Accommodating Students With Dyslexia

Dyslexia is one of the most common disabilities affecting approximately 1 in 5 individuals (see the previous WIA blogpost focusing on Learning Ally's 1 in 5 Initiative). It does not reflect an overall defect in language, but a localized weakness within the phonologic module of the brain, which is where sounds of language are put together to form words or break words down into sounds. 

Often times individuals with dyslexia are mistaken as less cognitively intact while the truth is....most of the time these said individuals are of average to above average in intelligence and exceed in their creativity. Although we are living in 2018, schools are still not designed to be accessible for all learners and many educators are not provided the proper training to identify and tools to support dyslexic students. This ripple effect causes many students to go through their educational career compensating for their deficits, experiencing undue stress and prohibiting students from reaching their full potential. The underlying message here is knowledge and tools are powerful and impactful, which is why I am sharing the following article, Accommodating Students with Dyslexia by Jessica Hamman, focuses on five easy-to-implement accommodations that can make class less stressful and more manageable for students with dyslexia.