The International Dyslexia Association definition of Dyslexia (2025) states:
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties in word reading and/or spelling that involve accuracy, speed, or both and vary depending on the orthography. These difficulties occur along a continuum of severity and persist even with instruction that is effective for the individual’s peers. The causes of dyslexia are complex and involve combinations of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences that interact throughout development. Underlying difficulties with phonological and morphological processing are common but not universal, and early oral language weaknesses often foreshadow literacy challenges. Secondary consequences include reading comprehension problems and reduced reading and writing experience that can impede growth in language, knowledge, written expression, and overall academic achievement. Psychological well-being and employment opportunities also may be affected. Although identification and targeted instruction are important at any age, language and literacy support before and during the early years of education is particularly effective.”
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is shown by difficulties in word reading accuracy and/or speed.
Word reading is the ability to read written words correctly. It is not reading comprehension, which is understanding what the written text means. For students with dyslexia, the words are often read incorrectly and/or slowly and laboriously.
Dyslexia occurs along a continuum of severity and exists despite reading instruction that is effective for other students.
This continuum refers to the wide range of challenges that students with dyslexia can exhibit, from mild to severe. There is no single test for dyslexia with a cut-off score, so professionals must decide whether the difficulties with reading fall within the range considered dyslexia. A list of questions is asked to help determine if there is a “preponderance of evidence” for the students having dyslexia. A person with dyslexia needs specialized instruction to address their reading challenges.
Dyslexia is caused by a combination of genetic, neurobiological, and environmental influences.
Dyslexia has a genetic component and is often found in family members. It is a brain-based disorder. MRI scans of the brain show that the brains of dyslexic students use different, less efficient pathways than those of typically developing readers. The brains of proficient visually impaired readers who use either print or braille activate these same efficient pathways. The good news is that effective intervention can improve these pathways for struggling students. However, students with visual impairments may require even more direct and intensive support to acquire reading skills.
Individuals with dyslexia may experience challenges with phonological and morphological processing, as well as early oral language weaknesses.
Phonological processing involves awareness of individual spoken sounds in language (such as “mat,” which has three sounds: /m/, /a/, and /t/) and the ability to store and remember them. Students must be able to match the sounds of language to the letters that correspond to them, so challenges in this area make reading and spelling difficult and are typical traits of dyslexia. Morphological processing involves the awareness of word parts that carry meaning, such as “un” meaning not in the word “unhelpful.” Difficulties in understanding and speaking oral language can indicate, at an early age, a risk of dyslexia.
Secondary consequences may include difficulty with reading comprehension, reduced academic achievement, and deficits in emotional health.
The challenges of reading words accurately and fluently can lead individuals with dyslexia to experience reading comprehension difficulties. Furthermore, these difficulties may result in limited academic achievement. These factors may also lead to anxiety, lowered self-esteem, and challenges relating to others.
Literacy support and targeted instruction are critical.
Dyslexia identification and appropriate instruction are especially helpful at an early age and remain critical for older individuals as well. There are mandates for the type of instruction that is effective, which are described in a later section on this website.
The Texas Dyslexia Handbook states (2024, p.7):
Primary Difficulties and Unexpectedness
“Students identified as having dyslexia typically experience primary difficulties in phonological awareness, including phonemic awareness and manipulation, single-word reading, reading fluency, and spelling.
Consequences may include difficulties in reading comprehension and/or written expression.
These difficulties in phonological awareness are unexpected for the student’s age and educational level and are not primarily the result of language difference factors. Additionally, there is often a family history of similar difficulties.”
Referral and Evaluation Procedure
TSBVI follows mandated guidelines for identifying and serving students with dyslexia. The state mandates that screeners be given to all students in kindergarten and 1st grades. For younger students, we can often get the results of these screeners from their local school districts. In addition, each year our teachers conduct a screener for all students, which alerts staff to students who need more in-depth screening. When these results indicate a need for further intervention, teachers will initiate the referral process, which is conducted as follows:
- The LD/Dyslexia team, composed of the LSSP or Educational Diagnostician and Dyslexia Specialist(s), will take into consideration if a change of reading medium could be the cause (such as changing from print to braille), if the student has previously had access to appropriate reading instruction, or if we need to conduct a full evaluation.
- If a full evaluation is warranted, a team member will obtain parental permission before formal testing is begun.
- After they have completed the testing, the LD/ Dyslexia team will meet to discuss the results and determine an eligibility recommendation for the ARD committee.
- At the ARD meeting, the team will present the data and make a recommendation for the ARD committee to determine if the child qualifies as a student with a Specific Learning Disability in the area of Dyslexia.
