Dyslexia Services

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological 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 the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. If you are concerned that your child may have characteristics of dyslexia, please contact your child's school to determine next steps.

Characteristics of Dyslexia

Underlying Cause: Deficit in the phonological processing (phonological awareness, phonological memory, and/or rapid naming)

Characteristics:

• Difficulty reading real words in isolation

• Difficulty accurately decoding nonsense or unfamiliar words

• Difficulty reading fluency (rate, accuracy, labored)

• Difficulty spelling

Outcomes:

• Difficulty with reading comprehension

• Reduced reading experience that limits vocabulary and background knowledge