Hello Families,

This is the perfect time to share some information on dyslexia. Here at Consultants and Advocates for Special Education we love to educate our families on the matters that could be affecting their lives.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a reading disorder which makes it difficult to read due to problems identifying sounds and decoding. Dyslexia affects the areas of the brain that process language. A person with dyslexia will have trouble matching the letters on pages with the sounds they make. Dyslexia is a very common reading disorder affecting about 20% of the population (1 in 5 students). California has been issued Dyslexia Guidelines under Assembly Bill 1369 requiring schools to identify and provide intervention. For a complete copy of the guidelines go to www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ac/dyslexia.asp.

What are signs and symptoms of Dyslexia?

It is much easier to identify dyslexia in a school-aged child. However, here are a few symptoms of a younger child:

• Might talk later than expected
• Learns new words slowly
• Problems forming words
• Reversing sounds in the word
• Confusing words that sound the same
• Problem remembering the names of letters, numbers and colors
• Difficult time learning nursery rhymes or even playing rhyming games

The signs in a school-aged child may be more apparent than that of a younger child:

• Reading below grade level
• Problems processing and understanding what they hear
• Difficulty finding the right word to use
• Difficult finding answers to questions being asked
• Problems remembering the sequence of events and things
• Difficulty visually seeing similarities and differences in letters and the words
• Difficulty hearing similarities and differences in letters and the words
• Difficult sounding out new words
• Difficulty with spelling
• Spending a lot of extra time on reading and writing activities
• wanting to avoid reading activities

What to do about Dyslexia ?

If you suspect your child could be dyslexic have him/her assessed. California Special Education Advocacy Group has created a sample assessment request letter to help you get the process started. If you need help, guidance, or a person on your team to help with your child’s educational planning give us a call!