Myths & Facts About Dyslexia
In 1994, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released the results of their 14-year longitudinal study and specific research projects. The research projects have been independently replicated, have yielded the same results, and the results from those 18 university-based research centers have now been replicated by dyslexia researchers around the world.
Yet most people are unaware of these results. So as a parent, you will encounter the following myths frequently:
Myths About Dyslexia
Myth: Dyslexia does not exist.
Fact: Dyslexia is one of the most researched and documented conditions that will impact children. Over 30 years of independent, scientific, replicated, published research exists on dyslexia -- much of it done through the National Institutes of Health, funded by taxpayer dollars.
Myth: People with dyslexia cannot read.
Fact: Everyone with dyslexia can read -- up to a point. But they will "hit the wall" in reading development by third grade, if not sooner. They will often read a word fine on one page, but not recognize the very same word on the next page.
But it is spelling that separates kids with dyslexia from kids who struggle with reading for some other reason. If the child and their parents spend hours and hours studying the spelling list, the child may be able to learn the list of 20 spelling words long enough to do "okay" on Friday's test. But, they cannot retain those spelling words from one week to the next. They also cannot spell when writing sentences or paragraphs -- not even the high frequency words such as: because, friend, or does.
Myth: Dyslexia is rare.
Fact: Dyslexia is not rare. It is the most common reason a child will struggle first with spelling, then with written expression, and eventually "hit the wall" in reading development by third grade. According to the NIH researchers, in the United States, dyslexia impacts 20% of our population. That is 1 out of every 5 people. But it does come in degrees. Some have it only mildly, some have it moderately, some have it severely, and some have it profoundly.
Very few children with dyslexia are in the special education system. Only 1 in 10 will be eligible for an IEP (when tested in second or third grade) under the category of Learning Disability (LD). That means 9 out of 10 "fall through the cracks." Although the parents and the teacher know there's something different about the child, the child does not qualify for special education services, and most will no longer get help from the Reading Specialist after first or second grade.
Myth: There is no way to diagnose dyslexia.
Fact: 18 independent universities have proven dyslexia to be neurologically-based through f/MRI's and genetic research. Studies from that research make it possible to determine which tests would prove dyslexia, when administered by a trained Dyslexia Specialist. Anjel Totty is a Certified Dyslexia Testing Specialist who has completed graduate-level courses through the University of San Diego and is qualified to diagnose dyslexia.
Myth: Most children outgrow early reading and spelling problems. It is just a developmental delay.
Fact: Independent, scientific, replicated research on reading development shows just the opposite. It shows that if a child is struggling with reading, writing, and spelling in mid-first grade, that child has better than 90% odds of still struggling with those skills in eighth grade and on into adulthood if someone does not step in and do something. That means less than 10% of the time will a child outgrow those struggles. That also means waiting is the worst thing you can do. It will not go away. The child will only get further and further behind -- unless that child gets the right type of intervention or tutoring.
Myth: Retaining a child will improve their academic struggles.
Fact: Retention is a failed educational policy. It has never improved academic struggles. That is why these organizations are against retention:
The National Association of School Psychologists:
"Through many years of research, the practice of retaining children has been shown to be ineffective in meeting the needs of children who are academically delayed."
The American Federation of Teachers:
"Social promotion and grade retention are mechanical responses to an educational problem. The scandal is how little attention they give to preventing failure in the first place."
The U.S. Department of Education:
"Neither social promotion nor retention is appropriate for students who do not meet high academic standards."
The National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD):
"The weight of the evidence of literally hundreds of studies shows that retaining children does NOT produce higher achievement."
Myth: Dyslexic children will never read well, so it is best to teach them to compensate.
Fact: People with dyslexia can become excellent readers, decent spellers and good writers if they receive the right type of intervention or tutoring.
Independent, scientific, replicated research recommends an Orton-Gillingham-based system as the most effective way to improve the reading, writing and spelling skills of people with dyslexia. There are seven well-known Orton-Gillingham-based systems. The Barton Reading & Spelling System is one of the best.
Myths About Schools
Myth: Most reading and resource specialists are highly trained in dyslexia and its remediation methods.
Fact: Sadly, that is not true. Not even recent graduates with a Masters in Reading have had a single course in dyslexia, its warning signs, and appropriate remediation methods. Most literacy coaches, Reading First coordinators, and Resource Specialists have had no training in dyslexia or appropriate remediation methods.
Myth: Most teachers know the warning signs of dyslexia, so they would warn a parent if their child had symptoms of it.
Fact: Most teachers have had no training in dyslexia or its classic warning signs.
Myth: Schools test children for dyslexia.
Fact: Most public schools do not test children for dyslexia because federal law does not yet require them to diagnose why a child is struggling. Most public schools only test to see if a child is far enough behind to be eligible for special education services. There is a big difference between eligibility testing and true diagnostic testing. Most children with dyslexia will not be eligible for special education services.
Myth: Public schools do not admit that dyslexia exists.
Fact: Some public schools still try to deny that dyslexia exists -- despite more than 30 years of independent, replicated, scientific research that has been conducted on dyslexia by the National Institutes of Health and other researchers around the world. But as more parents, teachers, and administrators are becoming aware of that research, and the fact that dyslexia impacts 20% of children in the United States, states are starting to pass statewide dyslexia laws.
The dyslexia laws in some states require public schools to screen children for dyslexia, for free, during kindergarten, first, or second grade. The dyslexia laws in other states require teacher training to offer information on dyslexia -- and to require teachers in schools to get in-services on dyslexia. As of June 2009, the following states have statewide dyslexia laws: Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, California, Colorado, and Washington.
The following states have dyslexia laws making their way through the legislature:
Kentucky, Ohio, and New Jersey.
If your child's school still denies that dyslexia exists, try to educate them on the latest research. Either give them a copy the book Overcoming Dyslexia by Dr. Sally Shaywitz, or have them go to the Reading Rockets website and in the search box near the top of the screen, type in dyslexia, then click on the Go button.
By the way, the Reading Rockets website is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. So if the U.S. Department of Education admits that dyslexia exists, so should every public school that it governs.
Myth: If a child is not eligible for special education services or an IEP, the child does not have dyslexia.
Fact: Dyslexia comes in degrees, ranging from mild to moderate to severe to profound. Only children who are severe or profound are eligible for special education services under the category of Learning Disability or LD. That is why most children with dyslexia do not receive special education services. Yet even children with mild dyslexia will "hit the wall" in reading development by third or fourth grade -- and they will have extreme difficulty getting their wonderful thoughts and ideas down on paper in acceptable form. Not only will there be many misspelled words (even high frequency words such as: because, friend, and does), but they will not capitalize correctly (not even consistently capitalizing the first word in each sentence) and they won't consistently put periods at the end of their sentences.
Anjel Totty, Certified Dyslexia Testing and Remediation Specialist, Serving Santa Rosa, CA and Surrounding Areas.
