ERIN S. BERG, ED.M.
EDUCATIONAL SPECIALIST
Educational Assessment & Consultation
650-417-3889

DYSLEXIA CHARACTERISTICS
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin (or brain-based). Research shows that it can be inherited and has identified some genes that may predispose individuals to dyslexia. Though symptoms can vary by age and between individuals, common challenges are:
Unexpected difficulty with reading
Weak sense of sounds in spoken language (such as difficulty with rhyming sat/cat/bat or segmenting sounds)
Trouble sounding-out or decoding words
Labored, slow, effortful reading
Difficulty with spelling accuracy
Secondary reading comprehension weaknesses

DYSLEXIA ASSESSMENT
When dyslexia is in question, it is helpful to look at the following:
Vocabulary (spoken language)
Phonological awareness (an understanding or awareness of sounds in spoken language)
Sound-to-symbol correspondence
Decoding (the ability to pronounce or "sound out" words)
Fluency (oral reading rate)
Comprehension
Handwriting or graphomotor skills
Spelling accuracy in isolation and in context, as age-appropriate

DYSLEXIA INTERVENTION
With the right support, students with dyslexia can become better readers and writers. Effective instruction targets phonemic awareness, sound-symbol associations, syllable instruction (six syllable types), morphology, and reading fluency. Integrated support to address reading comprehension, spelling and handwriting is also recommended.