Skip to content Learning to read is a vital part of skill development provided by schools, and educators. However, for those students diagnosed with dyslexia, reading can present a significant challenge. That’s a primary reason for the development of reading programs for special education.
What Is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning disorder where individuals have difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how those sounds relate to letters and words (decoding). This is a very real reading disability that often requires research based reading programs for special education. People diagnosed with dyslexia often have normal intelligence and vision. In fact, some of the most brilliant minds in history including Albert Einstein struggled with dyslexia condition is isolated to areas of the brain that process language.
Ideally dyslexia can be identified early on, however it can sometimes go undetected for several years. In these cases, reading programs for special education high school students can be used to effectively remediate reading challenges in upper grades. It can be mild, moderate, or severe and is more common than people think. Up to 20 percent of students of school age students have some form of dyslexia, making it one of the most common learning disorders facing today’s students and educators.
Students don’t grow out of dyslexia. It is something that can continue to cause difficulty in phonological processing as students age. Much can be done for students with dyslexia including ongoing reading programs for special education. It’s important to diagnose dyslexia as early as possible as students may have problems with reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can slow vocabulary growth and acquisition of basic knowledge.
Early Screening of Dyslexia Is Vital
Clues for dyslexia can be evident in young children before they reach school age. Using screeners to see if dyslexia is present is a good pre-emptive tactic to identify any potential problems for young children, especially before they wind up in a classroom undiagnosed. Screeners can identify whether or not a student may need more testing. Taking a “wait and see” approach is not helpful for the student. Intervention through research-based reading programs for special education is a proactive way to help students get the assistance they need to develop reading skills. The process of helping a student overcome their challenges is harder the older they get. One-on-one tutoring may be necessary to help them move forward.
Students with dyslexia will most likely require a structured literacy approach to help them develop. Like any student, being immersed in a structured literacy program offers significant benefit. Such programs teach foundational elements such as phonology, syllables, syntax, and semantics. Students with dyslexia will require some in-class accommodations to help them achieve their potential.This includes things like allowing more time for testing, using daily routines to manage expectations of what’s coming next provide daily reviews, offer small step-by-step instructions, or use audio books when it makes sense.
Using research-based reading programs for special education like the ones offered by Essential Skills is an effective way to help students diagnosed with dyslexia reach their full potential. By incorporating these programs into your classroom or one-on-one instruction, you will be taking is an important step towards helping your students become happy, confident readers .