Dyslexia in children
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia — also called specific reading disability — is a long-lasting language problem that affects many people. It is one of a group of conditions known as learning disabilities.
Dyslexia stems from not being able to recognise and learn the connection between the spoken and written forms of a language, or a failure to recognise the sound associated with a written symbol or word. This is important because to learn to read a word a child must first split that word into its sequence of component sounds (called phonemes), e.g. the word ‘peg’ has p-e-g. Difficulty in ‘sounding out’ words like this means that a child can’t achieve the successful repetition of a word necessary to acquire words as part of their ‘sight vocabulary’. Having a word as part of the sight vocabulary means that a person can instantly recognise it without having to decipher it every time by ‘sounding it out’.
What are the symptoms of dyslexia?
Among other symptoms, dyslexia may be characterised by the following.
- Learning style — the person has difficulty in learning to read, write and spell despite a normal or high IQ.
- Deficient language and reading skills. Reading may be slow and inaccurate and is usually below grade level.
- The person may reverse words, e.g. ‘saw’ for ‘was’, or letters, e.g. ‘b’ for ‘d’ — although this is normal up to the age of about 6.
- Difficulty pronouncing words.
- Poor skills in spelling, sometimes spelling the same word differently in the same piece of writing.
- Difficulty in learning the sequence of the alphabet.
- Difficulty with ‘word problems’ in maths.
- Difficulty in summarising.
- Finding it hard to recount a story in the correct sequence.
- Finding it hard to follow procedures with multiple steps.
- An inadequate vocabulary.
- Concentration and memory problems such as restlessness, fidgeting, ‘switching off’ when things get too hard, or forgetting books or what was read even recently.
What causes dyslexia?
The exact cause of dyslexia has not yet been identified, but recent evidence points to abnormalities in the brain. Scientists have found that specific areas of the brain are involved; these areas:
- interpret the meaning of speech;
- receive information coming from the eyes; and
- integrate information coming from the eyes with information about how speech sounds.
Some researchers believe that the brain abnormalities associated with dyslexia start when the fetus is developing in the womb. Premature birth and low birth weight are risk factors for dyslexia. Other findings suggest that genetic (inherited) factors also play an important part in dyslexia.
How does dyslexia affect people?
Dyslexia can occur in children with normal, or superior, intelligence and abilities, who are sometimes mistakenly thought to have an intellectual disability. A child with dyslexia who has not been properly diagnosed may suffer from low self-esteem because of the tough time they have keeping up with the learning pace of their classmates. Although dyslexia can occur in people of any intellectual ability, children with the condition often appear to be not trying hard enough at school. Problems with school can lead to a student feeling stressed and discouraged about continuing, which can have major consequences for his or her future working life.
What are the problems of dyslexia?
Many people with dyslexia have problems reading from left to right and reversing words and letters, but others with the condition may have other problems in actually recognising the visual form of words. Dyslexia may be accompanied by, or cause other problems such as:
- lack of motivation;
- emotional problems;
- behavioural problems and difficulty making friends;
- impulsivity; and
- problems with planning and time management.
Different skills
Many people with dyslexia are gifted in areas that don’t need strong language skills, such as art, design, computing and sports. Some are highly intuitive and extremely creative. They should never be considered to have an intellectual disability without further evaluation. One of the most famous thinkers of our time, Albert Einstein, had dyslexia.
How is dyslexia diagnosed?
To diagnose dyslexia, a series of standardised questionnaire-type tests are usually given. The tests evaluate a child’s intellectual ability, their academic skills, and their information and language processing skills. Your child’s hearing and vision may also be tested. Your doctor will be able to give you more information about the whole process and/or refer you to a specialist in the field.
What can I do for my child who has dyslexia?
School problems
Children with dyslexia may have trouble keeping up at school because reading is the basis for many school subjects. However, many schools offer support for children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
A team approach is often used to support children with learning difficulties — the team may consist of just you and your child’s teacher, or it may include the principal, school counsellor, support teachers and health professionals such as speech pathologists and educational psychologists. The team will assess your child’s needs and see whether your child would benefit from an individualised learning program. This type of program can identify the learning needs of your child and outline specific teaching methods to meet these learning needs.
You are an important part of the team because you know your child better than anyone and you will be your child’s most consistent teacher. So it’s a good idea to talk to your child’s teacher about how things are done in the classroom and what’s expected of your child, so that you can help as much as possible. You should also tell your child’s teacher if your child is finding the work too much.
With this type of approach, your child can be supported; particularly during potentially difficult periods such as starting school and moving from primary to secondary school.
Building self-esteem
- A good sense of self-esteem is one of the most important things you can give any child, but particularly one with a learning disability, who is at risk of lowered confidence and a sense of failure. When your child is successful at a task, praise him or her for a job well done.
- Ensure as far as possible that your child does things he or she knows he or she can succeed at.
- Notice and give encouragement when a job or task has been done well.
- Give plenty of praise for trying, and teach him or her ways of appreciating others’ efforts as well.
- Encourage hobbies and groups and activities he or she enjoys.
- Try to avoid dwelling on your child’s dyslexia any more than necessary.
- Encourage your child to make choices, e.g. choosing for him or herself what to wear or do.
- Give your child responsibilities in the home and praise him or her when these are done well.
- If your child has problems knowing how to act around strangers or with making friends, it can help to explain to them what to do in these unfamiliar situations.
- Above all, let your child know you love him or her no matter what his or her abilities.
Last Reviewed: 17 May 2007
- 1. Government of South Australia Child and Youth Health website - "Specific Learning Difficulties".
2. The International Dyslexia Association website: "Dyslexia: is it all in your mind?'; 'Dyslexia Basics'; 'ABCs. http://www.interdys.org
