3776 Sullivan Street, Suite I, Madison, AL, 35758
Availability:
Tuesday & Thursday
8:30am - 4:30pm
We Learn Different, We Sometimes Struggle And That Is Okay.
I help ensure reading success for all students that learn in different ways due to Dyslexia and ADHD.
What Is Dyslexia?
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Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.
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-IDA Board of Directors, Nov. 12, 2002
About Paula Williams
I spent 25 years in the public school system working with children by providing speech therapy and language intervention. In that time I discovered that there seemed to be a link between speech or language difficulties and reading development. According to many professional resources, speech or language difficulties was an early risk factor for Dyslexia. My interest in reading development was ignited and I soon learned that my true passion was teaching those who learn differently how to read.
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Immediately after I retired from the public school, I began testing for Scottish Rite and tutoring students privately. I also provided contract testing for Greengate School, a private school for students with dyslexia, for approximately 15 years before going full-time into private practice. I have found my true calling and still consider myself a “team member” with the parents and students I test.
Questions About Testing For Dyslexia.
Parents often have questions about testing their children for dyslexia. I have provided some of the most common questions I get along with the answers to those questions.
A comprehensive evaluation is a critical first step in diagnosing dyslexia. Individual strengths and weaknesses vary within each child and identifying those skills will assist in creating an intervention plan during the optimal developmental period when your child is learning to read, reducing or eliminating years of academic frustration and struggles. I hope you will let me assist your family in taking this important first step.
Notice Early Indicators of At-Risk Children
The importance of early identification of children at risk for reading problems is well documented in the current research. Reid Lyon, chairman of the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) stated that at least 20-30% of young children are not identified as having a reading disability until after they have experienced years of failure and frustration. In many cases, remediation attempts occur too late for optimal progress.
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Knowing the early indicators of children at-risk for Dyslexia could be potentially life changing for them.