Dyslexia/Reading & Learning Disabilities

Not a week goes by that a parent coming in to consult with me about their child does not bring up one of the major mythologies that are out there on dyslexia.

Of course, the top one that is almost impossible to shake from our collective consciousness is what I call the “reversal thing.”

Not sure how this happened, but somewhere along the line, we all were hypnotized.  No matter what your background or education the “reversal thing is deeply embedded in our thought process.

As we go into the summer with more and more backyard barbecues, try this little experiment.  Turn to your uncle or cousin and ask them, “Hey, Uncle Bill, do you know what dyslexia is?”

Invariably, Uncle Bill will say something very close to the following, “Isn’t that when (it always starts with “isn’t that when”) you read upside down and backwards –  like the words and letters are reversed, right.”

Uncle Bill is in good company.  The “reversal thing” is a dominating mythology.

When you look to the definition of dyslexia that is widely accepted, it states the following in the first part of the definition:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.

Where’s the word “reversal?”  It’s not even in the definition.

I like to simplify things.   One way to think about dyslexia is to consider it as “reading inefficiency.” Or in the simple definition, it represents difficulty identifying words accurately and fluently.

For example, If I read “pricopinny” for  “porcupine” or “Sweden” for “seaweed” that’s a problem.  My reading will be conducted very inefficiently and my understanding will be greatly impacted.

 Takeaway Point

We will be discussing the top mythologies in upcoming blogs, but for now let’s try and loosen the “reversal thing” from your mental tree.  Listen to your child read.  Does he/she sound inefficient?  Are there lots of words like “pricopinny” substituting for real words like porcupine? If so, then you are probably in the realm of dyslexia (although it is important to understand that there are other variables or factors to consider).

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“Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

I try and find my weekly inspiration from my interactions as they happen from parents and kids.

This week’s comes from an eight year old third grader, Jonah, who told me he was not a big fan of school.  In fact, he was clear in stating that he “hated it.”

I pressed Jonah to tell me why.

“It’s all this testing,” Jonah started.  “It’s too much,” he said.

I asked him to clarify when his mom interjected, “Here, look what his week is like.  He’s all stressed out,” as she hands me a week’s schedule for Jonah’s class.

Tuesday

• Rocket Math Multiplication Level S (a timed exercise in rapid math facts)
• Math Chapter 8 Check My Progress Quiz
• Vocabulary Quiz

Wednesday

• Spelling Test
• Grammar Quiz

Thursday

• Rocket Math Multiplication Level T
• Reading Unit 3 Week 5 Test

So, let me get this straight. This eight year old got three quizzes and two tests, not to mention his performances on “Rocket Math” (timed stress exercises presented in the guise of being fun) in three days!!!

Jonah didn’t stop there regarding his negative feelings toward school.

“Also, the worksheets are really boring – they really get on my nerves.  I try and stay as focused as I can be,” Jonah explained

Jonah didn’t even have any learning problems, no signs of dyslexia and this was how he was feeling.

Takeaway Point                    

Three quizzes and two tests in a three days for an eight year old is hard to justify, not to mention the red ‘X’s’, failed grades and frowny faces at the top of a worksheet.

Wait, did I tell you he was eight?

Yeesh.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “He’s like a dog with a bone.”

You know, it’ referring to that person who won’t let up or who keeps beating the same drum over and over.

Sometimes I feel that way.

I won’t say how long I’ve been  beating the “decoding hurdle”  drum,  but I know I’ve been at it a while.

Perhaps it’s an obsession.

Why have I been beating this drum for so long you might ask?

I think it’s very simple.  When kids struggle to get over the decoding hurdle, I see how challenging things are for them.

Some of you may not know what “decoding” is referring to since it’s a bit of a jargon term that is casually tossed around in educational circles like everyone knows what it means.

To explain decoding take the made up word,  fabulationingly.  If you can read it quickly and easily you probably have internalized a pretty good “decoding system.” Most kids by fourth or fifth grade can read words like  that pretty easily.  Many kids can’t.    They get stuck when trying to read the big words.

