Therapy for Dyslexia
LAB learning clinic provides treatment for dyslexia in-person at our clinics throughout the Hunter Region of NSW, or online via Zoom for those in other regions of Australia.
Treatment of Dyslexia: the LAB learning approach
At LAB Learning Clinic, we believe in the science of reading. Therefore, we use the Orton- Gillingham, or Multisensory Structured Language (OG/MSL) approach. OG/MSL is the most effective therapy for the remediation of language-based learning difficulties and the gold standard for the treatment of dyslexia.
What is dyslexia?
The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as “ a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
Dyslexia is not related to intelligence. Many people with dyslexia have strengths in areas such as creativity, problem-solving and 3D construction. Many successful entrepreneurs and role models are openly proud of the fact they have dyslexia.
The International Dyslexia Association states that as many as 15-20% of the population have symptoms of dyslexia.
Watch this video to learn more about dyslexia
How is dyslexia different to other learning difficulties?
Specific Learning Difficulties are neurological in origin, meaning they are caused by parts of the brain functioning differently from other learners. Learning difficulties often run in families with other extended family members experiencing some form of difficulty as well. However, this is not always the case.
What are the common characteristics of dyslexia?
Dyslexia occurs on a spectrum, meaning that no two individuals will present with the same characteristics or difficulties. A child or adult with dyslexia will usually display several of the characteristics mentioned below, and these will persist over time, generally interfering with learning. For some students, reading and spelling will be easier on some days than others, and this inconsistency can be frustrating for parents, teachers and the child themselves.
Oral Language
- Delayed speech
- Mispronouncing multi-syllabic words i.e. hospital is pronounced as hop-ip-ul
- Difficulty with remembering the alphabet, rhymes and songs
- Difficulties following directions
- Word retrieval and naming difficulties
- Difficulty with concepts such as left/right, before/ after
Reading
- Difficulty with early phonological awareness skills: hearing rhyme and clapping the syllables in words
- Difficulty with phonemic awareness: hearing and manipulating sounds in words
- Difficulty making a connection between letters and their sounds (phonics), automatic recall of sounds, and letter names
- Misreading words even when they have read the same word on the page/ line before
- Omitting words, missing small words
- Mumbles over longer words
Written Expression/ Spelling
- Has lots of ideas but experiences difficulties putting those ideas onto paper
- Difficulty hearing individual sounds in words and getting them on the page in the correct order
- May misspell the same word 5 different ways in the same paragraph
- Might know a word is misspelt but is unable to fix it
- Misses whole syllables when spelling multi-syllabic words
- Difficulty with sentence/ paragraph structure
Suggested Reading
Moats, L. C., & Dakin, K. E. (2008). Basic facts about dyslexia and other reading problems. Baltimore: The International Dyslexia Association.
Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming dyslexia: A new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level. New York: Knopf.
DA. (2014). IDA Dyslexia Handbook What Every Family Should Know. Baltimore: The International Dyslexia Association.
IDA. (2013). IDA Dyslexia in the Classroom: What Every Teacher Needs to Know. Baltimore: The International Dyslexia Association.
Fact sheet links:
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