Dyslexia Exposed: Why So Many Kids Slip Through the Cracks | Science of Reading | SOR Blog Post 4

By: Mikaela Ostrander

Let’s start with a hard truth:Dyslexia is not rare. It’s just rarely identified.

Roughly 1 in 5 children have dyslexia. That’s 20% of students in every classroom — and yet, most go undiagnosed, unsupported, and misunderstood.

Why? Because our systems weren’t built to recognize or serve them.

The Real Cost of Dyslexia

When dyslexia goes undiagnosed — or is misdiagnosed entirely — kids face far more than reading struggles. The consequences echo across every area of their lives:

• Academic failure

• Anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem

• Behavioral challenges and disciplinary action

• Increased risk of dropping out

• Higher likelihood of incarceration(Remember: over 70% of incarcerated individuals in the U.S. read below a 4th-grade level.)

This isn’t a small issue — it’s an equity issue. A mental health issue. A social justice issue.And it’s costing our children their confidence, futures, and freedom.

Why Is Dyslexia So Often Missed?

Despite how common it is, dyslexia continues to fly under the radar. Here’s why:

• Lack of Awareness: Many teachers and even pediatricians are not trained to recognize signs of dyslexia — especially in its early stages.

• Delayed Identification: Schools often adopt a "wait to fail" model. Kids have to fall far behind before anyone steps in.

• Misinterpreted as Behavior: Struggling readers may act out, withdraw, or appear distracted — and it’s treated as a behavior problem, not a learning difference.

• Masking: Bright kids with strong verbal skills may compensate for their reading struggles, flying under the radar until later grades.

• Cultural and Language Barriers: English Language Learners and children of color are disproportionately overlooked when it comes to dyslexia identification and support.

• Cost of Private Evaluations: Getting a proper dyslexia diagnosis often requires costly private testing — sometimes upwards of $2,000 — which places it far out of reach for many families.

So Who Is Supposed to Help?

Technically, schools are required to support all learners under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). But here's the reality:

• Most teachers are not trained in dyslexia.

• Most reading programs are not aligned with the Science of Reading.

• Speech-language pathologists and special education teachers are overburdened and often only brought in after years of struggle.

In other words: the people meant to support these children aren’t equipped to do so.

The Science of Reading: A Game-Changer

Here’s where the hope comes in.

When schools shift to instruction rooted in the Science of Reading, something incredible happens:

Children with dyslexia begin getting what they need — even without a formal diagnosis.

That’s because the Science of Reading promotes structured literacy: explicit, systematic instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. This approach is exactly what dyslexic learners need — and what struggling readers of all types benefit from.

With Science of Reading practices in place:

• Fewer kids slip through the cracks

• Reading intervention becomes proactive, not reactive

• Tier 3 support becomes more effective

• The burden doesn’t fall solely on specialists

• Teachers feel confident, not helpless

We Need to Train the Whole System

Let me be clear: supporting students with dyslexia shouldn't just fall to speech-language pathologists or special ed teachers. Every teacher — every single one — should be equipped with the knowledge and tools to support readers from day one.

That means:

• Embedding the Science of Reading into teacher prep programs

• Providing ongoing professional development that’s evidence-based

• Giving teachers access to Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions they can use right away (which, by the way — you can find at MindChild.net — we’ve got ready-to-use lessons, videos, and training for that!)

Final Thought: Don’t Wait for a Diagnosis

If you're a teacher, don't wait for paperwork or a formal label before you act.If you're a parent, don't wait until your child “falls far enough behind.”

You don’t need a diagnosis to provide effective, life-changing reading instruction. You just need the right tools, the right mindset, and the willingness to say:

“We can do better — and we will.”

Let’s make sure no child is left behind because of a system that didn’t see them.

Let’s build classrooms where structured literacy is the norm, not the exception.

Let’s change the story for kids with dyslexia — starting now.