Dyslexia

Position    Statement

Dyslexia is a language-based disorder characterized by word reading, decoding, and spelling difficulties (Adlof & Hogan, 2018).  Since many students who demonstrate significant reading and writing difficulties also qualify for speech-language services, SLPs are frequently the first professionals to assess and treat children who will go on to have dyslexia.  Therefore, SLPs should pay attention to early signs like difficulty learning letters and letter-to-sound correspondences, as well as inform parents and educators about the increased risk of dyslexia in children with speech and language impairments, the increased risk of slower language acquisition and increased risk of decreasing language skills over time in children with dyslexia (Hogan, 2018).  The responsibilities of SLPs include involvement in evaluation, decision making, and intervention to support reading and writing needs, and as such, their role is vital in the selection of effective intensive interventions, determining ways to monitor progress or response, and collaborating to further intensify as needed (ASHA, 2010).  SLPs can best support students with dyslexia by improving outcomes which, regardless of the program, should be evidence-based interventions using data from diagnostic and progress monitoring to inform decisions and include explicit and systematic instruction with frequent and timely feedback and extensive opportunities for modeling, and practice daily using of multiple modalities for retention of skills (Al Otaiba, 2018).

References

Adlof, S. M., & Hogan, T. P. (2018). Understanding dyslexia in the context of development language disorders. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(4), 762-773. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_LSHSS-DYSLC-18-0049

Al Otaiba, S., Gillespie Rouse, A., & Baker, K. (2018). Elementary grade intervention approaches to treat specific learning disabilities, including dyslexia. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(4), 829-842. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_LSHSS-DYSLC-18-0022

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2010). Roles and responsibilities of speech-language pathologists in schools. [Professional issues statement]. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/policy.

Hogan, T. P. (2018). Five ways speech-language pathologists can positively impact children with dyslexia. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 49(4), 902-905. https://doi.org/10.1044/2018_LSHSS-DYSLC-18-0102