Dyslexia is a reading problem that causes difficulties with reading while having average intelligence. Although it may not seem like a major deal, things aren’t always easy for someone with this condition—and keep in mind, it’s a condition, not a sickness.
Actually, having dyslexia hasn’t made life all that difficult for me. Simple concepts like an “A” are challenging to grasp, and playing catch can be the most difficult thing you have ever done simply because your brain is unable to comprehend how far away the ball is.
While some parents are encouraging, others find it difficult to comprehend why their child is such a nuisance. Considering that your mother simply requested you to jot down the figures, why do you need to take so long and delay her work?
Before Taare Zameen Par, I doubt many people in our nation were even aware that dyslexia was a thing. It’s not easy for the rest of us; only a lucky handful have parents who will take them to the doctor when their youngster exhibits reading difficulties.
Either a dyslexic child is stupid, or extracurricular activities readily divert them. According to their parents, the reason why kids struggle in school is that they are constantly thinking about video games. Additionally, it’s not always the parents’ fault. Typically, the teacher is the only source of information a parent has regarding their child’s education, especially when the child is young.
What happens in dyslexia?
Most individuals believe that dyslexia makes people perceive words backwards and reverse letters and numerals. Reversals, however, occur as a regular component of growth and are common in children up until the first or second grade.
Having problems identifying phonemes is the main issue with dyslexia (pronounced: FO-neems). These are the fundamental speech sounds (the “b” sound in “bat” is a phoneme, for example). Making the connection between a sound and its letter symbol, as well as fusing sounds into words, is therefore difficult.
Because of this, it is challenging to sound out lengthier words or to recognise short, well-known ones. Dyslexic individuals take a long time to sound out words. Reading comprehension suffers and words are frequently lost in translation because word reading requires more concentration and time.
It is not shocking that those who have dyslexia have difficulty spelling. Additionally, they could struggle to verbally and even written communicate themselves. Since dyslexia is a problem of language processing, it can impact both spoken and written language.
What are the symptoms of dyslexia?
Before your child starts school, it can be challenging to see dyslexia symptoms, but there are certain telltale signs that could point to a problem. When your child is old enough to start school, his or her teacher can be the first to spot a problem. The illness can range in severity, but it frequently manifests itself as a youngster begins to learn to read.
Before going to school
- delayed talking
- very slow in learning new words
- problem informing correct new words or sentences
- difficulty in pronouncing words with reversing sounds or similar sounds
- late understanding of numbers, words, or colors
School going phase
The child may be normal, but the symptoms might suddenly aggravate. These might include the following symptoms;
- reading levels are below average
- delay in understanding new words and sounds
- difficulty in processing too many instructions at a time
- unable to frame specific answers to the questions
- giving prolonged time to completing specific tasks
Teenage and adult life
- Difficulty in reading out loud
- unable to perform maths problems easily
- not able to read and write profoundly
- mispronouncing names and spellings
How to manage dyslexia?
To learn to read, spell, and manage the condition, the majority of students with dyslexia work with a professionally qualified teacher, tutor, or reading specialist. Some people may work with a dyslexia-trained academic therapist, often known as an educational therapist or an academic language therapist.
Children and teenagers who struggle with reading and other language-based skills can receive specialized instruction, extra time for assignments or tests, or assistance with taking notes in public schools. These services are collectively referred to as “specific learning disabilities.” How these laws are applied varies between states. If you require these services, ask your parent, your instructor, or the coordinator for learning disabilities services how to obtain them.
Support on an emotional level is crucial. Dyslexics frequently become discouraged because, despite their best efforts, they are unable to keep up with other classmates. They may feel inferior to their peers in intelligence and try to hide their issues by acting out in class or being the class clown. They can try to have other students complete their assignments for them. They can act as though they don’t care about their grades or that education is pointless.
Understanding that persons with dyslexia aren’t stupid or lazy and that they’re doing their best to learn will benefit them. Whether someone excels in sports, theatre, art, innovative problem solving, or something else, it’s crucial to acknowledge and respect their skills.
Dyslexics shouldn’t feel constrained in their academic or professional options. The majority of colleges provide trained tutors, study aids, computer software, recorded reading assignments, and specific exam accommodations for students with dyslexia.
How can you help your child?
Reading
1] Read out- Start reading books to your child at an early stage , so that the child gets familiar to new words , terminologies.This will help in improving and sharpening their vocabulary skills and listening skills. Also might assist in understanding multiple intructions.
2] share reading- Choose a book that is in the interest of child, ask the child to read out one part of the book and you read another part of it. This inculctes the values of sharing and also increases their confidence.
3] Imagination- Read out only half a chapter to the child, and let them imagine what might happen next in the story. Ask them to develop their own story and narrate it to you.
4] Re-reading- Read out the same story multiple times so that the child starts recalling the whole story over and over again. This helps in developing their memory.
Technology use for dyslexia
Many dyslexic kids prefer using a computer over an exercise book when doing their task. This can be the case because using a computer’s visual environment is more in line with their preferred learning and working styles.
Because word processing programmes contain spellcheckers and autocorrect features that can point out errors in your child’s writing, they can also be helpful.
The majority of word processing programmes and web browsers also contain text-to-speech features that allow the computer to read the text aloud as it appears on the screen.
Another usage for speech recognition software is to convert spoken words into written text. Children with dyslexia may benefit from this software because they frequently excel verbally rather than in writing.There are numerous interactive instructional software programmes as well.
