Screening & Testing

Importance of Early Screening

Source: It's A Myth That Young People Cannot Be Screened for Dyslexia!

Identifying Risk instead of Failure-Reading impairments: Moving from a deficit-driven to a preventative model.

Evaluating Early Literacy Screeners

It is time to end the dyslexia paradox!

Screen to identify at risk students in Kindergarten (screening is not a diagnosis).
Tier 1 Instruction should use a Structured Literacy Approach to teach all children the alphabetic code.
Screens should include: Phonemic Awareness, Phonological Awareness, and Rapid Auto Naming Skills

Testing and Evaluation

The article, "Testing and Evaluation" from the International Dyslexia Association website is a holistic and powerful guide on testing and evaluations to help identify dyslexic students. (Click on title to redirect to article).

SLD/Dyslexia Assessment Resource Guide from the CT Department of Education. Describes testing and evaluations to help identify dyslexic students. These tests help identify core deficits, so appropriate evidence-based interventions can be used for students with dyslexia.

How can districts improve their methods for identifying dyslexic students and provide an appropriate and scientifically based intervention? Hint: It starts with Tier 1 instruction!

Things to Consider

K-3 literacy should include structured literacy as defined by the IDA. A systematic, explicit, and multi-sensory approach to reading through the teaching of phonics in the Tier 1 setting K-3. Learn more about structured literacy programs.
Conduct informative PD sessions on the signs and symptoms of Dyslexia. Knowledge is power!
Early screening is the best predictor of students who will go on to have reading disabilities.
Highly trained teachers using evidence-based interventions with fidelity will lead to literacy for all.
Use a dyslexia symptoms checklist as part of the RTI (Response to Intervention) referral Process. RTI remediation strategies often lead to a "wait to fail" reality for dyslexic students. If teachers understood dyslexia and the symptoms, effective Tier 2 & 3 interventions can be easier to implement (intensive systematic multi-sensory intervention). If a child is placed on a Personal Literacy Plan (PLP) they should be screened for phonemic awareness and phonological weaknesses before trying any intervention! Guided reading interventions do not address the core deficit for dyslexic children.
Review Child's developmental history.
Consider family history of struggling students. Dyslexia runs in families.
Use the recommended diagnostic tests to identify dyslexia (Note: there is no single dyslexic test! Evaluations should include testing, classroom observations, and curriculum based class work. They all play an important part in identifying a dyslexic student).
Evaluations for Dyslexia should include: intelligence, oral language skills, word identification, decoding, spelling/encoding, phonological processing, automaticity/fluency skills, reading comprehension, vocabulary (reading and listening task). (Source: IDA)
Teachers can work with literacy interventionists and instructional coaches to meet the needs of their dyslexic students.