Literacy and Dyslexia

The ultimate purpose of reading is for the reader to comprehend information conveyed through the written word. Breakdowns can occur at several points. For optimal reading development, a child must have intact auditory, visual and language processing. If language processing is impaired, but reading fluency is intact, treatment should target language. (See Language-Based Disorders under Therapy Services on this website for more information.) 

However, if a child’s rate or accuracy of oral reading is impaired, despite being adequately taught, having good motivation, and having the intelligence to read fluently, a reading disorder is suspected.

Two primary factors typically underlie reading disorders:

Auditory/phonological processing: This includes the ability to hear sounds in words, perceive the number and sequence of the sound, and blend the sounds into words. Difficulty with phonological processing is the most common underlying factor of dyslexia.

Visual processing: This is also called orthographic processing and is the ability to learn the visual features of letters and words paired with sounds. Individuals with poor orthographic processing tend to rely on letter-by-letter decoding rather than recognizing groupings of letters within words. They also tend to have difficulty with sight word recall.

What do I do if my child is struggling to read?

The first step is to identify if reading fluency is indeed lower than expectations. If reading fluency is poor, a comprehensive assessment should include a language assessment to rule out a generalized language impairment and a cognitive evaluation to rule out intellectual disability. Further, the nature of the reading impairment should be investigated to identify the extent to which phonological and orthographic processing impact reading. Spelling should also be assessed as it provides additional information regarding the nature of the impairment. Based on findings, a customized approach can be designed using multiple evidence-based interventions. It should be noted that a language disorder or lower than average intellectual ability does not and should not preclude intervention aimed at improving reading.