Reading and Writing

Dyslexia is the term used to describe difficulty reading.  For many years, dyslexia was thought to be caused by visual processing problems. However, current research overwhelmingly supports the view that many dyslexics’ underlying problem is difficulty perceiving and remembering how separate sounds are linked together to form words. This is referred to as phonological awareness.  Long before children learn the alphabet, they respond to rhythm and rhyme, thereby beginning to develop sound (phoneme) awareness.  Children who do not develop good sound awareness skills in the preschool years are at risk for reading difficulty.  Many children with developmental speech and language problems are also at high risk for reading difficulty.  We assess the pre-reading skills of young children and begin intervention at this level.  We also offer analysis and remediation for older children and adults with dyslexia.
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Some children and adults may know how to read words accurately but still have difficulty understanding what they read.  Understanding what you read is linked with the ability to understand what you hear. Children with listening comprehension and memory problems often have impaired reading comprehension.

If a child has difficulty with reading, writing will be even more challenging.   In some cases, children attain adequate reading skills but continue to have difficulty with spelling, written sentence structure, and story formulation. We analyze their difficulties with reading comprehension and writing and individualize their treatment.