As a mother of a dyslexic child with a comprehension delay, I am available to offer assistance with any questions or directions you may need. In school, I have learned that you must be your child's advocate and teach them to be their own advocate as they get older.
Early identification and intervention is key for children with any kind of Learning Disability or Neurodevelopmental Disorders, but even if it is not detected early, it is never too late to take action!
I understand that it can be difficult to think that your child might be struggling. I remember the first time we realized our child was struggling and sitting in the psychologist's office hearing the results of his Educational Assessment had me in tears! However, as a mother who has gone through this and watched many of my friends' children struggle, I can say that the ones who received early intervention were better able to navigate school than those whose parents chose to delay.
We had both of our children assessed by a psychologist, and I cannot stress enough how crucial it is to choose the right person for your child's assessment. If you suspect your child might be dyslexic, you need to see a psychologist who specializes in diagnosing this condition, as there are different methods used for assessment. When our son was first assessed in grade 2, it was tough for all of us to hear, but he needed to know what was going on and that there was a reason he struggled with certain tasks that other children found easy. It gave him a sense of empowerment, even at such a young age, to understand his diagnosis and connect it to his challenges in school and socially.
Regardless of the outcome, it is essential to know what you are dealing with and how you can help your child so you can advocate for them in school and get the proper resources and accomodations in place.
Check out this great video to learn common signs of dyslexia at different ages and how to help.
Use The Word Dyslexia
Policies at all levels of government, but especially in school districts, often resist naming dyslexia as a specific disability, making it harder to identify and help dyslexic individuals. But using the word itself, along with understanding what it means, is critical to providing support and opening opportunities for those diagnosed with dyslexia.
(download PDF below)
Many people know that dyslexia is a challenge with reading. But it’s more than that. Dyslexia is a challenge with language. That can make it hard to spot the signs. For instance, trouble with rhyming can be a sign of trouble with reading.
Dyslexia can also cause trouble with spelling, speaking, and writing. So signs can show up in a few areas, not just in reading.
People with dyslexia don’t all struggle in the same way. Some have a hard time with early reading skills like sounding out words (decoding). Some read words and sentences fine, but they have trouble understanding what they read.
Dyslexia can also look different as kids get older.
Having dyslexia doesn’t mean people aren’t smart. It means they have trouble with reading and other skills that involve language.
If you notice that your child exhibits three or more of the signs mentioned above, it is highly recommended that you learn more about dyslexia. You should also consider having your child undergo a comprehensive Educational Assessment to determine the next steps that should be taken.
Having these challenges can be tough on kids and adults. They may think they’re not smart because they’re struggling when most people aren’t. But trouble with reading doesn’t mean someone isn’t smart. That’s just one of the many myths about dyslexia.
Struggling readers often feel like they’re the only one. But dyslexia is a very common learning difference, and many kids and adults need extra help learning to read. The good news is that there are ways to teach struggling readers, and skills can improve.
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing ability and fine motor skills. It interferes with spelling, word spacing, and the general ability to put thoughts on paper, and makes the process of writing laboriously slow. Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder that can affect both children and adults.
Signs:
Different Kinds of Dysgraphia:
People with dyscalculia have trouble working with numbers and understanding mathematical-based concepts. Experts say that dyscalculia is a common learning difference though it is commonly overlooked. Signs of dyscalculia can show up as early as preschool, but often go unnoticed, or the signs may be ignored as it is assumed the person is just "bad at math."
Trouble Areas
Preschool Years
Elementary School
Knowing What to Look For
Parents (and grandparents) or caregivers are often the first to suspect that a child might be on the autism spectrum. If parents are concerned, they should discuss their observations with a family doctor, pediatrician or nurse practitioner. Some health care professionals may advise a “wait and see” approach or suggest that your child will “catch up”. If your child has normal development and then regresses, you should seek help immediately.
Early screening of a child results in an earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment. The earlier the diagnosis can be confirmed by a specialized diagnostic team, the earlier any necessary treatment can begin. There are many resources available for free until a child is 6 years old.
Some children and adults with autism have serious cognitive disabilities and sensory problems. They may display extremely repetitive behaviours including meltdowns, self-injury, defensiveness and aggression. These are often provoked by anxiety and/or pain. Without appropriate intervention and an understanding of the underlying cause, behaviours may become persistent and difficult to change. Living with and caring for a person with autism can be challenging, requiring tremendous patience and an understanding of the condition.
The above exceptional skills may be combined with subtle characteristics in other areas of development. All individuals with the diagnosis demonstrate some of the following:
While many behaviours such as: inattention, distractibility, being fidgety, tantrums and oppositional behaviour are common for preschool children these behaviours in a child with ADHD are more extreme. They are more frequent and more intense. Most often young children with ADHD will stand out in a group of children and appear to function as a younger child.
However, each child with ADHD will be unique; they will present with a different group of ADHD symptoms, on a spectrum from very mild to very severe. Symptom levels can vary throughout the day and from day to day but will always become more apparent when the environment and tasks before the child challenge their impaired skills.
Hyperactivity
Impulsivity
Executive Functioning
Emotional Regulation
Physical Development
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism are both neurodevelopmental disorders, and they have several symptoms in common. For example, people with autism and ADHD may both be impulsive,1 and people with both disorders may develop speech later than is typical in children.
ADHD and autism, however, are distinct diagnoses. It's entirely possible to have both ADHD and autism. When that happens (which it does quite often),2 it's important to recognize and treat both disorders appropriately.
Symptoms of Autism & ADHD:
While the symptoms of ADHD and autism may not look the same on paper, they can look very similar in person.
