Top Health Tips on Living with Dyslexia

All parents expect their child to start going to school, learn writing and learning and do well in academics. However, children with dyslexia may not be able to progress at school at the same pace as others. The good news is that there are early pointers that can help a parent to identify dyslexia in the early stages. This can be helpful in training and support the child socially to learn and socialise normally. Dyslexia is a disability that affects both spoken and written language. They have a different learning style and when supported and encouraged, instead of mocked and insulted, they can become avid readers. The following are common 10 indicators of developing dyslexia in children, in general, and at school.

10 Behavioural signs to watch for in general:

The child usually has difficulty concentrating and following instructions
The child is easily distracted, seems to daydream, and tends to forget words.
Poor personal organisation skills and is not very good at timekeeping.
May get confused between today, tomorrow, yesterday; east and west; right and left; up and down.
Has difficulty remembering seasons, months and days.
Tends to be doing something to avoid work.
Seems distracted, and daydream, does not seem to listen
Requires a lot of effort focusing on things at hand and is constantly tired.
Slow pace of processing in terms of spoken or written language
Often appears withdrawn or lost in his own world.
10 Behaviours to watch for at school:

Poor standard of writing and written work in comparison with oratory skills.
Poor handwriting with badly formed letters.
Confused easily between similar looking letters like m/w, n/u, b/d.
Usually, messes up work by using close but wrong spellings and rewriting the same
Mixes up words by using similar-looking words quiet and quite, tired and tried.
Same word is spelt differently at different times
Poor motor skills and pencil grip leading to slow, inaccurate writing
Produces a lot of phonetic spelling which does not change with repeated corrections
There is difficulty in blending words together, and struggles a lot when asked to read out loud, can miss out or add words that are familiar in between
Has difficulty connecting the story that is being written or read
As noted, these children have very inconsistent behaviour with very limited understanding of nonverbal communication. If these symptoms go on increasing as they grow, it is advisable to seek professional help so that support can be provided and the condition can be arrested at the early stages.

Children, especially from a very young age, may show symptoms of dyslexia. Every case of dyslexia is unique to each child and there are many common traits and behaviours that denote a person to be dyslexic. Educate yourself on the symptoms and signs and keep a keen eye on the appearance of each one of them.

Here are five common signs of dyslexia.



Alphabet and/or number reversal:
A child suffering from dyslexia has a tendency to reverse alphabets or numbers, like using a different alphabet or a number at a wrong position. This is known as transposing. Moreover, they often write down alphabets and numbers in reverse, like a mirror image. This is one of the surest tests of dyslexia. If it happens once, then you can move on, but if it recurs, even after they are told not to, then there is a cause for concern.

Omission of words, sounds, or letters while reading and writing:
A dyslexic child will omit any letter or word while reading or writing at their own free will. There is no way to point out which one they will omit, but the trend depends on any difficult word that fails to register with them.

Problems regarding writing tools:
A child with dyslexia will face extreme difficulty (which gradually multiplies) when using pencils, pens, crayons, and even erasers. It is as if they are unable to understand the purpose of them and don t know what to do with these tools.

Dyslexia is not that common and in most cases, the symptoms are overlooked and the child is deemed slow and a late bloomer. So it is necessary to keep in mind these symptoms and take advice from a specialist to deal with the situation.

Psychological assessment also known as psychological testing is done to help a psychologist better understand an individual and provide valuable insights into the individual s behavior, skills, thoughts and personality. Psychological testing commonly includes intelligence testing, personality testing, and skills testing, among other areas.

Psychological assessment is never focused on a single test score or number. Every person has a range of competencies that can be evaluated through a number of methods. A psychologist is there to evaluate the competencies as well as the limitations of the person, and report on them in an objective but helpful manner. A psychological assessment report will not only note weaknesses found in testing, but also the individual s strengths.

