Episode 58-FAQ

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Hi, I'm Maggie. [00:00:01] Speaker B: And I'm Nicole. Welcome to the DAC Dyslexia and Coffee Podcast. We're so happy you could join us. We're both moms and dyslexia interventionists who want to talk about our students and children. What dyslexia is, how it affects our kids, strategies to help and topics related to other learning disabilities will also be covered in this podcast. Parents are not alone, and we want to give voice to the concerns and struggles we are all having. This is a safe place to learn more about how to help our children grow and succeed in school. School, in the world. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the conversation. [00:00:33] Speaker A: Hi, everybody. So we're gonna start our episode like we always do with the concept of the week. So the concept of the week is our opportunity as practitioners to kind of peel back the curtain and let you into an intervention session. We like to talk about things and teach things that we would be teaching either with our students or to our parents. So today's concept of the week is graphic organizer, something I think we do talk about quite often on our show. And we were like, I'm not sure that we've ever explicitly defined that. So you know how we like explicit instruction here at dac. So a graphic organizer is a visual tool that helps organize ideas. It can be very simple or it could be very complex. I think some people really have the idea of a graphic organizer as either a very complex structure or like. Oh, that just means, like a web. Right? [00:01:40] Speaker B: Could be. [00:01:42] Speaker A: Right. Something like a Venn diagram. Right. Where you have your two circles and then they overlap in the middle. That's a form of a graphic organizer. If you have a blank piece of paper and you fold it in half and you have one half is covering this topic and one half is covering that topic. That is a graphic organizer. It can be very simple or very complex. The idea there is graphic meaning. It's a visual way to organize information. [00:02:15] Speaker B: Yes. So welcome to episode 58. And we realized that we've never done a Frequently Asked Questions episode. [00:02:25] Speaker A: I cannot believe that. That. [00:02:27] Speaker B: How did we. [00:02:29] Speaker A: Both of us were like, no, we've definitely done one. [00:02:32] Speaker B: Yes. No. No. No, we didn't. [00:02:34] Speaker A: No, we did not. So guess what? [00:02:40] Speaker B: So, Maggie, first question is. These are questions we get often in our center. Is a learning disability in reading also dyslexia? [00:02:53] Speaker A: Yes. The answer is yes, if there is a specific learning disability in reading that is also known as dyslexia. Dyslexia is a term often used by more of, like, the Medical community, where a specific learning disability in reading is a term often used. More on the educational side of things, the definition is the same. There are a little bit differences in, like, the terminology used. We talked a little bit earlier too, about how the medical model is a little bit more like deficit based. [00:03:36] Speaker B: Correct. [00:03:37] Speaker A: Where the educational model is a little bit different. Things are not as deficit language based. So they. This gets very confusing, though, because the school is not always speaking the same language as, like, the medical community is. [00:03:54] Speaker B: Correct. [00:03:55] Speaker A: Which really throws parents for a loop who may not be familiar with either of those ginormous institutions. [00:04:03] Speaker B: Could. Correct. Mm. Yes. [00:04:08] Speaker A: So speaking of dyslexia, here we go. So, Nicole. [00:04:15] Speaker B: Yes. [00:04:16] Speaker A: Okay. How do we know if dyslexia, if my child's dyslexia is mild or severe? [00:04:25] Speaker B: Well, Maggie, that's actually not a thing what you say. Because that's something that people say all the time, right? [00:04:32] Speaker A: Yes, they do. [00:04:34] Speaker B: But actually, the DSM 5, which is where we get our medical definitions from, it is not part of the definition. The DSM 5 is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth. And it's in the fifth edition right now. It's published by the American Psycho association, and it's a standard reference for identifying and classifying mental health disorders, providing the criteria for diagnosis and guiding treatment decisions. It also facilitates communication among professionals and with insurance companies. So there is. The definition in this manual just says that there's a deficit in reading or in literacy. It has nothing to do with if it's mild or severe. [00:05:31] Speaker A: That's right. And Right. Mild and severe. 