Albert Einstein, synonymous with the word “Genius” suffered with dyslexia in his early childhood. Is this a disease? No, it is not a disease, but is a difficulty with the words. It is a struggle with one or more facets of learning which causes problems of reading, writing, and difficulty with spellings. However, they do not have difficulty with comprehension, nor the person’s intelligence is affected. Dyslexia can range from mild to severe. It is a lifetime problem and can impact the daily activities of the affected person. Dyslexia in children my affect their growth and development, which is not the case with that in the adults.
The signs and symptoms of dyslexia generally differ from person to person. However, the person with dyslexia may usually have the following symptoms:
However, most often people with dyslexia have good skills such as problem-solving and creative thinking. Individuals with dyslexia have their unique strengths and weaknesses.
The exact cause of dyslexia is not known, but the below are the possible causes:
Hereditary: The most common risk factor for dyslexia is a family history. It is known to run most often in the families. Certain genes inherited from the brain act together affecting different parts of the brain.
Different working of the brain: Dyslexia is due to the impairment in the processing ability of the brain. The brain cannot understand the smallest units of speech i.e. the words in such persons.
Poor visual coding: It is also believed that dyslexia is possible due to a poor visual coding.
The below complications can arise if dyslexia is not addressed
It is more effective to provide treatment of dyslexia if diagnosed in the earlier stages. However, it is difficult for both parents and teachers to identify dyslexia in children as the signs and symptoms are not obvious.
An intelligence test is performed by a psychologist or other health care professional to diagnose dyslexia.
Several standard tests are available for performing the above evaluations such as Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, etc.
Initially, health problems such as problems with hearing, seeing, etc. should be addressed. If these problems are not the cause, then a different approach is needed.
Dyslexia cannot be cured but can be managed with appropriate instructions aiming the learning needs. Most of the children get benefited with these instructions and can lead a productive life by overcoming the learning difficulties.
If you notice that your child has dyslexia, you should talk to the teacher to provide special needs to the child. They may take the below steps for additional support to the child
