1. When a picture is worth a thousand [u nrea dab le ] words
Snapshots of Dyslexia
When a picture is worth a thousand [u nrea dab le ] words
Pearland ISD
Office of Special Programs

2. A Brief Description
Imagine feeling different compared to your friends or siblings. Imagine hearing that you are just lazy or that you need to try harder. Picture yourself when you are very, very tired and you cannot "think straight," or remember important things like names, dates, facts or even words. Now imagine feeling this kind of "brain fog" every day, especially when reading.
These feelings are common to someone with dyslexia.
Discovered more than 100 years ago, dyslexia is a brain-based condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell in your native language —despite at least average intelligence.

3. Recognizing Phonemes
Phonemes are the building blocks of language.

4. What is Dyslexia? The term dyslexia comes from the Greek words
"dys" -- which means difficulty with
"lexia" -- which means language or words.
Dyslexics typically have average to above average intelligence. They may have difficulty with reading, spelling, understanding language they hear, or expressing themselves clearly in speaking or in writing.
An unexpected gap exists between their potential for learning and their school achievement.

5. Definition
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.
International Dyslexia Association
Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experiences, both of which can limit a person's vocabulary and background knowledge.

6. What is Dyslexia? (cont.)
inherited (family history in 40% of cases)
brain difference; language is processed differently
memory
rapid naming speed (word retrieval)
directionality
unexpected for student’s age, educational level, or cognitive abilities
affects 1 in 5 across all socioeconomic groups, (exists on a spectrum from mild to severe)
slow readers/learners who otherwise are quite intelligent oral learners

7. Dyslexia is NOT a problem of letter/word reversals
(b/d, was/saw, reversals can be seen thru 2nd grade)
caused by poverty or limited educational opportunity
caused by developmental delay or speech/hearing impairments
caused by learning a second language
caused by left-handedness or ADD/ADHD
caused by visual perception problems
condition that will be outgrown (dyslexia persists)

8. Common Misunderstandings
writing letters backwards is a flag for dyslexia
reading difficulties are caused by visual perception problems
if given enough time, students will outgrow it
more boys than girls are dyslexic
only affects English speakers
colored overlays will benefit dyslexics
dyslexia can be cured (it persists; typically, dyslexic readers will always read more slowly than non-dyslexic readers)

9. What Makes it Unexpected?
A weakness in decoding, surrounded by a sea of strengths

10. Strengths & Weaknesses

11. Strengths of Dyslexia
These strengths are what make the reading disorder of dyslexia so unexpected compared to the person's abilities:
good at understanding new concepts; very intuitive, ability to learn orally
exhibits curiosity; always asking "why, why, why"
has great imagination and creativity/great artists/designers
often very good at athletics
has surprising maturity
excellent comprehension
of stories read or told to him/her
a large oral vocabulary
enjoys solving puzzles and
building models; good 3D
visualization and mechanical skills

12. Causes of Dyslexia Most common cause is genetic
Larger right hemisphere, % larger in some cases
Unusual "wiring." Neurons are found in unusual places in the brain, and are not as neatly ordered as non-dyslexic brains
Non-dyslexic readers consistently use the left rear side of their brain when they read. People with dyslexia store language in other locations such as the right side of the brain. A dyslexic brain often works about 5 times harder when reading than a non-dyslexic brain.

13. How the Brain Reads (It really is Rocket Science …)
Sound-Symbol Connection
Word Meanings
PhonologicalProcessing
Orthographic Processing
Moats, L. (2003). LETRS: Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, Module 1. Sopris West: Longmont, CO.

