Students with a reading disorder have a problem with their reading skills. Their reading skills are significantly below what is normal considering the student’s age, intelligence, and education. The poor reading skills cause problems with the student’s academic success and/or other important areas in life.
Signs associated with reading disorder include:
Students who suffer from reading disorders frequently have:
Reading disorders may also be associated with:
Reading disorders tend to show up more in certain families.
Reading disorder is usually brought to the attention of the child’s parents in kindergarten or first grade when reading instruction becomes a very important part of the classroom teaching.
Although it is difficult to determine exactly, at least five percent (5%) of children in the United States suffer from a reading disorder.
The person with normal intelligence demonstrates poor reading skills and no other neurological, visual, or hearing problems. Some children with very high intelligence may not have a reading disorder discovered until later in elementary school.
Because standardized group testing is not accurate enough to diagnose this disorder, it is very important that the individual be given special psychoeducational tests to determine if a learning disorder is present. Special attention must be given to the child’s ethnic and cultural background by the student’s examiner.
The treatment for reading disorder mainly involves putting the student into a program with an emphasis on remedial or corrective reading instruction. Usually the extra help in reading is supplied to the student through reading resource classrooms in school, small class size, or individual tutoring.
With or without treatment, the reading disorder will gradually improve. However, even when good help is available to the student, the person may have chronic problems with reading. Students with high intelligence tend to improve the most.
If you, a friend, or a family member would like more information and you have a therapist or a physician, please discuss your concerns with that person.
Developed by John L. Miller, MD
Reviewed 7/2000