Description

Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called reading disability, dyslexia is a result of individual differences in the areas of the brain that process language.

Dyslexia is not due to problems with the intelligence, vision, or hearing. Most children with dyslexia can succeed in school with tutoring or a specialized education program. Emotional support also plays an important role.

Although there is no cure for dyslexia, early intervention and assessment of results in the best results. Sometimes, dyslexia is not diagnosed for years and not recognized until adulthood, but it is never too late to seek help.

Symptoms

The signs of dyslexia can be difficult to recognize before your child enters school, but some early clues may indicate a problem. Once the child reaches school age, your child's teacher may be the first warning of a problem. The severity varies, but the condition often becomes apparent as a child begins to learn to read.

Before school

Signs that a child may be at risk of dyslexia are:

  • At the end of talk
  • Learning new words slowly
  • Problems of the formation of words correctly, such as reversing the sounds in the words or confusing words that sound alike
  • Problems to remember or say the names of the letters, numbers, and colors
  • Difficulty learning nursery rhymes or playing rhyming games

School-age

Once your child is in school, dyslexia, symptoms can be more evident, including:

  • Reading well below the expected level for age
  • Problems processing and understanding what is heard
  • Difficulty finding the right word or the formation of the answers to the questions
  • Problems remembering the sequence of things
  • Difficulty seeing (and, occasionally, of the audience) similarities and differences in letters and words
  • Inability to sound out the pronunciation of an unknown word
  • Difficulty spelling
  • Spend an unusually long time in the performance of tasks that involve reading or writing
  • Avoid activities that involve reading

Adolescents and adults

Dyslexia signs in adolescents and adults are very similar to those in children. Some symptoms of dyslexia in teens and adults include:

  • Difficulty reading, including reading aloud
  • Slow and laborious reading and writing
  • Spelling problems
  • Avoid activities that involve reading
  • Mispronouncing the names or words, or have trouble retrieving the words
  • Spend an unusually long time in the performance of tasks that involve reading or writing
  • The difficulty of summarizing a story
  • Problems in the learning of a foreign language
  • Difficulty doing math problems

When to see a doctor

Despite the fact that most children are ready to learn how to read by kindergarten or first grade, children with dyslexia often have problems learning to read at that time. Talk with your health care provider if your child's reading level is below what is expected for the age of your child, or if you notice any other signs of dyslexia.

When dyslexia is not diagnosed and treated, the childhood reading difficulties continue into adulthood.

Causes

Dyslexia results from differences in individual parts of the brain that allow for the reading. It tends to run in families. Dyslexia seems to be linked to certain genes that affect how the brain processes reading and language.

Risk factors

A family history of dyslexia or other reading disabilities or learning increases the risk of having dyslexia.

Complications

Dyslexia can lead to several problems, including:

  • Learning problems. Because reading is a basic skill for most of the other subjects of the school, a child with dyslexia is at a disadvantage in most of the classes and can have trouble keeping up with their peers.
  • Social problems. Left untreated, dyslexia can lead to low self-esteem, behavior problems, anxiety, aggression, and withdrawal from friends, parents and teachers.
  • Problems as adults. The inability to read and understand it can prevent the children to reach their potential as they grow. This can have a negative impact on long-term educational, social, and economic impacts.

Children with dyslexia are at greater risk of having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and vice versa. ADHD can make it difficult to maintain attention. It can also cause hyperactivity and impulsive behavior, which can make the dyslexia more difficult to treat.

Diagnosis

There is No single test that can diagnose dyslexia. A number of factors, such as:

  • Your child's development, educational issues and medical history. The doctor will probably ask you questions about these areas. Also, the doctor will want to know about the conditions that run in the family, such as dyslexia or any other learning disability.
  • The questionnaires. The supplier may have to your child, caregivers or teachers to complete the questionnaires. Your child may be asked to take the tests to identify the reading and language skills.
  • Vision, hearing and brain (neurological) tests. These can help to determine if the presence of another disorder may be the cause or addition to your child's difficulty in reading.
  • The psychological evaluation. The doctor may ask you and your child questions to better understand your child's mental health. This can help you determine if the social problems, anxiety or depression may be the limitation of the skills of your child.
  • Tests for reading and other academic skills. Your child can make a set of educational tests, and the process and the quality of the skills of reading are analyzed by a reading expert.

Treatment

There is no known way to correct the underlying brain differences that cause dyslexia. However, the early detection and evaluation to determine the specific needs and appropriate treatment may improve success. In many cases, treatment can help the children to become proficient readers.

Technical education

Dyslexia is treated using specific educational approaches and techniques, and before the intervention begins, the better. The assessments of your child's reading skills, other skills, academic and mental health will help your child's teachers to develop a programme of teaching.

Teachers can use the techniques that involve hearing, vision and touch to improve reading skills. Helping a child to use multiple senses to learn — for example, listening to a tape of the lesson and follow-up with a finger the shape of the letters that are used and the words — can help in the processing of the information.

The treatment focuses on helping your child:

  • Learn to recognize and use the smaller of the sounds that make up words (phonemes).
  • Understand that letters and strings of letters that represent those sounds and words (phonemes).
  • To understand what is read (comprehension)
  • Read aloud to build reading accuracy, speed, and expression (fluency)
  • Build a vocabulary of recognized and understood the words

If available, of the tutoring sessions with a specialist in reading can be useful for many of the children with dyslexia. If your child has a severe reading disability, tutoring may need to occur more frequently, and the progress can be slow.

