{"id":8227,"date":"2020-07-13T09:14:15","date_gmt":"2020-07-13T17:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/statenislandletters.com\/how-to-get-a-dyslexia-diagnosis-for-your-child\/"},"modified":"2023-03-28T15:46:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T23:46:39","slug":"how-to-get-a-dyslexia-diagnosis-for-your-child","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/statenislandletters.com\/how-to-get-a-dyslexia-diagnosis-for-your-child\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get a Dyslexia Diagnosis for Your Child"},"content":{"rendered":"

Download our Free How to Get a Dyslexia Diagnosis for Your Child\u00a0pamphlet here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Read<\/span>Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities in children and adults. <\/span>It affects 20 percent of the population and accounts for 80 to 90 percent of those with learning disabilities.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0As with all learning disabilities, early detection and intervention are crucial. Particularly in stemming further learning difficulties in later life. If you’re worried that your child may have dyslexia, below is a guide on what signs to look out for and how to get a dyslexia diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Dyslexia?<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0International Dyslexia Association<\/a>\u00a0defines dyslexia as a specific and unexpected learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. Individuals with dyslexia primarily have difficulty in phonological processing. Phonology is an underlying skill that facilitates both learning how to decode and spell. Students with dyslexia struggle with isolating the sounds in words, matching sounds with letters, and blending sounds into words. The visual\u00a0magnocellular system<\/a> is responsible for timing visual events when reading. In dyslexics, the development of the visual magnocellular system is impaired: development of the magnocellular layers of the dyslexic lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) is abnormal; their motion sensitivity is reduced; many dyslexics show unsteady binocular fixation; hence poor visual localization, particularly on the left side (left neglect). However, this\u00a0visual phenomenon\u00a0does not explain dyslexia.<\/a><\/p>\n

In other words, these students have problems \u201ccracking the code.\u201d This means arbitrary written symbols (called orthography) are not automatically processed as well as their peers who have cracked the code with more automaticity do. As a result, an individual with dyslexia will find it difficult to sound out words and show poor spelling and decoding abilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When left unaddressed, dyslexia can also lead to problems in reading fluency. If you aren\u2019t reading fluently, you will be at risk for having reading comprehension difficulties and will most likely avoid reading since it\u2019s an unpleasant experience. Lack of practice reading means less exposure to vocabulary and reduced learning background knowledge. In short, without proper intervention, dyslexia leads to a foundational literacy issue, which then causes downstream issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For the most part, however, what exactly causes dyslexia is still unknown. We do know there is a genetic link; studies show that children with a family history of dyslexia or other learning disabilities are more susceptible. There are also other risk factors to consider, such as low birth weight, premature birth, and exposure to harmful substances (drugs, nicotine, alcohol) during pregnancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common Signs of Dyslexia<\/h3>\n

Dyslexia can occur at all levels of intelligence.<\/span><\/a> Children who struggle with dyslexia can often excel in other areas of learning and creative thinking. This is arguably one of the reasons why early signs of dyslexia are easy to overlook, especially in bright students. These students can easily compensate for this sometimes \u201cinvisible\u201d learning disability, which makes knowing when and how to get a dyslexia diagnosis all the more necessary.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Typically, dyslexia is detected once a child enters school and starts learning to read. But younger children may also show symptoms that hint at a learning problem. Here are some early signs of dyslexia in children and teens to watch out for from\u00a0<\/span>The Mayo Clinic<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

Early\/Pre-School Years<\/b><\/p>\n