THE IMPORTANCE OF

DIAGNOSING DYSLEXIA
For many parents, the term “learning disability” can be a daunting one. The
most common learning disability in the U.S. is dyslexia. The International
Dyslexia Association (IDA) estimates between 15-20 percent of our population
show signs of dyslexia. However, while dyslexia is common, it is often
overlooked.
Parents can mistakenly view dyslexia as a developmental delay. Many
experts dispute the idea that “developmental delays” even exist, and
emphasize that dyslexia is not associated with a lack of intelligence.
Dyslexia is neurological in origin. The term itself describes difficulties with
language-based tasks such as reading, writing and spelling. dyslexia is not
associated with a lack of intelligence.
Students who struggle with language-based activities are often frustrated with
tasks that involve reading and writing. Dyslexia can cause difficulties with
accurate and fluent reading, along with trouble spelling and writing.
In spite of these difficulties, a proper dyslexia diagnosis allows children the
ability to overcome the disability with a litany of tools—and early intervention
is best. Multiple studies have shown that early intervention will help stem the
effects dyslexia can have on a child, and emphasize the importance in
catching the disability before a child is discouraged from learning.
Liberty Classical Academy recommends that parents who are curious about
dyslexia visit the ida-umb.org website. We have posted the website’s
“Common Signs of Dyslexia” below. In addition, the website offers a quick
assessment that one can take here.

Common Signs of Dyslexia

Preschool aged children with Dyslexia may:

 Talk later than most children

 Be unable to retrieve correct words
 Have trouble with alphabet, numbers, days of week, colors
 Have trouble with writing name
  Have difficulty following multi-step instructions
 Have difficulty retelling a story in correct sequence.

Students in K-4 with Dyslexia may:

 Have difficulty separating sounds within a word

 Have a hard time learning letter names and sounds
 Stumble while reading aloud
 Are inconsistent with reading words accurately
 Easily confuse small words or letters
 Write with reversals
 Make errors when reading and spelling
 Frustration with new tasks, especially language- based tasks
 Difficulty with numbers, math facts, and multistep math problems
 Difficulty telling time
 Rely heavily on memorization without understanding
 Impulsive
 Poor planning
 Awkward pencil grip

The significance of dyslexia screening for the

assessment of dementia in older people.
Metzler-Baddeley C1, Salter A, Jones RW.

Author information
Abstract
Dyslexia and Dementia are disorders that share cognitive impairments in attention, language, and
working memory. It is therefore possible that the presence of dyslexia may influence the assessment
of the severity of dementia and potentially lead to the development of atypical forms of dementia.
The present study investigated the prevalence of problems suggestive of dyslexia with a brief self-
report questionnaire in a sample of 195 older adults referred to a Memory Clinic for dementia
assessment. Ten percent reported problems suggestive of dyslexia consistent with the estimated
prevalence in the general population. This group performed significantly lower in a number of
attention and language related tests but not in other cognitive domains. These results highlight the
importance of dyslexia screening for the assessment of dementia, not least because the choice of
treatment is guided by the outcome of the assessment of the severity and the type of dementia.
The significance of dyslexia screening for the
assessment of dementia in older people

Abstract
Dyslexia and Dementia are disorders that share cognitive impairments in attention, language, and
working memory. It is therefore possible that the presence of dyslexia may influence the assessment
of the severity of dementia and potentially lead to the development of atypical forms of dementia.
The present study investigated the prevalence of problems suggestive of dyslexia with a brief self‐
report questionnaire in a sample of 195 older adults referred to a Memory Clinic for dementia
assessment. Ten percent reported problems suggestive of dyslexia consistent with the estimated
prevalence in the general population. This group performed significantly lower in a number of
attention and language related tests but not in other cognitive domains. These results highlight the
importance of dyslexia screening for the assessment of dementia, not least because the choice of
treatment is guided by the outcome of the assessment of the severity and the type of dementia.
Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

If you or someone you know has been identified as dyslexic, it’s important to know that you/they
are not alone. Dyslexia is an alternative way of thinking – a learning preference – that affects an
estimated one in ten New Zealanders, including 70,000 schoolchildren.

Understanding dyslexia means noticing what this means for everyday life – at school, home and
work. It also means understanding the common signs for dyslexia and how it may present itself.
Dyslexia is perhaps best thought of as a continuum of abilities and difficulties rather than a distinct
category, as it occurs across a range of intellectual abilities with no clear cut-off points.

While reading and writing can be challenging for dyslexic individuals, big picture skills like problem
solving, creativity, high level conceptualisation and original insights are often real strengths.
In terms of everyday life impacts, dyslexia is usually first uncovered in the classroom environment
when core reading and writing skills are being taught. However, it is equally common for dyslexia
to go undiagnosed, with individuals labelled as ‘slow’ or ‘struggling’ due to unexpected difficulties
in acquiring these skills.

As the individual moves beyond school into the workplace, these difficulties can be compounded
by reliance on written formats and requirements around everything from rapid email
communication through to understanding instructions. Even in jobs that are manually oriented,
processing instructions and filling in work forms can be sources of challenge and frustration.

Those with dyslexia must be supported in education and in the workplace, and this often requires
specific interventions, as well as awareness and understanding. For more guidance on dealing
with dyslexia in the classroom, and within the family, workplace, visit DFNZ’s 4D webspaces. This
concept of 4D | For Dyslexia – which also stands for 4 Difference and 4 Diversity – extends the
common perception of three dimensions to embrace a fourth dimension based on creativity. This
fourth dimension is likened to a dyslexic or atypical way of thinking which can offer great creative
gifts if addressed correctly.
What Is Dyslexia?

Reading is complex. It requires our brains to connect letters to sounds, put

those sounds in the right order, and pull the words together into sentences
and paragraphs we can read and comprehend.

People with dyslexia have trouble matching the letters they see on the page
with the sounds those letters and combinations of letters make. And when
they have trouble with that step, all the other steps are harder.

Dyslexic children and adults struggle to read fluently, spell words correctly
and learn a second language, among other challenges. But these difficulties
have no connection to their overall intelligence. In fact, dyslexia
is an unexpected difficulty in reading in an individual who has the
intelligence to be a much better reader. While people with dyslexia are
slow readers, they often, paradoxically, are very fast and creative thinkers
with strong reasoning abilities.

Dyslexia is also very common, affecting 20 percent of the population and

representing 80– 90 percent of all those with learning disabilities. Scientific
research shows differences in brain connectivity between dyslexic and typical
reading children, providing a neurological basis for why reading fluently is a
struggle for those with dyslexia.

Dyslexia can’t be “cured” – it is lifelong. But with the right supports, dyslexic
individuals can become highly successful students and adults.

History of Dyslexia

In 1896, a doctor in Sussex, England, published the first description of the

learning disorder that would come to be known as developmental dyslexia.
“Percy F. . . ged 14. . .has always been a bright and intelligent boy,” wrote
W. Pringle Morgan in the British Medical Journal, “quick at games, and in no
way inferior to others of his age. His great difficulty has been and is now his
inability to learn to read.”

In that brief introduction, Morgan captured the paradox that has intrigued
and frustrated scientists for a century since: the profound and persistent
difficulties some very bright people face in learning to read.