Individual education Plan

In the united States, schools have a legal obligation to take steps to help children diagnosed with dyslexia with their learning problems. Talk with your child's teacher about setting up a meeting to create a structure, a written plan that describes the needs of your child and of how the school will help your child succeed. This is called an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Early treatment

Children with dyslexia who get extra help in kindergarten or first grade often improve their reading skills enough to succeed at the elementary school and secondary school.

Children who do not get help until the later grades may have more difficulty learning the skills needed to read well. It is likely to fall behind academically and may never be able to catch up. A child with dyslexia severe can never have an easy-to-read. But a child can learn skills that improve reading and to develop strategies to improve school performance and the quality of life.

What parents can do

You play a key role in helping your child succeed. You can take these steps:

  • To address the problem early. If you suspect your child has dyslexia, talk with your health care provider. Early intervention may improve the success.
  • Read aloud with your child. It is best if you start when your child is small, but it is never too late to start. The introduction of the book as a toy for babies encourages fun, learning, and social interaction with caregivers. Read stories to your child. Also, try to listen to the recording of books with your child. When your child is old enough, to read the stories together after your child hears.
  • Work with your child's school. Talk with the teacher about how the school will help your child succeed. You are your best advocate.
  • Encourage reading and the time. Set aside time each day to read with your child. To improve reading skills, a child must practice reading. Encourage your child to read as skills develop. Also have your child read aloud to you.
  • An example for reading. Designate a time each day to read something of his own, while your child to read — this will set an example and support to your child. Show your child that reading can be enjoyable.

The adults with dyslexia can make

The success of the job may be difficult for adults who have dyslexia. To help you achieve your goals:

  • Search for assessment and instruction to help with reading and writing, regardless of your age
  • Ask about the additional training and reasonable accommodation from your employer or academic institution under the Americans with Disabilities Act

Academic problems does not necessarily mean that a person with dyslexia may not be successful. Able of students with dyslexia can be highly successful given the right resources. Many people with dyslexia are creative and brilliant and can be gifted in math, science or the arts. Some even have the deed with success in their careers.

Coping and support

Emotional support and opportunities for achievement in activities that do not involve the reading are important for children with dyslexia. If your child has dyslexia:

  • Be supportive. Problems learning to read can affect your child's self-esteem. Be sure to express your love and your support. Provide support to the praise your child's talents and strengths. Talk to the school staff so that they can provide services and support that your child needs to be successful.
  • Talk with your child. Explain to your child what dyslexia is and that is not a personal failure. Understanding this can help your child better cope with the fact of having a learning disability.
  • Take steps to help your child learn at home. Provide a clean, quiet, organized place for your child to study, and designate a time of study. Also, make sure that your child gets enough rest and eat healthy meals at regular intervals.
  • Limit screen time. Limit electronic screen time each day and use the extra time to practice reading.
  • Stay in touch with your child's teachers. Talk with teachers frequently to make sure that your child can stay on track. If necessary, make sure that your child gets more time for tests that require reading. Ask the teacher if I could help your child to record lectures for playback later.
  • Join a support group. This can help you to stay in touch with parents whose children are facing the same problems of learning. Support groups can provide useful information and emotional support. Ask your health care provider or your child's reading specialist if there are support groups in your area.

Preparing for your appointment

You can bring your concerns with your pediatrician or family doctor. To make sure that another problem is not at the root of your child's reading difficulties, the provider may refer your child to a:

  • Specialist, such as an eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist)
  • The health professional trained to evaluate hearing (audiologist)
  • Specialist in brain and disorders of the nervous system (neurologist)
  • Specialist in the central nervous system and behavior (neuropsychologist)
  • Specialist in child development and behavior (behavioral and developmental pediatrician)

You can ask a family member or friend to come, if it is possible, for support and to help you remember information.

Keeping records of the school is especially useful for the evaluation carried out by health care providers. These records can include your child's IEP or a 504 Plan, report cards, writings and communications of the school taking note of the concerns, and a limited number of your child's work samples.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment:

What you can do

Before your appointment, make a list of:

  • Any of the symptoms your child is experiencing , and the age when symptoms were first noticed, including any of the symptoms that may seem unrelated to the reason for the appointment
  • Key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes
  • All the drugs, vitamins, herbs, or other supplements you are taking, including the dosage
  • Questions for the health care provider to help you make the most of your appointment

Questions may include:

  • What do you think is the cause of my child's difficulties with reading?
  • There are other diagnoses that may be associated with, or confused with dyslexia?
  • What kind of evidence does my child need?
  • Should my child see a specialist?
  • How is dyslexia treated?
  • How quickly will we see the progress?
  • Should other family members be tested for dyslexia?
  • What are the sources of assistance or support do you recommend?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? Can you recommend any websites?
  • Are there any local educational resources for dyslexia?

Feel free to ask questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

The health care provider is likely to ask a series of questions, such as:

  • When did you first notice that their child was having trouble reading? Did a teacher to bring to your attention?
  • How is your child doing academically in the classroom?
  • At what age did your child start talking?
  • Have you tried any reading interventions? If so, what?
  • Have you noticed any behavioral problems or social difficulties suspect that you may be linked to their child's problems to read?
  • Has your child had any vision problems?

Be prepared to answer questions to make the most of your appointment time.

Symptoms and treatment of Dyslexia