Dyslexia is a learning disorder characterised by the inability of children to read and comprehend spellings; it is a common condition that affects growing children. The disorder often comes across as an intellectual disability, with a lot of social stigmas associated with it too. However, the condition is not a disability – it is merely the result of a lack of coordination between the hemispheres in the brain.
In many cases, dyslexic children have been thought to have a loss of vision or hearing or even considered to be impaired in terms of intelligence. These are nothing but myths, dyslexia does not signify any sort of impairments in the child. Let’s find out what dyslexia is, and how it can affect the life of a child.
In simple words, dyslexia is a learning disorder that can affect the reading, spelling and even speaking skills of a child. In most cases, the child seems smart and hardworking, but might not be able to spell simple words. However, dyslexia should not be confused with a learning disability. It is classified as a ‘special learning difficulty’, and occurs as a result of the right and left hemispheres of the brain not working well together. It is estimated that around ten percent of children have dyslexia, and the condition can be a lifelong one, too. Even though the disorder can be defined in a lot of ways, the most prominent symptom is that the child is unable to read and write well and spell basic words.
Even though extensive research has been carried out, the exact cause of dyslexia has not been found out. However, some of the possible causes are:
There are many dyslexic child symptoms, a few of which have been given below in an age-wise manner.
Preschool: The child has difficulty understanding whether two words rhyme, and also struggles with learning new words. He also has difficulties in matching particular sounds to their letters.
Grade School: The child may have trouble taking away or adding a sound from a word. Simple word problems in math are also difficult, and the child cannot remember spellings of words properly.
Middle School: Spellings of words are frequently wrong, and the child has trouble reading passages or sentences. The reading level of the child is far lower than the level in which he speaks.
High School: Similar to middle school, the child exhibits a much lower reading level compared to his peers. He might also prefer to answer multiple-choice questions compared to fill-in-the-blanks or sentences.
Dyslexia does not just affect the reading skills of the child, it can have an impact on many other fronts as well. Some of these issues which can occur alongside dyslexia in the child are given here.
The only sure way to check if your child has dyslexia is to make him undergo a full, comprehensive evaluation. You have to remember to check for any other medical problems associated with vision and hearing which may be causing these symptoms. The diagnosis can be carried out by school psychologists, clinical psychologists, or paediatric neuropsychologists. The process is done using tests, and any other issues affecting the child might also be evaluated. Parents may be required to fill in details of any family history in dyslexia if required.
Children affected with dyslexia not only have a hard time performing in academics but also have difficulties in other walks of life. Inability to speak quickly and do basic math can hinder social interactions, which leads to frustration in the child. The child may also feel overwhelmed with the world at large, considering the number of letters one has to comprehend in order to get through the day.
After the dyslexia test for children has confirmed that your child is affected by the condition, the next step is about how it can be treated or managed. The only way to help children with this condition is to teach them individually, by using three-dimensional modelling using clay to help the child learn letters and words. Education specialists and speech therapists can help too.
The question as to how to teach a dyslexic child to read has been puzzling parents for a time, and some methods and tips are given below.
There are many things that you can do as a parent to help your child with dyslexia:
Dyslexia is a disorder that cannot be prevented or cured. It affects the day-to-day life of a child in a huge manner. However, parents can help their dyslexic children grow normally, and be a part of society with a little extra support and help.