dyslexia tests

Dyslexia Testing Options

Dyslexia Tests and Testing options

In our last article we talked about the treatment options for Dyslexia, In this article let us look at the various dyslexia tests and options that are available to help in identifying the condition. Since nearly five to seven percent of the American population is believed to suffer from some forms of learning disabilities, testing for them becomes very important. According to Federal law, schools have to have a learning disability testing program in place to ensure that children are diagnosed early, so that immediate remedial steps to ensure their medical, social and emotional well- being may be taken.

The symptoms of learning disorders encompass a vast spectrum, ranging from dyslexia, ADHD, autism and emotional disturbances. Hence, it becomes very important to arrive at the right diagnosis to ensure that the right treatment is administered at the right time.

The tests for dyslexia are two fold

Screening tests
Comprehensive tests

Dyslexia Screening Tests

Screening tests are used exactly as the name suggests, to screen individuals who are believed to suffer from dyslexia. They do not provide any definitive diagnosis, but merely serve as pointers towards more detailed assessment in case of individuals believed to be suffering from dyslexia. They consist of simple questions to be answered by the individual and give an insight into his/her disability. These questions are generally as follows:

Do you have difficulties with spelling?
Do you find directions confusing?
Do you have difficulties with math?
Were you reluctant to go to school at any time?

The last question is generally asked in case of a suspected adult dyslexic.

Comprehensive Dyslexia Tests

In case of a positive screening test, a comprehensive test is necessary, which actually consists of several tests assessing reading, comprehension, grammar, spelling and mathematical abilities, in addition to hearing and visual tests to rule out any organic disorders. They maybe carried out by the following organizations:

Schools: as stated above, it is mandatory for schools to carry out comprehensive tests if requested for by the parents/guardians of a student. They are carried out by an educational psychologist employed by the local authorities in association with the school.
Private Professionals: in case the school does not have the proper channels in place, it becomes necessary to approach a private psychologist or psychiatrist, with special training in administering dyslexia tests. Approaching the Dyslexia Institute, now termed Dyslexia Action is helpful, because these professionals not only provide a psychological assessment and specialist therapy, but also provides teacher training and educational literature on dyslexia.
Job Center: this is screening done for employees or for suspected dyslexics, actively seeking employment, who are not undergoing any training.
Further/ Higher Education: for suspected dyslexics seeking admission to college or for higher training in any field.

Comprehensive tests again may be carried out face to face or remotely and a complete assessment file on the suspected person is compiled. This gives a complete idea on the learning abilities of the individual. The only advantage of a face to face assessment is that an emotional evaluation of the patient may be done at the same time.

With a large number of tests in place for dyslexia testing, it is easy to detect it early and take corrective measures to ensure a productive life for the individual.

Posted in Dyslexia, Dyslexia Treatment

Tagged dyslexia, dyslexia tests, Treating Dyslexia

Dyslexia Treatment Options

Treatment for Dyslexia

It is believed that although nearly 15% of Americans suffer from various forms of dyslexia, less than 5% are diagnosed and treated early. Now covering a plethora of symptoms, various manifestations of dyslexia are clubbed under the name of “slow learning disorders”.

Dyslexia can be diagnosed at any age from childhood to adulthood. However, for a person to become a well -adjusted and productive member of society, it is essential to start treatment as soon as possible.

Since the exact causes of dyslexia are still to be ascertained, treatment is more limited to managing the symptoms, rather than preventing or curing the condition. Treatment of dyslexia is primarily aims at overcoming the learning difficulties, which the individual faces. Early diagnosis is helpful because if treatment is initiated at the earliest, the social and emotional development of the person proceeds apace. Hence, in the management of dyslexia, it is important to consider the impact of the condition on the life of the individual in total, rather than focusing on the learning disabilities alone.

Treatment for dyslexia aims at overcoming the learning disabilities. Since these individuals have poor language, poor verbal and poor writing skills, special learning aids and techniques are beneficial. Dyslexia maybe diagnosed when a child starts formal schooling, in which it is found to have poor reading skills, tendency to mix letters up, poor speech, mixing up of right and left sides, sometimes associated with poor hearing, vision and lack of concentration.

