Five Myths About Dyslexia | And What It Means For You?
If you care about someone with Dyslexia, you understand how it can affect many areas of someone’s life. Reading is something that most people take for granted, and it can be eye-opening to realize how much reading is required of us, and how much difficulty in this area can be agonizing for individuals. Reading difficulties can lead to embarrassment, low-self esteem, and avoidance of situations where reading is required.
Large research studies looking at children from kindergarten through adulthood have given us information about the prevalence and trajectory of dyslexia in individuals (Shaywitz and Shaywitz, 2020). The Connecticut Longitudinal Study and other studies can help us understand how our current system is missing opportunities to help struggling readers. By looking at some of the myths about dyslexia, we can advocate better for those with this condition.
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Myth #1: Dyslexia is more common in boys
Boys are often identified with mental health conditions more frequently than girls, and this is the case with dyslexia. This has a lot to do with the way that boys and girls are socialized, and the traits they may display that have nothing to do with reading. Girls tend to be more quiet, and compliant, and hide their difficulties, while boys are more likely to act out or act in ways that attract the teacher’s attention. The phrase, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease,” applies here children who are taking more of the teacher’s attention and energy tend to get identified earlier.
Despite research that learning disabilities in reading develop in the same way and at the same rate across genders, females are identified with learning disabilities at a later age and to a lesser degree than their male peers.
What does this mean for you?
If you are a female or if you have a daughter who is struggling to read, you may have to advocate more for her. Females with learning disabilities are under-identified and underserved, and if their needs are not being recognized, then they are likely not receiving the support needed to help them.
Myth #2: You either have dyslexia, or you don’t
Like many other traits and characteristics, the ability to read lies on a continuum. There are no distinct groups of people who either can or cannot read, but rather there is a range of reading ability and a point along this range where we determine that the ability to read is so impaired that it is considered a learning disability. This is where things get interesting: depending on the state you live in and their special education rules or which provider you see at a private clinic, this point is not always the same.
States have different definitions for learning disability diagnoses, and clinicians have varying levels of comfort and knowledge with assessment in this area, so it is entirely feasible that a child with the same ability may qualify in one state and not another, or they may be diagnosed with dyslexia by one provider and not by another.
What does this mean for you?
If you have a child in school, it helps to know what the state definitions for special education are, along with what programs the school is using to support children. If you are looking for a learning disorder assessment, ask the provider about what types of testing they do. This is a case in which cheaper is usually not better. I have seen “learning disability testing” which consists of 3-4 short academic tasks (i.e., reading a list of words, filling in missing words in short sentences, completing a sheet of math problems), and especially for younger children, (kindergarten through 2nd grade) children can get a few items right and appear at grade level, despite having significant difficulties in the classroom.
A proper, comprehensive assessment should look at overall reading ability along with the components of reading to identify if there are particular skills in which the individual is needing support. This both helps to document a need for support but also provides direction as to what type of instruction will help the individual. By pinpointing the areas of concern, intervention can be targeted and effective.
Myth #3: If your child has dyslexia, the school will recognize and treat it.
It makes sense to assume that if schools are responsible for educating our children, then they will recognize any difficulties in learning and remediate these concerns. I believe that most teachers have wonderful intentions and do the best they can, but some kids need more than they are going to be able to receive in a classroom with 20 other children. The people who choose school curricula frequently do not have a research background, and curriculum trends are frequently not the latest, most effective programs for children.
States currently use a Response to Intervention (RTI) model, where rather than starting with extensive testing, when a child is having difficulty, schools use frequent benchmark testing to identify children who need extra support and immediately start providing that support many children will respond to this, and then those children will not need the additional support any longer. I think this model is great for children who respond to RTI, but there are still children who do not improve with the additional instruction, or they do not improve as quickly as other children.
