Hello! So today we will be finishing our blog discussion on dyslexia by discussing some ways you and your student’s teachers can help them overcome some of the challenges they face daily. These are simple accommodations that give them the opportunity to reach their full potential in the classroom as well as at home when they are doing homework!

• Extra Time

    Students with Dyslexia are typically not fluent or efficient readers however they have great intelligence and thinking skills.  Therefore, extra time is required for them to decode words, use context clues, and apply their thinking skills in order to complete an assignment to the best of their ability.  

• Quiet Space

Outside noise can be distracting to anyone while they are trying to focus. A calm, quiet space where the student’s mind is allowed to fully focus on the work at hand could make a world of difference in the comprehension and quality of the work. Don’t have the space?  Try a pair of noise cancelling headphones!

• Recorded Texts

    Having an audio version of a book or classroom text to use in conjunction with the written word often helps students access the content of what they need to know without getting bogged down in the painstaking process of decoding text.  Resources to look into include BookShare and Learning Ally. Some students are finding books on YouTube as well!

• Speech-to-text Software

    Completing written assignments can be a daunting task for those students with Dyslexia. There are many apps available where the student is able to dictate their work, then go back proofread. This could save loads of time, stress and anxiety for these students especially when it comes to homework! You might try an extension called Google Read and Write.  Kami is another wonderful Google extension.

• Essay Tests

    On a multiple choice test the student must be able to decode every word in the question in order to answer correctly.  These are also typically very black-and-white responses. By providing an essay test, a student with Dyslexia is able to use context and is more likely to be able to demonstrate his or her understanding, knowledge, creativity, and high level of thinking abilities.

• Text-to-Speech Software

     There are many apps that will read text aloud like NaturalReader and Google Read and Write.. These apps and extensions will read audio books, emails, web pages etc. so that the student can listen to or read along with the spoken words. To be able to use this for handouts in the classroom, your child would need a tablet/computer and their teacher would need to email the information prior to the lesson.

• Access to Recorded Lectures

    Many teachers willing to go the extra mile for their students. Asking your student’s teacher to pre-record the lecture or an audio recording of them explaining a handout could be a great tool to help with comprehension in the classroom.

• Notes Provided Prior to the Class

    By having notes prior to the class, a student is able to preview words he or she isn’t able to read or pronounce.  A parent or tutor can review the content prior the lesson by talking it out which is usually a more beneficial way of learning for students with reading and writing challenges.  

This is not an exhaustive list by far but a good step in the right direction for many students.  If you need help determining specific accommodations that may benefit your student reach out to us today at info@hyperionlearning.me! ​

Hi all! So, today we are going to continue our discussion on Dyslexia. We have discussed what Dyslexia is and how it is diagnosed (if you missed it, click here to catch yourself up!) Today, we will be talking about what happens after the diagnosis?

So, your child has received a diagnosis of Dyslexia. The question is now-  how do we “treat” it?  Well, unfortunately there is no pill to swallow that provides a cure.  However, with the right type of intervention those with Dyslexia can make huge gains in the areas of reading, spelling, writing, and language.

Now, you’re probably asking yourself these questions: “Where do I go for the right type of intervention? How do I know the proposed program is going to work for MY child?” While there is no one specific program identified as the “gold standard” for teaching students to read, all programs should fit within several guidelines and be provided at an appropriate frequency and duration.  

We here at Hyperion follow the guidelines set by The International Dyslexia Association which supports a “structured literacy approach”.  A structured literacy approach stresses that it is important the student receives systematic (logical order: easiest to hardest), direct (student/teacher interaction), and explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, spelling, sight words and comprehension and also receives practice in these skills in order to develop fluency (Shaywitz, 2003).  Unless testing showed that the student had average skills in one (or more) of those areas, it should be worked on during intervention.

In addition to these guidelines, there is a consensus that instruction be multisensory which means that the student is given visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learning opportunities. By using multisensory techniques catered to each individual child, there is a much greater understanding of concepts.

We know that finding support and interventions for your child can be scary and overwhelming, but remember that we are here to help!

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Emily here!  Happy October!  I do hope you are enjoying all things fall.  The cooler weather, apple cider donuts, and comfy sweaters are certainly making me feel wonderful.  October also brings with it Dyslexia Awareness Month.  We at Hyperion LLS are going to bring you lots of information about Dyslexia throughout the month, but let us start increasing our awareness through accepting a definition of Dyslexia.  The International Dyslexia Association defines Dyslexia as :

If that definition seems a little difficult to grasp don't worry-  you are not alone in that and I can help you unpack it a little.  The first part of the definition says that Dyslexia is "neurobiological in origin".  This means that there is a change in the way the brain works or processes information.  We can actually see, using some pretty fancy technology called fMRI, how the brain of a person with Dyslexia lights up differently during reading when compared to someone who doesn't have the same challenge.  These brain changes cause a person to have difficulty processing and storing the sound system (phonological aspects) of a language.  This does not have to do with a person's vision or intelligence and happens even when a student receives typical academic instruction in the classroom.  This difficulty with mapping the sound system of language in the brain can impact a person's spelling, reading abilities, and vocabulary.  If you would like to learn a little bit more about what Dyslexia is you might find this short video to be very helpful.

That is a lot of information to take in so I won't bombard you with much more today.  I do want to share this poem with you before we close though.  It was written by an 8th grader I work with who has been diagnosed with Dyslexia.  I think her words speak louder than many definitions I could provide you with. Maybe try something so soothe... like.. I know this is a lot of information and we will continue to explore the in's and out's throughout the month. But please know this: Your child CAN BE TAUGHT. With the proper plan, they CAN LEAD A NORMAL LIFE. It's every parents' goal to raise their children to their highest potential and we're here to help.

Throughout the month follow us here on the blog as well as on Instagram (@hyperionlanguageandlearning), Facebook (@HyperionLLS), and Twitter (@HyperionLLS) to learn more about what Dyslexia is, how it is diagnosed, how it is treated, and how we as parents and educators can provide support and accommodations for children and adults with Dyslexia.
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