goodtoknow says: Dyslexia is a learning difficulty where your child may struggle with reading, writing and spelling. Sometimes they can get numbers muddled too. Up to 10 per cent of people in the UK have dyslexia. It has nothing to do with intelligence and we don't really know what causes it, although it's thought that brain patterns differ in dyslexics. It can run in families and be mild or severe. There's no cure but there is a lot of help available to alleviate your child's problems. Start by speaking to your child's teacher.
For a full medical explanation of the causes, symptoms and treatments of dyslexia from patient.co.uk, read on.
Dyslexia means 'difficulty with words.' Some people have very mild dyslexia. For others, it can be a severe problem that makes learning to read, write and spell extremely difficult. There is no cure for dyslexia but it has nothing to do with intelligence and there are lots of ways to help minimise and treat it. The sooner your child is diagnosed the better.
Experts believe that two or three children in an average class could have some form of dyslexia. There are around 375,000 children in the UK with dyslexia and around 2 million people in the UK are severely affected. It's now widely accepted that people are born with dyslexia and it's passed on through families. If one parent is dyslexic, there's a 50 per cent chance that any of their children will inherit it too. It has always been thought that dyslexia affects more boys than girls, but recent research suggests they are equally affected.
- Next: What are the symptoms of dyslexia?
- Is your child dyslexic? Tips on spotting it
- How to deal with teachers
- Help your child to well at school
Dyslexia is often spotted when a child of normal intelligence has continued difficulty with reading, writing, spelling and sometimes simple maths. Common traits include jumbling up letters or words and frequent misreading. Your child may be slow at written work and seem uninterested in letters and words.
Many dyslexics also have problems with short-term memory and concentration. They may be clumsy, and not very good at organizing time. But there's no definitive diagnostics checklist for dyslexia as symptoms vary widely. However, they can all contribute to low self esteem and a chronic lack of confidence. A dyslexic child can very quickly begin to feel they're 'not as good' as their classmates.
This can also lead to behaviour problems at school and at home, which will usually improve once they get the right sort of help. On a positive note, dyslexics are also often very creative, intuitive and innovative thinkers who excel in the arts, design and computing.
The reasons aren't completely clear, but recent brain imaging tests have shown that dyslexics process information in a different way to other people. This brings about varying degrees of difficulty in learning when using words and sometimes symbols. Dyslexia can affect anyone, regardless of IQ and there are several genes that contribute to a genetic risk.
New research also suggests that reading difficulties may be due to some not-yet-understood brain malfunction. The theory is that some areas of the brain, which distinguish the tiniest differences between sounds, don't work very efficiently in people with dyslexia, which is why they run into difficulties.
If you suspect your child may be dyslexic go to see their teacher or Head. Share information and listen to what they have to say. Some symptoms of dyslexia, such as jumbling up words and writing letters back to front, are very common in young children and do not necessarily mean your child is dyslexic. However, if the teacher agrees there is a problem, he or she can ask the school's Special Education Needs Coordinator to assess your child and, if they are dyslexic, work out an individual teaching plan for them.
If you're not happy with the school's response, you can apply to your Local Education Authority for your child to see a psychologist for assessment. But be warned. You may have to wait a considerable amount of time for this to happen. If you don't want to wait, you can pay for an independent assessment by a recognized organization such as Dyslexia Action (see below).
Everything from wearing multi coloured spectacles to balancing on wobble boards while catching bean bags have been suggested as ways to help children with dyslexia - with varying degrees of success.
The wobble board and bean bag approach isn't as odd as it sounds. It's called the DORE programme and is based on the theory that people with dyslexia have something called cerebellar developmental delay (CDD). This means that tiny areas of the brain haven't fully developed sufficiently and need to be stimulated with a specially devised series of exercises. The DORE programme is proving very popular in the UK (see details below) but is only benefical if your child is seven or over.
The most impressive results so far, backed up by the Dyslexia Research Trust, are with Omega-3 fatty acids fish oil supplements. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests these supplements really can boost brain power and improve concentration.
www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk or call 01784 222300
British Dyslexia Association helpline 0118 966 8271 or visit www.bdadyslexia.org.uk
Visit www.dore.co.uk for more information