The Latest Stats and Resources for ADHD and Dyslexia

It is October and the autumn air is a bit chilly here in the Midwest. October is also ADHD Awareness Month and Dyslexia Awareness Month. Because of this, we thought it would be helpful to our readers to provide some important and recently published statistics (from 2016) regarding these two learning disabilities. At the same time, we thought it even more important to offer a collection at the same time of updated resources to assist parents and teachers who help children with these specific challenges.

You may be surprised to learn that ADHD and dyslexia are distinct conditions that frequently overlap, thereby causing some confusion about the nature of these two conditions. ADHD is one of the most common developmental problems, affecting 9-10% of the school-age population in the U.S. It is characterized by inattention, distractability, hyperactivity (sometimes) and impulsivity.

At the same time, it is estimated that 30% of those with dyslexia have co-existing ADHD. Some experts in the fields of ADHD and dyslexia claim that this the number is closer to 40%. Co-existing means the two conditions, ADHD and dyslexia, can occur together, but they do not cause each other. Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition, spelling and decoding of words. Persons with dyslexia have problems discriminating sounds within a word or phonemes, a key factor in their reading and spelling difficulties. (See IDA fact sheets Definition of Dyslexia and Dyslexia Basics in Dyslexia Resources to Help below here.)

Current Dyslexia Statistics & Information

1. Current research suggests that about 17% of the population has dyslexia (nearly 1 in 5 children).
2. An equal number of girls and boys are dyslexic. It is thought that boys are more likely to act out as a result of having a reading difficulty and are therefore more likely to be identified early. Girls, on the other hand, are more likely to try to "hide" their difficulty, becoming quiet and reserved.
3. Because the source of dyslexia lies in the brain, children do not outgrow dyslexia. With the proper intervention, children with dyslexia can learn to read well. As adults, people with dyslexia can be successful in many different careers, although many adults with dyslexia continue to have difficulty with spelling and tend to read relatively slowly.
4. The first description of dyslexia appeared in 1896 by Dr. W. Pringle Morgan in Sussex, England
5. The word dyslexia is derived from the Greek word dys (meaning poor or inadequate) plus lexis (words or language), implying only an inadequacy in language tasks.

Current ADHD Data & Statistics (2016)

1. Approximately 9.4% of children 2-17 years of age (6.1 million) had ever been diagnosed with ADHD, according to parent report in 2016.
-Ages 2-5: Approximately 388,000 children
-Ages 6-11: Approximately 2.4 million children
-Ages 12-17: Approximately 3.3 million children

2. Parent report on ADHD diagnosis in previous years:

-The percent of children 4-17 years of age ever diagnosed with ADHD had previously increased, from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011-12.
-The number of young children (ages 2-5) who had ADHD at the time of the survey increased by more than 50% from the 2007-2008 survey to the 2011-12 survey.

3. Parent report in 2016, among U.S. children ages 2-17 years:

-Nearly 2 of 3 children with current ADHD had at least one other mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder. [Read article]
-About 1 out of 2 children with ADHD had a behavior or conduct problem.
-About 1 out of 3 children with ADHD had anxiety.
-Other conditions affecting children with ADHD: depression, autism spectrum disorder, and Tourette Syndrome.

Dyslexia Resources to Help

Definition of Dyslexia-from International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/

FREE Dyslexia Fact Sheet-from Understood.org
What is dyslexia? This FREE one-page fact sheet (view full size) provides essential information for beginners. You can read the fact sheet online, or print it out and give it to friends, family and teachers.

Dyslexia Basics-from International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/

Online Dyslexia Test-from Dyslexia Advantage (Dr. Fernette Eide)
https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/dyslexia-test/

SELF-ADVOCACY: Common Accommodations and Modifications-from Dyslexia Advantage (Dr. Fernette Eide)
One of the first steps in advocacy is knowing which accommodations and/or modifications are necessary. Here’s a nice list from the state of CT.
https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/self-advocacy-common-accommodations-and-modifications/

Accommodations for Students with Dyslexia-from International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
https://dyslexiaida.org/accommodations-for-students-with-dyslexia/

Dyslexia Awareness, Tools, Resources & Support
https://www.focusandread.com/blog/post/3699032

ADHD Resources to Help

ADHD Symptom Tests
Separate tests provided here for children and adults. Is it ADHD? Or learning disabilities, OCD, or something else? Take these self-tests to learn whether you or your child have symptoms that resemble attention deficit or one of the related conditions commonly diagnosed alongside ADHD. Print the results and take them to a medical professional for an appropriate diagnosis.
https://www.additudemag.com/category/understand-conditions/symptom-tests/

FREE ADHD Downloads-from ADDitude Magazine
A sizable collection of FREE printables on a variety of ADHD topics is available here. The resources provided for children and adults include information on treatment options for ADHD, neurofeedback, ADHD's impact on personal relationships and much MORE!
https://www.additudemag.com/download/

