Dyslexia
Children who are diagnosed as dyslexic have as good intelligence as their peers. A right mentoring coupled with an emotional support to the child can help him perform well. It is never too late to seek help for dyslexia even if one reaches the adulthood. An early diagnosis can help the dyslexics to perform better in the life.
What are the signs and symptoms of dyslexia?
Dyslexia has no peculiar signs and remains undiagnosed until the child reaches the school. Such children pose difficulty in reading and the school teacher is usually the first person who comes up with such complaints.
However, there are few signs which you may observe in your child indicating dyslexia.
- If your child is a late talker.
- If he learns new words slowly.
- If he shows difficulty in word formation, such as reversing sounds in words or confusing words that sound alike
- If he shows difficulty in memorizing the name of the letters, numbers and colors
- Difficulty in reciting and memorizing the rhymes or playing rhyming games
- Once the child is in school age he may show up with following signs and symptoms:
- Child is unable to read what is expected at his level for age
- Child fails to understand and process whatever he hears or listens.
- Difficulty in framing the answers to the questions
- Child fails to remember the chronology of the events.
- Child fails to distinguish between the letters and the words.
- Difficulty in pronouncing the unheard words.
- Child struggles to spell words
- Child is unable to complete the assigned task of reading or writing in a stipulated period of time.
- Child refrains from reading.
Signs and Symptoms at the teenage and adulthood
Dyslexic symptoms are almost similar in teenage and adulthood as of during childhood. Such individuals have:
- Problem in reading especially reading loudly
- Person needs to put an extra effort in writing and reading
- Difficulty in spelling out the letters
- Person refrains from reading
- Incorrectly pronounces the names or words and faces problems in reproducing words
- Person finds difficulty in relating certain idioms and expressions such as “piece of cake” meaning “easy”
- Person fails to summarize a story
- Finds difficult to learn a foreign language
- Unable to remember instances
- Fails to solve questions related to mathematics
What are the causes of dyslexia?
- It is hereditary disorder.
- Brain processing activity is different as from normal individuals
Dyslexic children show up with below mentioned strengths:
- They have an inquisitive mind
- Such individuals have problem solving nature
- They are able to develop and comprehend new ideas
- Such individuals have great analytical thinking.
- They are creative and some have an exceptional skill of 3-D construction.
- Such individuals have an exceptional talent of finding different strategies and posses great thinking capabilities.
When it is critical to visit a specialist dyslexia teacher or an educational psychologist?
Dyslexic children are unable to read the basics of reading by the time they reach kindergarten or Grade. So, Consult your doctor if your child is undergoing these problems.
Methodologies which can help a child suffering from dyslexia
- There should be personalized teaching sessions which should be arranged for the child. Child should be encouraged for one-to-one session and should be encouraged to study in small groups.
- Phonics – It is a newer technique and specialized technique which aims to improve the ability to identify and process the smaller sounds that make up words
- Use of technology such as computers and speech recognition software should be used as it makes easier for the child to read.
Word processors and electronic organizers are also helpful in adults. Dyslexic adults who are at work should be allowed to give extra time by the adults to complete the assigned tasks.