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Dayton Learning Center sets benefit for dyslexic children

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By Ria Megnin, Contributing Writer 8:46 PM Monday, November 7, 2011

Difficulty rhyming. Problems remembering sequences. Not understanding rapid instructions. Poor social skills. These may all be signs of dyslexia.

According to the National Institutes of Health, dyslexia is an often-inherited condition that affects areas of the brain that help interpret and process language. It doesn’t affect thinking or understanding, and most people with the disability are of normal or above-average intelligence.

About 20 percent of the population has some form of dyslexia, according to NIH research, but most will take years to be diagnosed. The familiar hallmarks of switching letters and words around, reading a “b” as a “d” for instance, aren’t always present or noticed as a child grows.

Instead, children may have trouble rhyming and separating sounds that make up spoken words.

“These abilities appear to be critical in the process of learning to read,” according to the NIH, “because word recognition requires being able to separate the sounds in words and match them with letters.”

Long-term consequences

The Mayo Clinic says late talking, trouble following more than one command at a time, difficulty spelling and the inability to sound out an unfamiliar word should trigger testing for children, so they can get help at an early age.

Delays in treatment can lead to more problems. As schoolwork gets more challenging, children can develop self-esteem issues or give up on academics altogether. Many enter adulthood without realizing their disability, where consequences can mean skipping or failing out of college, struggling with relationships, and staying in jobs far below their earning potential.

Once symptoms are identified, most people can find ways to work around their condition. Tutoring and other services help people with dyslexia learn ways to process language faster and more accurately.

A Dayton solution

One local resource is the Dayton Learning Center, which has provided free tutoring for children with dyslexia in kindergarten through high school for the past 12 years. The program has been so effective, it has a two-year wait list.

“We use the Orton-Gillingham method, the oldest muti-sensory approach to reading, writing and spelling instruction,” says the center’s director, Donna Donahue. “We set up lessons so the kids can discover things about the language through active learning.”

Donahue says the method, like others used to help children and adults with dyslexia, uses visual, auditory and kinesthetic pathways in the brain.

“Dyslexic kids are intelligent, but the part of the brain they use doesn’t allow them to process information in normal ways,” she says.

Testing helps identify any gaps. Tutors then help fill in those holes, and move forward with new information from there. “In just a matter of weeks, the difference is huge,” Donahue says.

Ways to help

Constant review over the course of the tutoring program helps solidify the children’s skills for the long term. Donahue says most complete the course in a little over two years. The center’s annual $125,000 budget comes entirely from fundraisers and gifts.

Contact contributing writer Ria Megnin at ria@riamegnin.com.

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