7.1 Introduction
First of all, we need to know what dyslexia is. Dyslexia is a neurological condition, making it difficult for anyone, be they child or adult, to learn or read easily. And why is this? It usually happens to a person, when the brain is not able to process graphic symbols. It is not a visual problem; it is a linguistic problem. Do not believe that anyone who is dyslexic has a shortage of intelligence - some people who have really severe dyslexia can be extremely brilliant. Take Einstein, for instance. Dyslexia varies from one person to another. The only similar characteristic of dyslexia is that people read below the standard of what would be typical for a person of their age.
Quick facts regarding Dyslexia:
Those with dyslexia can find it difficult to learn to read or write.
Dyslexia is more common in boys than in girls.
There is no cure for dyslexia.
If support and guidance is provided, the impact of dyslexia can be reduced.
Those with dyslexia are more likely to develop immunological problems.
Immunology is everything to do with the immune system - its structure and function and various disorders.
Fact
Those with dyslexia battle with even understanding what they are reading. For example, in the UK, it is estimated that around one out of every ten people have some aspects of dyslexia.
Source: British Dyslexia Association
7.2 How is Dyslexia Diagnosed?
When a parent or teacher starts to believe that a child may have dyslexia, they should consider having the child assessed by a professional. This is because early diagnosis can lead to more effective intervention. Once the test results are received, a child may benefit in terms of receiving better support. They often become a candidate for specific education services and support programmes. When they are older, they may benefit from special services at a college or university. Early diagnosis is needed, accompanied by support, in order to see improvements in the long term.
A parent will need to speak to the SENCO (Special Needs Co-ordinator) at the child's school. The SENCO can carry out the assessment, or they may refer you to the LEA (Local Education Authority) for an assessment by an educational psychologist. Another option is to have the child privately assessed. You can contact your LDA (Local DyslexiaAssociation), to be referred to an educational psychologist. Alternatively, you can contact Dyslexia Action - they have their own assessors. If the child is being tested privately, the parents will have to pay themselves. These assessments can take a few hours. Both skills and weaknesses in reading, maths, problem-solving, writing and visual skills are assessed.
The testing process will include the following:
-Intelligence.
-Background information on the child or adult.
-Their spoken language skill.
-Word recognition.
-Decoding - the ability to read new words, by making use of letter-sound knowledge.
-Phonological processing.
-Fluency and automaticity skills.
-Reading comprehension.
-Vocabulary knowledge.
-Early development and family knowledge.
Once the assessment process is underway, the tester or examiner will rule out conditions or problems that may have similar symptoms as dyslexia. Do you need a Professional, in Order to Diagnose Dyslexia?
In most cases, testing for dyslexia is carried out by an educational psychologist.Other medical professionals and neurologists can also provide a diagnosis. The formal assessment is necessary, to enable students to benefit from special services from a school or university. This is also helpful because it is useful in protecting them against discrimination. Counselling helps minimise the negative impact that dyslexia can have on self-esteem. Both children and adults will benefit from ongoing evaluations, so that they can continue to develop positive coping strategies. These evaluations will also reveal the areas whereby more support is required.
7.3 What are the Symptoms of Dyslexia?
The typical symptoms of dyslexia can reveal themselves in a person at any age. Generally, it presents itself in childhood.
The following can be symptoms of dyslexia in a child:
They have difficulty learning to read, even with parental support and teaching support
They reach milestones such as crawling, walking, talking and riding a bicycle later than their peers
Their speech development comes later than that of their peers
They often take longer to start talking, and they may not be able to properly pronounce words
They can find rhyming words difficult and not be able to distinguish between different sounding words
They struggle to learn information - it is at a slower than average rate
They may take longer learning the alphabet and how to pronounce letters
They may not be able to name the days of the week or the months of the year
They may not recognise colours
They may struggle with arithmetic
They may struggle with co-ordination
They may come across as clumsier than their peers. For instance, they may not catch a ball as
easily and may have poor hand-eye co-ordination
They often cannot distinguish between left and right
They are prone to reverse their letters or numbers
They may learn how to spell something one day, but, the next day, they may have already forgotten how to spell it
They sometimes struggle with words that have more than two syllables, which means that they often do not pronounce the full word, only part of it
They struggle to concentrate and, after concentrating, they are mentally exhausted - this can be due to them also having ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
When expressing themselves, they sometimes come across as unconnected or illogical
7.4 The Big Question that Parents Ask: what Causes Dyslexia?
Neither doctors nor researchers are exactly sure as to why someone would have dyslexia, but there is some evidence to suggest that it is possibly genetic, as it has been found to run in some families. The two main factors are genetic causes and acquired dyslexia.
