Treatment for Dyslexia
The appropriate intervention for dyslexia is not only hope and an enhanced environment, but also, and more important, critical skill building. Use intense phonics instruction with high-interest reading material over the long term. Students need letter knowledge, word memory, and phoneme practice. Training in these three usually works well. Start early, and be persistent. Many programs can work, including programs, such as Orton-Gillingham, Read 180, Open Court, LindaMood Bell, SPIRE, StudyDog, and Wilson. Use two strategies: improve reading by teaching the student how to read better, and (2) provide accommodations (e.g., extra time, alternative assignments) that teach the student how to compensate for reading problems and keep up with the rest of the class despite reading difficulties. In some cases, a phonological processing program and a skill-building remediation program work well in tandem. Some, like FastForward, focus on auditory processing and oral language training. In all cases, ensure that the student gets 30 to 90 minutes of focused skill-building practice, three to five days per week, with quality isolated time. This will not happen in inclusion classrooms: it takes a pullout program to do it.