Dyslexia is a developmental learning disorder that affects a person’s ability to read and write. Academic skills such as reading, spelling, writing, and mathematics are learned through instruction and learning, as opposed to skills that emerge naturally as the brain grows, such as speaking or walking. Dyslexia disrupts the usual process of gaining certain academic skills; it is not a state of inability to learn due to a lack of educational opportunities or a deficient education system. Dyslexia is a learning disability caused by a lack of language skills. Multiple indications of dyslexia appear in various language skills, particularly reading skills.
Dyslexia is characterized by challenges with word recognition that are accurate and fluent, as well as poor writing skills. A weakness in the sound component of language is frequently the cause of these difficulties. Problems with reading comprehension, a lack of vocabulary, and a lack of reading abilities are all symptoms of this condition. Other language skills, such as writing, spelling, and pronouncing words, are also challenging for children with dyslexia. Individuals with dyslexia are affected throughout their lives, but the impact varies depending on their age. Dyslexia is defined as a learning disability because it makes it difficult for a child to function academically in a traditional classroom setting, necessitating special education or individual support.
Although the specific causes of dyslexia are unknown, medical imaging tests demonstrate that a person with dyslexia has variations in the development and function of their brain. Furthermore, most people with dyslexia have trouble detecting distinct speech sounds within a word or understanding how letters represent these sounds, which leads to reading difficulties.
Dyslexia isn’t caused by a lack of intelligence or a willingness to learn. Children with dyslexia can learn successfully if they are educated in the right way. According to surveys, 6-7 percent of students who continue their education in schools have learning difficulties. In other words, about one in every fifteen children has difficulty in one or more areas of learning. Dyslexic students account for half of all students who are eligible for special education. More people, however, show symptoms of dyslexia, such as delayed or erroneous reading, bad spelling, or mixing up similar words. Dyslexia affects people from all walks of life and is not limited to a certain socioeconomic or educational level.
Dyslexia is a condition that runs in families. Dyslexic parents are more likely to have dyslexic children. In other words, it is possible to answer yes to the question of can dyslexia be inherited. Dyslexia usually shows up when a child is in school, although it may not be recognized until the child’s learning needs exceed his or her capacity. For example, they may acquire literacy at the same time as their peers, but they may struggle to read and comprehend long texts or time-limited reading assignments. Dyslexia may not be recognized until later in life for some people. Adult dyslexia is becoming more well-known these days. After the detailed dyslexia definition, let’s talk about how dyslexia affects children.
What Are the Effects of Dyslexia on Child?
Each child’s dyslexia has a varied impact, which varies depending on the severity of the disorder. The most difficult aspects are word recognition, fluency, spelling, and writing. Some dyslexic children learn to read and write in a timely manner, especially with the appropriate method, but later struggle with more complicated language skills such as grammar, comprehension of textbook content, and writing texts.
There are so many artists that are dyslexic or learning disabled, it’s just phenomenal. There’s also an unbelievably high proportion of artists who are left-handed, and a high correlation between left-handedness and learning disabilities.
Despite being well-cared for at home and receiving a solid grammatical education at school, children with dyslexia may struggle with spoken language, having difficulties expressing themselves effectively or comprehending exactly what others are trying to say.
Because children with dyslexia frequently do not have trouble with basic sentences, such language issues might be difficult to spot, but serious issues can arise at school and in peer relationships. Dyslexia has far-reaching consequences outside of the classroom. Dyslexia can also have a negative impact on a child’s self-esteem. Dyslexic students may believe they are “dumb” and less capable than they are. They may get disheartened and reluctant to attend school after enduring a large deal of stress as a result of academic issues.
What Difficulties Does Dyslexia Cause?
The difficulty in acquiring and using written language is the most common impairment in children with dyslexia. Because young children have problems remembering which sound corresponds to which letter sign and creating mnemonic memories for words, their writing can appear a little sloppy at times. To put it another way, learning to write and read may prove to be more difficult for them than memorizing multiplication tables.
Children with dyslexia face the following challenges:
- Fluent reading and writing
- Learning letters and their sounds
- Reading aloud
- Spelling
- Reading comprehension
- Memorizing numerical rules such as the multiplication table
- Correctly performing math operations
Children with dyslexia may refuse to read entirely after a time because reading and writing are tough and faulty for them. In this instance, it’s critical to keep a positive attitude throughout the reading and writing assignments.
Children with dyslexia may jumble words that sound similar, shift syllables in words, and read or write words backwards. Dyslexia does not affect all children who struggle with these skills. It’s critical to identify dyslexia from normal learning variances and changes in a child’s individual learning speed.
