Springfield Center for Dyslexia & Learning helps more students than ever this school year

Experts with the Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning are asking parents and teachers to work together to detect early signs a child may be struggling. Executive Director Noel Leif said they are helping more students with dyslexia than ever before. She said 30 new students have enrolled this fall, making almost 80 students total.

Leif said teachers can see students are having a hard time within the first grading period. Leif said some of the red flags a child may be dyslexic include knowing a certain word on one page and not the next, not retaining information, and easily becoming frustrated or disinterested with homework.

Leif encouraged parents and teachers to keep the lines of communication open and work together so dyslexia will not go undetected. She said parents and teachers should have meetings to figure out what children can do at home to set themselves up for success in the classroom.

Leif talked about what some of her teen students at the Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning say about their experiences before they were diagnosed. "The kids that come to the center and are in high school wish that their teachers had noticed and picked up on some of the symptoms," said Leif. Leif said she believes teachers may sometimes feel embarrassed or ashamed to tell a student's parents what is actually happening. "It'd be nice if this could be caught earlier and we can work with students younger so they can overcome some of their dyslexia tendencies."

Lastly, Leif said parents need to act as the child's advocate. She said parents can request further screening for their child from their school. Those screening results will not be a sure answer, but will determine whether or not a family should seek out a medical diagnoses.

The Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning is a 501(c)3, educational not-for-profit serving people with significant reading, spelling and writing difficulties, including people with dyslexia. The organization is located in the Turner Center at 1000 East Primrose Street, Suite 540 in Springfield, Missouri. There is currently is a list of students waiting to get help from the Springfield Center for Dyslexia and Learning. You can call (417)269-0259 to be added to the list or get other guidance on how to help your child.