Dyslexia Assessment
Understanding dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily impacts the skills involved in reading words accurately and fluently, as well as spelling. It is characterised by challenges in areas such as phonological awareness (the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in words), verbal short-term memory (remembering information briefly), and verbal processing speed (processing spoken language quickly).
Dyslexia can occur across a wide range of intellectual abilities and its severity can vary from person to person. It is a genetic disorder that affects the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for processing verbal information in an analytical and sequential manner. It's important to note that dyslexia cannot be cured, but there are strategies and interventions that can help individuals manage and overcome its challenges.
Signs of dyslexia can be observed as early as 4 years old, although formal assessment should typically be conducted when a child is around 7 years old, as they begin to read and write. Early diagnosis plays a crucial role because it allows for timely intervention before students fall too far behind their peers.
Interestingly, the right hemisphere of the brain, responsible for processing visual information in an intuitive and simultaneous way, often compensates for the difficulties experienced by individuals with dyslexia. This means that some dyslexic individuals may demonstrate strengths in creative tasks, logical reasoning, and working with visual materials. It's worth noting that many dyslexic individuals possess incredible gifts, talents, and even entrepreneurial skills.
At DD Focus, we strive to provide comprehensive insights into dyslexia, empowering you as parents with the knowledge and tools to support your child. Our experts are dedicated to helping your child thrive and unlock their unique talents and abilities. Together, we can embrace dyslexia as a part of their journey, leveraging their strengths and fostering their potential for a bright and successful future.
Book a Dyslexia Assessment or Parent Consultation
Understanding Dyslexia: Shedding Light on a Complex Puzzle
Dyslexia is a unique learning difference that can sometimes be accompanied by other conditions such as Dyspraxia (challenges with coordination), ADHD (impacting concentration and attention), Dyscalculia (difficulties with math concepts), and SLI (specific language impairment).
SLI becomes apparent when there is a delay in oral language skills. Children may struggle with pronouncing words accurately or constructing sentences. Some individuals with dyslexia may also experience visual perception difficulties, which can further complicate reading challenges. If our assessments reveal weaknesses in this area, we may recommend an evaluation by an optometrist to explore possible visual impairments. It's important to note that visual difficulties are separate from dyslexia. Signs of visual issues may include blurry letters, double vision, words appearing to move while reading, or losing one's place on the page. It's worth mentioning that people with dyslexia may not always exhibit the same symptoms due to the coexistence of these different challenges.
Certain characteristics can be associated with dyslexia, such as forgetfulness, struggles in following instructions, difficulties with copying from a board, and weak organisational skills. Since dyslexia has a genetic component, it often runs in families. If a parent has dyslexia, there is a possibility that their child may experience similar difficulties. Dyslexia is more prevalent in boys than girls, and it's worth noting that many individuals with ADHD may also have dyslexia.
At DD Focus, we understand the complexities of dyslexia and its potential co-occurring conditions. Our aim is to provide you, as parents, with a comprehensive understanding of your child's unique profile. Through our full diagnostic assessments, we can unravel the puzzle and equip you with valuable insights and strategies to support your child's learning journey. Together, let's unlock the potential within your child, celebrate their strengths, and navigate the path to success with confidence and knowledge.
Understanding Dyslexia: Nurturing the Power of Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is a crucial skill in the early stages of reading and spelling development. It involves recognising and connecting letter sounds, as well as understanding the differences between them. In English, this can be challenging as there are forty-four unique sounds, or phonemes, that correspond to the twenty-six letters of the alphabet.
Children with dyslexia often encounter difficulties with phonological processing skills. Tasks involving analysing and manipulating sounds in words, such as identifying rhymes, blending sounds together, or repeating unfamiliar words, can pose challenges for them.
To overcome these obstacles, students with dyslexia require explicit instruction and ample practice to grasp the rules of phonics, which are the foundation for decoding (sounding out words while reading) and encoding (spelling words). The two most crucial phonological processing skills are sound segmentation (breaking words into individual sounds) and sound discrimination (distinguishing between different sounds). Many individuals with dyslexia struggle with one or both of these skills, which can make the process of learning to read and spell more challenging.
At DD Focus, we understand the importance of nurturing phonological awareness in children with dyslexia. Through our full diagnostic assessments, we can gain valuable insights into your child's specific needs and strengths. We recommend techniques and strategies to support your child's phonological development, enabling them to thrive in their reading and spelling journey. Together, let's unlock the power of phonological awareness and empower your child to become a confident and successful reader and speller.
Understanding Dyslexia: Unraveling the Mystery of Memory Challenges
Short-term memory for speech sounds plays a vital role in our working memory system. It involves the ability to remember a sequence of verbal information for a short period of time. In the case of dyslexia, difficulties in this area can have a significant impact on education. Students may struggle with sounding out individual letters in words and blending them together accurately. Memory challenges can lead to confusion in the order of sounds when they are combined.