1. They are highly subjective terms. [00:05:38] Speaker B: Correct. [00:05:39] Speaker A: So that similar to. I get this very similar question with autism spectrum disorders as well. Right. Okay. But it's only mild autism or it's. Oh, it's major autism. I've heard the term major autism lately as well. Not a thing. [00:06:00] Speaker B: You know, and we all know that the brain can be very diverse in what it looks like, even though it's the same diagnosis. So I think that's where that comes from. Right. They think, well, I can categorize it. I can figure out how much they need. [00:06:18] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:06:18] Speaker B: But it doesn't really work that way because the brain is so unique for each person. You can't quantify that. [00:06:25] Speaker A: And when we break it down by symptom, one person may have a much more difficult time displaying, like mastering those decoding skills. Right? [00:06:36] Speaker B: Correct. [00:06:37] Speaker A: I mean, we've all had our students here that some students, they come in and they can master these things in a more timely manner. And some of our students cannot. That does actually not mean that that second student who takes longer is, quote unquote, more severe, Correct? Yeah. [00:06:59] Speaker B: The brain is very unique and very hard to study. So that's why I think it's very broad as a diagnosis. [00:07:10] Speaker A: Yes. [00:07:12] Speaker B: So, Maggie, this is another question we get. What subtype is my child's dyslexia? [00:07:18] Speaker A: Yes. So very, very similar to is my child's dyslexia mild or severe? There is no recognition of different subtypes of dyslexia. Can dyslexia affect different skills? Absolutely. Do some students present with more of a deficit in, let's say, the phonological system or the phone, like the phonemes? Yes. Do some students present with more deficits that would relate to more like working memory? Working memory or rapid automatic naming? Absolutely. But that does not mean there are subtypes. In the DSM 5, there are no subtypes of dyslexia. Is it helpful to call out, actually, this student's struggles have more to do with the phonological system. Yeah. That's very helpful language to have because it has the impact on intervention. But officially there are no subtypes of dyslexia. [00:08:29] Speaker B: Correct. [00:08:32] Speaker A: What about Nicole? Do I have to wait until third grade until I can get my child tested for dyslexia? [00:08:43] Speaker B: No, absolutely not. Unfortunately, that's said a lot and we hear that a lot because, you know, third grade is that Trish traditional spot in with schools where students are not learning to read, they're reading to learn. Right. So that's where they get that. I think that third grade issue. Yes, but actually dyslexia can be diagnosed as early as age 4. [00:09:11] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, what we're going to be looking at in a four year old is going to be very different than what we're looking at in an older child. But we never want to discourage anyone from seeking a diagnosis or seeking an evaluation. All we're doing in an evaluation is taking a look. [00:09:36] Speaker B: Right. [00:09:38] Speaker A: We're not. It doesn't have to be some very scary undertaking. [00:09:42] Speaker B: Correct. [00:09:43] Speaker A: I do understand where this question comes from. I do think it has a lot to do with that third grade bridging the gap from learning to read to reading to learn. I think, unfortunately there was a lot of historical advice given by school professionals that, you know, just wait, just wait, they'll catch up, they'll catch up. That was still said a lot. And I still, unfortunately, am hearing that today. [00:10:14] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:10:16] Speaker A: And there is truth that. Right. Every child, a typically developing child, there is a range A range. There is a range between what is considered statistically normal. Right. Or within the normal range. So I understand where