It’s in the fourth grade range that the text really gets tough.  That’s primarily because it’s in the fourth grade range that the text takes a giant leap forward.  No longer is the text  primarily made up of common words.

No, the text has words that don’t show up too often –  words like philanthropist, fortify, institute, obstinate, materialistic.  If you can’t read these quickly and easily everything gets bogged down.

Each word is a hurdle you have to get over.

It’s exhausting.

To add to the exhaustion, there’s the writing side of things.

This week when I asked young Marcy,  age 9 to write her top problem, she wrote, “My fist prodlem is my reading.”  Then when asked to write a wish, she wrote, “To get a Ponny and all of the Spliz.”  (She was hoping for a pony and all of the supplies, just in case you weren’t sure.)

Takeaway Point

If your kid is having trouble getting over the decoding hurdle, don’t wait around.  If possible, seek help.  Don’t wait for the school’s blessings.  Take action.

Help me with my decoding obsession.

Matthew Effects Are Powerful-Act Early

A number of years ago a very powerful piece of research emerged in the field of psychology and education. This research, by Dr. Keith Stanovich ultimately became known as the “Matthew Effects.”

The Rich Get Richer

A biblical metaphor, the Matthew Effects highlighted the simple concept of the “rich getting richer.”

How do these effects apply to learning disabilities and child development?

Let’s take Child, A, named William.  On a smooth road in preschool, William did not encounter any difficulty. From normal exposure to the school curriculum, William started to learn his letters and associated sounds. Participating in most of the typical preschool educational games, William enjoyed himself and did quite well. Later in kindergarten, the pattern continued. William started to understand basic word patterns and simple decoding skills began to take hold.

By the end of first grade, William successfully progressed and everyone was quite happy. Williams’s received a great deal of gratification, both from a skill vantage point, as well as with the emotional gratification that came with the success.  Put simply, Williams “emotional tank” was filled in a continual positive loop. By the end of second grade going into third grade, William was seen to be devouring books.  Exposed to thousands of different words simply by reading widely, by the upper elementary school grades William was solidly on his way to being a successful student. The smooth ride was enjoyable. Skills layered on top of skills.

The rich got richer.

Child, B., young Beth, was the opposite of William. In preschool, whenever her parents tried to read books to her, Beth resisted, finding any other activity with which she could engage. In the classroom whenever letter and sound activities were conducted, Beth experienced a sense of nervousness that was not observed by anyone. Intuitively, Beth understood that she was not “getting it.” She looked around the room and saw other children clicking in with their letters and sounds, something that was not occurring for Beth. Any attempts at writing letters or even small words resulted in scribbles that caused her sense of embarrassment.

Moving into kindergarten and then early first grade, the pattern continued. Avoidance on top of avoidance occurred. Compared to William, Beth was exposed to far fewer words just from the simple fact that Beth labored one word at a time, while William was already skating along. (Secretly, Beth hated William and she resented the other children around her seem to be doing so well, so easily.)

By the middle to end of first grade, Beth detested school, and everyone kept telling her she needed to just “pay attention more.” Any attempts at reading chapter books caused Beth a great sense of distress.

 Negative Cycle

The negative cycle continued all the way through elementary school. While Beth was formerly “diagnosed” and classified by fourth-grade, it was already late.  There was a wide gap between Beth and many of the other kids around her.   William had read many chapter books by the end of fourth grade, being exposed to a broad range of vocabulary, enriched language, and imaginative experiences, none of which Beth experienced.

Bottlenecked by her difficulty, it was like there was a clogged fuel line.

 Think About This

While the difficult road that Beth went down could not have been totally avoided, understanding these Matthew effects and how powerful they are argue, again, for early identification and action. By acting early, so much emotional scarring can be avoided, as well as the enhanced skill development occurring in recognizing these effects.

Young children face many hurdles that they need to overcome.  They come in succession. Getting over one leads to another.  Some hurdles are more important than others and are not all equal in their level of importance.

