In this podcourse episode, we are joined by Tasha Wisehart to talk about dyslexia in an SLP-led podcourse covering definitions, common characteristics, evidence-based supports, and the Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach and associate-level certification.

Tasha, an SLP with 20+ years’ experience and OG associate certification, works at the Schenck School in Atlanta, a remediation day school where students attend for 2–3 years for intensive OG-based instruction.

She describes dyslexia as a neurobiological, language-based learning disability marked by weak word recognition, spelling, and phonological skills despite average cognitive abilities, and notes possible comorbidities including DLD, ADHD, articulation, and phonological disorders.

From an SLP lens, students may show phonological awareness and rapid naming weaknesses, word-finding delays, vocabulary and comprehension gaps, and morphology/syntax impacts. Supports discussed include Scarborough’s Reading Rope, vocabulary and narrative work, orthographic mapping with speech-sound awareness, phonemic manipulation, and classroom carryover; resources include IDA’s updated dyslexia definition, Literacy How, Reading Rockets, FCRR, and AOGPE.