Diagnosing Dyslexia is usually tricky! There are common deficits of individuals who have developmental dyslexia that give educators a better idea of who may be dyslexic. These clues may be used to better meet the instructional needs of these types of students. All students benefit from the same type of instruction-structured literacy. Students of inclusion classes or classes that encompass students of different first languages benefit from the same type of instruction, as well.
Not every dyslexic student will show the same outward signs. Students will often develop ways to mask their lack of processing skills for literacy and/or math. Student personalities and their environment effect the amount of outward masking students will develop to hide their lack adequate processing connections.
Many states are now conducting dyslexic screenings 1-3 times a year (often included in universal screenings) to assist in identifying students who are struggling to acquire reading skills and/or may be dyslexic. Teachers also play a vital role in unmasking dyslexic students through their observations. Teachers usually work with students in a small group setting during the primary and elementary grades. Small instruction groups make it easier to observe key flags that usually identify students with dyslexia. Writing tasks or data will assist in exposing current student spelling abilities. Students with dyslexia will often spell the same word different within the same sample of writing.
Students of “classic/heritable” dyslexia usually have orthography and phonology deficits. Some of the characteristics of these deficits include:
“Phonological Issues
- Sequencing of sound (bran for barn)
- Omission of addition of sounds (jup for jump)
- Confusion with similar sounds phonemes (f and th)
- Limited knowledge of spelling rules (chik for chick)
Orthographic Issues
- Sequencing of nonphonetic patterns (cloud for could)
- Confusion with graphemes that look similar (e.g., b/d, p/q)
- Transposition of letters (e.g., gril instead of girl)
- Overgeneralization of rules
- Overreliance on auditory features (e.g., becuz for because)” (Redding, 2023, slide 38)
The earlier a student with the characteristics of dyslexia receives intervention services or structured literacy instruction, the more likely they are to be at their expected level for reading.