Strategies & Accommodations for Challenged Readers
FREE downloadable list of strategies to help readers of all ages to FOCUS and READ with more success.
https://www.focusandread.com/learning-strategies

FREE ADHD Podcasts-from ADDitude Magazine
Listen to ADDitude’s FREE podcast series about all things ADHD — recognizing symptoms, researching treatment, raising children, living better with attention deficit, and much more — with leading experts in ADD / ADHD. Click here for the full library of ADDitude podcast episodes.
https://www.additudemag.com/category/adhd-podcast/

Other Resources

VIDEO: Michelle Carter Wins Olympic Gold With Dyslexia and ADHD-from Understood.org
Michelle Carter grew up with BOTH dyslexia and ADHD. Reading and spelling were a challenge for her (they still are), and she struggled to pay attention in school. Then she found her passion and talent: track and field. It motivated her to do well enough in school to be able to continue competing. And it took her all the way to Rio in 2016, where she won an Olympic gold medal in the shot put. View this inspiring video to learn how she did it!
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/personal-stories/famous-people/video-michelle-carter-wins-olympic-gold-with-dyslexia-and-adhd

Tools & Apps for ADHD, Dyslexia & Other Challenges
https://www.focusandread.com/products

Sources for This Article

Data & Statistics for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/data.html

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and Dyslexia-from International Dyslexia Association (IDA)
https://dyslexiaida.org/attention-deficithyperactivity-disorder-adhd-and-dyslexia/

The Facts About Dyslexia-from PBS.org
http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/articles/dyslexia/the_facts.html

50 Interesting Facts About Dyslexia-from Reading Horizons
https://athome.readinghorizons.com/blog/50-interesting-facts-about-dyslexia

For more information on customizable reading tools for ADHD and/or dyslexia, please visit: FocusandRead.com ---Tools for challenged readers of all ages!

Image courtesy of: Brennan Innovators, LLC and Pixabay

Dyslexia Facts, Resources & Apps for This Back-to-School Season

With the new school year beginning for most students this month, we have paid particular attention to the visitors to our blog and the information they are currently seeking. You may be interested to know that 6 out of 10 searches on our Help for Struggling Readers blog currently involve the topic of dyslexia. During the past week when many schools began the new year, we noted that the top search keywords and phrases were devices to help with dyslexia, dyslexia testing, reading tools for dyslexia and apps for dysgraphia.

This is one reason why we thought it would be a good idea to present a few facts about dyslexia that could help many of the parents and students seeking assistance with dyslexia. We also are providing a few new resources to help as well. We hope that with this information and these ready-to-go resources at your fingertips, you or someone you know will experience a much more SUCCESSFUL back-to-school season!

Happy Reading, everyone!

Dyslexia Facts

1. If young students with dyslexia receive the needed resources and support from K-3 grade, those same students will experience much more reading and academic success in later years.

2. Students with dyslexia who receive this support after grade 3 will have a more significant challenge learning to read.

3. Many children and adults with dyslexia are particularly sensitive to light or contrast on a page, so helpful reading tools may alleviate eyestrain and make reading less cumbersome for some students.

4. Dyslexic students tend to be especially adept at understanding three-dimensional objects, spatial reasoning, and things they can see in pictures.

5. Persons with dyslexia have problems with symbols, so their math challenges often stem from difficulty with the symbolic representation of math concepts.

6. Many dyslexic students also have difficulty thinking with words, so rote memory of math sums (such as multiplication tables) can be particularly difficult.

7. Because students with dyslexia are "big picture" thinkers, they often have trouble with sequential, step-by-step logic or ordering (which is critical when following a series of steps such as learning to do long division, multiplication, etc.)

8. Researchers who have studied identical twins have found that where one twin is dyslexic, the other will have dyslexia about 55 to 70 percent of the time, depending on the type of dyslexia. This research shows that there is a strong genetic influence, but that environment and life experiences also play a role in the development of symptoms.

9. There is a wide range of careers and professions that can enable a dyslexic to be successful. A few examples are:

-Science/research
-Psychology
-Teaching
-Business/management/marketing/sales
-Interior design/garden & landscape design
-Culinary arts
-Woodworking/carpentry
-Art/painting/sculpting/acting/graphic art
-Architecture/design
-Mechanics/engineering
-Photography/music
-Athletics
-Computing/software design/electronics

10. "When we look at the gift (of dyslexia) as well as the disability we promote a wider understanding of dyslexia, more tolerance, and development of better educational and workplace tools for enable dyslexic people to learn and work more effectively." (Source: Abigail Marshall, DDAI---http://www.dyslexia.com/qagift.htm#981026)

Dyslexia Resources

Methods & Therapies to Help with Dyslexia
from Davis Dyslexia Association International
http://www.dyslexia.com/library/dyslexia_methods.htm