parents are coming from. I get where this question comes from. But really, if we're starting to see what we know now from research is if we're starting to see these more. Wow. I am tripping over that. Pervasive issues in especially kinder or first grade. I'm wanting to see that kid at that time when we are having those issues. So that if we do find dyslexia. Right. And even if we don't. Right. Even if we don't think it's dyslexia. Okay. Obviously something's going on. So. [00:11:12] Speaker B: Right. [00:11:13] Speaker A: What does that kid need to be able to access that curriculum? So, no, we don't want anybody waiting to any specific age for a diagnosis. [00:11:25] Speaker B: Correct. And research has shown that the earlier you start intervention, the. The better the outcome. [00:11:32] Speaker A: Exactly. [00:11:33] Speaker B: So. Oh, this is one we get a lot too. So, Maggie, is dyslexia only reading backwards or having reversals? [00:11:47] Speaker A: Oh, my gosh, no. Emphatically. Emphatically, no. In fact, that is a myth. A major myth. [00:12:00] Speaker B: Yes. That is a very big myth. And that's why we are laughing. [00:12:03] Speaker A: Yes. [00:12:03] Speaker B: We're not laughing at the question, because that is a very good question. [00:12:07] Speaker A: But it's the information that's out there, correct? Yeah. It is still it. Yeah. It is a myth. I would like to shout it from the rooftops that it is not true. [00:12:19] Speaker B: Yes. [00:12:20] Speaker A: And that research has shown that it is not. Right. Some. I think where this kind of comes from, this myth comes from is that students with dyslexia do often display letter reversals or they have trouble with reversing letters. So that has a kernel of truth, like most myths do. Correct. And it can be a struggle for dyslexic learners to track reading. [00:12:49] Speaker B: Right. [00:12:50] Speaker A: And so some of our students do kind of report like. Like a jumpiness or a jumbledness to kind of their reading, but really it's a visual tracking issue. It's not a dyslexia issue. So I can understand where this question comes from. [00:13:09] Speaker B: Right. [00:13:10] Speaker A: But it is a huge myth. And please, all of our listeners, feel free. Spread the word. That's a myth. It's not true. [00:13:20] Speaker B: Exactly. [00:13:21] Speaker A: Go bust it up. Ooh. This next one is probably one of my most asked questions, something I get asked almost every eval I do. [00:13:35] Speaker B: I think most of our interventionists get asked this almost every time. [00:13:39] Speaker A: So, Nicole. [00:13:41] Speaker B: Yes. [00:13:41] Speaker A: If my child has dyslexia, do they automatically get an IEP at school. And also, what is an iep? [00:13:49] Speaker B: Twofer. Oh, a twofer. Okay. And IEP is an individual education plan. And that is where you get services at the school to help you, your student learn. And it could be very different kind of interventions depending on the student need. [00:14:08] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:09] Speaker B: They're not just for students with dyslexia. They're for other reasons too. [00:14:14] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:14:14] Speaker B: But no, unfortunately, just having a diagnosis of dyslexia does not get you an iep. So to have an iep, you have to go through the entire IEP process to see if you qualify. And some of our kids, unfortunately, do not qualify when they have dyslexia because they're smart and they have really good comprehensive. [00:14:40] Speaker A: Yes. [00:14:41] Speaker B: Like, skills that help them so they're not failing. [00:14:46] Speaker A: Right. To have an individualized education plan through school, you have to prove that this disability affects. Adversely affects their academic performance. And so not all learners with dyslexia are going to have that academic performance based impairment. [00:15:10] Speaker B: Correct. So because they're so dang smart. [00:15:13] Speaker A: Because they're really smart. And so sometimes those students do qualify for what's known as a 504 plan, which is a different kind of plan. [00:15:25] Speaker B: Right. [00:15:26] Speaker A: And sometimes they do not. There is a separate evaluation process for a 504 plan. So same question, but different. Right. So if my child has dyslexia, do they automatically get a 504 also? No. [00:15:44] Speaker B: Right. And