It has often ben said that 'you are what you think'. It is the human mind which enabled the entire race to dominate over the planet over millions of other species. How can this very complex instrument is so difficult to understand? The human mind is capable of extreme highs and lows in terms of every aspect such as emotions, achievement, empathy anger and so forth. One field of study is Psychology which does help us in its understanding.

What are psychological tests?

Psychological tests are a method to gauge various parameters of an individual s mind and how it works. There are not one but multiple psychological tests which help with determining various aspects of a person s mental functioning and capabilities among others. Like medical tests such as X-rays and various types of blood reports help us get a better picture of the condition of your body, similarly, psychological testing helps us a get a better view of a person s thinking and if at all there are any problems with it. Just a few examples of psychological testing are as follows

Aptitude testing in children to check for learning disabilities
Testing for skills such as dexterity or flexibility, and reaction time to look for brain damage or dementia
Memory tests to look for psychological disorders as well as dementia
Testing for anxiety related disorders especially in social conditions, both in children and adults
How are these helpful?
More than pinpointing psychological disorders, these tests are meant to help an individual point out problems and then start on a treatment or therapy to overcome the problems. These tests can help a person in many ways such as

Identifying problems early on when they are mild, thus making treatment more effective
Help them further in studies or their career where certain conditions or problems were becoming an impediment
Provide methods to tackle a phobia
Sometimes, psychological testing is very helpful in diagnosing serious mental issues such as depression which may force many to take their own lives; thus preventing it
Helping to combat physiological problems in cases where no pathological causes are found. In many cases, stress and anxiety lead to other disorders like diabetes, hypertension, gastrointestinal troubles and others. Once the psychological side is treated after correct diagnosis, the physical problems also tend to dissipate.

Raising a child with dyslexia can stir up a lot of emotions. You may look ahead and wonder if this learning issue will affect your child's future. But dyslexia is not a prediction of failure. Dyslexia is quite common, and many successful individuals have dyslexia.

Research has proven that there are different ways of teaching that can help people with dyslexia succeed. There's a lot you can do as a parent too.

What are the symptoms of dyslexia?

Because dyslexia affects some people more severely than others, your child's symptoms may look different from those in another child. Some kids with dyslexia have trouble with reading and spelling. Others may struggle to write or to tell left from right.

Dyslexia can also make it difficult for people to express themselves clearly. It can be hard for them to structure their thoughts during conversation. They may have trouble finding the right words to say.

Others struggle to understand what they're hearing. This is especially true when someone uses nonliteral language such as jokes and sarcasm.

The signs you see may also look different at various ages. Some of the warning signs for dyslexia, such as a speech delay, appear before a child reaches kindergarten. More often, though, dyslexia is identified in grade school. As schoolwork gets more demanding, trouble processing language becomes more apparent.

Here are some signs to look out for:

Warning Signs in Preschool or Kindergarten
Has trouble recognizing the letters of the alphabet
Struggles to match letters to sounds, such as not knowing what sounds b or h make
Has difficulty blending sounds into words, such as connecting C-H-A-T to the word chat
Struggles to pronounce words correctly, such as saying 'mawn lower' instead of 'lawn mower'
Has difficulty learning new words
Has a smaller vocabulary than other kids the same age
Has trouble learning to count or say the days of the week and other common word sequences
Has trouble rhyming
Warning Signs in Grade School or Middle School-

Struggles with reading and spelling
Confuses the order of letters, such as writing 'left' instead of 'felt'
Has trouble remembering facts and numbers
Has difficulty gripping a pencil
Has difficulty using proper grammar
Has trouble learning new skills and relies heavily on memorization
Gets tripped up by word problems in math
Has a tough time sounding out unfamiliar words
Has trouble following a sequence of directions
Warning Signs in High School-

Struggles with reading out loud
Doesn't read at the expected grade level
Has trouble understanding jokes or idioms
Has difficulty organizing and managing time
Struggles to summarize a story
Has difficulty learning a foreign language
Skills that are affected by Dyslexia-

Dyslexia doesn't just affect reading and writing. Here are some everyday skills and activities your child may be struggling with because of this learning issue:

