Dyslexia and Speech Therapy Sonali Sitaram Mt. Hebron High School Mrs. Deena H Sonali Sitaram Mt. Hebron High School Mrs. Deena Harley Seifert

 What is Dyslexia?  Speech Therapy  Personal Interest  Internship  Research  Future Plans  Conclusion

 Dyslexia is a neurological processing disorder ◦ Phonology- study of sounds ◦ Morphology- study of word structure ◦ Syntax- study of ordering of words ◦ Semantics- study of word meaning  “Dyslexics suffer from auditory issues, as well as visual perception and speaking/ language” -Lin Edwards  Effects primarily reading and language skills ◦ No, we do not write words backwards!  ADD vs. Dyslexia

 70% of Dyslexics have a Speech Language Issue  As we get older, written language because more important  Word Retrieval Oral Language  Written Language

 I was diagnosed with Dyslexia late Sophomore year; Genetic  Struggled with Speech Issue throughout elementary school  Kumon Center  Things could have been different if I was diagnosed earlier  Can’t read piano notes

 Figure of Speech Therapy  Deena Harley Seifert  Shadow speech therapy sessions of kids with different ages  Work at the Kumon Center

 Works with kids on reading and writing fluency  Sentence Fluency ◦ Writing stories (felt squares, pictures, sounds…etc.)  Word retrieval ◦ Playing Games (Story cubes, Link 26, ASAP…etc.)

 Hypothesis: If teachers are trained to use different methods for teaching reading comprehension and fluency to Dyslexic elementary school children, it will decrease the number of high school drop- outs. ◦ Early intervention!  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states that.. ◦ “students are required to be provided any additional help when needed- with no cost from the parent. To qualify, a child must meet the criteria of one of 13 categories of Disabilities”

 Speech Therapy Methods  IEP’s and 504’s  Dyslexic Schools  Orton Gillingham Method ◦ specialized approach to learning dealing with kids that have difficulties reading, writing, and speaking ◦ Been around for 70 Years

 Continue with interviews  Create a guide for Elementary/ Middle school teachers for tips on what to look for in a Dyslexic child

 Catching Dyslexia early is key to lowering drop- out rate  Awareness