Do you have a child who struggles with reading, writing or math? Maybe you just attributed it to a difficult classroom environment or a child that isn’t trying. But, did you know that 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have learning and attention issues? According to the Learning Disability Association of America, that equals 11.2 million U.S. elementary and high school students.
It also reports, of those students, only 8.25% receive specialized instruction or accommodations through a school Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or a 504. That means 6.65 million students aren’t receiving the help they need. As a parent, you may not even realize that your child has a learning disability.
But, the good news for parents in Ohio is that two bills recently passed by the state’s General Assembly that requires all Ohio public school students in kindergarten through third grade to be screened for the risk of dyslexia, the most common learning disorder, in the 2023-2024 school year.
For Michelle of Brooklyn Heights, who has two children with dyslexia, that news is a relief. “When my first child was struggling with reading, it was a long process to get the correct diagnosis and then start the multi-sensory phonics approach he needed,” she says. “Even knowing this, when my second child showed similar signs of dyslexia there was no screener available to identify her in kindergarten. With the new laws requiring mandatory screenings, other families will be able to get help sooner. Early recognition is key to providing the right interventions from the start to help dyslexic students learn to read and ultimately have a successful school career.”
According to the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, dyslexia impacts 20% of the population. It is defined as a language-based disorder that causes problems with both spoken and written language. Symptoms can range from mild to extreme but with evidence-based intervention and accommodations, many dyslexic students perform well in school.
Because of the new screenings, an organization such as Connecting for Kids, which provides support and resources for those who have concerns about their child, has seen a large uptick in the number of calls from families.
“Once a child has been identified by the school as showing signs of possible dyslexia, parents have so many questions and want to seek out resources to help,” says Sarah Rintamaki, executive director of Connecting for Kids.
In addition to dyslexia, other prevalent learning disabilities include dysgraphia and dyscalculia. Experts estimate that writing problems such as dysgraphia may impact 5-20% of students. Dysgraphia can lead to problems with spelling, poor handwriting and struggling to put thoughts on paper. Since it is a spectrum, some children may have a lot of problems while in others, dysgraphia may go undetected.
Dyscalculia describes a wide range of lifelong learning disabilities making it hard to do math. People with dyscalculia may have difficulty with numbers or with other math-related concepts like size and speed. Not as much is known about dyscalculia as compared to dyslexia, but experts think that it may impact 3-7% of all people.
If you suspect a learning disability, please refer to these Connecting for Kids guides that provide red flags, solutions and resources:
Dyslexia Resource Guide: connectingforkids.org/dyslexia
Dysgraphia Resource Guide: connectingforkids.org/dysgraphia
Dyscalculia Resource Guide: connectingforkids.org/dyscalculia
If you would like to speak to someone about your concerns, please visit the Connecting for Kids Ask Us program at: connectingforkids.org/askus
By Karla Fitch, MSW, LSW, Connecting for Kids Creative Director
