Dyslexia Assessment

Is Your Child:

• showing slow and laborious reading
• having trouble remembering sight words
• guessing words based on the first letter
• skipping words – or entire lines – when reading
• hesitating and repeating words 
• having trouble connecting letters to their sounds
• consistently missing or substituting words 
• having difficulty with rhyming
• having trouble finding the right word to say when communicating
• showing letter reversals beyond the age they are expected
• mixing up letters and sounds

If you answered yes to any of these, contact us today to see if a dyslexia evaluation is an appropriate next step.  These difficulties often persist into adulthood and may also involve trouble with sequencing, time management, and learning a foreign language. 

Did you know there is more than one type of dyslexia?

Dyslexia is broken up into two subtypes:

• Phonetic Dyslexia (related to phonics and how we hear the sounds of words)
• Orthographic Dyslexia (related to visual memory and memorizing sight words)

While most individuals have both, sometimes only one is present. Our comprehensive evaluations are aimed at helping to identify why a child is struggling with reading development,  where the breakdown is occurring, and accurately identifying subtypes of dyslexia……So the time you spend on interventions can be specific and targeted to your child. 

Why is it important to diagnose dyslexia early?

While interventions can be effective at any age – early identification and intervention is important. The sooner it is detected, the easier it is to provide support and help you child get back on track! 

If left untreated, these difficulties can impact social-emotional functioning, self-esteem, and confidence.  Children with unidentified learning disorders are at a higher risk for developing anxiety and/or depression later in life.  Because we know that dyslexia often impacts more than just reading, we will also assess for social-emotional factors such as these. 

What does an evaluation include?

An assessment of dyslexia is a specialty service that requires assessing IQ factors and overall academic performance, as well as specific skills, like decoding, auditory processing, phonological processing, rapid retrieval of previously learned information, and other necessary reading skills.

Dyslexia is not linked to IQ, and even individuals who are gifted may present with symptoms of dyslexia.  However, there are some cognitive tests we can perform to understand if your child is at a higher risk for dyslexia. 

Our team includes highly trained professionals who specialize in dyslexia assessments. We offer comprehensive evaluations that not only look to see if you or your child has dyslexia but we also assess for other potential contributing factors. 

Evaluations Include:

• Developmental History Review
• School Records Review
• IQ assessment
• Dyslexia assessment
• Math assessment (because it may impact word problems)
• Writing assessment (because it may impact spelling and writing sentences)
• Social Emotional Functioning
• Teacher Input (as appropriate)
• Parent Input

Our goal is to better understand how your child learns, so we can recommended specific and targeted interventions. 

Can this help provide support for my child at school?

Yes. If you child needs a 504 plan or IEP, we can  provide school-based recommendations and help you navigate the process with your school.

The goal of our evaluations is not just to diagnose, but to also help parents learn more about their child’s strengths, needs, and identify what type of support your child needs moving forward.