(NAPSI)—One in five people in the U.S. has some sort of learning disability like dyslexia, yet experts say that for many children, the problem remains undiagnosed far longer than it should. Recognizing the early signals of such learning differences can be extremely important for a child’s success in school and life.
Pediatric neuropsychologist Nichole Dawson, Ph.D., has a son with dyslexia, and has teamed up with Learning Ally, a national nonprofit, to inform the public about dyslexia’s early warning signs, advising parents on what to look for.
Dr. Dawson recommends watching your child to see if he or she has difficulty with:
Ӣ learning the alphabet, identifying letters, and/or processing letter-sound relationships;
Ӣ learning nursery rhymes, preschool songs, the days of the week, the months of the year;
Ӣ learning to count and recognize numbers;
”¢ reading out loud (slow, “choppy” and error prone);
Ӣ learning vocabulary, names of people and places.
Get An Expert Evaluation
If a child is exhibiting some of these symptoms, an evaluation by an expert in dyslexia and reading impairments may be helpful. School psychologists, pediatric neuropsychologists, educational therapists and speech language pathologists are among the professionals who are qualified to provide a diagnosis.
Dr. Dawson advises parents not to delay testing. “Studies show that a child’s reading skill level at the end of kindergarten is predictive of where his or her reading skills will be in third grade,” she says. “After diagnosis, supports and accommodations can help children with learning differences succeed academically.”
One proven accommodation she points to is Learning Ally, which provides struggling readers with access to their curriculum via audio textbooks.
“Learning Ally is remarkably effective for individuals with dyslexia as well as other reading or learning challenges,” Dawson says. “Its library of 75,000 digital titles—the largest of its kind in the world—can be played on everyday devices including PCs, Macs, iPhones and iPads.”
Learning Ally’s website offers robust support to parents and even provides a directory for finding specialists near your home.
Happily, successful intervention can reduce academic frustration and minimize the negative impact of dyslexia on a child’s learning success. All it takes is the right tools.
To learn more, visit www.LearningAlly.org/DyslexiaSigns.
On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.(NAPSI)
