Learn about Dyslexia

Please take time to read the following

“Bottob line it thit it doet exitt, no bitter whit nibe toetle give it.”

How was it reading that? I’m sure it was slow and frustrating. Well those with dyslexia experience such slow pace when they read.

Now see if the next sentence is as easy to read…

“Bottom line is that it does exist, no matter what name people give it”

Dyslexia is a phonological processing /learning disorder which disturbs children’s ability to read, write or spell. They see things as everyone else and have same intelligence, but they spend more time  decoding and translating words and this time spent makes it hard to keep up with peers and gain sufficient comprehension.

Dyslexia occurs 1 in 5 children ranging from mild to profound cases. Ironically sufferers of this condition are very creative and inventive Individuals, examples include PICASSO, MOHAMMED ALI, ALBERT EINSTEIN, STEVEN STEINBERG, LEONARD DA VINCI etc.

So let’s delve deeper;

Here’s the special way their brain works;

The brain is divided into two hemispheres,

– The Left hemisphere is for; Analytical thoughts like LANGUAGE, READING , MATH AND LOGIC

– The Right hemisphere is for; Holistic thoughts like INTUITION, CREATIVITY, MUSIC AND ART

The brains of children with Dyslexia rely more on the Right hemisphere and frontal lobe, which means when they read a word it takes a longer trip in their brain and can get delayed in the frontal lobe making them read with difficulty.

How it comes across;

-Delayed speech development

-Difficulty in copying notes from board

-Difficulty in pronouncing words

-Struggles to learn rules to a game

-Gets easily frustrated and tired of reading

-Lack fluency compared to children their age

How to help;

–Multisensory Teaching … Think, See, Say and Do. Involve them in hands on activities so they enjoy practicing what they are learning and get to use the Left hemisphere of the brain regularly.

–Bringing out sounds in spoken words (read out loud to stimulate the auditory part of the brain)

–Dividing words into syllables i.e FANTASTIC >> FAN. TAS. TIC

–Listening to audio books or record lectures

–Using ruler to help kids read in straight line so they can focus

–Quiet space for assimilation

–Acknowledge his effort and celebrate hard work, even if there are still mistakes: “I know how difficult that reading homework was. I am so proud of how hard you tried.”

– Help him recognize his strengths: “You showed such great sportsmanship and teamwork in the soccer game the other night, and that was a great goal you scored!”

– encourage those activities that she likes and feels good at, whether it is music, joining a sports team or anything else that helps build her confidence.

Children who have dyslexia are at increased risk of having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and vice versa. ADHD can cause difficulty sustaining attention as well as hyperactivity and impulsive behavior, which can make dyslexia harder to treat.

Though there’s no cure for dyslexia, early assessment and intervention result in the best outcome. Sometimes dyslexia goes undiagnosed for years and isn’t recognized until adulthood, but it’s never too late to seek help. Emotional support also plays an important role in the management.

And of course showing lots of love to these children I will help them navigate the torrid difficulty of learning.