The dyslexia paradox is the discrepancy between when we currently diagnose dyslexia and the time research indicates is the most optimal window for early reading intervention. So currently we are diagnosing kids after repeated failure — so we also call it the “wait to fail paradox” or “wait to fail approach” — which is usually at the end of second grade at the earliest, maybe beginning of third grade.

Whether it’s a word problem in math or a vocabulary assignment, reading is the glue that holds the entire educational process together. Yet it’s estimated that up to 20 percent of students have dyslexia or another language-based learning disability that makes decoding letters on a page challenging.

A research team at Boston Children’s Hospital is preparing to release an app that could help identify students at risk for reading disabilities early, putting them on a pathway to reaching their full reading potential, rather than languishing for years without proper support.

Most public schools in Massachusetts don’t screen students for dyslexia. Instead, they wait for students to show signs of trouble with reading and writing. It forces some parents to choose expensive private schools to help their children.