DYSLEXIA: ASSESSING Ashley Ryan
Special Education
AND IDENTIFYING Te a c h e r
WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES
What is dyslexia?
What are common deficit areas in students with dyslexia?
What assessment tools can be used?
How to identify students with dyslexia?
WHAT IS DYSLEXIA?
“Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dyslexia refers
to a cluster of symptoms, which result in people having
dif ficulties with specific language skills, particularly reading.
Students with dyslexia usually experience dif ficulties with other
language skills such as spelling, writing, and pronouncing
words. Dyslexia af fects individuals throughout their lives;
however, its impact can change at dif ferent stages in a person’s
life”
(International Dyslexia Association, 2017)
WHAT IS DYSLEXIA
https://youtu.be/zafiGBrFkRM
STATS
1 in 5 students have some form of
dyslexia
80-90% of students identified as having a
learning disability are in fact dyslexic in
grades K-12
(The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, 2017).
COMMON DEFICIT AREAS
Word Recognition
A student’s ability to recognize and read single print words. The
student is unable to use cues, such as the meaning of a word in a
sentence, to determine how to read the word.
COMMON DEFICIT AREAS
Decoding
A student’s ability to read unfamiliar words by applying letter -sound
knowledge, spelling patterns, and chunking words into parts such as
syllables. This area can also be referred to as word attack.
COMMON DEFICIT AREAS
Spelling
A student’s ability to spell words from memory by applying their
knowledge of letter-sound correspondences and other relevant
patterns.
COMMON DEFICIT AREAS
Phonological Processing
Phonology is one small part of overall
language ability. Phonology is the “sound
system” of our language. We must be able to
think about, remember, and correctly
sequence the sounds in words in order to
learn to link letters to sounds for reading
and spelling.
(International Dyslexia Association, 2017)
COMMON DEFICIT AREAS
Fluency
The speed in which a student is able to process visual or auditory
information. This is also referred to as Rapid Automatic Naming.
POSTER ACTIVIT Y AND DISCUSSION
Materials:
Directions for Activity
5 Poster Boards
5 Markers
Pens
Sticky Notes
ASSESSMENT AREAS
Decoding vs. Sight Word Recognition
Phonological Processing
Awareness
Memory
Fluency Tasks
Spelling
ASSESSMENT TOOLS ACTIVIT Y
Materials
Testing Kits
Question Worksheet
Pens
ASSESSMENT TOOLS DISCUSSION
Thoughts??
Concerns??
Generalizations?
How can these tools be helpful to you as an evaluator?
Any other assessments that you think would be beneficial to
discuss?
IDENTIFYING DYSLEXIA
Cognitive Evaluation
Full Scale IQ
Verbal Comprehension
Visual Spatial
Fluid Reasoning
Working Memory
Processing Speed
Academic Achievement
Speech and Language Evaluation
BRAINSTORM TIME!!!
Objectives:
Come up with 3 deficit areas that you believe most students with
dyslexia have
What three tests would you give to measure these areas?
Come up with 3 areas of strength that you believe most students with
dyslexia can have
What three tests would you give to measure these areas?
What 3 areas should be ruled out before moving forward with
identifying a student with dyslexia?
Lingering thoughts?
CHECKLIST COMPONENTS
A student with dyslexia MUST have a deficit in at least one of
the following areas:
Phonological Awareness
Phonological Memory
Rapid Automatic Naming
Other Areas May Also be Af fected:
Decoding
Fluency
Spelling
Letter/Sound Knowledge
CHECKLIST COMPONENTS
Areas of strength:
Listening Comprehension
Mathematics
General Intelligence
Oral Language
CHECKLIST COMPONENTS
Areas to be ruled out/considered:
Language Impairment
Attention
Executive Functioning
Visual Impairment
WRAP UP
What is dyslexia?
What are common deficit areas in students with dyslexia?
What assessment tools can be used?
How to identify students with dyslexia?
WRAP UP
Survey Link
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6BM89QB
Thank you!!!
REFERENCES
International Dyslexia Association. (2017). About dyslexia.
Retrieved from: https:// dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-at-a-
glance/
The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. (2017). The yale
center for dyslexia and creativity. Retrieved from:
://dyslexia.yale.edu/