Link to this Google Doc:

http://tinyurl.com/dyslexiawebinar Please share this Google Doc; it is open-access

Resources for Dyslexia New Teacher Webinar: Building Digital Community The University of Texas Arlington

The Dyslexia Handbook (2010): http://www.region10.org/dyslexia/links/dyslexia-handbook-english/

Fast Facts about Dyslexia (attached) http://www.learningtherapist.com/dyslexia.html
Websites:
International Dyslexia Association: http://www.interdys.org/
CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)
http://www.chadd.org/
LD Online http://www.ldonline.org/
http://www.state.nj.us/education/specialed/dyslexia/prof.shtml
State of NJ page for Dyslexia
Resources for Professionals
What Works Clearinghouse
Center on Instruction
Florida Center for Reading Research
Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity
The International Dyslexia Association
Dyslexia Help
Learning Disabilities Association of America
National Center on Intensive Intervention
National Institute for Literacy
Dyslexia NJ DOE Professional Development Webinars (coming soon)
Dyslexia and Other Reading Disabilities: An Overview of Screening,
Assessment, Intervention, and Assistive Technology, presented by the New
Jersey Branch of the International Dyslexia Association in collaboration with
the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education
Programs
http://www.learningtherapist.com/links.html
Great links to Dyslexia via Dr. Jane Petrozzino
1. Dyslexia Help at University of Michigan
2. 5 Big Ideas in Reading
3. Put Reading First
4. Reading Rockets
5. 10 Helpful Dyslexia Resources
6. Phonemic Awareness Instructional Routines
7. Big Ideas in Beginning Reading
8. Working With Dyslexia
9. The Dyslexia Toolkit

DYSLEXIA HANDOUT | First Day Training

10. Decoding Dyslexia NJ

11. Strategies for Teachers
12. Classroom Strategies
13. Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading
14. National Center for Learning Disabilities
15. The International Dyslexia Organization
16. Dyslexia Help at University of Michigan
17. NCLD Types of Learning Disabilities
18. A Closer Look at the Five Essential Components of Effective Reading Instruction
19. Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read (Teachers Guide), Kindergarten through Grade 3
20. The Five Big Ideas of Reading Instruction
21. Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading
22. International Dyslexia Association
23. National Center on Universal Design for Learning
24. What is Universal Design for Learning?
25. Literacy Resources Inc
26. IDA News, Conferences and Events
27. Apps for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities
28. Dyslexia and the Brain: What Does Current Research Tell Us?
29. Framework for Informed Reading and Language Instruction: Matrix of Multisensory Structured
Language Programs
30. Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read (Teachers
Guide), Kindergarten through Grade 3
31. The National Reading Panel: Five Components of Reading Instruction Frequently Asked
Questions
32. Direct and Explicit Instruction in the Five Big Ideas in Reading
33. Bright Solutions for Dyslexia: Videos
34. IDAs Video Library
35. iPad Apps for Literacy Instruction
36. Apps for Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities
37. NCLD Videos

DYSLEXIA HANDOUT | First Day Training

Fast Facts about Dyslexia

http://www.learningtherapist.com/dyslexia.html
What Is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin and is characterized by difficulties with
accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties result
from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive
abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.
As a result, secondary consequences may occur and include problems in reading comprehension and reduced
reading experience impeding vocabulary development and background knowledge.
Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability and refers to a cluster of symptoms which result in children
having difficulties with specific language skills, especially reading. Other difficulties include spelling, writing,
and pronouncing words. A child with dyslexia struggles in school and academic success is difficult to attain.
What Are the Causes of Dyslexia?
The causes of dyslexia are both neurobiological and genetic. Anatomical and brain imagery studies show
differences in the way the brain of a dyslexic person develops and functions. Most dyslexics have difficulty
identifying the separate speech sounds within a word and/or learning how letters represent sounds. Deficits in
phonological decoding skills play a causal role in failing to learn to read. Dyslexia is not due to either lack of
intelligence or the desire to learn.
How Prevalent Is Dyslexia?
Approximately 15% of the school population in the United States have a handicapping condition and are
eligible for special education services. One-half of all students who qualify for special education are classified
as having a Learning Disability. About 85% of those students have a primary learning disability in reading and
language known as Dyslexia.
Many more students, as much as 20% of the population, demonstrate signs of dyslexia including poor reading,
writing, and spelling. These children continue to struggle in school, but yet may not be classified. They also
require direct, explicit instruction in reading, writing, and language to reach success in academic learning.
Dyslexia has no boundaries and affects people of all backgrounds and intellectual levels. Dyslexics are often
very bright and can be gifted in many areas. Dyslexia can be genetic and parents with dyslexia often have
children with dyslexia.
What Are the Effects of Dyslexia?
Dyslexia impacts different children in different ways and is contingent upon the degree or severity of the
disorder as well as the overall effectiveness of the remediation provided. Early diagnosis and intensive
remediation are necessary for a dyslexic child to be successful in school. As a child progresses in school and,
if dyslexia is not treated, the academic gap widens and the child falls further behind.
If gone untreated, dyslexia can have devastating effects upon a child's life. Current research indicates that if
children do not read proficiently by the end of third grade, they remain poor readers and are likely to drop out
of high school.
Dyslexia affects one's self-esteem. Children with dyslexia often do not feel that they are smart or capable like
their peers. They become disengaged in the learning process due to the frustration and failure they experience
in school. Stress and anxiety become part of the child's repertoire leading to discouragement about continuing
in school.
The primary areas affected by dyslexia are word recognition, reading fluency, decoding, spelling, and written
language. Although a child with dyslexia may eventually acquire these skills with substantive instruction, the
most severe problems occur later on in school when more complex language skills are required, such as
writing essays, doing research, comprehending informational text, and learning grammar.
Dyslexia also has far-reaching effects well beyond the school setting. Because dyslexia is a language-based
disorder, problems can occur in the workplace, in relationships, and at home. Children with dyslexia often have
difficulty with receptive and expressive language. They have difficulty understanding the spoken word and
expressing themselves clearly.

