The Speech-Language Pathologist ’s Role in Diagnosing Dyslexia

While language-based learning disorders—like dyslexia—fall squarely in the purview of speech-language pathologists, I’ve talked to several pediatric SLPs who don’t feel entirely comfortable treating—let alone diagnosing—this disorder. In my relatively short career as an SLP, I’ve worked with skilled SLPs treating children with dyslexia. We address various language and reading needs every day with our clients. When faced with the prospect of providing a diagnosis of dyslexia, however, I felt uneasy. Until recently. My graduate program didn’t comprehensively cover dyslexia and all its complexities. In my clinical fellowship, I encountered a case and received the appropriate guidance, but few of my friends or co-workers benefited from the same experience. I know my friends and I aren’t alone in these education gaps. These factors might cause some SLPs to hesitate in giving a diagnosis or even knowing they can diagnose dyslexia. So, how do we go about evaluating dyslexia? Typically, SLPs work on a team with other professionals and caregivers during the assessment process. SLPs are critical in making a differential diagnosis. They can evaluate all language domains—listening, speaking, reading and writing. It’s important to screen for vision problems and to rule out attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and hearing loss before diagnosing dyslexia. I also recommend these resources on the topic: ASHA’s position statement on Roles and Res...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Speech-Language Pathology Language Disorders private practice Schools Source Type: blogs