| The purpose of this study was to aid service providers in better identifying and serving children
with dyslexia by clarifying terminology and more fully describing associated behaviors. Dyslexia
is a reading disorder that remains poorly understood, even among those responsible for
identifying and supporting the students it affects. This lack of clarity has partly resulted from the
wide range of related terminology used when discussing dyslexia, and partly from the complex
constellation of behaviors exhibited by those with dyslexia. Qualtrics survey links were
distributed to groups in which parents of children with dyslexia belong to obtain first-hand
feedback from parents regarding the behaviors observed in their child. Questions covered
developmental milestones, speech sound production, reading, attention, writing, math, executive
functions, mental health, other medical conditions, and perceived strengths associated with
dyslexia. It was hypothesized that the data obtained from this survey would allow us to better
inform service providers of the patterns of behaviors seen in these individuals, thus providing a
more complete understanding of dyslexia. Findings revealed a spectrum of signs associated with
dyslexia, and two profiles among affected individuals: one in which the classic phonological and
orthographic difficulties were prominent, and one in which more environmental risk factors were
present, leading to a wider variety of developmental challenges. These profiles converged in
reading and spelling struggles, indicating impairment regardless of cause. The findings may help
service providers better recognize variation in dyslexia-related presentations while supporting
identification of reading and spelling impairment.
Keywords: Dyslexia, Speech-language pathology, prenatal drug and alcohol exposure,
Phonological processing, Orthography, Spelling impairment |