Horatio Humble Beats the Big D
by Margot Finke
A book about dyslexia for young readers ages 5-10 years.
Synopsis: When a young student named Horatio has difficulty reading, his parents meet with the teacher to discover why. Horatio hears the words Dyslexia and Special Ed. "No way! Kids will think I'm dumb." However, after working with the teacher, things begin to look much brighter for Horatio. This is an excellent book for children with dyslexia.
http://www.amazon.com/Horatio-Humble-Beats-Big-D/dp/1616331011

Interactive Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles
from Cut the Knot
Hands-on math resources for dyscalculia & other math challenges
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/

Links to FREE Software for Dyslexia
from Davis Dyslexia Association International
The programs on this page are available via the internet, without charge for the initial download.
http://www.dyslexia.com/helpread.htm

Reading Made Simple-Book 1: Sounding Out Words-2nd Edition
Written by Dyslexics for Dyslexics - A Parent/Teacher Guide [Kindle Edition] (Price: $0.99) by Russell Van Brocklen, Aliza Sager, Zack Erickson-Grabowski
This book describes a scientifically-based writing program. It is provided for parents, educators and tutors to learn how to teach dyslexics how to read a basic sentence simply and easily.
http://www.amazon.com/Dyslexia-Solutions-Reading-Made-Simple-ebook/dp/B00KKSLKU6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1402519450&sr=8-2&keywords=russell+van+brocklen

FREE Online Test for Dyslexia
from Davis Dyslexia Association International
This link offers a free on-line questionnaire that will provide a short learning profile and help determine the level and severity of dyslexia symptoms. The test takes about 5 minutes to complete and is confidential. This website does not require submission of any personal identifying information.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that this online assessment is not a substitute for a formal diagnosis. It is intended primarily for educational purposes, to help individuals, parents and teachers better understand their learning profile and to learn more about dyslexia.
http://www.testdyslexia.com/

The Positive Aspects of Having Dyslexia
from Happy Dyslexic
Special characteristics, talents and abilities of dyslexics enable them to be successful in a wide range of careers. Lists of each are provided here.
http://www.happydyslexic.com/node/6

Dyslexia Solutions: Navigating to the Best Solution
from DyslexiaConsultants.com
Learn what you can do to overcome dyslexia and many of the types of learning disabilities children face today.
http://www.dyslexiaconsultants.com/

Dyslegia: A Legislative Information Site
This site is maintained by Davis Dyslexia Association International to report and track pending dyslexia legislation in the United States.
http://www.dyslegia.com/

Dyslexia Apps

APP: Dyslexia |Your News Read Aloud (FREE)
by Volacent---Limited
(For Android)
This app reads aloud any news, magazines and blogs websites of your choice and is perfect for persons with dyslexia. Start listening to CNN, FOX news, USA TODAY and many more. Provides the best clear & natural reading voice experience. Real time news articles are read aloud for you while driving your car, jogging, cooking or even drifting to sleep.
Note: After download you will be asked to upgrade.
http://www.appszoom.com/android_applications/news_and_magazines/dyslexia-your-news-read-aloud_fwndq_download.html

APP: Dyslexia and Dysgraphia (Price: $4.99)
by Katherine Johnson
(For iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad & iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.)
Do you or someone you know have a hard time reading, especially with reversing letters and numbers at an older age? Do you have poor handwriting? Do you have a hard time getting your thoughts down on paper? This app contains exercises that, if done daily for at least 30 days, have helped many people overcome just that!
https://itunes.apple.com/app/dyslexia-and-dysgraphia/id570607504?mt=8

APPS: List of Apps for Dyslexia (Price: FREE & Various prices)
from DyslexiaHelp and the University of Michigan
(For iOS and Android devices)
Frequently updated online list of apps to help with dyslexia challenges
http://dyslexiahelp.umich.edu/tools/apps

Desktop APP: Reading Focus Cards (Patent 8,360,779) (Price: $5.99)
From Brennan Innovators, LLC
This desktop app is the digital version of the physical Reading Focus Cards (Patent 7,565,759), solutions for struggling readers. This app for Windows PCs and Macs provides practical READING SUPPORT for children and adults with dyslexia, ADHD, autism and other conditions that can affect reading success. It promotes more FOCUSED online reading of almost ALL digital media (webpages, PDF files, Word docs, Excel spreadsheets & more.) In addition, the Reading Focus Cards app is compatible with and supports touch-screen technology. The application can be moved on the screen over text by the fingers, mouse or arrow keys as needed.
1. For Macs (desktops & notebooks):
Visit the Mac App Store and search for Reading Focus Cards or go directly to
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/read-and-focus/id920617853?mt=12
2. For Windows PCs (desktops & laptops):
Visit Gumroad at https://gumroad.com/l/ReadingFocusCards OR visit the Microsoft Windows Store and search for the app called Reading Focus Cards. (No URLs are ever provided for apps in the Windows Store.)

For more information on customizable reading tools for dyslexia, please visit:
www.FocusandRead.com Tools for struggling readers of all ages!
www.BrennanInnovators.com Info & support for struggling readers
314-892-3897

Image courtesy of:
Brennan Innovators, LLC at www.focusandread.com