Comprehensive Assessment and Treatment of Literacy Disorders in Speech-Language Pathology

This 125 slide presentation describes how speech-language pathologists can effectively assess and treat children with literacy disorders, (reading, spelling, and writing deficits including dyslexia) from preschool through adolescence. 

It explains the impact of language disorders on literacy development, lists formal and informal assessment instruments and procedures, as well as describes the importance of assessing higher order language skills for literacy purposes.

It reviews components of effective reading instruction including phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, vocabulary awareness,  morphological awareness, as well as reading fluency and comprehension.

Finally, it provides recommendations on how components of effective reading instruction can be cohesively integrated into speech-language therapy sessions in order to improve literacy abilities of children with language disorders and learning disabilities.

*Please note that there’s some overlap between this material and several related products on the topic of vocabulary, literacy, reading interventions, bilingual literacy practices as well as creating functional goals and objectives for therapeutic purposes. Please review all product descriptions carefully prior to making a purchase of the desired material.

Learning objectives:

At the end of this presentation learners will be able to:

• Identify formal literacy assessment instruments sensitive to detection of dyslexia and other literacy deficits in children 3.6-18.0 years of age 
• Describe informal literacy assessment procedures to supplement formal testing
• List components of effective literacy instruction for struggling learners
• Explain how to effectively incorporate components of reading instruction into speech-language therapy sessions

Slide Content:

• Hierarchy of Language Development
• Why Should SLPs Address Literacy?
• Definition of Dyslexia
• Select Dyslexia Myths
• Dyslexia and the Brain
• Dyslexia and IQ
• Dyslexia Controversy
• Genetics of Literacy Disorders
• Idiopathic Causation
• Warning Signs of Literacy Deficits in Young Children
• Assessment: Where do we begin?
• Collecting Differential Diagnosis Information
• Background History Collection
• Critical Questions to Ask the Teachers
• Review of Other Assessments and Score Discrepancies
• Select Preschool Language Assessments
• Development of Complex Sentences in Preschool Children
• Narrative Assessment of Preschool Children
• Narrative Ages and Stages: Preschool Children
• What information can narratives yield?
• Preschool Tests of Reading, Spelling, and Writing
• Select School-Age Language Assessments
• School-Age Tests of Reading, Spelling & Writing
• General Literacy Testing
• Specialized Literacy Testing
  • Phonological Awareness Testing
    • Formal
    • Informal
  • Reading Fluency Testing
    • Formal
    • Informal
      • Reading Fluency Rates
  • Reading Comprehension Testing
    • Formal
    • Informal
  • Spelling Assessment
    • Formal
    • Informal
  • Assessment of Writing
    • Formal
    • Informal
• Components of Effective Literacy Intervention
• Supplemental Reading Intervention
• Phonological/Phonemic Awareness
  • Phonological Awareness Tasks
  • Phonological Awareness Session Activities
  • Phonological Awareness Session: Rhyming
  • Phonological Awareness Session: Blending Sounds
• Phonics Instruction
  • Phonics Instruction Basics
  • Mathes et al, 2007: Instructional Design Recommendations
  • Suggested Sequence of Teaching Letter/Sound Correspondence
• Orthographic Knowledge
  • Comparisons Between English & Spanish Orthographies
  • Spelling Patterns of Bilingual Children
  • Teaching Spelling
• Morphological Knowledge
  • Morphological Awareness Studies
  • Morphological Intervention
  • Morphological Intervention with Older Children
• Mental Graphemic Representations
  • MGR-Based Intervention
• Vocabulary Knowledge and Instructional Practices
  • Developing a Vocabulary-Enriched Classroom Environment with Teacher Collaboration
  • Vocabulary Selection Tips
  • Examples of Spring Related Vocabulary
  • Effective Methods of Vocabulary Instruction
  • Creating Effective Intervention Materials
  • Components of Effective Vocabulary Interventions
  • Explicit Vocabulary Instruction
  • Instructional Routine for Vocabulary
• Basic Reading Fluency
  • Decoding for Reading Fluency
  • Reading Fluency Rates
  • Strategies for Improving Fluency
• Reading Comprehension
  • Informal Reading Comprehension Treatment
  • Teaching Specific Reading Comprehension Skills
  • Tips for Teaching Reading Comprehension
  • Free Resources for Teaching Reading Comprehension
  • Free Resources for Teaching Main Ideas
• Goal Functionality
• Maintaining Factors
  • Cognitive
  • Sensorimotor
  • Psychosocial
  • Linguistic
• Complexity vs. Difficulty
  • Linguistic Contexts
  • Nonlinguistic Contexts
• Prompts vs. Cues
  • Types of Cues
  • Types of Prompts
  • Levels of Cues
• Writing Measurable Goals
• Instructional Accommodations
• Effective Goal Related Modifications
  • Physical Space
  • Session Structure
  • Child Behavior
  • Session Materials
• Conclusion
• Helpful Smart Speech Therapy Resources