One particular hurdle I have been consistently focused on with children is what I call the “decoding hurdle.”

By the end of first grade going into second grade, most have gotten over this hurdle.  You read Dr. Seuss, complete some phonics worksheets and it all starts to make sense.

It’s a smooth ride.

Once getting over this hurdle there is a sort of clicking in, an experience of, “aha, so that’s how reading works.”

For these lucky children, learning to read is no big deal.

From that point forward, these kids who are over the hurdle enjoy reading and are eager to start reading easy chapter books.  (As an aside, this eagerness ends for the boys in the upper elementary grades where they shut–off to reading, but that’s another discussion.)

If you don’t get over the decoding hurdle within a reasonable timetable (like by the end of first grade or so), this  challenge creates a bottleneck, frustrating all aspects of academic development, impacting the child’s basic sense of confidence and self-esteem.

What should you do if your child is not getting over the decoding hurdle?

First, have the child tested.  It is important to remember, though, that school testing is not concerned with the “decoding hurdle.”  That is not their job or their purpose.  Their purpose is determine “eligibility” or classification for special education.  Many children who are not yet over the “hurdle” are not viewed as eligible for special education.  So, you may need to seek private testing.

Following that testing, the likely next step is to have your child individually tutored by someone who knows how to teach decoding.  Most good decoding teachers know some version of the “Orton-Gillingham” related methodologies (e.g., Wilson Reading System, Barton Reading Program, SPIRE and others).

Typically, the child needs at least twice a week of the individual instruction over a significant period of time for the skills to start to be internalized and mastered..

Takeaway Point

If your child is not yet over the “decoding hurdle,” all  bets are off.

Don’t waste time worrying about other skills until you’re your child makes progress in this essential developmental task.

Copyright, 2021 www.shutdownlearner.com
Questions or topics email Dr. Selznick.  Not in the South Jersey area? For a free 15 Minute Consultation, contact Dr. Selznick: email – rselznick615@gmail.com.

TThere is much talk these days about screening for dyslexia.  Businesses are scrambling to put forth the product that schools will purchase so that they are compliant with emerging screening legislation.

Perhaps less important than the actual test is understanding how a screening is different from other types of assessments. (see: https://shutdownlearner.com/dyslexia-screening-book/).  

Screening involves the first of three different levels that can be conducted in a dyslexia assessment. (The three levels are as follows:

• Screening
• Moderate
• Comprehensive  

Screening focuses on a specific set of skills that help predict a child’s performance on a larger set of skills that ultimately make up adequate reading. For example, a screening tests phonemic awareness – a sub-skill of reading (which will be explained later) – because it is a good indicator of a child’s early reading ability. However, screening does not examine all the skills that make up the more complex process of reading, such as reading comprehension and other contributing cognitive processes.   A more in-depth testing would consider these other factors.

By its nature, screening is a shorter first step. Ultimately, more involved testing may be called for, but the screening allows for early decisions as to who may be at risk.

Following a screening, identified children are typically offered remediation using appropriate evidence-based instruction. If it does not appear that the child is making sufficient progress after a reasonable period (e.g., six months), a more in-depth assessment may be recommended.  

Moderate assessment takes significantly longer than screening. A moderate assessment involves a more thorough examination of reading skills in relationship to other skills, such as cognitive and academic functioning. Whereas a screening can be conducted in a half-hour to an hour, a moderate assessment typically requires a solid three hours.

Comprehensive assessment typically looks at other in-depth cognitive functions not covered in the moderate assessment, such as memory functions and other emotional/behavioral variables. A comprehensive assessment often requires at least two testing sessions and may take twice as long as a moderate assessment. Such an assessment often is considered if a child continues to struggle significantly despite receiving appropriate intervention over a sufficient period of time.

When an assessment is conducted outside school, many factors go into deciding which level of assessment a child should undergo. Cost is an important one of these factors. Other factors include the type of assessments previously performed and how recently they were conducted. It is important to keep in mind that, with young children, it is generally good practice to start with a screening. However, I have conducted dyslexia screenings with people of all ages depending upon what is needed at the time. 