A clinical evaluation, in which the findings of cognitive skills tests evaluating reading, language, and writing skills, as well as behavioral features from the child’s parents and teachers, are all taken into account, is the only way to confirm a suspected diagnosis of dyslexia.
What Are the Symptoms of Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is described as at least one of the following difficulties that is more severe and lasts longer than predicted for the child’s age:
- Reading words slowly, incorrectly, or painstakingly (For example, when reading individual words aloud, they read wrongly, slowly, and hesitantly, frequently guess words because they can’t read properly, and have difficulty speaking words.)
- Difficulty understanding what is being read (For example, they may read the text correctly, but may not understand the sequence, connections, inferences, or underlying meanings.)
- Difficulties with spelling (For example, they may add, omit or change vowels or consonants.)
- Difficulties expressing themselves in writing (For example, looking at a dyslexia sentence they make multiple grammatical or punctuation errors in sentences, paragraph arrangement is poor, and written expression is unclear.)
- Difficulties with number perception, number rules, or calculation (for example, it is difficult to understand the magnitudes and relationships of numbers, and they do single addition and subtraction with their fingers rather than their minds, despite the fact that their peers can do it.)
- Difficulties in mathematical reasoning (For example, they have serious difficulties in applying mathematical concepts or operations to solve numerical problems. Although dyslexia is generally thought to be related to reading and writing, the relationship between dyslexia and math is an important issue to consider.)
If your child has one or more of these dyslexia symptoms, you may suspect dyslexia.
How Is Dyslexia Diagnosed?
The diagnosis of dyslexia usually begins when the parents or teacher notice that the child’s literacy skills are not up to par with his general ability. When this complaint is presented to a child and adolescent mental health clinic, the children are evaluated by a team comprised of a child psychiatrist, psychologist, and, if necessary, a speech and language therapist.
This evaluation should include:
- Complete medical and family history
- Interviews with parents and children
- Behavior rating scales completed by parents and teachers
- Child observation
- Psychological tests to evaluate mental capacity, social and emotional adjustment
The assessment of dyslexia begins with gathering information about the child’s age, family history, early childhood development, including speech and language development, and, if applicable, pre-school education history. In this process, information from parents and teachers that reveals the learning process and behavioral characteristics is extremely valuable. In order to do so, they must complete a series of measurement questionnaires.
Individual clinical evaluation for dyslexia implements a set of standardized tests to provide a reliable and valid diagnosis. The percentages of the child’s peers are indicated in the test reports, but these are only approximations and should never be used as a measure of academic achievement. Tests measuring mental skills are important in demonstrating that the child’s difficulties with literacy are not the result of a general mental problem. These tests are administered by psychologists who are authorized to administer them, and the results are shared with the child’s family and psychiatrist. The results of these tests also assist educators in developing individualized education programs that consider the child’s skills and needs in the educational process.
The child and adolescent psychiatrist considers the results of all evaluations holistically, as well as any clinical problems that may explain the child’s issues. If the clinical evaluation determines that the child has dyslexia, he or she is referred for remedial education services.
How Is Dyslexia Treated?
The question of can dyslexia be cured is one of the questions that families with dyslexic children seek answers for. Dyslexia is a condition that lasts a lifetime. Many children with dyslexia can gain good language skills, reading, and writing skills with the correct assistance. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical in assisting children with dyslexia to achieve success in school and in life.
Dyslexic children require the assistance of a teacher or therapist who has been specifically trained to adopt a multidimensional, multisensory, systematic educational approach. It’s critical that these people are taught in a methodical and straightforward manner that incorporates many senses (hearing, sight, and touch) at the same time.
Most dyslexic youngsters require one-on-one assistance in order to progress at their own rate. Furthermore, students with dyslexia frequently require extensive controlled practice as well as prompt corrective and positive feedback in order to enhance their automatic word recognition skills. It’s critical for dyslexia instructors to share information with the child’s school teachers.
Specific procedures can be established in schools to assist students with dyslexia in succeeding. A student with dyslexia, for example, may be given extra time to finish assignments, as well as assistance with grades and homework. Audiobooks, text-to-speech, and word-processing computer tools can all help students.
Children may also require assistance with emotional concerns that occur as a result of educational challenges. Mental health specialists for children and adolescents can assist children in coping with these issues. We can say yes to the question of can dyslexia be remediated, not in the sense that this disorder disappears, but in terms of the success of dyslexic children in school and in daily life.
Reference and citation:
- What is dyslexia? An exploration of the relationship between teachers’ understandings of dyslexia and their training experiences
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099274/ - Suspect Dyslexia? Act Early
https://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/parents/what-parents-can-do/suspect-dyslexia-act-early/ - Talking with Your Child About Dyslexia
https://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/parents/what-parents-can-do/talking-with-your-child-about-dyslexia/