Genetic causes:At the School of Medicine, they found that gene defects, which are known as DCDC2, were linked to problems with reading.
Acquired dyslexia:This is encountered by a small amount of people who acquire dyslexia, as a result of a stroke or a major injury or trauma to the brain. Dyslexia does not just affect particular people - it affects people from all walks of life and from different ethnic backgrounds. However, native language can play an important role in the tendency for dyslexia, as outlined below:
Whether a language has a definite connection between how a word is written and how it sounds
Whether a language has consistent grammatical rules, for example, Spanish and Italian are easier for people who suffering from mild to moderate dyslexia
Whether a language has no clear connections between its sound and its written form, for example, in English, the words 'dough' and 'cough' become more challenging for a person with dyslexia
Is Dyslexia the Same in Children as it is in Adults?
Symptoms of dyslexia do change with age. Below is a table showing how dyslexia presents itself throughout the different stages of life:
Development Stage
Symptoms of Dyslexia
Speech development and vocabulary learning delayed;
Pre-school
Difficulties in forming words or mixing up similar sounding words;
Difficulty remembering such aspects as colours, numbers and the alphabet. Low reading level, compared to peers;
Cannot process information well;
School age
Difficulty with sequences of information or objects;
Cannot sound out a word that is unfamiliar;
Takes a long time to read and write;
Avoids reading activities. Has difficulty reading aloud;
Slow reading and writing, and it takes a lot of effort;
Spelling problems;
Teenage to adult years
Avoids reading tasks;
Cannot properly pronounce words or recall them;
Cannot understand the meaning of idioms or jokes;
Difficult learning foreign languages, memorising or completing mathematical problems;
Cannot summarise a story. A lot of problems and symptoms of dyslexia identified in a child's early years may not exist in adulthood; therefore they would not be able to be measured.
The same applies to an adult with dyslexia. Even if they learned to read well, they will still have dyslexia - it is just that they have acquired skills that were once difficult for him. If a person performs well in a test in reading, testers may assume that they are not dyslexic. However, this is not the case - it just reflects the limitations of the testing. A person's overall style of learning and thinking probably has not changed.
Are there Different Types of Dyslexia?
There are different types of dyslexia, but they cannot really be officially named. This is because of their ability to be classified in different ways. However, there are categories that sometimes get used.
These are as follows:
Phonological dyslexia
Surface dyslexia
Rapid naming deficit
Double deficit
Visual dyslexia
Dyslexic people should not worry about which type of dyslexia they have, as it does not matter. What does matter is to know what a dyslexic person's strengths and weaknesses are. Once you know what their strengths and weaknesses are, it is a case of building on those strengths and supporting their weaknesses, through good support and intervention.
After your child has had an assessment for dyslexia, the parents will receive reports outlining the child's strengths and weaknesses. There will be recommendations regarding what can be done, in order to improve the areas with which they are struggling. Once you know that your child has dyslexia, there are treatments and therapies that you can start your child on. You can talk to the child's doctor regarding what treatments and options are available. These could include things like working alongside a specialist, such as a speech and a language specialist.
Parents should feel free to ask questions regarding any other therapy options or specialists that could help. Find out about support and services available for your child at their school .Parents can schedule a meeting at a child's school and bring the necessary copies of reports from doctors and specialists. You may find that the school has done their own evaluations; even so, outside evaluations and recommendations may provide further help. You can discuss support and services.
For example
Assistive technology, such as text-to-speech software. It is important to talk to your child about their dyslexia and the facts surrounding dyslexia.Think about what you will and will not say, when you introduce the concept of dyslexia to your child. A parent needs to help their child to understand how dyslexia might affect them in certain areas of their life, and that includes their social life. Teaching a child to speak out about their dyslexia .When it is clear that assistance is needed, parents can teach their child ways in which they can ask for it.
Starting right from the early years and taking it through into later years, this will be a learning skill that will offer benefits throughout their life. Realise there could be an emotional impact on the child .Children with attention and learning issues have a higher risk for mental health problems. You can read about the connection between dyslexia and anxiety and depression. You can learn to identify the signs of anxiety and depression. If you have any concerns, speak to your child's doctor. Helping your child with dyslexia at home Look for fun ways in which to help your child with their reading and writing at home.
There are certain strategies that parents can try at home, in order to help their child with their dyslexia. You can tap into their interests and work with their strengths. You can create a 'sought after' homework space that will encourage the child - a space that works well for them, building up their self-esteem and encouraging them to stay motivated.
