A Letter to Parents

You may have seen on the news or even heard from your child’s school or teacher that the Pandemic has caused children to fall behind in reading and other subjects and wondered if that is why your child is struggling.  Here are a few things that you should know. 

Many of the children in those studies had little to no access to education during the pandemic. With most children back to in-person instruction for approximately 2 years now, experts say that those delays should have been erased in typical readers.  However, students with dyslexia just keep falling further and further behind. 

Assessments for dyslexia do not only rely on test scores.  Dyslexia assessments should include a full educational history, family history, listening to how the child reads, and the types of errors made.  These are more important than single academic scores in determining the presence of dyslexia.  For example, phonological awareness develops naturally in typical readers and varies in development for dyslexic readers.  We can use this assessment tool to screen for indicators of dyslexia.  

Many factors are a part of a dyslexia evaluation that have little to do with the pandemic at this point.  It is something we take into consideration, but should not delay you from getting your child evaluated if you suspect dyslexia.  Please take a look at our warning list and if this sounds like your child, contact our intake coordinator for a free consultation.