the hands are mature enough to sit comfortably on a keyboard.

Sources
1. Chase, C., Chin, D., Oppezzo, M. & Schwartz, D. (2009). Teachable agents and the protege effect: Increasing the effort. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 18, 334-352.
2. pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/readingdiffs.html
Many thanks to Grace Taylor for providing access to a series of training materials and presentations that informed the bulk of the research that went into this blog.

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How to help a child with dyslexia at home

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Parents want their children to do well at school and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Learning at home can play an important part in this when a child has dyslexia. Reading together and finding kids' computer programs and apps that support literacy skills development are a good first step.