- If the student qualifies, the appropriate instruction outlined on this website will be provided.
- The dyslexia specialist will progress monitor the student in areas of need, such as reading accuracy, fluency, and phonological awareness skills.
How Can We Best Teach Struggling Readers?
The 2024 Texas Dyslexia Handbook sets out the guidelines for the components and delivery of effective dyslexia instruction (pp. 39-41). Whether your child has been formally diagnosed as having dyslexia or is struggling with his or her reading with no official title, the guidelines described here are research-based approaches that help all students.
Instruction should be simultaneous and multi-sensory. In our intervention lessons, this may look like a student:
- naming a letter each time he/she writes it.
- looking in a mirror and/or identifying the feel of a letter’s sound as it is introduced, such as /p/ being blocked by both lips, but short /a/ is made with an open mouth.
- using hand motions for short vowel sounds, base words, and suffixes, etc.
- writing a new letter in sand or braille it while naming the letter and listening to the strokes or dot numbers.
Instruction should be direct, explicit, systematic, and cumulative.
Instruction will:
- start with basic concepts.
- carefully introduce new concepts such as letters and syllable types with plenty of repetition and practice.
- include only those concepts already introduced.
- gradually build upon new letters and patterns directly taught.
- allow the student to be successful and gain confidence.
The Big Message
Our lessons teach students to learn about our language in ways most adults do not know. They can explain why a, e, i, o, and u are vowels and why the letter a is pronounced differently in “cap” than in “capable.” They also learn why /k/ is spelled with the letter k in “kitten,” but with the letter c in “crust.”
We directly teach these concepts and give them lots of practice. Students soon realize they can learn to read, that there is a reason for the different sounds and spellings, and that they are learning complicated things about English!
They feel smart because they are smart, and it is a relief to them to unlock the reading code.
What is Included in Good Instruction for Struggling Readers?
The 2024 Texas Dyslexia Handbook states the components that good reading instruction should include (pp. 40-41).
There are many good reading programs being used. Those considered “Orton-Gillingham”- based usually include many of these elements. Some programs are designed more for the regular classroom, and some are more intensive than others.
TSBVI uses the Basic Language Skills program for our students with dyslexia, as it meets the Dyslexia Handbook standards and allows us to adjust the pacing and intensity to each student’s needs. Our lessons may include the following elements:
- Direct instruction in phonological awareness skills (all done orally—no print or braille involved):
- Rhyming practice
- Identification of words in a sentence and syllables in a word
- Breaking a word into its individual sounds
- Blending sounds into a word
- More advanced skills, such as changing a sound or deleting a sound in a word
- Phonics Instruction — direct instruction in what sounds match up to letters.
- Syllable Practice — teaching students how to divide words into syllables for both reading and spelling tasks.
- Spelling Practice — teaching the written patterns in words.
- Word Parts — teaching parts such as prefixes and suffixes to improve reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills.
- Grammar skills — word order, parts of speech, and sentence structure.
- Reading Comprehension skills — helping students monitor their understanding and become more active in the reading process.
- Fluency — Using activities such as repeated readings and modeling good expressions to help students improve their ability to read passages in a smoother and more natural way.
Research shows that these instructional strategies work! Students with phonological awareness struggles respond very well to direct instruction. This improvement sets the foundation for students to improve their phonics and spelling skills.
There is no “quick fix” for dyslexia, and it never goes away. But given ample time and practice, students with dyslexia or other reading challenges can improve. MRIs show that their brain activity can begin to resemble those of more typical readers.
Contact
If you have questions regarding the identification of and/or services for dyslexia, please contact TSBVI’s dyslexia specialist, Leah Read, at [email protected].
Helpful Links
2024 Texas Dyslexia Handbook: Learn more about your child’s rights and the laws regarding the identification and services for students with dyslexia and related disorders.
Talking Book Program (TBP): Provides free library services to qualifying Texans with visual, physical, or reading disabilities. TBP is part of the National Library Service to the Blind and Print Disabled, a program administered by the Library of Congress. The TBP collection consists of more than 100,000 titles, including hundreds of titles in Spanish, and some in French, German, Russian, and other languages. Here is a link to the Talking Book Programs’ application.
Special Education Family Resources: Includes a fact sheet about dyslexia as well as other resources for families. The information is in both English and Spanish.
Texas Education Agency, Dyslexia and Related Disorders
Texas Education Agency, IDEA Fact Sheet (English) & Texas Education Agency, IDEA Fact Sheet (Spanish)
SPEDTex Special Education Information Center
Dyslexia and Related Disorders: Information for Parents
State Dyslexia Helpline: 1 (800) 232-3030
Questions?
The best way to contact me is by email.