DYSLEXIA HANDOUT | First Day Training

How is Dyslexia Diagnosed?

Children can be screened for dyslexia using a reading benchmark level which predicts success in reading.
Tracking a child's progress aids in the identification process. A comprehensive evaluation is then necessary to
determine a diagnosis and/or eligibility for special education services.
What Does an Evaluation Include?
A comprehensive evaluation includes both academic achievement and intellectual testing; assessing the
language skills associated with dyslexia is also critical to establish markers. These include receptive and
expressive language skills, phonological processing skills, phonemic awareness, automaticity/fluency skills,
decoding, word recognition, spelling, reading comprehension, and vocabulary knowledge.
What Are the Warning Signs of Dyslexia?
The core difficulty displayed by children with dyslexia is in acquiring and using spoken and written language.
The main areas of deficit are in reading, writing, spelling, and/or math. Other problems include:
Learning to speak
Learning letters and their corresponding sounds
Organizing spoken and written language
Memorizing number facts
Reading fluently
Persisting with and corresponding longer reading passages
Spelling
Learning a foreign language
Correctly doing math operations
Due to retrieval issues, dyslexics have trouble recalling sound-symbol relationships and forming word
memories. This results in poor spelling where letters are jumbled. It may appear that dyslexics "read
backwards", but this is a myth.
How Is Dyslexia Treated?
Dyslexia must be treated by an educational therapist or Learning Consultant who is trained in using a
multisensory, structured language approach. Children with dyslexia must receive direct, systematic, explicit
instruction involving all the senses simultaneously. They require intensive practice and must have immediate
corrective feedback. The goal is to have the child develop word recognition skills until the level of automaticity
is reached.
The pacing of instruction and spiral review are crucial in developing reading skills. School accommodations
are provided to help the child succeed academically.
What Are the Rights of a Person With Dyslexia?
IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and ADA
(Adults with Disabilities Act) define the rights of a child with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Their rights
are protected and are legally entitled to special education services to help then compensate for their learning
differences.
In August, 2013, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law two rules designed to identify children
with dyslexia. New Jersey school districts must provide a minimum of two hours of training through
professional development. This training is for general education teachers in pre-K to Grade 3, special
education teachers, reading specialists, and speech and language therapists.

DYSLEXIA HANDOUT | First Day Training

What Are the Common Warning Signs of Dyslexia?

Does your child have difficulty with:
Pre-K to Grade 2
Language
Learning the alphabet, numbers and days of the week
Naming people and objects
Delayed speech and language
Using age-appropriate vocabulary
Staying on topic
Interested in stories
Mispronunciation of words
Rhyming words
Distinguishing words from other words that sound similar
Understanding instructions
Repeating what has just been said
Reading
Naming letters
Recognizing letters, matching letters to sounds, and blending sounds when speaking
Knowing sound-symbol associations
Accurately blending sounds within words
Recognizing sight words
Distinguishing between similar letters and words
Recalling new vocabulary words
Writing
Learning to copy and write
Writing numbers and letters in the right sequence
Accurately spelling words
Editing written work
Other
Sense of direction/spatial concepts
Performing consistently on tasks from day to day
What Are the Common Warning Signs of Dyslexia?
Does your child have difficulty with:
Grades 3 to 8
Language
Understanding directions
Repeating what has just been said in proper sequence
Staying on topic
Naming people and objects
Speaking with precise language and proper grammar
Distinguishing between words that sound similar
Pronouncing words correctly
Speaking fluently without hesitation
Rhyming
Understanding humor, puns, and idioms
Reading
Reading fluently
Comprehending while reading
Recalling sight words
Learning new vocabulary words
Analyzing unfamiliar words
Reading words in the correct order

DYSLEXIA HANDOUT | First Day Training


Writing

Other

Understanding math word problems

Spelling correctly
Generalizing spelling rules
Writing letters, numbers, and symbols in the correct order
Proofreading and correcting work
Expressing ideas in an organized fashion
Organizing writing assignments
Listening and taking notes simultaneously
Remembering facts and numbers
Remembering new skills
Sense of direction/spatial concepts
Performing consistently on tasks from day to day
Applying skills

What Are the Common Warning Signs of Dyslexia?

Does your child have difficulty with:
High School
Language
Speaking fluently using a rich vocabulary
Understanding directions
Using correct grammar and vocabulary
Staying on topic
Summarizing a story
Understanding non-literal language
Distinguishing between words that look and sound similar
Reading
Reading fluently
Reading precisely without omissions or substitutions of words
Recognizing sight words
Using word analysis in detecting unfamiliar words
Writing
Spelling accurately
Proofreading and editing written word
Outlining
Expressing ideas in a logical way
Fully developing ideas in written work
Other
Managing time
Organizing tasks
Reading charts and maps
Understanding space and direction
Performing consistently from day to day
Memorizing
Applying skills
Learning a foreign language
All rights reserved 2013 Dr.

DYSLEXIA HANDOUT | First Day Training