“My 7 Year old is the most hardworking person I know”- replied a Mother of dyslexic child. Dyslexia is what we need to change our minds for. It’s a way a person reads, writes and remember, not differently but is his own way.
What exactly is Dyslexia?
It’s definitely not what we Google. If you read from the Internet’s angle, it seems like a haunted quandary no one wants their child to have. Dyslexia is a condition that makes it a bit harder to read, write and spell. Wait, until you consider it a condition of missing intelligence. Children with dyslexia are equally genius as others. The only difference is the way the brain processes language. Undoubtedly, the society is tough towards handling these gen ius minds. And it’s not their mistake though. Human minds have the tendency to consider someone with little differences of low intelligence. Dyslexic kids can read, write and spell even better than others with right guidance and instructions.
How common is Dyslexia?
Before we jump on the official figures, let’s know about some notable people with the same condition. Would you believe if I tell you that genius minds like Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Richard Branson, Salma Hayek, Steve Jobs and Abhishek Bachchan were once dyslexic? Yes, they all have their share of struggle, the hardest one can imagine. Still, they rose above adversities and made the world believe that everything is possible.
Dyslexia affects an estimated 3-7% of the people. 20% may experience some symptoms, if not all. The figures are quite stern surprising. Most of the times, the symptoms (mild enough) are often misunderstood with lack of intelligence. One can easily find one child with dyslexic symptoms in almost every class. The point here is not the condition, but the way one deals with it.
The severity of the condition can be found using statistic tools. Some measure it using standard deviation 1.5 cut off below the mean on reading tests while others scoring at the 25th percentile.
Some Common Signs of Dyslexia
Dyslexic symptoms vary from person to person. And most parents often get to know about it after school. Your child’s preschool teacher can be the first one to learn. Some general signs you might observe include:
Before School
- Delay in Language development. (Do not jump over the decision too early. The symptoms can still be there with nothing in diagnosis.)
- Problem in adapting new words- You may find your child trying to learn novel words but failing to use them.
- Getting confused with similar sounds or problem forming words correctly.
- Facing problem remembering their favourite song or nursery rhyme.
In School
- Poor reading level as per age.
- Difficulty in Spelling formation or difficulty to spell the words correctly.
- Fighting hard to learn the things in sequence.
- Problem in processing what is heard.
- Spending longer time than usual to complete regular tasks. (You will often find dyslexic child writing too slowly with minute errors.)
The symptoms don’t end after school. Sometime the adults are seen facing the same problem. Meaning, they were unnoticed in school. Adults with dyslexia re often found difficulty in learning a foreign language, reading aloud, math problem, summarizing a story, mispronouncing words, slow writing. If you are a teacher reading the above in detail, remember the time you have scolded a child for dealing with the same. These signs must not go unnoticeable and extra efforts should be poured to teach the child individually with correct guidance.
Some Unknown facts about Dyslexia
Fact no 1- People with dyslexia are exceptionally gifted. They can do wonders with their creative minds if taken positively. Albert Einstein is a perfect example of how this condition doesn’t limit intellectual intelligence.
Fact no 2- Dyslexia is not a disease. It is a condition in which the brain processes differently while reading, writing and learning.
Fact no 3- Dyslexia is not a child’s voluntary act of not performing well. It runs in families and is often hereditary. However, it is not the sole determinant.
Fact no 4- People with dyslexia re often good in fields like art, design, architecture and even entrepreneurship.
Fact no 5- Early intervention of the condition can help an individual to overcome the problem to a significant level.
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How to deal with Children with Dyslexia?
- Positive Mindset is the key- Rather than guiding you the medicinal treatment for the same, let’s create a positive setup. If anyone in your family is gifted with the same, stop underestimating them right away. Always remember, the change begins at home before the society. Start treating your child with some extra love, care, kindness and generosity. It’s not a one person task. It takes a team working together to help excel the child in his respective field.
- Create Personalized Schedule-Thanks to this technical age, we have a lot of verified stuff. (Remember to surf verified and researched sources only) Start with a positive mindset to bring a change. Times will come when you will feel demotivated as it’s a long journey to complete. However, correct guidance can take them travel miles even better than a child with no such label.
- Individualistic Ability Techniques-Practice techniques like reading aloud, activities involving sight, hearing, and touch. Give them enough opportunity to practice writing and typing. Some fun-loving activities can involve writing in sand, using magnetic letters or play dough. You can also use audio books along with reading book to make the task easier. Also consider using flashcards to make them understand the word’s meaning.
- Support their Learning- A child can excel well when his wings are uncluttered, unrestricted and unprohibited. Support their journey in whatever field they like without any force. If they are performing well in arts, don’t force academics. The unnecessary burden might hamper them performing well even in the field they are good at.
Takeaway
A problem is not a problem until your mind believes. By creating a positive aura, you can help your child along with helping the other parents dealing with the same issue. Let’s create an environment where the 4 D’s- Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia feel normal than usual. One person’s approach can be strong enough to transform the decade’s long mindset.
Author Bio:
This article is brought to you by the AB Kids Life Coach team — a group of dedicated child development experts, educators, and life coaches committed to helping children thrive. At AB Kids, we believe every child is unique and capable, and our mission is to provide the right support, awareness, and tools to empower children with learning differences like dyslexia. Proudly presented by AB Kids Life Coach.