Parents whose child is struggling with reading or writing may find themselves wishing for a diagnosis—any diagnosis—that will guide them on what treatments to pursue to help their child succeed. But while a diagnosis of dyslexia may bring some relief, it also brings plenty of questions—and concerns for the future.
Dallas mom Denise Wicks, whose 8-year-old son Lucas has dyslexia, knows these struggles all too well. As early as kindergarten, Wicks says she noticed problems with Lucas’ reading and writing skills, even though he was succeeding in his other school subjects.
“At the end of first grade, he only recognized four letters and their accompanying sounds,” she says. “We could read a book where the word ‘dog’ appeared 15 times and at the end, he was still unable to tell me that particular word was ‘dog.’”
Dr. Michael McLane, a psychologist formerly on the staff of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children who is now in private practice in Dallas, says that while children with dyslexia face unique academic challenges, early intervention and a collaborative effort between the child’s parents and teacher can help these children overcome obstacles and succeed in school.
What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning disorder in which children fail to make expected progress in learning to read. Reading and speaking skills depend on phonological processing, a person’s ability to identify, understand and separate the smallest units of speech, called “phonemes,” McLane says.
“Dyslexic children have a problem within their language system at the level of phonological processing that affects their ability to separate a printed word into its underlying phonological components,” he says. “As a result, they struggle to learn how to decode printed words.”
McLane says about 7 percent of the population has dyslexia, and there is evidence that it runs in families.
Diagnosis
According to McLane, dyslexia is most commonly diagnosed in early elementary grades, but it may go unnoticed until the child begins to struggle with the increased reading and writing demands of middle school.
“If preschoolers and kindergartners have known risk factors for dyslexia, then identifying and addressing those speech-language weaknesses is important,” he says. “Early intervention can make a significant difference to a child’s ability to learn how to read and spell. There’s no need to wait for students to experience years of reading failure to begin instruction.”
Wicks had her son tested in the first grade after one of his teachers suggested that Lucas may have dyslexia. She requested testing through her local school district, and Lucas’ test showed an above-average IQ, superior spatial and comprehension skills—and severe dyslexia, Wicks says.
McLane says evaluations for dyslexia should be based on multiple factors, including the child’s medical and developmental history, school background, family history and one-on-one assessment with a licensed professional.
Making Strides
McLane says early intervention is critical for helping a child with dyslexia succeed. Wicks agrees.
“For parents with children who are having difficulty reading, it is of the utmost importance they get them tested and have the testing done early,” she says. “If there is a problem, then therapy can be started as early as possible. With dyslexia, it’s not always a matter of whether or not the child can do the work. More times than not, the child is highly intelligent and quite capable of comprehending the material but simply cannot process the material in a way to know what is expected of them.”
McLane asserts that parents must work closely with their child’s school to ensure that the child keeps up with his peers, especially since a dyslexic child may feel embarrassed about his reading skills.
Wicks says she works hard to keep Lucas from experiencing that embarrassment.
“My job is to help keep his self-esteem and motivation up,” she says.
