Dyslexia is described as a "hidden" disability. Teachers and parents of children with dyslexia are often baffled by a child's difficulty in school because of their verbal ability, problem solving strategies, vocabulary and/or other clear signs of intelligence and capability. We often assume it must be a child's lack of effort that is the reason for their slow reading growth. This hidden aspect makes identification of dyslexia much more difficult, and much more important. It is imperative we educate ourselves, our schools and our teachers of the early warning signs of dyslexia (see early signs here) so we can limit the damage done to these young children by not knowing and therefore not identifying and intervening.

The renowned developmental psychologist, Erik Ericson's, stages of psychosocial development state that the elementary school years are most critical for self image. He theorized that children from the age of 6 to 11 must resolve conflicts of Inferiority vs Industry (or negative vs positive self image). This resolution comes from comparing oneself to peers, most often in the classroom, and when major disparities exist in ones perceived competence, it can be quite damaging to a child's self concept as they move on in years.  Ericson articulated that if children continually meet failure in these early years of development, their self image becomes set in powerlessness - they start to believe their effort makes little or no difference. I, and I am sure a lot of you, have been witness to this unintended consequence of early academia. Protecting dyslexic children and families from this inferiority outcome is the reason I started KLIMB and it starts with identification.

Because of the high percentage of dyslexics (1 in 5), I believe evaluation should be mandatory at the end of every child's kindergarten year and/or beginning of a child's 1st grade year. Although there are reading assessments in schools, I have never heard of a school assessing specifically for dyslexia grade-wide. Although this may be a daunting prospect for a school, who then may need to accommodate these children based on the results, in the end it will benefit not only the child but the school as well. A schools main goal is to teach effectively and the way that is shown is through improved test scores. Understanding the way groups of students learn differently would dramatically improve the possibility of children to absorb the information our dedicated teachers are teaching. If, however, this is too cumbersome for schools to take on then there is another option - we, as parents, need to take it on. If cost is not an issue there are numerous evaluation options to pursue. If cost is of concern and/or if it is unclear if there is even an issue, there are still options, which I will talk about in the resources section at the end of this post.

70-80% of children who struggle with reading are likely dyslexic - there are so many unidentified children out there. As stated by the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, "The five-year-old who can’t quite learn his letters becomes the six-year-old who can’t match sounds to letters and the fourteen-year-old who reads excruciatingly slowly. A child who delays breaking the phonetic code will miss much of the reading practice that is essential to building fluency and vocabulary; as a consequence, he will fall further and further behind in acquiring comprehension skills and knowledge of the world around him." If your child or student is experiencing difficulty learning to read, don't wait, get them assessed. Simply gaining understanding, even before intervention, is sure to aid in a more accurate self concept for your capable child.

Resources for Identification

Slingerland Assessment:  This screening does not yield a diagnosis, but it does help identify students who may have dyslexia, and is a relatively inexpensive way to start your journey of discovery. "These screenings can be administered in full class groupings, as well as in small groups, or one-on-one. The results are based on observations of how the students process language especially when compared to other children who have similar learning opportunities and experiences."

Psychological Education Evaluation: This is the process for a formal dyslexia diagnosis and it needs to be completed by a professional, such as a psychologist or neuropsychologist. These evaluations are offered privately and publicly. If gained privately, they are costly but are often backed by a personal reference, which can be very reassuring. Public evaluations for at risk children are mandatory by law in the US (see wrightslaw below) but do pose their own set of complications, not the least of which is accesibility, especially if your child is not attending a public school.

Wrightslaw: "Schools are required to locate, identify and evaluate all children with disabilities from birth through age 21. The Child Find mandate applies to all children who reside within a State, including children who attend private schools and public schools, highly mobile children, migrant children, homeless children, and children who are wards of the state. (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(3))."

"This includes all children who are suspected of having a disability, including children who receive passing grades and are "advancing from grade to grade." (34 CFR 300.111(c)) The law does not require children to be "labeled" or classified by their disability. (20 U.S.C. 1412(a)(3)(B); 34 CFR 300.111(d))." (http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/child.find.mandate.htm)

At the very least, a dyslexic child has the right to identification through IDEA.