By Dr. Dineshani Hettiarachchi Sirisena
Dyslexia is one of the most common language-based learning disabilities the world over. However, its exact numbers are elusive and its prevalence is difficult to determine precisely. As symptoms could range from mild to severe, the majority of dyslexics may not be identified and might never receive the necessary treatment to overcome their impediments. However, many who had dyslexia have gone on to accomplish great things in life. Among the many success stories are those of Thomas Edison, Stephen Spielberg, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Charles Schwab to name a few.
We spoke to Colombo South Teaching Hospital Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and University of Sri Jayewardenepura Department of Psychiatry Senior Lecturer Dr. Yasodha Rohanachandra to
understand the basis and shed light on the available interventions for early diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia.
It is important to note that dyslexia is not a disease. It is a specific learning disability that one is born with. Sometimes it runs in families.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, “dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge”.
Research has also shown that in those with dyslexia, the brain processes information differently. Dyslexia has no relationship with their intelligence. Their intelligence quotient (IQ) is normal and even above average in certain instances. However, their ability to process information seems to differ. Brain imaging has shown that when they read, they use different parts of the brain compared to people without dyslexia. There is a widely held misconception that dyslexia is purely a reading disorder. In actuality, dyslexia can also affect writing, spelling, and speaking abilities. They also exhibit difficulties in processing and manipulating the sounds in a spoken language, and as a result, can have trouble with spelling. While this certainly makes reading more difficult, with the right support, almost all individuals with dyslexia can learn to read. Since there is no cure for this condition, individuals who overcome the associated learning disability usually adopt certain coping strategies.
Early educators must be aware of how to identify dyslexia in order to take corrective steps. With the correct knowledge, they can help those who are suffering from the condition tremendously. In preschool and elementary school kids, some signs of dyslexia include difficulty with the following:
understand the basis and shed light on the available interventions for early diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia.
It is important to note that dyslexia is not a disease. It is a specific learning disability that one is born with. Sometimes it runs in families.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, “dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterised by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge”.
Research has also shown that in those with dyslexia, the brain processes information differently. Dyslexia has no relationship with their intelligence. Their intelligence quotient (IQ) is normal and even above average in certain instances. However, their ability to process information seems to differ. Brain imaging has shown that when they read, they use different parts of the brain compared to people without dyslexia. There is a widely held misconception that dyslexia is purely a reading disorder. In actuality, dyslexia can also affect writing, spelling, and speaking abilities. They also exhibit difficulties in processing and manipulating the sounds in a spoken language, and as a result, can have trouble with spelling. While this certainly makes reading more difficult, with the right support, almost all individuals with dyslexia can learn to read. Since there is no cure for this condition, individuals who overcome the associated learning disability usually adopt certain coping strategies.
Early educators must be aware of how to identify dyslexia in order to take corrective steps. With the correct knowledge, they can help those who are suffering from the condition tremendously. In preschool and elementary school kids, some signs of dyslexia include difficulty with the following:
- Learning to talk
- Pronouncing long words
- Rhyming
- Learning the alphabet sequence, days of the week, colours, shapes, and numbers
- Learning letter names and sounds
- Learning to read and write his or her name
- Learning to identify syllables (cow–boy in cowboy) and speech sounds (phonemes like b-a-t in bat) in words
- Sounding out simple words
- Reading and spelling words with the correct letter sequence ("top" rather than "pot")
- Handwriting and fine-motor co-ordination
- Read and spell far below grade level
- Avoid reading and writing
- Work slowly on reading and writing assignments and tests
- Struggle with learning a foreign language