the 504 is more about the accommodation. [00:15:47] Speaker A: That's right. [00:15:48] Speaker B: Not the intervention. [00:15:50] Speaker A: That's right. We're not modifying curriculum under a 504. Right. [00:15:56] Speaker B: We're just like, maybe giving extra time or we're maybe giving them less questions to answer to, depending on, you know, it depends. Yeah, yeah, it really just depends on what the student needs. So. So unfortunately, the answer is no. You don't automatically qualify for an IEP. [00:16:13] Speaker A: Because it might not be appropriate. [00:16:15] Speaker B: Correct. [00:16:15] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:16:17] Speaker B: Oh, boy. Maggie, guess what? You get to. [00:16:21] Speaker A: Oh, no. [00:16:23] Speaker B: So our next question is, can you cure dyslexia? [00:16:27] Speaker A: Oh, Nicole is just trying to make me hot. Try. Just. I like all the pet peeve questions here. Okay. [00:16:39] Speaker B: No. [00:16:40] Speaker A: Dyslexia is not something we hear. Please, for the love of all things holy, do not look on Facebook. Okay? [00:16:54] Speaker B: They might tell you different. [00:16:55] Speaker A: They might tell you differently. There are unfortunately some very scammy, slimy individuals that market themselves as being able to cure dyslexia. True story. We've actually tried to, like, contact some of these. [00:17:16] Speaker B: We have. But you have to pay them money to actually. [00:17:19] Speaker A: To get more information, to get more Information. [00:17:21] Speaker B: Which. Huh. [00:17:22] Speaker A: Red flag. [00:17:23] Speaker B: Red flag. [00:17:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Right. Dyslexia is a difference in the brain. Right. The intervention can absolutely help build new pathways in the brain. It can be very successful for students. But those students, they may always need accommodations. The dyslexia will exist throughout the span of someone's lifetime. We can absolutely help with the symptoms and the ability to decode and encode and all of those skills, but the pathway. And we can build those pathways. But no, it is not something you hear. Dyslexia is not a disease. Right. It's not a virus. It's not a bacteria. It's not something we can just eradicate out your body. [00:18:16] Speaker B: Correct. [00:18:22] Speaker A: Related. Right. Is dyslexia a vision problem? [00:18:29] Speaker B: No, it is not. [00:18:30] Speaker A: Actually. [00:18:31] Speaker B: It is considered a language disorder. Vision. I think this. We know where this comes from. Right. Because of the reversals and them. They think people are seeing it backwards, but really, that is not what's happening. Things in the brain are maybe getting mixed up. [00:18:49] Speaker A: Yep. [00:18:52] Speaker B: But it's not the actual vision that is causing them to not be able to decode that word. [00:18:59] Speaker A: That's right. And I think, you know, this might also come from the fact that a dyslexic learner who's working extremely hard to decode is expending a lot of energy on that. And that can create visual fatigue, which can lead to some blurriness. It can. You know, it can lead to. Well, I was talking about before. Some of our dyslexic learners do report some kind of, like the words. Like be looking a little jumpy. Right. Or not being able to track things that can happen to some dyslexic learners. [00:19:40] Speaker B: Right. [00:19:40] Speaker A: But dyslexia is not a vision problem. It is not the root cause of the reading issue. In fact, there's absolutely no tie at. [00:19:51] Speaker B: All. [00:19:54] Speaker A: From vision to reading ability. And we know that from countless studies on Twitter. Totally blind individuals. It is not the same as, let's say, deaf and hard of hearing. It's not the same thing. Dyslexia is not a deaf or hard of hearing problem either. But that population has a much higher correlation of dyslexia than the visually impaired community. There's no tie at all in the visual impaired community. [00:20:33] Speaker B: Maggie, does it run in families? [00:20:36] Speaker A: It surely does. Yeah. It surely does. This is an easy one. Yes. Dyslexia has a very recognized genetic component. It is highly likely, if you are a dyslexic individual, that your child also will be a dyslexic individual. It's very common and there is a lot of research on that. Similar to. ADHD is very