Dyslexia

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is the presence of a significant discrepancy between intellectual ability and reading and/or writing performance.  It is characterised by:

	Lack of enjoyment as far as reading is concerned
	Poor concentration span for reading and writing
	Difficulty pronouncing new words
	Difficulty discriminating differences in letter sound (eg. pin and pen).
	Tendency to be adept at answering questions orally, but have difficulties writing down the same answer
	Reversing words and letters, and seeing some letters upside down
	Seeing some words backwards, for example, reading bird as drib
	Poor reading comprehension
	Difficulty with the application of material read
	Inability to differentiate between letters that have similar shapes such as o, e and c.
	Difficulty differentiating between letters which are similar in shape, but have a different orientation such as b and d and p and q.
	Physical symptoms of headaches and nausea each time the child tries to read
	Difficulties connecting the letters to the sounds they make
	Tendency to forget what has been read or inability to recognise words no matter how many times the child has come across it before
	Phonetic and inconsistent spelling
	Tendency to confuse left and right
	Poor handwriting and poor short term memory
	Tendency to daydream a lot
	Above average talents in areas such as art, drama, music, designing and sports.

It should be noted that when a dyslexic person sees letters or words reversed, backwards, mixed up, etc., there is usually nothing wrong with their eyes. The problem is in the way their mind interprets what their eyes see. Incoming or outgoing information gets scrambled as it travels from the senses to the brain and vice versa. It is similar to an optical illusion, except this mismatch between what illusion and reality happens with ordinary print on a page.

What are the different types of dyslexia?

There are two terms sometimes used to describe typical symptoms of dyslexia - 'dysphonetic' and 'dyseidetic'. Someone who is dysphonetic finds it hard to connect sounds to symbols. They would make spelling mistakes regularly and have many difficulties in sounding out words. It is also sometimes referred to as auditory dyslexia since it is related to the way in which the child processes sound.

Someone who is dyseidetic has difficulties with word recognition and spelling. It is also referred to as surface dyslexia or visual dyslexia since it is related to the way in which the child processes visual information.

What causes dyslexia?

An auditory language deficit, which prevents an individual from linking the spoken form of a word with its written equivalent, is the primary contributing factor according to Mattis (1978). It is also thought that neurological anomalies in the brain cause difficulties in learning involving the use of words.

How does dyslexia affect a child?

Children with dyslexia tend to be prone to allergies and ear infections. They also tend to be extra deep sleepers or extra light sleepers, have either an extremely high or low tolerance for pain, and are usually instilled with a strong sense of justice. Dyslexic children are also sensitive, emotional and strive for perfection. Since the right hemisphere of their brain is more active than the left, children are talented in fields such as art, music, drama, sports, carpentry, mechanics and electronics. They are also imaginative, creative, and skilful and are keenly sensitive to others.

The International Dyslexia Association website has a great analogy to describe what it's like to have dyslexia:

"Think of two children off to play tennis. The first has a bag to carry the balls. The second has too many balls and nothing to carry them in. The first child quickly arrives at the courts. The second child drops some of the balls but gets there in the end. So it is for the dyslexic. Pieces of information get lost along the way and it takes time to get information across."

If undiagnosed, the symptoms of dyslexia are also often misunderstood by teachers and parents. They might feel the child is not listening, when really he's just having trouble remembering the instructions… or that he's lazy since he can't write the answer down, but can answer it orally. This is why it is vital to keep reinforcing to the child that you are proud of the effort they are putting in, and not of just the results. If children with dyslexia are taught in a manner which works for them, their "disability" can be transformed to a gift.

Following are two of the winning entries in the Dyslexia Institute's "As I See It" competition (www.dyslexia-inst.org.uk), which encouraged children to express how they perceived dyslexia:

"One in twenty five", by Lawrence aged 11 years. Winner in a DI "As I See It" competition

"Beneath The Surface" by Alexander aged 9 years. Winner in a DI "As I See It" competition 

What can be done to help children with dyslexia?

As a parent or teacher, the first thing you must do is learn as much about dyslexia as you can. This could include talking to a specialist, or other parents who have children who are dyslexic. Other techniques you can try include:

	Multisensory techniques
	Encouraging looking, saying, feeling and doing, for example, instead of just having the child hear a new sound orally, make sure it is listened to, spoken, looked at, and written down carefully as well.
	Considering specialised teaching for an hour or so per week to enable children to cope in a normal classroom environment
	Encouraging the use of a dictaphone to reduce the amount of time the child has to spend reading and writing
	Building up self-esteem in your child, making sure they understand that your love for them is not dependent on how well they do at school
	Reassuring the child that these difficulties are not their fault
	Taking the time to find out their strengths and encouraging them
	Praising children for effort, not just results
	Supporting them with homework (this does not mean doing it for your child!), and helping him/her to be organised
	Encouraging interests in hobbies, clubs and other extra-curricular activities.

On another note, some famous people who have had dyslexia include Hans Christian Andersen, Alexander Graham Bell, Winston Churchill, Leonardo da Vinci, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Whoopi Goldberg, Gen. George Patton and William Butler Yeats. What is even more exciting however, is the fact that the next dyslexic to change the world could be sitting next to you at the dinner table, or in your classroom! So start channelling that potential now!