🔠 Dyslexia Awareness Month & How Speech and Occupational Therapy Can Help
- Innovative Therapy Center
- Oct 3
- 2 min read
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, a time to build understanding, reduce stigma, and support the children and families navigating language-based learning differences. Dyslexia affects up to 1 in 5 individuals and impacts how the brain processes reading, spelling, and language—but with the right support, children can thrive.
Early intervention creates better long-term outcomes, and at Innovative Therapy Center, both Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Occupational Therapists (OTs) play essential roles in supporting children with literacy and writing challenges.
✅ Signs Your Child May Be Struggling with Dyslexia
Difficulty learning letters or matching sounds to symbols
Trouble rhyming or recognizing word patterns
Slow, effortful, or avoidant reading
Challenges sounding out new words
Ongoing spelling or writing errors
Reversing or omitting letters in words
Mixing up sounds in longer words (e.g., “aminal” for “animal”)
If these concerns are familiar, it may be time to consider an evaluation.
🧠 How Speech-Language Pathologists Support Dyslexia
Because dyslexia is rooted in phonological processing, SLPs are uniquely trained to strengthen the language skills that support reading success. At Innovative Therapy Center, our speech therapists help children:
🔤 1. Build Phonological Awareness
Rhyming
Blending sounds
Segmenting words
Identifying beginning, middle, and ending sounds
📚 2. Strengthen Phonics and Decoding
SLPs teach children how to connect sounds to letters and “attack” new words with confidence.
🧩 3. Improve Language Processing
Therapy targets vocabulary, comprehension, memory, and verbal organization.
✍️ 4. Support Spelling
Kids learn sound-letter patterns and word structure skills that carry into writing.
🤝 5. Collaborate with Families & Schools
SLPs work alongside parents, teachers, and reading specialists to create consistency across environments.
✏️ What About Dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is a writing disorder that impacts a child's ability to write clearly, efficiently, and comfortably. It can occur with dyslexia or exist on its own. Even if a child reads well, writing can still be a major challenge.
Signs of Dysgraphia May Include:
Poor or inconsistent pencil grip
Illegible or uneven handwriting
Letter reversals or spacing issues
Fatigue or frustration during writing
Difficulty copying from a board or book
Trouble organizing thoughts into written form
🖍️ How Occupational Therapists Help with Dysgraphia
OTs at Innovative Therapy Center address the motor, sensory, and visual skills needed for writing success.
Therapy may include:
✅ Fine motor strengthening
✅ Handwriting development (letter formation, spacing, sizing)
✅ Pencil grasp and hand positioning
✅ Visual-motor integration
✅ Posture and core support
✅ Assistive technology or adaptive tools
✅ Strategies for written organization
Whether dysgraphia occurs with dyslexia or independently, OT can build confidence and make writing less stressful.
🌟 How Innovative Therapy Center Supports Your Child
At Innovative Therapy Center, we offer:✔ Speech-language evaluations for reading and language concerns✔ Occupational therapy evaluations for handwriting and writing challenges✔ Individualized treatment plans tailored to each child✔ Collaboration with families, teachers, and intervention teams✔ Evidence-based, playful, and progress-focused therapy
💬 You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
Dyslexia and dysgraphia do not define a child—they simply change the way they learn. With the right support, children can grow into confident readers, writers, and communicators.
📞 Contact Innovative Therapy Center to schedule an evaluation or learn more about Speech and Occupational Therapy services, 330-595-9059.
Let’s use Dyslexia Awareness Month to empower families through knowledge, early support, and hope.
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