General:

Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.
Labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or "behavior problem."
Isn't "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting.
High in IQ, yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written.
Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
Seems to "Zone out" or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time.
Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or "daydreamer."
Learns best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.
Vision, Reading, and Spelling Skills:

Complains of dizziness, headaches or stomach aches while reading.
Confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations.
Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words.
Complains of feeling or seeing non-existent movement while reading, writing, or copying.
Seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don't reveal a problem.
Extremely keen sighted and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision.
Reads and rereads with little comprehension:

Spells phonetically and inconsistently.
Hearing and Speech Skills
Has extended hearing; hears things not said or apparent to others; easily distracted by sounds.
Difficulty putting thoughts into words; speaks in halting phrases; leaves sentences incomplete; stutters under stress; mispronounces long words, or transposes phrases, words, and syllables when speaking.
Writing and Motor Skills:

Trouble with writing or copying; pencil grip is unusual; handwriting varies or is illegible.
Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor at ball or team sports; difficulties with fine and/or gross motor skills and tasks; prone to motion-sickness.
Can be ambidextrous, and often confuses left/right, over/under.
Math and Time Management Skills
Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time.
Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks; knows answers, but can't do it on paper.
Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and dealing with money.
Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math.
Memory and Cognition:

Excellent long-term memory for experiences, locations, and faces.
Poor memory for sequences, facts and information that has not been experienced.
Thinks primarily with images and feeling, not sounds or words (little internal dialogue).
Behavior, Health, Development and Personality
Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly.
Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.
Had unusually early or late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoes).
Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products.
Can be an extra deep or light sleeper; bedwetting beyond appropriate age.
Unusually high or low tolerance for pain.
Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection.
What can be done at home for dyslexia?

Helping your child with dyslexia can be a challenge, particularly if you're never been confident in your own reading and writing skills. But you don't have to be an expert to help work on certain skills or strengthen your child's self-esteem.

Keep in mind that kids (and families) are all different, so not all options will work for you. Don't panic if the first strategies you try aren't effective. You may need to try several approaches to find what works best for your child. Here are some things you can try at home:

Read out loud every day
Tap into your child's interests
Use audiobooks
Look for apps and other high-tech help
Focus on effort, not outcome
Make your home reader-friendly
Boost confidence
What can make the journey easier?

Dyslexia can present challenges for your child and for you. But with the proper support, almost all people with dyslexia can become accurate readers. Your involvement will help tremendously.

Wherever you are in your journey, whether you're just starting out or are well on your way, this site can help you find more ways to support your child. Here are a few things that can help make the journey easier:

Connect with other parents. Remember that you're not alone. Use our safe online community to find parents like you.
Get behavior advice. Parenting Coach offers expert-approved strategies on a variety of issues that can affect children with dyslexia, including trouble with time management, anxiety and fear, frustration and low self-esteem.
Build a support plan. Come up with a game plan and anticipate what lies ahead.
Understanding dyslexia and looking for ways to help your child is an important first step. There's a lot you can do just don't feel you have to do everything all at once. Pace yourself. If you try a bunch of strategies at the same time, it might be hard to figure out which ones are working. And do your best to stay positive. Your love and support can make a big difference in your child's life.

At a young age, it is fairly common to be afraid of math. The rational nature of numbers, multiplication tables, addition, subtraction and all that in between can admittedly be a tough thing to get on with at a tender age. But in most of the cases, this difficulty tends to improve as one attains maturity. This can be attributed to a growing familiarity with the subject and a subsequent change in the way of understanding certain things. But if your child suffers from a problem with understanding math even at a grown age, chances are he/she might be suffering from Dyscalculia- a special type of learning disorder that is characterized by a person s inability to grasp the concepts of math or the very concept of numbers itself.

Dyscalculia generally occurs due to genetic factors. However, it is also possible to encounter this disorder if your child had suffered from significant brain injury in the past or have problems with remembering things. It is also possible to have this disorder, if your child is already suffering from Dyslexia ( a learning disorder which makes your child unable to read or understand written words).

The symptoms of Dyscalculia are as follows:

Inability to recognize numbers and significant trouble while counting.
Significant problems while performing basic additions, subtractions or divisions.
Facing problems with how to use money or telling time.
The problem with memorizing mathematical formulae or tables.
Your child might be unable to discern exactly how to approach a math problem.
Your child will be increasingly reluctant to go to a math class or feel tensed before math examinations.
Inability to understand the basic functionality of numbers.
It is extremely important to remember that having this disorder does not necessarily mean your child has a bad academic record on the whole. Since this disorder can cause significant problems in the future for your child in terms of dealing with things in the real world, you should be extremely sensitive regarding its treatment.

The treatment of Dyscalculia might include:

You should encourage your child more and more if they tend to get immensely frustrated with their math problems. If possible, try to help your child with his/ her homework.
Strike a healthy relationship with your child. Make him realize that not being able to grasp the concept of numbers is not the end of the world. Explore his other skills. That might boost his lost confidence and might encourage him to approach math in a more efficient manner.
You should try to make your child learn how to tell time or use money with little home exercises. If possible, try to make him learn the basic of math with daily activities like counting the number of flowers while walking down the streets.
You must consult a specialist who will make your child learn numbers by following different modes other than writing. For example, the specialist might read a math problem to your child in order to make him understand the problem.

The ability of the human body to move is because of the wonderful and smooth coordination between the various muscles and joints in the body. Of the muscles, there are some muscles which we can control, known as voluntary. The limbs and hands for instance, can be controlled by us. On the other hand, the muscles of the stomach, heart and other internal organs cannot be controlled by us. These are known as involuntary muscles. When there is an abnormality in the muscle growth, the condition is known as muscular dystrophy (MD). There are multiple types of MD, and most of these are due to genetic abnormalities and are inherited from the mother. It is caused due to lack of a protein named dystrophin.

It is mostly seen in boys at a young age, and it can progress with age. In some people, the onset is late, and even smooth muscles like the heart can be affected. The most common presentation is muscle wasting with gradual loss of muscle mass and loss of strength in the muscles. This leads to waddling gait, muscular pain and stiffness, difficulty sitting and standing, frequent falls, and other learning disabilities. As the disease progresses, there is a further limitation of movement with shortened muscles and tendons, increasingly curved spine, cardiac issues, difficulty swallowing and breathing problems. These symptoms are due to the smooth muscles being affected.

Though there are multiple varieties of it, the most common ones are Duchenne and Bekcer s. In Duchenne, the symptoms begin to manifest at about 3 years of age and by the age of 20, the child usually dies of respiratory failure. While there is no specific treatment for MD yet, there are a lot of supportive measures including drugs and physiotherapy to improve function and restore quality of life to the extent possible.

Corticosteroids are useful in improving muscle mass and reduce the pace of disease progression. Heart medications like beta blockers and ACE inhibitors are useful where the heart function is affected.
Mobility aids like canes, walkers, and wheelchairs may be used depending on the severity of symptoms.
Patients are asked to perform general exercise to improve overall body movement and reduce rigidity. Walking, swimming, jogging are useful in keeping the muscles agile.
Braces may be useful to keep the muscles in tension.
If the lungs are affected, breathing assistance may be required to ensure there is sufficient oxygenation. A ventilator may be required in some people.
Though not proven yet, there are drugs being tested to delay muscle wasting, altering the damaged dystrophin, and other advanced techniques to treat MD. Currently, however, drugs and physiotherapy are the only methods available.

Raising a child with dyslexia can stir up a lot of emotions. You may look ahead and wonder if this learning issue will affect your child's future. But dyslexia is not a prediction of failure. Dyslexia is quite common, and many successful individuals have dyslexia.

Research has proven that there are different ways of teaching that can help people with dyslexia succeed. There's a lot you can do as a parent too.

What are the symptoms of dyslexia?

Because dyslexia affects some people more severely than others, your child's symptoms may look different from those in another child. Some kids with dyslexia have trouble with reading and spelling. Others may struggle to write or to tell left from right.

Dyslexia can also make it difficult for people to express themselves clearly. It can be hard for them to structure their thoughts during conversation. They may have trouble finding the right words to say.

Others struggle to understand what they're hearing. This is especially true when someone uses nonliteral language such as jokes and sarcasm.

The signs you see may also look different at various ages. Some of the warning signs for dyslexia, such as a speech delay, appear before a child reaches kindergarten. More often, though, dyslexia is identified in grade school. As schoolwork gets more demanding, trouble processing language becomes more apparent.

Here are some signs to look out for:

Warning Signs in Preschool or Kindergarten
Has trouble recognizing the letters of the alphabet
Struggles to match letters to sounds, such as not knowing what sounds b or h make
Has difficulty blending sounds into words, such as connecting C-H-A-T to the word chat
Struggles to pronounce words correctly, such as saying 'mawn lower' instead of 'lawn mower'
Has difficulty learning new words
Has a smaller vocabulary than other kids the same age
Has trouble learning to count or say the days of the week and other common word sequences
Has trouble rhyming
Warning Signs in Grade School or Middle School-

Struggles with reading and spelling
Confuses the order of letters, such as writing 'left' instead of 'felt'
Has trouble remembering facts and numbers
Has difficulty gripping a pencil
Has difficulty using proper grammar
Has trouble learning new skills and relies heavily on memorization
Gets tripped up by word problems in math
Has a tough time sounding out unfamiliar words
Has trouble following a sequence of directions
Warning Signs in High School-

Struggles with reading out loud
Doesn't read at the expected grade level
Has trouble understanding jokes or idioms
Has difficulty organizing and managing time
Struggles to summarize a story
Has difficulty learning a foreign language
Skills that are affected by Dyslexia-

Dyslexia doesn't just affect reading and writing. Here are some everyday skills and activities your child may be struggling with because of this learning issue:

General:

Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.
Labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or "behavior problem."
Isn't "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting.
High in IQ, yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written.
Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.
Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
Seems to "Zone out" or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time.
Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or "daydreamer."
Learns best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.
Vision, Reading, and Spelling Skills:

Complains of dizziness, headaches or stomach aches while reading.
Confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations.
Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words.
Complains of feeling or seeing non-existent movement while reading, writing, or copying.
Seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don't reveal a problem.
Extremely keen sighted and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision.
Reads and rereads with little comprehension:

Spells phonetically and inconsistently.
Hearing and Speech Skills
Has extended hearing; hears things not said or apparent to others; easily distracted by sounds.
Difficulty putting thoughts into words; speaks in halting phrases; leaves sentences incomplete; stutters under stress; mispronounces long words, or transposes phrases, words, and syllables when speaking.
Writing and Motor Skills:

Trouble with writing or copying; pencil grip is unusual; handwriting varies or is illegible.
Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor at ball or team sports; difficulties with fine and/or gross motor skills and tasks; prone to motion-sickness.
Can be ambidextrous, and often confuses left/right, over/under.
Math and Time Management Skills
Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time.
Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks; knows answers, but can't do it on paper.
Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and dealing with money.
Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math.
Memory and Cognition:

Excellent long-term memory for experiences, locations, and faces.
Poor memory for sequences, facts and information that has not been experienced.
Thinks primarily with images and feeling, not sounds or words (little internal dialogue).
Behavior, Health, Development and Personality
Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly.
Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.
Had unusually early or late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoes).
Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products.
Can be an extra deep or light sleeper; bedwetting beyond appropriate age.
Unusually high or low tolerance for pain.
Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection.
What can be done at home for dyslexia?

Helping your child with dyslexia can be a challenge, particularly if you're never been confident in your own reading and writing skills. But you don't have to be an expert to help work on certain skills or strengthen your child's self-esteem.

Keep in mind that kids (and families) are all different, so not all options will work for you. Don't panic if the first strategies you try aren't effective. You may need to try several approaches to find what works best for your child. Here are some things you can try at home:

Read out loud every day
Tap into your child's interests
Use audiobooks
Look for apps and other high-tech help
Focus on effort, not outcome
Make your home reader-friendly
Boost confidence
What can make the journey easier?

Dyslexia can present challenges for your child and for you. But with the proper support, almost all people with dyslexia can become accurate readers. Your involvement will help tremendously.

Wherever you are in your journey, whether you're just starting out or are well on your way, this site can help you find more ways to support your child. Here are a few things that can help make the journey easier:

Connect with other parents. Remember that you're not alone. Use our safe online community to find parents like you.
Get behavior advice. Parenting Coach offers expert-approved strategies on a variety of issues that can affect children with dyslexia, including trouble with time management, anxiety and fear, frustration and low self-esteem.
Build a support plan. Come up with a game plan and anticipate what lies ahead.
Understanding dyslexia and looking for ways to help your child is an important first step. There's a lot you can do just don't feel you have to do everything all at once. Pace yourself. If you try a bunch of strategies at the same time, it might be hard to figure out which ones are working. And do your best to stay positive. Your love and support can make a big difference in your child's life.

Raising a child with dyslexia can stir up a lot of emotions. You may look ahead and wonder if this learning issue will affect your child's future. But dyslexia is not a prediction of failure. Dyslexia is quite common, and many successful individuals have dyslexia.

Research has proven that there are different ways of teaching that can help people with dyslexia succeed. There's a lot you can do as a parent too.

What are the symptoms of dyslexia?

Because dyslexia affects some people more severely than others, your child's symptoms may look different from those in another child. Some kids with dyslexia have trouble with reading and spelling. Others may struggle to write or to tell left from right.

Dyslexia can also make it difficult for people to express themselves clearly. It can be hard for them to structure their thoughts during conversation. They may have trouble finding the right words to say.

Others struggle to understand what they're hearing. This is especially true when someone uses nonliteral language such as jokes and sarcasm.

The signs you see may also look different at various ages. Some of the warning signs for dyslexia, such as a speech delay, appear before a child reaches kindergarten. More often, though, dyslexia is identified in grade school. As schoolwork gets more demanding, trouble processing language becomes more apparent.

Here are some signs to look out for:

Warning Signs in Preschool or Kindergarten

Has trouble recognizing the letters of the alphabet

Struggles to match letters to sounds, such as not knowing what sounds b or h make

Has difficulty blending sounds into words, such as connecting C-H-A-T to the word chat

Struggles to pronounce words correctly, such as saying 'mawn lower' instead of 'lawn mower'

Has difficulty learning new words

Has a smaller vocabulary than other kids the same age

Has trouble learning to count or say the days of the week and other common word sequences

Has trouble rhyming

Warning Signs in Grade School or Middle School

Struggles with reading and spelling

Confuses the order of letters, such as writing 'left' instead of 'felt'

Has trouble remembering facts and numbers

Has difficulty gripping a pencil

Has difficulty using proper grammar

Has trouble learning new skills and relies heavily on memorization

Gets tripped up by word problems in math

Has a tough time sounding out unfamiliar words

Has trouble following a sequence of directions

Warning Signs in High School

Struggles with reading out loud

Doesn't read at the expected grade level

Has trouble understanding jokes or idioms

Has difficulty organizing and managing time

Struggles to summarize a story

Has difficulty learning a foreign language

Skills that are affected by Dyslexia-

Dyslexia doesn't just affect reading and writing. Here are some everyday skills and activities your child may be struggling with because of this learning issue:

General

Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.

Labelled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, "not trying hard enough," or "behavior problem."

Isn't "behind enough" or "bad enough" to be helped in the school setting.

High in IQ, yet may not test well academically; tests well orally, but not written.

Feels dumb; has poor self-esteem; hides or covers up weaknesses with ingenious compensatory strategies; easily frustrated and emotional about school reading or testing.