Moreover, memory difficulties also affect the ability to retain information effectively. That's why over-learning and reinforcement become crucial. Research has shown that weaknesses in short-term memory can have a broader impact on various aspects of learning, including vocabulary acquisition, early writing skills, reading, and mathematics.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of dyslexia and its impact on your child's learning journey, a full diagnostic dyslexia assessment is essential. Our assessment process delves into the unique strengths and challenges your child may face, allowing us to provide tailored strategies and support to help them thrive.
At DD Focus, we believe in empowering parents with knowledge and insights to support their child's growth. Together, we can unlock the potential within your child and navigate the path to success, equipped with a deeper understanding of dyslexia and the tools to overcome its challenges.
Unleashing Potential: Understanding Verbal Processing Speed in Dyslexia
Verbal processing speed plays a vital role in how quickly individuals process and comprehend verbal information. For individuals with dyslexia, this processing speed may be slower, leading to delays in understanding and responding to spoken language.
Difficulties in processing information may result in a lack of fluency and automaticity in cognitive skills. Tasks that require quick thinking or rapid information retrieval can be challenging. However, with targeted support and practice, individuals can develop strategies to enhance their processing speed and improve overall cognitive abilities.
To support individuals with dyslexia who struggle with verbal processing speed, it is important to break down instructions and information into smaller, manageable parts. Providing additional visual support alongside verbal information can also aid processing and comprehension.
Creating an inclusive classroom environment is crucial to supporting students with dyslexia. By implementing appropriate adjustments, such as providing extended time for tasks and using visual aids, we can ensure a supportive learning environment. These adjustments not only enhance learning outcomes but also play a vital role in preserving and boosting students' confidence and self-esteem.
At DD Focus, we understand the impact of verbal processing speed on learning. Through our full diagnostic assessments, we gain valuable insights into your child's unique strengths and challenges, allowing us to provide tailored strategies and recommendations to foster their academic growth.
Together, let's create an environment where every learner can thrive, unlocking their true potential and building a foundation for lifelong success.
Early years:
- Sequencing difficulties e.g., coloured beads
- Jumbled phrases e.g., ‘cobbler’s club’ for ‘toddler’s club’
- Late speech development
- Difficulty remembering known objects e.g., table, chair
- Struggles to learn rhyme e.g., cat, mat pig, big
- Confusion between directional words
- Difficulties remembering names of known objects
- Enjoys being read to but shows little interest in letters or words
- Difficulties learning and, or clapping a simple rhyme
- Coordination difficulties: hopping, skipping, catching or throwing a ball
Primary aged children:
- Difficulties with reading or spelling
- Writes letters and numbers the wrong way round e.g., b/d
- Reads a word but will not recognise it further down on the page
- Spells words several different ways in one piece of writing
- Poor concentration for reading and spelling
- Difficulties with time and tense
- Sequencing difficulties e.g., days of week and months of the year
- Confuses left and right
- Has difficulty recognising sounds in words and poor sense of rhyme
- Poor standard of written work compared to oral ability
- Leaves letters out of words or writes them in the wrong order
- Problems processing language at speed
- Areas of strength in other subjects
- Poor confidence and self-esteem
- Difficulties following instructions
- Poor organisational skills
- Handwriting difficulties
Students aged 12 years and above:
- Continues to read inaccurately
- Difficulties spelling
- Instructions need to be repeated
- Confuses places, times and dates
- Poor organisational skills
- Difficulties planning, sequencing ideas and writing essays
- Difficulties processing complex language
- Difficulties taking notes or copying from a board
- Word finding difficulties.
- Students aged 12 years and above
Adults:
- Reading and writing letters
- Completing forms
- Following spoken instructions
- Following directions and reading maps
- Organisational skills
- Remembering appointments and messages
- Recording telephone numbers accurately
- Explaining information clearly to others
- Understanding instructions or manuals
- Orientation in a different environment
- Concentration for more than one hour.
Dyslexia Support
Support is provided through specialist teaching using multi-sensory methods, developing memory to support learning and also metacognition so the learner develops independent learning skills.
An understanding of the individual’s specific needs is imperative so teaching can be guided to meet these needs and overcome barriers to learning. All teaching programmes are carefully designed, implemented and continually monitored for progress.
Children can be assessed for dyscalculia from around seven years although poor number sense, an inability to recognise patterns and difficulties learning to count a small group of objects accurately from an early age could be early indicators.
Assessment
Early intervention
Early identification and intervention are important to prevent an academic gap widening and self-esteem deteriorating. If there are concerns, it is recommended that children have an assessment for dyslexia from seven years.
Children develop at different rates, so some need more time to settle into the learning curriculum and develop skills. If the dyslexia is more severe, difficulties can be noticed from as early as four years. Young children in early years showing symptoms of dyslexia can follow recommendations without being formally assessed to support learning challenges.
Children can be assessed for dyscalculia from around seven years although poor number sense, an inability to recognise patterns and difficulties learning to count a small group of objects accurately from an early age, could be early indicators.