Congratulations to Drs. Mark Moulton and Brock Eide for their publication of a novel multi-dimensional approach to measuring dyslexia risk. See publication HERE. This is the paper based on the novel Neurolearning dyslexia screening app. As the paper describes...
![Redefining Dyslexia [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Redefining-Dyslexia-Premium-e1699767152962-400x250.jpg)
In the past year, there have been some remarkable papers published in the field of dyslexia. By and large, the changes seem to be good news and more inclusive of the diverse ways that dyslexia presents – including gifted individuals with dyslexia. But change is likely to be messy – and schools and educational and research groups are likely to different and present different information to students and their families. THE PENDULUM SWINGS AGAIN ON DISCREPANCY Although the earliest professional accounts about dyslexia recognized the unexpected connection of high intelligence with difficulties in reading, writing, and spelling, the dyslexia field has been involved in many warring opinions about whether cognitive tests are worthwhile. Without pointing fingers, many researchers and educational leaders over the years questioned […]
Any student who applies to college or graduate school knows that the burden to re-test can be costly for students pursuing higher education. For decades, families have had to navigate a minefield of proof to be granted much-needed accommodations for high stakes exams. The cost may really add up. We have posted on the Department of Justice’s regulations regarding the ADA at work and at school here. Although these guidelines clearly stated re-testing for accommodations should not be burdensome and that generally outside testing should be accepted, families have had to fight battles on an individual basis if their particular request for accommodations was denied. Well, the recent good news is that the Department of Justice has announced at settlement with the Education Testing […]
It’s that time of year again – either time for standardized tests or end of year exams. Test anxiety includes a variety of physical and emotional symptoms that include feelings of nervousness and hopelessness, fear, self-doubt, irritability, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, stomach pains, and headaches. Among elementary school children, standardized tests cause greater feelings of anxiety than routine classroom tests, and students with dyslexia may experience the stress and anxiety more acutely. Reference THE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF TESTING FOR DYSLEXIC STUDENTS Testing can be a double-edge sword for dyslexic students – because a test result may determine whether a student needs additional support, tutoring, accommodations, or even access to assistive technology. But testing may also inform decisions about holding back students, […]
“It is reprehensible that California is one of 10 states that doesn’t screen for dyslexia,” said Portantino. “The issue isn’t going away. Every year we don’t screen first-graders is another class lost. Shame on us.” Despite some high hopes this past year, a bill for...
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As we all hope the worst of the pandemic is behind us, the schools must all anticipate an even greater variability in reading, writing, and math levels for students due different degrees of pandemic loss and social and emotional stress. Educational researchers and school psychologists are warning parents and teachers that the diagnoses of learning disabilities may be especially prone to errors: “When education has been disrupted by COVID-19, rigid adherence to DSM-5 criteria for initial diagnosis of a specific learning disorder entails substantial risk of error. In the past two years, most youth have experienced some loss of academic instruction. Many have also experienced psychosocial adversity (such as death of a loved one or decreased social support). Interventions might not have been available within […]
Impassioned high school student, Julia de Montagnac, interviewed Dr. Brock Eide (Dyslexic Advantage co-founder) about his creation of the Neurolearning Dyslexia Screener. Julia is on a mission to inspire self-esteem in dyslexic elementary school students through art....
Question: “My work is increasingly requiring writing and I find myself getting in trouble because of mistakes. I have not formally been diagnosed, but am thinking that it might help me do even better at my job. What advice do you have?” Answer: Based on what you’ve said, I’m not sure whether your writing difficulties occur mainly when typing or writing by hand. If typing or keyboarding, then I would recommend adding the free version of Grammarly to you computer. It will catch errors in punctuation, missing spaces, spelling mistakes, and more. This is something you can do that doesn’t require any intervention or work accommodation. You can also use a speech-to-text program to read what you’ve written back to you in order […]
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The Washington state driver’s license paper and pencil test can be a difficult one for dyslexic drivers. Having seen some of the sample questions, there’s a lot more number trivia compared to the California test I passed many years ago. Whether you don’t drink alcohol or smoke marijuana, you have to answer specific questions about how long it takes for the body to recover from a drink or smoking, but also answer detailed questions about how many days you have before reporting the sales of a vehicle to the Department of Licensing (5 days). With many similar questions and answers, the pass rate is 80% (what a nightmare!). ‘STICKY’ MEMORY CAN INTERFERE WITH ROTE STUDY FOR DRIVER’S TEST How to study for this […]
![Non-Reading Ways to Recognize Dyslexia [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Non-Reading-Ways-to-Recognize-Dyslexia-Premium-400x250.jpg)
Last month, I was surprised when one of the teachers in our Dyslexia for Teachers course said that a writing sample couldn’t lead anyone to suspect a student had dyslexia because dyslexia was a reading disorder. Of course, that statement is wrong. KNOWING MORE THAN THEY CAN EASILY SHOW BY TESTS OR WRITING Perhaps the most common way that dyslexic students come to the notice of their teachers is by unevenness in their abilities or what some refer to as a “spiky profile.” They may have strong reasoning abilities and make thoughtful observations and comments during class, but their written work may may be far lower than their knowledge from trouble getting their ideas on the page, the need for extended time, and […]
***. This article was previously a Premium post. Thanks to a donation by Christina, we’ve made this post public! The assessment of dyslexic students and employees is in dire need for a reassessment itself. Many institutions have decided that the most expedient way to assess students, job and higher education applicants, employees, and licensed professionals is a timed paper and pencil tests. However, many voices have begun to be raised about how these ways of making assessments are inadequate or discriminatory. For more reading on this topic, check out We Are Teacher’s post, Could This Be the End of Standardized Test As We Know It, or a different take on it from the University of Massachusetts Law Review HERE.
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