Reading Therapy

Asheville Speech Associates is excited to offer a new service to the Asheville community.

We are now able to identify and treat children who are experiencing difficulty with the process of learning to read. The ability to read is critical to a child’s academic success, social well being, and future occupational opportunities.  It is estimated that 5-8 percentof elementary children in the United States exhibit impaired reading skills.  We believe that early identification is key in helping the child who is struggling to read. 

Early signs of reading disorders:

1.  Difficulty recognizing letters, matching letters to sounds, and blending sounds into speech
2.  Trouble learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, or similar word sequences
3.  Slow to learn and use new vocabulary words correctly
4.  Difficulty with rhyming tasks
5.  Confusion when pronouncing words (e.g., “mawn lower” instead of “lawn mower)

Later signs of reading disorders:

1.  Slow word recognition
2.  Poor spelling
3.  Very slow oral reading
4.  Significant number of mistakes during oral reading
5.  Difficulty comprehending written passages

A simple screening test can be administered to children in kindergarten through the third grade age group to help identify those who are experiencing difficulty with pre-reading and early reading skills.  A more formal series of tests can be used to evaluate older children.  Once a child has been diagnosed with a reading disorder, specialized therapy is normally recommended.  Utilizing a child’s strengths, while minimizing their weaknesses, the appropriate intervention can help a child break the reading code, reducing much of the frustration and anxiety of learning to read. 

Please let us know if you are interested in these services.