Dyslexia in Middle and High School Students

Dyslexia in Middle and High School Students

It may be very frustrating to learn about the importance of early intervention when that window of opportunity has already passed for your middle or high school child with dyslexia.  However, acting on behalf of your child will require moving beyond this frustration point and really focusing on what needs to be done in the present.  Rest assured that most middle and high school students with dyslexia can be helped and can catch up to grade level.  This will take more time, more effort, and more intensity of instruction, but it is never too late to do something about reading and writing difficulties.

Poor readers in middle and high school can be brought up to grade level and kept at grade level with one to two years of instruction using a specialized program intended for students with dyslexia such as the Orton- Gillingham.  This approach is multisensory and students use the visual, auditory and kinesthetic channels simultaneously when learning new skills and reading concepts.  It is structured, sequential and cumulative.

 

Students with dyslexia in middle and high school have the same basic problems as younger poor readers and need to learn the same skills.  These problems, however, are complicated by years of feeling failure and frustration.  Many middle and high school dyslexics no longer believe that they can be helped.

 

The course of action in helping a child with dyslexia through school may seem like an eternal endeavor to most families, but eventually all the hard work pays off.  The dyslexia that caused the child to have difficulties learning to read in the beginning, will also cause troubles later on with spelling, writing, learning a foreign language, and frequently in learning algebra.

 

Skipping the basic skills of reading is a huge mistake.  An older student with dyslexia who lacks basic awareness of speech sounds cannot learn to read unless this problem is addressed.  This student will need to begin with phonological awareness, followed by sound-letter correspondences.  Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to learning how to decode words fluently and accurately, and no way to bypass this stage altogether of learning to read. Although it is tough in the beginning, nothing is more motivating than success, once students experience appropriate Orton-Gillingham instruction.

 

A middle and high school student with dyslexia will need an Orton-Gillingham program that is intense enough to close the reading gap.  Up to two hours daily may be needed to bring a student to grade level. In general, the larger the gap between the student’s skills and the grade level, the more intense the intervention must be to catch up.

 

Learn more about the New PRIDE Reading Program

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Karina Richland is the Founder of Pride Learning Centers, located in Los Angeles and Orange County.  Ms. Richland is a Certified reading and learning disability specialist.   Ms. Richland speaks frequently to parents, teachers, and professionals on learning differences, and writes for several journals and publications.  You can reach her by email at karina@pridelearningcenter.com or visit the Pride Learning Center website at: www.pridelearningcenter.com

 

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