This one-day course will provide an overview of the language basis of reading disability with an emphasis on current evidence and best practices. Participants will explore the cognitive-linguistic foundations of dyslexia and developmental language disorder (DLD), and develop practical competencies for screening, diagnosis, and evidence-based programming across diverse student populations. Drawing on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) principles and interprofessional practice (IPP) frameworks, the course emphasizes identification and intervention approaches aligned with International Dyslexia Association, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and National Association of School Psychologists standards. Participants will examine key topics, including prevalence, comorbidity, considerations for language varieties and multilingualism, comprehensive evaluation frameworks, and contemporary research on effective intervention for students with dyslexia, DLD, and dyslexia + DLD.
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- Understand the language basis of reading disability.
- Explain how dyslexia and developmental language disorder (DLD) manifest across the subword, word, and discourse levels of oral and written language.
- Differentiate between dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD), and co-occurring profiles using evidence-based differential diagnostic frameworks.
- Analyze multiple sources of data to build evidence-based programming for children with dyslexia, DLD, and DLD + dyslexia.