similar, Correct? Yeah. It is very common to run in families. We don't really know why. That is an area that we could research. [00:21:15] Speaker B: Yeah, they haven't found the gene yet. [00:21:17] Speaker A: Yeah, they haven't. Right. They haven't found the specific type of. If we know why. But we haven't found yet. Kind of. [00:21:25] Speaker B: There's too many genes. There's. [00:21:27] Speaker A: There's too many genes and there's too many external factors as well. You know, we know that it is neurobiological in nature, but we also know that there are environmental factors. And so I think it's too hard to. To piece out where exactly and why it is such a genetic tie. But we know that it is. Oh, this one is a good one. Nicole. [00:21:58] Speaker B: Yes. [00:22:00] Speaker A: My child reads very well. So there's no way they can have dyslexia. Right. [00:22:09] Speaker B: Unfortunately, that is not true. We have some very fluent readers that have dyslexia, you know, because it is a neurobiological in nature, it presents in many different ways. Right. Some of our students read very fluently, but they can't spell anything or they can't write a full sentence at all. Like they can't get those words to the paper. And that is a part of dyslexia. [00:22:38] Speaker A: Yes. [00:22:39] Speaker B: Or can be other people, they might be fluent readers, but they're not tell. They're not able to comprehend a word that's in there and then some. And then you have the ones that obviously can't decode. So there's like very different. Dyslexia looks very different in every single person. I have not really seen yet. Are there similarities? Sure. Because obviously those parts of the brains are always. [00:23:08] Speaker A: There's a reason it's a category. Right. There's a reason it has an entry in the DSM 5. [00:23:13] Speaker B: Right. [00:23:14] Speaker A: Yes. We can find similarities. [00:23:15] Speaker B: Correct. However, the individual learners look very different if you work with them explicitly, I would say. [00:23:26] Speaker A: Yeah. And I think that has a lot to do with why there is that kind of like. But what subtype is it? Right. Because it's like, oh, but. But this looks different than that. So there has to be another. Right. Like, human beings really can't help ourselves. We want to categorize and label everything. [00:23:46] Speaker B: Correct. Unfortunately, there's not one. Maggie. This is a good one, too, that we get a lot, actually. [00:24:00] Speaker A: Yes. [00:24:01] Speaker B: My child is very, very smart. So they can't have dyslexia, can they? [00:24:08] Speaker A: Not true. Okay. Not true. As we have said many times. And I will say it with my dying breath. Right. Dyslexia and intelligence are not related to each other. There is no correlation between dyslexia, reading problems and low intelligence. There are countless examples of really extreme intelligence. And those individuals also have dyslexia. [00:24:42] Speaker B: Correct. [00:24:43] Speaker A: It is a pervasive stigma that if you have dyslexia or you have problems in reading that you are inherently less intelligent. And that's one kills me, kills my heart. But I think that is kind of where this comes from and it is not true. And I will spend a lot of my energy trying to dispel that myth. [00:25:15] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. [00:25:22] Speaker A: Last one for today. Last one for today. We will plan to do more of these Frequently Asked Questions episodes in the future. [00:25:32] Speaker B: 1. [00:25:32] Speaker A: They're fun and we get to do what I extra love, which is educate. [00:25:39] Speaker B: Right. [00:25:40] Speaker A: Can't, you know, makes my teacher heart very, very happy. So our last one for today. Nicole. Can my child be successful if they have dyslexia? [00:25:52] Speaker B: Absolutely, yes. There are so many examples of people who have dyslexia. They're very successful. So I'm just gonna tell you about some of them. So some highly successful people, and these are in very different industries, but that doesn't mean that they're not very successful. Like Steven Spielberg, obviously, he's amazing. His movies are amazing. Richard Branson, Whoopi Goldberg, they think Albert Einstein, obviously back then there wasn't a diagnosis at that time. Steve Jobs, they all are known to have dyslexia, but they were able to use their dyslexia to foster creativity