Don’t Judge a Dyslexic Child – Know These 5 FAQs By Heart Instead

Dyslexia’s really hard to spot, and if you think you know someone who’s got it, you need to read these FAQs.

Remember the parts of the movie Taare Zameen Par when the protagonist’s parents couldn’t recognise his dyslexia and you hated them?

Sure, the initial indifference is anger-inducing, but don’t blame them for not knowing.

Dyslexia’s not easy to spot.

Psychologists, special educators and cognitive scientists have been researching for decades trying to find various ways by which dyslexia can be understood and overcome. Due to the complexity of the learning disorder, parents and teachers still have a hard time identifying and helping dyslexic kids.

Here are a few FAQ’s that can help caregivers.

What is Dyslexia?

It is a brain based condition which makes it difficult for the individual to read and spell correctly. This difficulty occurs because the dyslexic brain has trouble processing certain kinds of information.

For instance, because of the similarity between ‘b’ and ‘d’, the brain may not always be able to differentiate between them and hence use them synonymously.

This is why dyslexics are often slow readers and cannot always read in a way that seems natural and without effort since they have trouble decoding and comprehending.

Contrary to popular belief, dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence.

What are Some Identifiable Symptoms?

Bad spelling and difficulty in reading are tell-tale signs of dyslexia. They will often confuse matching letter and sounds – both while reading and while spelling them out.

You will notice that when a dyslexic is trying to read, they are first likely to say each word in their mind and then read it out. Sometimes dyslexics will have a short attention span also, which may be confused by teachers as propensity to daydream.

Caregivers and teachers will notice that their best learning occurs through gesticulation and observation. Sometimes the dyslexic person will seem to have difficulty with vision while reading – yet eye-exams may not reveal anything. They will be poor with phonetics, think primarily in images (not in words) and can also have halting speech as they have difficulty putting thoughts into words.

An extensive list of symptoms and signs can be found here. However, remember two things: It’s always best to seek professional advice, and – no two dyslexics will have the exact same symptoms.

Is Dyslexia Genetic?

Yes, it could be. Since dyslexia is a biologically based disorder, the chances of it running in families is high. If either parent or an older sibling has had dyslexia, you can always get early professional help in order to help the child better and faster.

What Can I do to Help?

There are lots of ways dyslexics can be helped in the classroom as well as at home. But the first and foremost thing to be done is to intervene at a stage which is not advanced. The earlier the diagnosis is done and help is brought in, the better it is for the child’s esteem and performance.

Teachers and parents should allot time with the child wherein they can teach the child to write from an early stage.

Practising handwriting is a must as research proves that manuscript lessons help activate and coordinate the reading circuit. The earlier the child is taught how to write and read the alphabet, the more proficient they can become.

Repetition is key with dyslexics, and caregivers should be patient with it.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that, it could be a slow process; don’t expect perfection from the start and try not to give up.

Is Dyslexia the Only Learning Disorder?

No it is not. Since dyslexia is the most common type of learning disorder it is often confused with other disorders as well. A few other kinds are:

Dyscalculia: It is like dyslexia but has to do with numbers. Children may have problems with reading numbers, understanding mathematical symbols and concepts – and even writing or copying numbers and sums.

Dysgraphia: This makes it hard for children to write. It differs from dyslexia since in dysgraphia children have more trouble with the process and mechanics of writing than with the combination of reading and spelling.

(Prachi Jain is a psychologist, trainer, optimist, reader and lover of Red Velvets.)