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The Connecticut Longitudinal Study study shows that one in five children having dyslexia, yet school systems report 4% of children are diagnosed and treated for dyslexia (Shaywitz and Shaywitz, 2020). For this 4%, special education classes provide opportunities for additional support so that children can achieve academic success with the ultimate goal of returning to the general classroom and no longer require external supports; however, many children who enter special education never improve to the point they no longer need supports. And what does this mean for the other 16% of children with reading difficulties?
What does this mean for you?
If your child is struggling with reading, they may or may not be recognized as having dyslexia through the school system. If their difficulties are less obvious (for example, if children hide their difficulties or can “pass by” using other strategies, which may be more likely in children with high cognitive ability) they may be less likely to be noticed by teachers, especially early on.
Seeking a private learning evaluation can help a family demonstrate a need for the child to receive additional school support; a comprehensive evaluation that provides evidence of the student’s current difficulties, along with a written request for an evaluation for special education, can start the process for child identification and additional support in the school system.
If your child is identified by the school system, it is important to understand the nature of their IEP goals and the methods being used to support these goals. Using evidence-based practices and monitoring progress to determine growth should be a part of the IEP of any child with dyslexia. Whether or not a school recognizes and treats a child’s learning disability in reading, it may be advantageous for families to seek outside reading help.
Myth #4: Children grow out of dyslexia.
Children DO improve in reading skills as they continue to learn and practice; however, the difficulties from dyslexia are persistent and chronic. Children with dyslexia fall far behind their peers during early elementary school, especially first grade. After that, while all children gain reading skills, many children with dyslexia never catch up, and there remains to be a gap between typical readers and children with dyslexia.
What does this mean for you?
Ignoring dyslexia will not make it go away. There are evidence-based practices to help children with dyslexia learn the specific deficits that make reading difficult for them. If your child is in special education, understand the methods the school is using and how they relate to your child’s particular pattern of strengths and weaknesses.
Dyslexia affects some of the smallest building blocks of reading, so helping children acquire these skills as early as possible will provide them with the tools to continue to grow as a readers at the level of their peers. In cases where children are identified as having difficulty early on, it can be advantageous to seek outside reading programs, such as Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes, the Orton-Gillingham approach, and other tutoring and educational therapies. By intensely focusing on exactly what the child struggles with, these types of programs can help children be better prepared for classroom learning and reduce the achievement gap.
Myth #5: Dyslexia isn’t the same thing as a learning disability in reading.
Though dyslexia is by definition a learning disability in reading, in the DSM-5, which is what mental health providers use to diagnose mental health conditions, it is referred to as Specific Learning Disorder in Reading. Unfortunately, this discrepancy in name has created a disconnect between many providers who diagnose learning disabilities and school systems who treat children.
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What does this mean for you?
Understanding the terminology used by the school system can be important. If schools use the phrase “dyslexia” or “learning disorder in reading,” having that same terminology on a private report can prevent any confusion or disconnect. If you are seeking a private learning disorder evaluation, request that the provider list both Specific Learning disorders and dyslexia under the diagnosis if it is applicable. Mostly, understand and help educate others that these are the same thing!
Despite the significance and prevalence of dyslexia, there is a disconnect between the research and what is happening in schools and many practices. Those who test for and treat dyslexia and other learning disorders need to keep up to date on research and practice to provide the best outcome for children and adults.
If you are searching for a private learning disability evaluation, ensure that the evaluation will be comprehensive and address both the overall levels of reading along the components of reading.
I love to be able to help families understand what they need to do to help their children or themselves be successful. If you have any questions about learning disability evaluations or are interested in scheduling an evaluation or consultation, feel free to email me at drmyszak@helpandhealingcenter.com!
Shaywitz, S. & Shaywitz, J. (2020). Overcoming Dyslexia, 2nd Ed. Vintage Books. 28-34.
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Dr. Jessica Myszak has over 10 years of experience performing psychological evaluations with children and adults. She offers both in-person and telehealth evaluations. In addition to seeing clients on the Chicago North Shore, she can work with families who reside in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin! If you want to learn more about potentially working with her, you can contact her to start the process.