Dyslexia: Will Any Tutor Do?
According to Dyslexia Reading Connection, Dyslexia is defined as “a learning disability that makes it difficult to read, write, and spell in spite of normal intelligence and adequate instruction. It is caused by the brain’s inability to process information received from the eyes or ears into understandable language.” (https://dyslexiareadingconnection.com/about-dyslexia/)
So what does that mean? It means that your child is not unintelligent. They’re not lazy. They aren’t pretending. And they are trying. Their brain is not wired the same way yours might be. While your eyes may quickly recognize symbols and send the visual information to the brain centers that can quickly understand the symbolic information, the process isn’t so “automatic” for them.
While seeing letters, quickly identifying them without thinking, matching them with sounds, and even recognizing whole words with one look might be automatic for you, it is not automatic for them. It may take a child without dyslexia some time to become automatic, but their brain is wired for automaticity in this area, and the dyslexic child’s brain isn’t. Quickly processing letters can feel like trying to walk backwards, rub your tummy, pat your head, and say your ABC’s backwards for the dyslexic individual!
So what do we do? How do we best support them? You may be aware that while it’s not natural and takes some effort, people DO learn to rub their tummies and pat their heads!
For generations, people with dyslexia have learned to read by simply brute force practice. Forcing the child that’s struggling to take hours reading. Reading through tears and learning to dread reading practice. Well meaning parents hire tutors and general-education teachers who don’t fully understand the disorder. While this method “works,” it takes a lot longer, can ruin the fun of reading for a dyslexic child, and result in people developing bad-habit short cuts vs. truly learning patterns.
So what do you do?
The best thing you can do is hire a professional that is truly informed about dyslexia and dyslexia based instruction. You need a professional that has extra education on language, brain processing, symbolic understanding, dyslexia, speech and phonology, and personalized instruction. A reading specialist with additional education might do the trick, but one of the best professionals to work with your child is a speech-language pathologist (SLP, or speech therapist), particularly one that has additional dyslexic training.
So what questions should you ask when searching for a reading specialist or speech-language pathologist?
What additional dyslexia based training do you have? Do you have any training in dyslexia-specific instruction, such as the Lindamood-Bell or Orton-Gillingham approach? Look for a provider with either a practicum or extensive practical experience with children with dyslexia so that you know they know their stuff!
What type of materials and exercises do you use specifically with children with dyslexia? You may want to share what techniques have helped your child and what has only been frustrating for them.
What experience do you have with children with a dyslexia diagnosis? Have you seen measurable success with clients that you worked with?
Have you ever diagnosed a child with dyslexia? Have you worked with other professionals that also help children with dyslexia?
Finding a well-informed, compassionate, patient professional with experience to work with your child is critical to their success. At Top Sail Therapy, our speech therapists have strong answers to each of these questions. We’ve helped countless children overcome their disorders to read on grade level, take pride in their skills, and truly enjoy and look forward to reading.
When it comes to dyslexia, there are some key components that should be implemented for a successful treatment plan/tutoring style. See our next blog post for more details.