Traits like distractibility and impulsivity, for example, are part of the ADHD diagnosis. While they're not part of the autism diagnosis, they appear in most people with autism. Speech delays and idiosyncrasies are part of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis and not the ADHD diagnosis. Yet, people with ADHD often have speech delays.
Both ADHD and autism are usually diagnosed in childhood, and symptoms are likely to continue throughout patients' lives.
Diagnosis:
There are no medical tests for either ADHD or autism. Diagnosis for both relies on observations, interviews, and assessments of development and behavior. Prior to making an autism or ADHD diagnosis, practitioners conduct tests and ask questions to rule out other possible contributions to attentional issues such as anxiety or a learning disability.
In most cases, autism and ADHD are diagnosed in young children. The process starts when a pediatrician screens a child for symptoms by asking a series of questions about the child's development and behavior. If the screening suggests further testing is necessary, the pediatrician will recommend a full evaluation.
Children who are struggling academically may seek a psychoeducational assessment to assess whether any coexisting learning disabilities (LDs) may exist along with ADHD. A complete assessment of a child’s learning strengths and needs is essential for a student who continues to be impaired at school. Psycho-educational assessments cost approximately $2,000-$4,000
Psychologists are not covered by provincial health care plans, but may be partially covered by private health coverage.
The most important thing to note is that the medical professional you choose must be knowledgeable about ADHD, Autism, Dyslexia or whatever else you might be concerned about in order to get a proper assessment for your child.
The phrase “executive function” refers to a set of skills. These skills underlie the capacity to plan ahead and meet goals, display self-control, follow multiple-step directions even when interrupted, and stay focused despite distractions, among others.
Much like an air traffic control system at an airport helps planes on different runways land and take off safely, executive function skills help our brains prioritize tasks, filter distractions, and control impulses.
Our genes provide the blueprint for learning these skills, but they develop through experiences and practice. The foundation is laid in infancy, when babies first learn to pay attention. Relationships with responsive caregivers are particularly important at this stage. Something as simple as playing a game of peekaboo can help build the early foundations of working memory and self-control as a baby anticipates the surprise.
Adults set up the framework for children to learn and practice these skills over time by establishing routines, breaking big tasks into smaller chunks, and encouraging games that promote imagination, role-playing, following rules, and controlling impulses. These techniques are known as “scaffolding.” Just as a scaffold supports workers while a building is being constructed, adults can use these activities to support the emergence of children’s executive function skills until they can perform them on their own.
These skills typically develop most rapidly between ages 3-5, followed by another spike in development during the adolescent and early adult years. It takes a long time and a lot of practice to develop them, but, as children’s executive function skills grow, adults can gradually allow children to manage more and more aspects of their environment.
The increasingly competent executive functioning of children and adolescents enables them to plan and act in a way that makes them good students, classroom citizens, and friends.
In turn, this helps them grow into adults capable of juggling a multitude of commitments, such as parenting, employment, continuing education, and civic involvement. Even health is affected, as strong executive function helps people stick to healthy habits and reduce stress. The more a society invests in building the executive functioning of its children, the greater dividends it will see in the future.
The first years of life are very important for learning speech and language. From the time children are born, they start communicating. Very early in their lives, they learn to understand what you are saying and to make sounds of their own. Eventually, these sounds and babbling will turn into words. These are the initial milestones in the development of speech and language skills. Communication skills are critical to a child’s future success in school and in life.
First Words provides services (assessment and intervention) until a child enters junior kindergarten.
You do not need a Dr to refer you to First Words.
As a parent, you can visit their website and get in touch with them to have your child evaluated. It's recommended that you don't wait too long to put your child on the waitlist if you suspect that they are having difficulties. In case your child doesn't require the services when they contact you, you can simply inform them at that time.
CCPRN FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP
March 5th at 7 pm
Join Kathy Torunski from First Words Preschool Speech and Language Program to learn about how you can support a child growing up with many languages. Common questions affecting bilingual families will be addressed in this workshop. Come learn how to introduce a new language, tips on how to encourage your child’s communication, speech and language milestones, and First Words services.
This workshop is ideal for home child care providers and parents. The Zoom link will be emailed to all registered participants, a day or two before the event. Participation certificates provided. Register at www.ccprn.com/events
Did you know?
First Words is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and all services are offered at no charge to families. Similar programs exist across the province of Ontario. We offer support and services to Ottawa and Renfrew County families with children from birth until they are eligible for Junior Kindergarten.
First Words also offer a Blind-Low Vision Early Intervention Program. The Blind-Low Vision Early Intervention Program offers free support and services to children ages 0 to school entry living in Eastern Ontario who are blind or have low vision.
Signs of Dyslexia Flyer (pdf)
DownloadDyslexia Fact Sheet (pdf)
DownloadUse The Word Dyslexia (pdf)
DownloadStealth Dyslexia (pdf)
DownloadOrwell Accuracy Poster (pdf)
DownloadDyscalculia Flier (pdf)
DownloadDysgraphia Flier (pdf)
DownloadAnatomy of an IEP (pdf)
DownloadAccommodations-Grades & Standardized Tests (pdf)
DownloadAccommodations-Homework and Tests (pdf)
DownloadAccommodations-Materials, Assignments, Aids... (pdf)
DownloadAccommodations-Math (pdf)
DownloadAccommodations-Organization and Behavior (pdf)
DownloadAccommodations-Reading, Spelling and Writing (pdf)
DownloadAccommodations-The Everyday Basics (pdf)
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