Does my child have a reading disability?

Reading is an important first step on a child’s path to success in life. A child who is an excellent reader is self-confident, has a high level of self-esteem, and is able to easily make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn. For many of us, reading is a natural process and we can read with ease and pleasure. Unfortunately, for a child with a reading disability, the reading process can become a negative and frustrating experience and is often very difficult to master.

What is a reading disability?

A reading disability is an inherited condition that makes it extremely difficult to read, write, and spell despite having at least average intelligence.

Learning to read is a sequential process. Each new skill a child learns builds on mastery of previously learned skills. First, a child learns to break words down into their most basic sounds, which we call decoding. Subsequently, the child begins to understand the meaning of words and sentences, which we call reading comprehension. Decoding is an essential step in the reading process, since it forms the basis of reading. For a child with a reading disability, decoding does NOT come naturally and is NOT an automatic process. Most reading experts will agree that decoding problems underlie most reading disabilities.

Does my child have a reading disability?

Some signs of a reading disability:

• The child has difficulty pronouncing words
• Slow and laborious reading
• Read without expression
• Ignore punctuation when reading aloud
• Guess based on the first letter of the word
• puts extra sounds in a word
• Syllable drops
• Reverse sounds
• Has difficulty with spelling
• Replace small common words

If your child is having trouble reading and is displaying the above symptoms, there may be a good reason for you to request an immediate evaluation. As a parent, you want to make sure that he is providing what is necessary for your child to be successful in school. To know what is necessary, the first thing to do is an evaluation to identify the problems to be remedied.

What is an evaluation?

An assessment is simply a standardized test performed by a person who is trained and authorized to understand how to perform the test and how to interpret the results. Specialists trained to perform psychological tests and interpret results are:

• Clinical psychologist
• School psychologist
• Educational psychologist
• Developmental psychologist
• Neuropsychologist
• Speech and language therapist

How do I get help?

A child with a reading disability will assimilate and process information differently and needs to be taught by specialists. Students with a reading disability will need to work with a specially trained teacher, tutor, or reading specialist to learn to read and spell. Students who have been evaluated and diagnosed through the school district may qualify for Special Education Services. Children with a reading disability do best with a structured reading program that is sequential, repetitive, systematic, and cumulative. Fortunately, with the right help and assistance, most students with a reading disability can learn to read and develop strategies to become successful readers.

When is the best time to get help?

Effective early intervention is the key to helping a struggling reader learn to read. This training should start as soon as possible to get the best results. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), 95% of children who have trouble learning to read can reach grade level if they receive specialized help early on. Kindergarten through the middle of first grade are the “window of opportunity” to prevent long-term reading problems. Without early intervention, the “reading gap” may never close.

There is no reason why a child with a reading disability cannot learn to read and comprehend well. It is important that we never lower the expectations of a child with a reading disability. Children need to feel that even though they are struggling, they are loved and not judged. So be encouraging and patient and praise often.