Running head: DYSLEXIA 1

Dyslexia and Reading Difficulties Excerpt

Dyslexia
There are many misconceptions around dyslexia, one of them being dyslexia as a visual

processing disorder; however, dyslexia is a language-based problem that is neurobiological

(Moats & Dakin, 2008). There are several characteristics that present in those who have

dyslexia, although those characteristics may not be the same in all individuals. Some general

characteristics that may be indicators of the presence of dyslexia are: slow processing speed of

both spoken and written word, poor concentration, forgetting words, and difficulty remembering

words (British Dyslexia Association). Spelling difficulties are often prevalent in the writing of

children with dyslexia; often, their letter formation and capitalization appear to be inconsistent

(Juneja, 2018). Juneja (2018) states that children with dyslexia often have difficulties in both

short-term and long-term memory. Struggling with memory difficulties can impact a student’s

education that stretches far beyond reading and writing. These are in no way inclusive of

dyslexia characteristics, which can explain why dyslexia can be confused for other reading

difficulties.

Impact on Specific Areas of Literacy

Reading Fluency
The struggles in reading fluency will continue to affect students in other aspects of their

education. Students who have dyslexia and other reading difficulties may read inaccurately and

in a slower, more laborious way (Spear-Swerling, 2006). Spear-Swerling (2006) also states that

individuals with reading difficulties are likely to receive much less exposure to words, and this

deficit of exposure grows over time, becoming more challenging to remediate. Early

identification and intervention is the key to remediating many reading difficulties. If reading
Running Head: DYSLEXIA 2

difficulties are caught in the early years, the remediation process is much less intensive than at

the later ages.

Conclusion
There are several different reading difficulties prevalent in our schools, along with a

variety of intervention strategies for educators to try. The key to identifying those at-risk students

and help those who already struggle is through a data-based individualized (DBI) intensive

intervention. Schools that have existing intensive interventions and multi-tiered systems of

support are more likely to have successful data-based individualization, as stated on the National

Center for Intensive Interventions website. By creating a data-driven approach to instruction,

educators can monitor the effectiveness of the interventions and strategies. When these DBI

strategies are in use, we can help provide effective remediating instruction to those struggling

learners, to help ensure success.