Get support, by being in contact with dyslexia services and information.It is a good idea to connect with other parents of dyslexic children in your area.
Keep in contact with your child's school
It is helpful for any parent to keep in contact with their child's school because it keeps you informed. Being on the same page as the child's school means that you stay updated, and it ensures that the support and services provided are working for your child.
Remind your child that dyslexia does not define who they are
Encourage your child to read, especially stories about other children with dyslexia, which encourages them to understand that dyslexia does not have to define what they can or cannot do.
In a small number of cases, it may be evident that the difficulties that a child has due to their dyslexia are not improving and that the child is not progressing. As a parent, you may need to request a more detailed assessment that will cover all the aspects of a child's development. This may be taken further, insomuch as there may be a more formal education plan that is drawn up for your child. This is known as an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC). It will set out your child's educational requirements and what support will be needed. The document will need to be reviewed every year.
Activity 1: To whom could you talk, if your dyslexic child is being bullied at school?
Estimated time: 10 minutes
Imagine yourself in the shoes of a parent with a dyslexic child or even as an educational psychologist. It has come to your attention that a dyslexic child is being bullied quite severely by other children in their school. What can you do in such circumstances? To whom can you talk or approach, in order to obtain an effective resolution to the matter?Dyslexic children are more likely to be bullied than those children who are not dyslexic. It is advised that the parents and the educational psychologist work with the school or another organisation, in order to find the correct solution to your child's circumstances. The British Dyslexia Association has a helpline (0333 405 4567). British Dyslexics also have a useful helpline (01352 218070).
7.6 Are we Close to Finding a Cure for Dyslexia?
As of October 2017, no cure for dyslexia has been found. However, scientists now better understand dyslexia - they claim to have found its real cause. French scientists have discovered a physiological cause of dyslexia: minute light receptor cells of the human eye. Apparently, these can be corrected. In people who have reading disabilities, the cells are arranged into matching patterns in both the eyes. This may well be to blame for confusing the brain, by producing 'mirror images'. In people who are not dyslexic, the cells are arranged asymmetrically, which allows signals from one eye to be over-ridden by the other eye, to create one single image in the brain.
Scientists believe that this is the potential cause of dyslexia, and they can identify this issue, simply by looking into a person's eyes. The discovery of a delay between the main image and the mirror image in the opposing hemispheres of the brain has allowed scientists to develop a method of erasing the mirror image which is so confusing for someone with dyslexia. Even though dyslexia treatments are being developed, huge effort is still required by the family of a dyslexic child, in order to help the child cope with the condition. There is no cure as yet, but scientists are working hard, in order to try and change this as quickly as possible.
Other Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia is a learning disability, and the following are other learning disabilities:
Auditory processing disorder (APD)
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Language processing disorder (LPD)
Non-verbal learning disabilities
Visual perceptual/visual motor deficit
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Dyspraxia
Even though there are several different categories of learning disabilities, they do appear to be related to dyslexia or to be different manifestations of dyslexia, even though dyslexia is one learning difficulty in itself. 7.7 Do Schools and Universities Make Provisions for People with Dyslexia?
Mainstream schools cater for children with mild to moderate dyslexia, as well as other learning disorders. There is a specific section that deals with children with special educational needs (SEN). However, it is difficult to know how good these are, and parents often worry that it will jeopardise their child's chances of getting into a particular school, when they reveal their child's difficulties. Parents need to speak to the head or the co-ordinators of the SEN sections. They also need to make every effort not to let their child lose confidence in getting into the right school. They need to put themselves in their child's shoes, to enable their child to reach their full potential. In the UK, there is specialist dyslexia provision.
Emerson House in London was founded by Jane Emerson in 1991. Its teachers are trained specialists, and they have extensive experience inteaching children with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia. At Fairley House in London, the aim is that most children return to mainstream education. The Dominie in London caters for dyslexic and dyspraxic children and considers the whole child, in terms of their needs, but also recognises their strengths and potential. Some children who attend specialist schools return to mainstream education, while others may be suited to long-term specialist education. The latter scenario does not mean the end of their
mainstream education - many children will move on to college and university.
Moving on to College and University
Colleges and universities offer a range of student services, and this includes support for dyslexic students. Many students only discover that they are dyslexic, when they start college or university.These educational establishments make 'reasonable adjustments' for dyslexic students in the classroom. This ensures that dyslexic students are not placed at a disadvantage.
