Demystifying Dyslexia

Demystifying Dyslexia

NC Department of Public InstructionExceptional Children Division

Revised August 2019

http://bit.ly/Focusonfamily

What is your understanding?

NCDPI Exceptional Children Division 2019

What is Required to be a Proficient Reader?


The Simple View of Reading

Reading Comprehension

Gough & Tunmer, 1986

Decoding

Linguistic Comprehension


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Peterson, Pennington, Olson & Wadsworth, 2014

Th prsnt std vltd th lngtdnl stblt f phnlgcl ndsrfc sbtps f dslx vr 5 yrs, nd skd whthr sbtp rltdt nrpschlgcl prfl r prgnss. lthgh w fnd sm mdstspprt fr th vldt f th dstnctn, r rslts rs dbt thtsbtp mmbrshp s prtclrl mnngfl. W fnd tht thvrll lngtdnl stblty f th sbtps ws nl fr, nd sgnfcntlwkr thn th stblt f dylx tslf.


The present study evaluated the longitudinal stability of phonological and surface subtypes of dyslexia over 5 years, and asked whether subtype related to neuropsychological profile or prognosis. Although we found some modest support for the validity of the distinction, our results raise doubt that subtype membership is particularly meaningful. We found that the overall longitudinal stability of the subtypes was only fair, and significantly weaker than the stability of dyslexia itself.

Peterson, Pennington, Olson & Wadsworth, 2014NCDPI Exceptional Children Division 2019


Profiles of Reading Difficulty

Specific Word Recognition Difficulties

Mixed Reading Difficulties

Specific Reading Comprehension Difficulties

Spear- Swerling, L.

Characteristics of SWRD• At least average listening comprehension and oral

vocabularies

• Problems with word recognition that usually center upon phonemic awareness and word decoding

• Fluency problems involving inaccurate or non-automatic word reading

• Reading difficulties that often emerge early (i.e. K-3)

• Reading comprehension or fluency problems are related entirely to problems in word reading


Spear- Swerling, L., 2017

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What is Dyslexia?


Unpacking the Definition

Dyslexia Defined• “…a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in

origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

International Dyslexia Association, 2002NCDPI Exceptional Children Division 2019

Dyslexia is our best, most visible evidence that the brain was never wired to read.

-Maryanne Wolf

Proust and the Squid, 2007


Neurobiological in origin …

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The Reading Brain

Articulation and

analysisspeech sounds

Sound-symbol ,connection, word

analysis

Letter recognition,word form


Typical Readers Dyslexic Readers

Neurobiological Basis of Dyslexia


Guinevere Eden, 2016

“What researchers have learned is that the process of learning to read changes the brain’s structure and function.”


…characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition

“Word level reading disability is

synonymous with dyslexia.”

Fletcher, Lyon, Fuchs and Barnes, 2007


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Accuracy

Automaticity

Prosody


Fluency

…and by poor spelling and decoding abilities


…result from a deficit in the phonological component

• phonological and phonemic awareness

• phonological memory

• speech perception and production

neural mechanisms that allow us to use speechsounds to process oral and written language.

NCDPI Exceptional Children Division 2019 NCDPI Exceptional Children Division 2019

Phonological Awareness

Words in Sentences

Onset and Rime

Phoneme Segmentation

Phoneme Blending

Phoneme Manipulation

Syllables

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…often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction

“We usually refer the term dyslexic for children whose reading, spelling and language difficulties persist even when they receive excellent instruction.”

Moats & Dakin, 2008


Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.


Social/Emotional Consequences


How Prevalent Is Dyslexia?


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Persists into Adulthood

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


Dyslexia in North Carolina Public

Schools


National Center on Improving Literacy, retrieved August 19, 2019NCDPI Exceptional Children Division 2019

North Carolina


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Bit.ly/ECDdyslexia


Dyslexia Topic Brief

Dyslexia in NC Public Schools


Reversals are a characteristic of dyslexia.


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Hallmark characteristic of dyslexia is difficulty in single word reading that

results from the phonological component of language.


Using the term “dyslexia” in an IEP is prohibited.


OSEP Dyslexia Guidance Letter

• “The purpose of this letter is to clarify that there is nothing in the IDEA that would prohibit the use of the terms dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia in IDEA evaluation, eligibility determinations or IEP documents.” October 23, 2015

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/guidance-on-dyslexia-10-2015.pdf


There are no legal restrictions

to the use of the term dyslexia

within the Present Levels of

Academic Achievement and

Functional Performance

(PLAAFP) or elsewhere within a

student’s IEP.


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Colored overlays and special fonts are helpful interventions for reading disabilities, including dyslexia.

One cardinal intervention principle: training in motor, visual, neural or cognitive processes without academic content does not lead to better intervention outcomes.

Learning Disabilities from Identification to Intervention, p. 130


Colored Overlays

There is no independent research evidence that using colored overlays or special lenses has any effect on the word reading or comprehension of children with dyslexia.

Lovino, Fletcher, Breitmeyer, & Foorman, 1998;Henderson, Tsogka, & Snowling, 2013


Vision Therapy

• “It is important that any therapy for learning disabilities be scientifically established to be valid before it can be recommended for treatment. Because vision therapy is not evidence based, it cannot be advocated.”

Joint Technical Report- Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia and VisionAmerican Academy of Pediatrics, 2011


“Some people may think, What’s the harm in trying something that’s unproven—especially if it’s free?” But there is always the concern that spending a lot of effort on something that doesn’t help your child distracts from using a successful approach.”

Dr. Guinevere Eden


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Expert teaching is the answer.

Moats and Dakin, 2008NCDPI Exceptional Children Division 2019

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

“Effective instruction for the dyslexic unlocks the mystery-teaches them how to think about words not just how to spell the individual words.”

Carreker, 2005


Phonology

Syntax

Semantics

SyllablesMorphology

Sound Symbol

Explicit

Multisensory

Systematic

Cumulative

Diagnostic

Structured Literacy Elements

Principles:


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Once a student reaches high school, it is too late to teach them to read.


It’s NEVER too late!• The earlier struggling readers are identified and

provided systematic, intense instruction, the less severe their problems are likely to be (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000; Torgesen, 2002).

• With adequately intensive instruction, however, even older children with dyslexia can become accurate, albeit slow readers (Torgesen et al., 2001).


Teach first, then test if necessaryWe cannot predict who will respond to instruction…

• …no way to know which of our students, who are at risk on screening, will be able to overcome their difficulties once intensive intervention is provided.

• ...must implement excellent, systematic, informed reading and language instruction over a sufficient length of time to sort out whose reading and language can be normalized and who will be in need of an IEP and high levels of support for many years.

Moats, L., International Dyslexia Association, 2016


What is your understanding?


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Thank you for your participation!

Contact InformationGinger Starling

[email protected]


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Demystifying Dyslexia

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