Why early diagnosis and intervention are important

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November marks National Family Literacy Month, a fitting occasion when concern about reading instruction in America's schools goes from simmering to boiling. For years, parents and educators across the country have been warning that prevailing approaches to literacy are not working, and state legislatures are responding. Last month, Michigan enacted two literacy and dyslexia bills calling for evidence-based strategies, interventions, and resources for young readers.

This is a positive sign. As a mother of a child with dyslexia, I have come to understand how vital this awareness is for children who struggle with reading. My son's journey with dyslexia began when he was just four years old and in preschool.

I know the painful impact that delayed intervention can have on dyslexic children. It wasn't until I shared my concerns about my son's reading ability countless times throughout kindergarten and first grade that his school finally acted. The educators assured me that their needs were met with a 12-week reading remedial program based on the “whole language” approach. However, despite hours of weekly sessions each week, his reading progress was minimal. After attending one of these sessions, it became clear to me that I was simply guessing words from pictures rather than learning to decode them.

A “wait and see” approach was not right for my son, and it is not right for any student with dyslexia. As with many other learning differences, experts agree that Early intervention for dyslexia produces better results.. Some researchers have found that interventions are twice as effective if delivered before fourth grade. In some cases, early and effective literacy training can narrow the gap between typical reading and dyslexia so much that it doesn't show up on diagnostic tests.

My son didn't really know how to read; He was just smart and very good at guessing. And his teachers simply weren't equipped with the right tools (science-based approaches to reading) to help him.

In the end, I felt I had no choice but to take my son for a comprehensive evaluation that revealed not only ADHD but also dyslexia and dysgraphia, a learning disability related to writing. It was an expensive assessment that would not have been necessary if educators were equipped to identify early signs of dyslexia and act quickly, providing intervention to reduce reading deficits.

After my son's evaluation, I knew I had to take action. In 2018, I founded the Idaho chapter of a national network of parent-led movements to raise awareness about dyslexia and inform policymakers about best practices for identifying, remediating, and supporting students with dyslexia. It was clear that too many families were being left in the dark, unaware of the crucial importance of early identification and appropriate interventions, and unaware of how to effectively advocate for their children.

One of the biggest misconceptions about dyslexia is that it is rare. In fact, almost 1 in 5 students You may have some degree of dyslexia. However, despite their prevalence, American schools are largely unprepared to meet the needs of these students.

He National Council for Teaching Quality (NCTQ) found that only about a quarter of teacher preparation programs comprehensively cover the five critical components of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Even more alarming, almost 60 percent of these programs devote less than two hours in total to dyslexia. This gap in training explains why many children fall through the cracks. Still investigation shows that if students had access to scientifically supported reading instruction, more 90 percent of them they could become competent readers.

This is especially urgent because dyslexia often goes undiagnosed. More than 40 million adults It is estimated that people in the United States suffer from dyslexia, but only 2 million have been formally diagnosed. Many children, like my son, begin to show signs of dyslexia as early as preschool. But without teachers' knowledge, proper assessment, and early intervention, these children may struggle with reading well into adulthood.

Fortunately, there are solutions. He Orton-Gillingham approachFor example, a literacy method invented in the 1930s by neuropsychiatrist Samuel T. Orton and educator Anna Gillingham holds particular promise for students with dyslexia, but it also benefits other children. Modern variations of Orton and Gillingham's work employ a multi-sensory approach that meets the unique needs of each child. By engaging the student's senses (auditory, visual, and kinesthetic), these types of structured, sequential literacy programs help readers make meaningful connections between letters and sounds.

When teachers have the right tools, students thrive. But to implement such a solution in the classroom, teachers will need ongoing support and professional development. Teaching dyslexic students requires more than just following a curriculum. It's about making continuous adjustments and understanding each child's unique needs.

In my son's case, what ultimately helped him succeed was this type of structured, targeted instruction. Through evidence-based programs, the education system can give children the tools they need to become confident, lifelong readers.

Dyslexia is not going away; It is something that children and adults will live with throughout their lives. But schools can ensure that all children learn to read by adopting early assessments and equipping teachers with the right tools to help their students. I urge parents and teachers to push for early school screening and more access to science-backed reading instruction.

The sooner educators intervene, the more successful children will be, not only in reading, but in life.