DSA - Disabled Student Allowance
Students studying Higher Education courses could even be eligible for DSA - Disabled Student Allowance. This meets the extra costs of studying that come about as a result of their dyslexia. However, to be eligible for DSA, students must have undergone a diagnostic dyslexia assessment, carried out by an educational psychologist or similar professional. DSA provides funds for specialist tuition and equipment and software, to assist the student with their studies.
The Professionals who Educate Dyslexic Students
It is estimated that around 20%
of the UK population are affected by dyslexia, some severely. Professionals
will work with dyslexic students. Dyslexic students may never have had their
dyslexia identified at school, with it becoming apparent, when they were
required to undertake their own independent studies. Tutors who educate and
support dyslexic students can liaise with the college or university's Student
Services section. Student Services should be found at most UK universities.
Tutors will be able to direct dyslexic students to the correct support
mechanisms, which will include dyslexia screening or assessments. As they enter
higher education, students need assurance that the facilities and curriculum
are accessible to dyslexic students. They need to know that they can find help
at the Student Services section of their university, so that they have
reasonable adjustments, in order to cater for their dyslexia.
As an example, for more information, see www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/disability
Fact
Responsible bodies are required by law to make'reasonable adjustments' to ensure that a disabled student is not placed at a substantial disadvantage.
Source: The Equalities Act of 2010
Activity 2: To whom could you talk, if you felt that your Dyslexia was not being addressed at University?
Estimated time: 10 minutes
You are due to start studying at a UK university and have become concerned that this institution is not correctly addressing your needs that arise, due to dyslexia. Write down exactly what you think you should do in these circumstances. 7.8 Is there any Medication that you take for Dyslexia?
As dyslexia is not a disease, medication is not going to cure the person who has dyslexia, and it will not help the condition. There are people who find that some medications help them stay more focused or help them to cope with the headaches or nausea that is sometimes associated with reading. However, this approach still does not help the actual underlying learning problems. Sometimes, people believe that their symptoms are alleviated by taking certain medications, but remember that a lot of prescription medications have dangerous side effects and can lead to dependency, so they are not advocated for dyslexia. Medications could become a problem, if they prevent the parents of a child or a student from looking for or obtaining the educational support that they need.
7.9 Should a Certain Diet be Followed?
Experts certainly believe that 'brain food' can help your dyslexic child overcome some of their learning problems and any associated behavioural problems. Research by nutritionist, Dr Jacqueline Stordy, shows that there are some children who can be genetically predisposed to abnormally absorbing the essential fatty acids necessary for healthy eyes and a healthy brain. There are natural sources of these 'smart fats', such as sunflower oil, eggs,walnuts, some fish and evening primrose oil. Dr Stordy believes that certain gene defects may put individuals at risk of dyslexic, and this would explain why dyslexia appears to run in families. Brain scans show that dyslexic people process essential fatty acids in an abnormal way, and this could be what triggers difficulties with their reading and writing.
Providing the body with fatty acid supplements seems to improve the functioning and composition of the brain cells. In her study, Dr. Stordy took fifteen children from the ages of six to twelve who had dyspraxia (problems with co-ordination), and, for four months, they took fatty acid supplements. There was an overall improvement in skills such as ball catching. She said that some children improved a bit, whilst others improved hugely. She believes that fatty acid supplements also help with other symptoms, claiming that one of her children 'tested on supplements' was able to stop taking laxatives for the first time in their lives. This is because, when the fatty acid composition of membranes is restored, things can be achieved. This is not a cure, but it is positive news and just requires further research. Diet does seem to play a positive role.
Fact
'New research shows significant benefits from fatty acid supplement for children with dyslexia and behavioural problems.'
Source: Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 33 Issue: 4
Module Summary
We have outlined dyslexia in a nutshell. It might not be curable yet, but it is certainly manageable. It can be a positive challenge to 'overcome', if addressed positively and constructively. There will certainly be moments, be it at school or college or university, when children or students with learning disabilities will find things to be difficult. However, it is also possible to work through these types of situations. It is a question of taking the positive route of choosing to see dyslexia as the opportunity to tackle the challenges in creative ways. It is thanks to new legislation and also the changing attitudes of today's schools that means that those growing up with dyslexia are much better placed than their counterparts from days gone by. Furthermore, with the right encouragement from parents, there is every chance that a child with dyslexia will take their place in society, proud of what they have achieved. The future can be bright for a dyslexic student. Steven Spielberg put it well: '...while you will have this (dyslexia) for the rest
of your life, you can dart between the raindrops to get where you want to go and it will not hold you back.'
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