Takeaway Point

By definition, a screening should be a brief and narrow band assessment that offer very good prediction as to who may be at risk

Adapted, “Dyslexia Screening:  Essential Concepts for Schools & Parents,” Richard Selznick, Ph.D., 2014 SDL Consulting/Publishing

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Last week we talked about “marginally ready” children, the ones falling just under the radar screen, who have just enough skill to get themselves in the “average range,” but who limp along every year with many unresolved issues.

For marginally ready kids, there are two major “kryptonites’ out there – you know the deadly stuff they have to face daily.

One of the kryptonites is “open-ended” writing.  Most marginally ready kids haven’t the faintest idea how to organize their thoughts into a coherent essay.  The open-ended  nature of the writing process (e.g., write about your favorite vacation), is particularly problematic.

The other kryptonite is word problems.  To struggling kids both are equally deadly.

Take young Chloe, age, 8, a struggling, marginally ready child.  In second grade she can barely perform operations of addition and subtraction beyond the simplest one digit operations.   She doesn’t understand concept of money or time either.

Word problems “load” on child’s active working memory and fluid reasoning, two cognitive abilities that were very weak in Chloe’s profile.

Here’s a word problem that she had to manage recently:

“There were cows, horses and roosters at the farm.  There were 32 legs all together.  There were more cows than horses and more horses than roosters.  How many cows and horse and roosters were there?  (Answers will vary.)”

(Huh? What are they talking about here?)

I know math was never a strong suit of mine, but I was really scratching my head here when I looked at her worksheet.

Chloe drew some nice pictures to accompany the problem, but she didn’t have the faintest idea what  the problem was asking or how to approach it.

Breaking these problems down into visual terms and making a story out of them is one of the best ways to try and counter the kryptonite.  Usually there is an underlying “story” to the word problem, one that can be made into four parts.  Use a white board (kids like white boards) with fun colored markers to have the story (i.e., word problem) come to life.

You can also use one white sheet of paper and divide the page into four parts if a white board isn’t readily available.

The bottom line is that word problems can be deadly for the kids of concern.  Word problems like the one above can be particularly deadly because of their inherent confusion.

Takeaway Point

Even Superman couldn’t defeat kryptonite, but hey, you can beat it back and lessen its power.

The scars stay with you.

This week while explaining to a dad and his high school age daughter the difficulty that she was having reading complex words and how there might be some associated embarrassment, the dad was brought back to a painful memory from his childhood.

“Oh, yeah, I can relate to what she is going through.  When I was a kid I was asked to read out loud and when I came upon the word ‘nearby,’ I read it as ‘nerby.’  That was it.  From that day on for a long time that was my name – ‘Nerby.’   Like, ‘Hey, Nerby!’   I can remember it like it was yesterday.  There’s a lot of shame.  There’s a lot of embarrassment.”

A second example from the dyslexia front came from an extremely bright, but severely dyslexic 17 year old.  We were talking about “assistive technology” as a possible support for him.  When I started talking to him about it, I could see the look of skepticism and doubt on his face.  He wasn’t buying it.

“How come you look doubtful about trying some of these things, “ I asked.

“Look, the last thing I want,” he said to me, “is to feel even more different than I already feel.  Last year, teachers would come into the class and call me out to put me on this machine for writing or spelling – I don’t know.  Give me a break.  I don’t care that it may have helped me.  It embarrassed me.  I was singled out.”

I know there are lots of gifts and associated strengths with dyslexia, but I also know there is a lot of pain.  Some of this pain is visible, but much of it lies unseen.

For “Nerby” the pain was well below the surface, probably not spoken of to anyone.  Who knows, it may be that when the dad shared his memory with his daughter and me, that may have been the first time he told that story to anyone.

But, you can bet he replayed that day of embarrassment over and over again for many years to come.

Takeaway Point

Keep reminding yourself to walk in their shoes.