Do You Know What Dyslexia Is?
Dyslexia is a learning disorder involving difficulty in reading due to various problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they correlate to letters and words. Also called reading disability also affects the area of the brain that helps in processing the language.
An unusual balance of the skill typically characterizes dyslexia. Dyslexia is a syndrome: a collection of associated features that may vary in degree from person to person. It is essential to seek help and have a specialist who can evaluate dyslexia because if left untreated, it can have repercussions that reach beyond the classroom or in the workplace. In particular, dyslexia is associated with anxiety, anger, discouragement, and depression. It is possible for people diagnosed with dyslexia to perform well at school and even on the job. But children, depending on the severity of their condition, should enroll in tutoring programs or receive special education.
Causes
Brain imaging studies have shown differences in the brains of those with other disabilities. These differences are found in the part of the brain that involves various reading skills. Dr. Davis states, “Dyslexia is caused by dysfunction within a neural circuit that supports reading.” She says this circuit involves regions in the temporal and frontal lobes in the brain’s left hemisphere. These are the areas responsible for language expression. It is believed that it tends to run in families as it appears to be linked to specific genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language and environmental risk factors.
Dyslexia Risk Factors Include:
- A family history of dyslexia
- low birth weight
- exposure during pregnancy to nicotine drugs, alcohol, or infection may alter the fetus’s brain development.
Sign And Symptoms
Signs and symptoms that a child may be at high risk of dyslexia include:
- late talking
- learning new words slowly
- problem remembering the letters
- difficulty spelling
- inability to spell out the pronunciation
- problem remembering the sequence of things
- difficulty memorizing
- mispronouncing names or words
- avoid activities that involve reading
- difficulty learning nursery rhymes
There is not even a single test that can diagnose dyslexia, such as;
- Educational issue
- Homelife
- Questionnaires
- Testing reading and other academic skills
- Psychological testing
- Neurological test
What Can Be The Treatment Of Dyslexia?
There is no known way to correct the underlying brain abnormality which causes dyslexia. As it is a lifelong problem, early detection and evaluation help identify specific needs and appropriate treatment to improve success. This includes:
Educational Technique
Dyslexia is treated using specific educational approaches and different techniques. Psychological testing will help your child’s teachers develop a suitable teaching program. Teaching involves various methods such as hearing and vision and teaching to improve reading skills. They are allowing a child to use several senses to learn.
Treatment focuses on helping your child ;
- learn to recognize and use the slightest sounds that make up the word.
- understand the letters and strings of letters which represent these sounds and words
- helps in comprehending what they are learning
- build a vocabulary of the recognized word
Parent Role
- address the problem
- encourage reading time
- work with your child’s school
Coping And Support
i) Be supportive –
Trouble learning to read may hamper your child’s self-esteem. Please encourage your child by praising their strengths.
ii) Talk to your child-
Explain to your child what dyslexia is and tell them that it is not a personal failure.
iii) Limit screen time –
Limit education screening time each day and use the additional time for reading practice.
iv) Join a support group-
This group can provide helpful information and emotional support that helps you to stay in contact with parents whose children face similar learning disabilities.
Individual Education Plan
Schools have a legal obligation to take steps to help children who are diagnosed with dyslexia with their learning problems. Talk to your child’s teacher about setting up a meeting to create a structured, written plan that outlines your child’s needs and how the school will help them succeed, termed an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
