Dyslexia

What Is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in your native language—despite at least average intelligence.
Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial, disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including phonological processing, in reading, writing, spelling, handwriting, and sometimes in arithmetic.
Dyslexia is not the result of lack of motivation, sensory impairment, inadequate instructional or environmental opportunities, or other limiting conditions, but may occur together with these conditions.
Although dyslexia is life long, individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully to timely and appropriate intervention.
Cause of Dyslexia
Dyslexia is an inherited condition. Researchers have determined that a gene on the short arm of chromosome #6 is responsible for dyslexia. That gene is dominant, making dyslexia highly heritable. It definitely runs in families.
Dyslexia results from a neurological difference; that is, a brain difference. People with dyslexia have a larger right-hemisphere in their brains than those of normal readers. That may be one reason people with dyslexia often have significant strengths in areas controlled by the right-side of the brain, such as artistic, athletic, and mechanical gifts; 3-D visualization ability; musical talent; creative problem solving skills; and intuitive people skills.

IMPORTANT: There is no quick fix or silver bullet for dyslexia. It can take from 1 to 3 years to get a dyslexic child reading and spelling at grade level, depending upon their level of severity, the frequency of their remediation, and other issues.

If your child has trouble in the early levels of school, get help immediately! Do not wait to see if the child will grow out of it.
Prevention is always easier than remediation.
Learning differences don't disappear spontaneously.
If you worry that receiving extra help will make your child feel different, forget it. Your child already feels different by virtue of what he can and cannot do. | Parents should seek professional one-on-one tutoring for their child outside of the public school system. That's because to bring the reading, writing, and spelling skills of a child with dyslexia up to grade level, you need these 5 things:1. The right system
2. The right tutor or teacher3. Instruction at the right intensity level
(at least twice a week, for an hour each time)4. The right setting
(one-on-one tutoring is best; one-on-three is maximum)5. For the right duration.
(until the student's skills are at or beyond grade level)Most public schools cannot provide those five elements. So parents should either:1. Send their child to a private school for dyslexic children,2. Hire a private tutor 3. Start an early intervention program at their school using well-trained parents as volunteer tutors. |

While a child is receiving one-on-one tutoring, he or she will ALSO need classroom accommodations until their skills reach grade level.

Here are the most commonly requested classroom accommodations that will allow your child to demonstrate his/her knowledge even though the child is not yet reading, writing, or spelling at grade level: * Oral testing
Tests are read to the student (or provided pre-recorded on audio tape), and student are allowed to give answers orally (or tape record their answers). * Untimed tests
Dyslexic students do not perform well under time pressure. It also takes them longer to read the questions, compose the answer in their head, and get it down on paper. * Eliminate or reduce spelling tests
Classroom teachers rarely teach spelling rules in the same way or same order as a dyslexia tutor. Many teachers will accept a spelling test given in a tutoring session as a replacement for