Little attention was given to Dyslexia until its discovery, including the steady spread of its awareness. Even educators could not detect students with learning issues. Many children struggled with their ability to learn because educational institutes continued to stick to mainstream teaching styles.

Even today, teachers in mainstream Indian schools are not equipped to manage children with learning challenges. Their training does not equip them with what they need to know about Dyslexia Assessment. Several teachers cannot identify which kid in their classroom has a learning issue if any.

Therefore, there is a need for inclusive education resource teachers who are aware of Dyslexia and know how to identify and assess it.

Key focus areas to look at while assessing children with Dyslexia

Dyslexia assessment involves collecting information about the birth history, family history, child development, and early educational history, including speech and language development.

The key areas involved in Dyslexia Assessment are:

• Phonological Awareness – an individual’s awareness of the sound structure of their oral language
• Phonological or Language-Based Memory – the ability to recall syllables, words, and sounds
• Rapid Automatic Naming – speed of naming digits, objects, colours, or letters
• Receptive Vocabulary – comprehending the meaning of the words heard
• Phonics Skills – understanding the symbol (letter) connected to the sound(s) relationship, individually or combined with other letters
• Decoding – assessing the individual’s ability to apply symbol-sound associations to identify (read – pronounce) words
  • Real Words
  • Nonsense or “silly” Words
• Oral Reading Fluency – the ability to read correctly, at a story-telling pace – to comprehend:
  • Single Words
  • Sentences and Paragraphs
• Spelling
• Writing – the ability to write at the sentence and the paragraph level

Students with learning issues are also evaluated for their ability in Math. Hence, a math assessment can include untimed math calculations, fluency, and reasoning with math word problems read aloud. A careful analysis of educational subtests is required for the clinical assessment of learning needs. This can assist with providing appropriate recommendations for learning and accommodation.

The best time to initiate an intervention for learning languages

The right time to begin an intervention is during the early years entailing kindergarten or first grade. This is the period when the learning gap is significantly small. Furthermore, this is the best time as children are better able to grasp language-based information.

Students struggling with direct instructions can undergo a clinical evaluation to determine the extent of their learning issues.

India still has a long road to travel in terms of having its education providers accommodate children with learning issues. Parents and teachers alike need to be educated on how to identify and assess these children.

At True Literacy, we have interesting courses to explore and teach children with Dyslexia. Feel free to connect with us for understanding which learning tool or program is most suitable for your requirements.