14. Characteristics Difficulties with: Adequate intelligence
Difficulty with letter/sound relationships
Difficulty with rhyming
Confusing small words such as “at” for “to”, “said” for “and”, “does” for “goes”
misreading of words (substitutions: gril for girl, form for from, horse for pony, water for ocean)
Difficulty with nonsense words (seb, fim, moog), won’t try to sound out unknown word
Slow, inaccurate, and labored oral reading (fluency)
Difficulty with real words in isolation

15. Characteristics Difficulties with:
Spelling is difficult, may spell the same word differently in a single piece of writing
Spelling may be phonetic (beecuz) or lack vowels
Listening comprehension is a strength and the student can comprehend at grade level what he hears orally
Reading comprehension weaker than listening comp., may need to read several times
May have difficulty learning to tell time
May transpose number sequences and math signs (+, - , x, =) although math skills are typically strong
Weak written expression (punctuation, structure, organization)
Very limited amount of time reading

16. Implications
Good readers spend more time reading each day so they read many more words in a year compared to poor readers.
Figure 29 in “Overcoming Dyslexia”, Sally Shaywitz, 2003
Region One ESC

17. Common Signs Pre-School may talk later than most children
may have difficulty with rhyming
may have difficulty pronouncing words (i.e., busgetti for spaghetti, mawn lower for lawn mower)
may have poor auditory memory for nursery rhymes and chants
may be slow to add new vocabulary words
may be unable to recall the right word
may have trouble learning numbers, days of the week, colors, shapes, and how to spell and write his / her name
From The Dyslexia Handbook – Revised 2014

18. Common Signs K – 3rd grade
fails to understand that words come apart; for example, that snowman can be pulled apart into snow and man and, later on, that the word man can be broken down still further and sounded out as: /m/ /ă/ /n/
has difficulty learning the letter names and their corresponding sounds
has difficulty decoding single words (reading single words in isolation)—lacks a strategy
has difficulty spelling, especially irregular or homophones
reads dysfluently (choppy and labored)
relies on context to recognize a word
From The Dyslexia Handbook – Revised 2014

19. Common Signs 4th grade – high school
has a history of reading and spelling difficulties
avoids reading aloud
reads most materials slowly; oral reading is labored, not fluent
avoids reading for pleasure
may have an inadequate vocabulary
Because of difficulty spelling, may resort to using less complicated words in writing that are easier to spell
From The Dyslexia Handbook – Revised 2014

20. What if I Suspect a Reading Disorder?
Pearland ISD follows a tiered process for struggling students in this order:
Preventive programs – strong classroom instruction in phonics, writing, spelling, language arts, and a literature-based reading program
Response-to-Intervention (RTI) Committee – parents, teachers, counselor, and administrators meet to review student data and recommend research-based interventions
Interventions – targeted interventions are tailored to address student weakness. Data is collected over a period of time to document student response or lack of it. Interventions include intensive small group sessions, tutoring, pullout reading programs, summer school and bilingual programs
Testing – if student does not respond to interventions, he / she can be referred by RTI Committee for formal testing. Written parental permission is required; testing is completed within 30 days of consent, committee and parents meet within 15 days of completed testing to discuss results and possible program placement

21. Steps to Follow

22. Testing for Dyslexia letter knowledge (name and sound)
reading real & nonsense words in isolation (decoding)
reading fluency (rate and accuracy)
reading comprehension
listening comprehension
phonological awareness
phonological auditory memory
rapid naming skills
vocabulary and word meanings
written spelling
general cognitive ability
vision/hearing screening
teacher / parent / report cards / progress reports

23. What is Multisensory Instruction?
Engaging two or more pathways in the brain simultaneously in order to enhance memory and learning.
Region One ESC

24. 504 Accommodations for Dyslexia
extra time for written response
reading quiz/test questions to dyslexic students
modified spelling, as needed, sometimes can be “inventive” spelling, list of 3 choices with 1 correct
chunking assignments
preferential seating
checks for understanding
extra time for oral response, as needed
Audio books (Learning Ally, free to student)

25. Teaching Strategies DO Use visuals/graphics and real-life connections
Use multisensory instruction (see, say, hear, do)
Use manipulatives if possible
Slowly move from concrete to abstract
Reduce quantity of timed work, homework if mastery
find their strengths
accept oral responses
make sure they understand/remember directions
have extra time for writing/copying
seat near front of room or teacher

26. For more info … Overcoming Dyslexia, Dr. Sally Shaywitz
“Could it be Dyslexia” video, Susan Barton,
Neuhaus Ed. Ctr.,
LDOnline,
Internatl. Dyslexia Assoc.,
FreeReading,
Learning Ally,
(formerly RFBD, free audio books)