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What is Dyslexia? |
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Symptoms
Dyslexia is a condition which impairs the brain’s capability to translate the visual, written images which are received through the eyes into a sensible language. The condition is also referred to as a specific reading impairment, and is the most common learning disorder in children, accounting for five percent of those in primary school. Dyslexia may be difficult to detect prior to proper schooling, but initial cues may hint of the problem. If the young child develops speech at a later phase, and has difficulty in incorporating words and rhymes in his or her speech, the child may bear an enhanced risk for dyslexia. Once the child enters school, the symptoms of dyslexia are more noticeable, such as extreme frustration in recognizing printed or written words and letters, and a reading capability which is severely below the standards for the child’s age.
Causes
Learning disabilities are conditions which create a gap between a person’s capability and performance. Many people who bear dyslexia are usually at average or above-average levels of intelligence; but they also read at proficiencies which are substantially lower than standard expectations. The other kinds of learning impairments which are closely related to dyslexia include short attention spans, an incapability to do well at writing, and a similar difficulty with mathematics. Specialists believe malfunctions in specific regions of the brain, particularly those which are associated with language, to be the cause of dyslexia; the condition is also known to run in the family.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of dyslexia necessitates an assessment of various factors, including the patient’s medical history, and his or her cognitive and sensory-processing capabilities. The physician may also inquire about a child’s developmental history, as well as any similar conditions which run the family. As part of the evaluation, the patient may also be advised to undergo a psychological assessment, in order to ascertain if there are specific social problems, anxieties, or depressive tendencies which inhibit the child’s learning ability. Other disorders can be ruled out with an auditory, visual, and neurological assessment; the child may also be asked to take a series of educational tests, in accordance with an expert assessment of the quality of the child’s reading abilities.
Treatment Info
There is currently no known procedure which corrects the underlying malfunction for dyslexia, and the best treatment for such may be in the form of remedial education. An initial psychological test will assist the child’s tutors to come up with an appropriate remedial instruction program. The program follows through on a multisensory approach, wherein the teacher may employ techniques which incorporate the child’s auditory, tactile, and visual abilities to help him or her improve on reading. Repetition of the lessons is also essential to reinforce recall, and if the child suffers from a severe reading impairment, the instruction may involve a series of one-on-one or cell-group sessions. The progress can be slow, and a severely dyslexic child may never be fully proficient at reading; in this case, he or she will have to be trained for vocations which don’t necessitate proficient reading skills.
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