TWO MINDS: If you already have one child with dyslexia, one or more of their siblings may also struggle with the process of learning to read. This is especially true if either parent experienced problems learning to read, write, or spell.
risk of dyslexia by simply screening for early language delay and family history of reading problems in PreK.
There are other assessments that can also be used in early and late PreK. In addition to early language delay and a family history of reading problems, dyslexic children may perform poorly in an assessment called RAN when given in PreK, kindergarten, and even older grades. RAN (rapid automatized naming) tasks measure a child's processing speed in tasks that are very similar to the skills required in reading. Since it is a test of processing speed, the results of this assessment can determine whether the child will have difficulty becoming a fluent reader. Research on the fluency problem in dyslexia found that there are ways to successfully address it during the intervention. Without an intensive intervention that focuses on fluency, a poor performance on this assessment means that the child may eventually read accurately, but never progress to the grade level fluency needed to succeed in reading assignments, school tests, and homework.
Over 60% of dyslexic students score poorly on the RAN assessment because reading itself and the tasks on this assessment rely heavily on executive function, which tends to be weak in dyslexic children. Executive function in reading refers to how well the reading related regions of the brain synchronize with each other. Reading interventions that do not address the executive function issue in dyslexia, often take years and generally fail to bring the
child to grade level fluency norms. Intensive fluency training (discussed in more depth in Tip #5 below) is a research-proven intervention strategy to improve executive function in dyslexia. But it is often neglected in favor of phonics instruction. Both should be prioritized.
Most dyslexic students also perform poorly in another skill needed for reading, called phonological awareness or PA. PA relates to a child's awareness of units of sound such as individual words in a sentence, syllables within a word, and the ability to distinguish between words that rhyme and those that don't. Blending the individual sounds in a word and segmenting the individual sounds in a word (so important to spelling) depends on a subskill of phonological awareness called phonemic awareness.
A parent will want to have younger siblings tested for these skills, as early as possible, if there is already one child in the family with dyslexia. Fortunately, early dyslexia screening is being mandated in most states, but a yes/no screener is not very helpful. Each younger sibling should be screened in PreK or kindergarten with a comprehensive screener that includes other indicators of risk for dyslexia, such as poor verbal working memory. Once the child has been able to benefit from formal instruction in letter name and letter sound knowledge and basic phonics instruction, these skills should also be included in the screening. By mid-first grade, their oral reading of simple passages can be assessed for fluency and comprehension.
Tip #4: WHAT ELSE TO LOOK FOR IN YOUNGER SIBLINGS
A younger sibling may not display the same signs of dyslexia as an older sibling with dyslexia. However, weak verbal working memory leading to difficulty following oral directions with two or more steps is prevalent among children with dyslexia. Many dyslexic children also display early handwriting issues (dysgraphia) that may include a noticeably awkward pencil grip, and some dyslexic children also find simple math concepts difficult (dyscalculia). Additional interventions may be needed for each of these co-occurring conditions. If the dysgraphia is severe, it might be helpful to consult with an occupational therapist.
They may each need a different level of support and intervention.
One of your dyslexic children may be a very quick learner and even be considered "gifted," (often referred to as "twice exceptional" or "2E"), while others in the family with dyslexia may be of average intelligence and aptitude. ADHD frequently coexists with dyslexia, and this condition can interfere with the progress of any reading intervention. If one of your dyslexic children also has ADHD, you will want to find the best way of addressing it, so that the intervention can be successful. For more information, visit the International Dyslexia Association's discussion on this topic dyslexiaida.org/attention-deficithyperactivi- ty-disorder-adhd-and-dyslexia. Of course, great things can be accomplished by each of your children regardless of their profile.
