Dyslexia Revisited
While I am first and foremost a lawyer, I have a deep interest in reading interventions and other special education matters. Although I was already a attorney when my son was diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia, my research into educational approaches led me to this career as a special education attorney. In this area of law, it is important to be current on legal developments as well as making and effort to keep abreast of research-based educational interventions.
I just finished an article on school -based interventions for students with dyslexia and was struck that after all these years there is still a debate over the use of Orton-Gillingham or other similar interventions for struggling readers. This tide seems to be turning. However, it is remarkable that it took this long and has not been a given for school-based interventions. These are not novel or ground-breaking, but they are research based and they are effective. Current estimates of the prevalence of dyslexia fall between five and ten percent. Like other disabilities, dyslexia can vary in its severity and presentation of symptoms.
Despite the availability of early literacy screening tools, most school districts operate on a “wait to fail” model. Students in grades, one, two and three with dyslexia are often not identified with explanation that they are “developing “skills and will catch up. Often, students are passed along until they are in middle- school and their reading difficulties are now a crisis.
Dyslexia Resources: