Dyslexia - Symptom, Treatment And Causes

Dyslexia is a neurological condition which makes learning a difficult process in children. Children suffering from dyslexia find themselves incapable of reading and learning as compared to their peers. Dyslexia occurs when the brain cannot process graphic symbols. This causes difficulty in recognizing, spelling and also decoding words. The effect of this condition varies from one person to another and is most often a lifelong condition. It can also vary as a result of different ages in people. However, a slower reading level is one common characteristic that is present in all dyslexic children.

Dyslexia is a strictly neurological condition that has little to do with a person’s intelligence. It can also occur as a result of genetic conditions. Early detection of the condition can help in improvement before he or she reaches adolescence. A thorough evaluation process of the child will include the following aspects IQ level, language skills, ability of word recognition, phonological processing, automaticity skills, fluency skills, family history and also knowledge of vocabulary.

The most common symptoms of dyslexia include:

1. Trouble reading
2. Very slow progression to milestones such as walking, talking, crawling and learning to ride a bicycle.
3. Slow development of speech
4. Trouble with hand-eye coordination
5. A slow rate of learning when it comes to data
6. Problem with speech
7. Very poor concentration span
8. Children suffering from dyslexia are more prone to developing certain autoimmune diseases such as eczema and asthma.

Dyslexia is sometimes subdivided into a number of categories such as Surface Dyslexia, Rapid Deficit Dyslexia, Visual Dyslexia and Phonological Dyslexia.

There is no medical treatment for dyslexia and help generally includes assigning reading specialists, child psychologist, speech-language pathologists and child neuropsychologists.

Certain practices that you yourself follow when dealing with your dyslexic child are:

1. Praise your child from time to time
2. Remind your child that being dyslexic has nothing to do with intelligence levels
3. Mix with other parents who have dyslexic children and interact with them about ways and strategies to heighten the child’s confidence level.
4. Deal with your child patiently.

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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

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:

1. Inability to recognize numbers and significant trouble while counting.
2. Significant problems while performing basic additions, subtractions or divisions.
3. Facing problems with how to use money or telling time.
4. The problem with memorizing mathematical formulae or tables.
5. Your child might be unable to discern exactly how to approach a math problem.
6. Your child will be increasingly reluctant to go to a math class or feel tensed before math examinations.
7. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. Consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

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:

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

10 Behaviours to watch for at school:

1. Poor standard of writing and written work in comparison with oratory skills.
2. Poor handwriting with badly formed letters.
3. Confused easily between similar looking letters like m/w, n/u, b/d.
4. Usually, messes up work by using close but wrong spellings and rewriting the same
5. Mixes up words by using similar-looking words – quiet and quite, tired and tried.
6. Same word is spelt differently at different times
7. Poor motor skills and pencil grip leading to slow, inaccurate writing
8. Produces a lot of phonetic spelling which does not change with repeated corrections
9. 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
10. 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. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychiatrist.

Parenting is a lifetime job be it for a normal child or a child with special needs. Parents are teachers, guides, leaders, protectors and providers for their children. Parenting is a process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, financial and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Every child is a gift and a blessing to their parents. On the other hand, parenting itself is one of the toughest jobs and that too for a child with special needs, it is both a blessing and challenge.

It is a very unique experience to live with a disabled child as it has a major impact on the family, siblings and extended family members. However, discovering a problem should be the initial step to start with parenting such children. Discovering a child's special needs is often a confusing and painful process for parents as sometimes learning difficulties can be multiple and difficult to pinpoint and it can be hard for parents to know whether things are normal or not.

There are various categories of disabilities that your child might fall under. For example: Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Other Health Impairment, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Emotional disturbance, Speech or language impairment, Visual impairment, including blindness, Deafness, Deaf-blindness, Orthopedic impairment, Intellectual disability, Traumatic brain injury, Multiple disabilities.

Some common indications for the development of learning disabilities which can be taken into consideration

1. Difficulty with reading/writing
2. Problems with math skills
3. Difficulty in remembering
4. Problem in paying attention
5. Trouble following directions
6. Difficulty with concepts related to time
7. Problem in staying organized
8. Impulsive behavior
9. Inappropriate responses in school or social situations
10. Difficulty staying on task(easily distracted)
11. Difficulty finding the right way to say something
12. Immature way of speaking
13. Inconsistent school performance
14. Difficulty listening well
15. Problem in understanding words or concept

But the above mentioned signs are not enough to determine that a person has a learning disability. A professional assessment is also necessary to diagnose a learning disability because every disability has its own signs and unless they persist over time cannot be considered as a 'disability'. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a psychologist.