staff@illuminationsdyslexia.com

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Illuminations Center for Dyslexia
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What is Dyslexia?

International Dyslexia Association

The IDA states that it is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and /or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

International Dyslexia Association, 2004

Does my child have dyslexia?

 Individuals with dyslexia have trouble with reading, writing, spelling and/or math even though they have the ability and have had opportunities to learn. Individuals with dyslexia can learn, but they often need specialized instruction to overcome the problem. Often these individuals, who have talented and productive minds, are said to have a language learning difference.  Most of us have one or two of these characteristics. That does not mean that everyone has dyslexia.  A person with dyslexia usually has several of these characteristics that persist  and interfere with functioning over time. 


Take a free screener from Lexercise!

 https://www.lexercise.com/tests/dyslexia-test?group=352 


National Institutes of Health

 

Dyslexia is one of several distinct learning disabilities.  It is a specific, language-gased disorder of constitutional origin characterized by difficulties in single word decoding, usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing abilities.  These difficulties in single word decoding are often unexpected in relation to age and other cognitive and academic abilities; they are not the result of generalized developmental disability or sensory impairment.  Dyslexia is manifested by variable difficulty with different forms of language, often including, in addition to problems reading, a conspicuous problem with acquiring proficiency in writing and spelling.

G. Reid Lyon
"Toward a Definition of Dyslexia
Annals of Dyslexia, Volume XLV, 1995

Reading Deficits

  •  Difficulty learning to read
  • Difficulty identifying or generating rhyming words, or counting syllables in words (phonological awareness)
  • Difficulty with hearing and manipulating sounds in words  (phonemic awareness)
  • Difficulty distinguishing different sounds in words  (phonological processing)
  • Difficulty in learning the sounds of letters (phonics)
  • Difficulty remembering names and shapes of letters
  • Transposing the order of letters and/or numbers
  • Misreading or omitting common short words
  • “Stumbles” through longer words
  • Poor reading comprehension during oral or silent  reading, often because words are not accurately read

Oral Language Deficits

  • Late learning to talk
  • Difficulty pronouncing words
  • Difficulty acquiring vocabulary and grammar
  • Difficulty following directions
  • Confusion with before/after, right/left, today/tomorrow
  • Difficulty learning the alphabet, nursery rhymes, or songs
  • Difficulty with word retrieval or naming problems

Written Language Deficits

 

  • Difficulty putting ideas on paper
  • Many spelling mistakes 
  • Unsure of handedness
  • Poor or slow handwriting
  • Messy and unorganized papers
  • Difficulty copying or proofreading
  • Poor fine motor skills
  • May do well on weekly spelling tests, but may have many errors in daily work
  • Difficulty proofreading  

Other Common Symptoms

Dyslexia is hereditary

Relatives may have similar problems. Teacher says, “If only she would try harder." Child may have difficulty naming colors, objects, and letters rapidly, in a  sequence. Others in family have weak memory for lists, directions, or facts.  Some may need to see or hear concepts many times to learn them. Often, dyslexia is accompanied by ADHD.

Dyslexia can affect math

  •  Difficulty counting accurately
  • May misread numbers
  • Difficulty memorizing and retrieving math facts
  • Difficulty copying math problems and organizing writing
  • Many calculation errors
  • Difficulty retaining math vocabulary and concepts 


This can be referred to as dyscalculia.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Dyslexia and ADHD can occur together, or separately.  Often, one can mask the other.  ADHD can be primarily inattentive, primarily hyperactive, or a combined type. This neurological difference is caused by chemical imbalance in the processing centers of the brain. Symptoms include: 

 

  • Inattention, Variable attention, Distractibility
  • Impulsivity, Hyperactivity
  • Dyspraxia (Motor skills)
  • Difficulty planning and coordinating body movements
  • Executive Function/Organization
  • Loses papers, forgets homework, messy desk
  • Poor sense of time, works slowly
  • Overwhelmed by too much input

Evaluation Services

Find out more

Comprehensive Evaluation by Appointment

Language Evaluation is Dyslexia Testing

 

Basic diagnostic questions are:

  • Is there a problem?
  • If so, how severe is the problem?
  • What type of problem is it: decoding & spelling; listening comprehension; a combination of the two (See the Simple View of Reading formula)
  • What aspects are of most concern to the student and the family?
  • What aspects must be considered in planning treatment (e.g., lexical access /word-finding problems, associated anxiety and/or behavioral issues, executive function and/or attention difficulties)?
  • What intervention approaches does science support for this type of problem?


The clinician administering a process-focused assessment must have:

  • Knowledge of the orthographic structure of written English.
  • Knowledge of how children (and adults) learn to read, spell and write and how these skills are related to oral/aural language development.
  • Knowledge of language processing systems and neuro-biological processing disruptions.
  • Knowledge of how to match a client’s processing patterns to evidence-based interventions.
  • Knowledge of the psychometric aspects of individual assessment procedures and instruments.
  • Skills to select and administer assessment procedures and instruments that address the basic diagnostic questions.
  • Skills to perform an error analysis on assessment samples (e.g., a spelling error analysis)

Affordable Payment Plans

We do not bill insurance for testing.  Most insurers will not pay for educational testing.  Therefore, we offer payment plans to spread the cost out over 3 installments.  It is just $100 to book your evaluation appointment. 

Meet our Evaluation Director

Brooke Dewease Smith, M.S., CCC-SLP 

 "I graduated with my Master’s in speech/language pathology from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2002 and have been a locally practicing SLP since that time.  Around the birth of my first child, my practice focus shifted to pediatrics, and I have spent much of the last sixteen years serving the children of Lauderdale and the surrounding counties. I have spent time contracting with Lauderdale County schools and served at three of their four elementary schools. Since 2012, I have recently worked in private practice, serving children of all ages, with a primary focus on the early intervention (0-3 years) population. In my role as an SLP with EI, I have significant experience in the early identification of language disorders and other developmental delays. I look forward to bringing this experience to further serve local children in this new role as the Evaluation Director at Illuminations." 

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Illuminations

302 17th Street, Suite D, Meridian, MS 39301

(601) 484-7430 staff@illuminationsdyslexia.com

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