When Reading Is Hard: Dyslexia, Early Signs, and How to Help Your Child

Host Brooke welcomes Faye Bankler Casell, a certified academic language therapist, dyslexia specialist, and founder of Home Reading Coach, to discuss reading struggles and dyslexia. Faye shares her path from early childhood/special education into dyslexia intervention, influenced by her son’s early delays and later diagnosis of ADHD and dysgraphia, and by seeing the psychological toll on students who feel ashamed when reading is hard. They define dyslexia as a neurodivergence rooted in phonological processing, note common misconceptions (not simply letter reversals), and describe warning signs, assessment options (public school testing, private psychologists), and the importance of early intervention. Faye explains multisensory, explicit, systematic instruction, the need for extensive repetition, variability in school services, and her Reading Breakthrough remote program with parent training and resources.

00:00 Why Reading Feels Risky

00:46 Show Intro and Guest

02:41 Faye’s Path to Dyslexia Work

06:20 Emotional Safety in Learning

09:11 What Dyslexia Really Is

12:16 Common Dyslexia Myths

14:41 Early Warning Signs

18:12 Testing and Getting Help

19:57 Who Can Diagnose Dyslexia

25:17 Multisensory Reading Approach

31:17 Why Early Intervention Matters

33:28 Public Schools Must Test

33:57 Why Schools Miss Dyslexia

36:23 IEPs and Service Quality Gaps

38:38 Reading Breakthrough Overview

43:06 Time Commitment and Routine

46:34 Multisensory Lesson Examples

53:18 Empowering Parents at Home

54:41 Advocacy Must Dos

59:02 Where to Find Resources

01:00:14 Closing Thanks and Wrap

Connect with Finding Hope on the Spectrum:

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Guest Contact:

Faye B. Casell

Certified Academic Language Therapist

Dyslexia Specialist

Website: https://homereadingcoach.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homereadingcoach/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homereadingcoach 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TeachMyChildToRead 

Get the FREE Dyslexia Roadmap for Families E-Book

https://fayebankler.mysamcart.com/free-dyslexia-roadmap-for-families/