Talented in art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.

Seems to "Zone out" or daydream often; gets lost easily or loses track of time.

Difficulty sustaining attention; seems "hyper" or "daydreamer."

Learns best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids.

Vision, Reading, and Spelling Skills

Complains of dizziness, headaches or stomach aches while reading.

Confused by letters, numbers, words, sequences, or verbal explanations.

Reading or writing shows repetitions, additions, transpositions, omissions, substitutions, and reversals in letters, numbers and/or words.

Complains of feeling or seeing non-existent movement while reading, writing, or copying.

Seems to have difficulty with vision, yet eye exams don't reveal a problem.

Extremely keen sighted and observant, or lacks depth perception and peripheral vision.

Reads and rereads with little comprehension.

Spells phonetically and inconsistently.

Hearing and Speech Skills

Has extended hearing; hears things not said or apparent to others; easily distracted by sounds.

Difficulty putting thoughts into words; speaks in halting phrases; leaves sentences incomplete; stutters under stress; mispronounces long words, or transposes phrases, words, and syllables when speaking.

Writing and Motor Skills

Trouble with writing or copying; pencil grip is unusual; handwriting varies or is illegible.

Clumsy, uncoordinated, poor at ball or team sports; difficulties with fine and/or gross motor skills and tasks; prone to motion-sickness.

Can be ambidextrous, and often confuses left/right, over/under.

Math and Time Management Skills

Has difficulty telling time, managing time, learning sequenced information or tasks, or being on time.

Computing math shows dependence on finger counting and other tricks; knows answers, but can't do it on paper.

Can count, but has difficulty counting objects and dealing with money.

Can do arithmetic, but fails word problems; cannot grasp algebra or higher math.

Memory and Cognition

Excellent long-term memory for experiences, locations, and faces.

Poor memory for sequences, facts and information that has not been experienced.

Thinks primarily with images and feeling, not sounds or words (little internal dialogue).

Behavior, Health, Development and Personality

Extremely disorderly or compulsively orderly.

Can be class clown, trouble-maker, or too quiet.

Had unusually early or late developmental stages (talking, crawling, walking, tying shoes).

Prone to ear infections; sensitive to foods, additives, and chemical products.

Can be an extra deep or light sleeper; bedwetting beyond appropriate age.

Unusually high or low tolerance for pain.

Strong sense of justice; emotionally sensitive; strives for perfection.

What can be done at home for dyslexia?

Helping your child with dyslexia can be a challenge, particularly if you're never been confident in your own reading and writing skills. But you don't have to be an expert to help work on certain skills or strengthen your child's self-esteem.

Keep in mind that kids (and families) are all different, so not all options will work for you. Don't panic if the first strategies you try aren't effective. You may need to try several approaches to find what works best for your child. Here are some things you can try at home:

Read out loud every day

Tap into your child's interests

Use audiobooks

Look for apps and other high-tech help

Focus on effort, not outcome

Make your home reader-friendly

Boost confidence

What can make the journey easier?

Dyslexia can present challenges for your child and for you. But with the proper support, almost all people with dyslexia can become accurate readers. Your involvement will help tremendously.

Wherever you are in your journey, whether you're just starting out or are well on your way, this site can help you find more ways to support your child. Here are a few things that can help make the journey easier:

Connect with other parents. Remember that you're not alone. Use our safe online community to find parents like you.

Get behavior advice. Parenting Coach offers expert-approved strategies on a variety of issues that can affect children with dyslexia, including trouble with time management, anxiety and fear, frustration and low self-esteem.

Build a support plan. Come up with a game plan and anticipate what lies ahead.

Understanding dyslexia and looking for ways to help your child is an important first step. There's a lot you can do just don't feel you have to do everything all at once. Pace yourself. If you try a bunch of strategies at the same time, it might be hard to figure out which ones are working. And do your best to stay positive. Your love and support can make a big difference in your child's life.