and strong problem solving skills rather than hinder their success. There are other. Many other individuals that are known like Tom Cruise, Jennifer Anderson, they think Thomas Edison, Carol Grieber, business leaders like Henry Ford, Walt Disney. You know, obviously these people are very well known and they were very successful in what they did. And honestly, some other. There's some very famous authors that are also that have dyslexia. Like Beverly, clearly. I think we all read those in school. [00:27:33] Speaker A: I mean, right? Come on. [00:27:34] Speaker B: Come on. [00:27:34] Speaker A: They're amazing. I love her. [00:27:37] Speaker B: Agnic. The Christie. I mean, hello, mystery writer. [00:27:41] Speaker A: Yeah, I just. I think, you know, this question, again, it breaks my heart when it is asked because I do get asked a lot. [00:27:53] Speaker B: Yeah, me too. [00:27:55] Speaker A: And also I kind of love answering it because I. Because absolutely, yes. Yeah. This. People with dyslexia can be extremely successful. It also matters very much. Right. All those examples we gave were like very famous individuals. [00:28:13] Speaker B: Correct. [00:28:14] Speaker A: And that is one type of success. [00:28:17] Speaker B: Exactly right. [00:28:18] Speaker A: That is one type of success. It is. It depends on how you decide. Define success. I think exactly. You know, a statistic I do like to throw out There is that 65% of aerospace engineers, rocket scientists, self disclose having dyslexia. [00:28:42] Speaker B: That's a huge number. [00:28:43] Speaker A: That is a huge number. [00:28:46] Speaker B: Right. [00:28:47] Speaker A: So dyslexia is a difference in the brain. It can and often does create such diverse thought patterns that someone who has a quote unquote, neurotypical brain, which every listener out there by now knows how I feel about that term. Right. I mean, I just. Neurotypical is dumb, and it doesn't exist. It just doesn't. [00:29:17] Speaker B: Yep. [00:29:17] Speaker A: Every single person's brain is different. I. I think that dyslexia can be a very cool and empowering diagnosis. [00:29:31] Speaker B: Yes. Especially if they get the intervention. [00:29:37] Speaker A: Yes. [00:29:37] Speaker B: And they can excel. [00:29:40] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. You know it. We are privileged to do what we do. [00:29:48] Speaker B: We are. We are. Very much so. [00:29:50] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:29:51] Speaker B: Maggie, what's happening outside dyslexia? [00:29:54] Speaker A: Yeah. Okay, so this, as we record, is kind of the end of September, early October. I am feeling quite excited for October this year. I don't. That's not all that typical of me. I love falling. I do love fall. I love the crunchy leaves. I love the colors. I love all of that. But I, with a bunch of, like, mom friends, read some spooky novels this year, and we're gonna get together and talk about our spooky novels. We read practical magic together, and we're gonna watch the movie. Yeah, I. It is not usually my genre. I am not usually a huge Halloween person. But I am getting in the spooky spirit this year, and I'm going with it. What's going on with you? [00:30:50] Speaker B: Yeah. So it's the end of September, and next week is the beginning of October, and all of the fun of October is happening because we have a lot going on. But, yes, next Friday is one of our big literacy conferences in the area, and I'm really excited to see the speakers meet up with people that we've seen, not seen for a year, and be able to just network with everybody that we know. [00:31:17] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:18] Speaker B: So I'm really excited about that. [00:31:19] Speaker A: That can be an upcoming episode. We'll fill everybody in on what we learned at the conference. [00:31:25] Speaker B: Ooh, that's a good idea. [00:31:26] Speaker A: Yeah, that'll be a good one. Well, thank you so much for listening. Please follow us on social media and reach out if you have any questions or would like us to discuss a topic. If you do like our show, be sure to follow us and then give us a rating on your favorite podcast player. That's really how we get pushed up in those algorithms, guys, and it helps us reach more listeners, and we get to help our families then. So thank you, everybody. [00:31:51] Speaker B: Thank you.