In keeping with the widespread incidence of dyslexia in the population, federal law requires that these individuals receive special schooling apart from their normal counterparts, for although dyslexics may have normal or above normal intelligence, they have difficulty in putting their thoughts in words or speech in the normal way. The Individualized Education Program ensures this until the age of 16, after which these children are further prepared for higher education or employment as the case maybe.

In the special education program, a child psychologist and a special educator thoroughly assess the child and after a series of tests, come up with an education program tailored to the child`s needs, depending on the specific disability which the child has.

Verbal exercises are found to benefit many, with different components like rhyming exercises, bending words into sounds, word matching, picking out verbal sounds from words and making out differences in spoken sounds. In some cases, repetition of words and writing words have been found to be very beneficial. Reading aloud to the child, playing spelling games and learning after setting the curriculum to music have also found to benefit dyslexics greatly.

An individual approach to each patient, be it in the form of using specially developed soft ware or teaching while involving a pet in the proceedings, or marking left or right in a pair of shoes, is always found to be a great help.

Medical treatment be it in the form of antihistamines, anti motion sickness drugs, or various vitamin or mineral supplements is doubtful at best and dubious at worst. The DORE program developed by the British also involved repetition in an attempt to carry out reading and writing at a cerebellar level, but did not show good results.

With special attention paid to their educational needs, dyslexics can lead well integrated lives in main stream society and show case their often surprising talents, all it requires is a little patience.

Posted in Dyslexia, Dyslexia Treatment

Tagged dyslexia, dyslexia tests, Treating Dyslexia

Testing For Dyslexia – How To Tell If Yоu Have Dyѕlеxia Aѕ An Adult

Dyslexia is now a very commonly identified condition. All you need is a simple test and you can pretty much learn if you have Dyslexia. The number of identified cases of Dyslexia are much higher than ever before simply because people are more aware of the condition and testing and treatment have improved drastically. This helps in identifying the symptoms early and helps in treatment as well.

Previously though, Dyslexia was a complete mystery. A large majority of people that suffered from Dyslexia grew up untreated. A tiny fraction of those overcame the condition naturally but for the large part, Dyslexics were perceived to be slow and sometimes even considered mentally retarded. Now however, there is much more general awareness of Dyslexia and is very easily spotted. It is important that you immediately seek medical help if you suspect having Dyslexia and spot any of the symptoms of Dyslexia.

There are quite a few ways you can employ to be able to tell if you have Dyslexia. Being observant is critical. Dyslexics usually exhibit several signs or symptoms. Your first step should be to carefully observe your behavior. That said, the best and conclusive way to identify if you have Dyslexia is through a proper test. You have Adult Dyslexia test that can conclusively tell you if you are suffering from the condition. If the test should come back positive then you should immediately seek professional medical help.

Below are a few simple adult tests that you can use to learn if you have dyslexia

One really simple adult dyslexia test you could try is to let someone run a spelling skills test with you. Most dyslexics have difficulty in spelling, be it simple or difficult words. Even every day common words are difficult to spell. A few examples of these words are – friend, enough, they, because, island, any, said etc. Another straightforward sign is when you misspell words in the way they sound. For example, journey is often spelt as jerney, does is spelt as dus, knock is spelt as nock, search is spelt as serch and please is spelt as plese.

The second test you could try is to see if you can determine right from left. The following simple test will tell you if you have a problem in determining your left from your right. Try to get your left finger to point to your right foot. Sounds simple enough but for someone with Dyslexia, this is extremely difficult to do.

Third, another test to spot Dyslexia is to ask a friend or family to evaluate if you have a problem in following and understanding math. Most Dyslexics find it difficult to do basic math, understand sequence etc.

More signs to look for are things like how organized you are. Dyslexics are very unorganized. Yes, all people are disorganized to a certain extent but with dyslexics, this is proportionally much higher.

Dyslexics find it extremely difficult to write down what they feel on paper.

Dyslexics have trouble comprehending simple instructions. A quick test would be to try and repeat what is said to you. Dyslexics find it difficult to repeat back instructions or sentences spoken to them.

If the above tests indicate that you have Dyslexia, don’t panic. It is important that you seek expert help for further evaluation. Do not delay in seeking medical help. Your chances of beating Dyslexia and living a normal life vastly increases the sooner you tackle the problem and seek treatment.

Posted in Dyslexia Treatment

Tagged dyslexia, dyslexia tests