At a young age, it is fairly common to be afraid of math. The rational nature of numbers, multiplication tables, addition, subtraction and all that in between can admittedly be a tough thing to get on with at a tender age. But in most of the cases, this difficulty tends to improve as one attains maturity. This can be attributed to a growing familiarity with the subject and a subsequent change in the way of understanding certain things. But if your child suffers from a problem with understanding math even at a grown age, chances are he/she might be suffering from Dyscalculia- a special type of learning disorder that is characterized by a person s inability to grasp the concepts of math or the very concept of numbers itself.

Dyscalculia generally occurs due to genetic factors. However, it is also possible to encounter this disorder if your child had suffered from significant brain injury in the past or have problems with remembering things. It is also possible to have this disorder, if your child is already suffering from Dyslexia ( a learning disorder which makes your child unable to read or understand written words).

The symptoms of Dyscalculia are as follows:

Inability to recognize numbers and significant trouble while counting.
Significant problems while performing basic additions, subtractions or divisions.
Facing problems with how to use money or telling time.
The problem with memorizing mathematical formulae or tables.
Your child might be unable to discern exactly how to approach a math problem.
Your child will be increasingly reluctant to go to a math class or feel tensed before math examinations.
Inability to understand the basic functionality of numbers.
It is extremely important to remember that having this disorder does not necessarily mean your child has a bad academic record on the whole. Since this disorder can cause significant problems in the future for your child in terms of dealing with things in the real world, you should be extremely sensitive regarding its treatment.

The treatment of Dyscalculia might include:

You should encourage your child more and more if they tend to get immensely frustrated with their math problems. If possible, try to help your child with his/ her homework.
Strike a healthy relationship with your child. Make him realize that not being able to grasp the concept of numbers is not the end of the world. Explore his other skills. That might boost his lost confidence and might encourage him to approach math in a more efficient manner.
You should try to make your child learn how to tell time or use money with little home exercises. If possible, try to make him learn the basic of math with daily activities like counting the number of flowers while walking down the streets.
You must consult a specialist who will make your child learn numbers by following different modes other than writing. For example, the specialist might read a math problem to your child in order to make him understand the problem.

Some children have to read or hear something once and it gets imprinted in their minds. Others may struggle to understand concepts. As a parent, your first response may be to think that your child s teacher isn t giving him or her enough attention. However, this could indicate a specific learning disorder.

Learning disorders are an umbrella term that covers a range of learning difficulties. If your child is diagnosed with a learning disability it does not mean that he or she is any less smart as compared to their classmates. It simply means that they process information differently. There are many different types of learning disorders.

These are categorized by the skill set they affect most.

Dyslexia: Dyslexia is a learning disorder where the child cannot understand the relationship between letters, sounds, and words. This can make reading even simple words feel very difficult. It could also make it difficult for the child to understand the meaning of words and phrases.
Dyscalculia: Math is usually a stumbling block for most children but for some understanding numbers could be a lot more difficult. A child with Dyscalculia could find it difficult to organize numbers and understand operation signs. He could also struggle with memorization of multiplication tables etc. Learning how to read time could also be difficult.
Dysgraphia: Learning disabilities related to writing can be termed as Dysgraphia. This involves the physical act of writing as well as understanding what is being written. Dysgraphia can be identified by an inconsistency of handwriting, not being able to accurately copy words as well as spelling inconsistencies.
There is no known cure for learning disabilities. However, there are ways to improve the child s skills. For this, you must tailor a learning strategy to your child s strengths. For example, illustrating a word problem may help the child understand it better. Similarly, mnemonic devices and poems could help them memorize mathematical formulas. Converting one type of problem into another can also help them understand concepts. For example, you could turn a word problem into a math problem an vice versa.

In addition, you may also need to consider consulting a learning specialist. They can help determine the type of learning aids your child would benefit most from. Your child may need special education at a school that is equipped with the right services for him or her. The important thing to note is that early intervention is key to treating learning disorders.