Dyslexia – from symptoms to management

April 2, 2019

• Advice for Parents
• / Topical

Read our latest blog about dyslexia. It was written by one of our interns…

Dyslexia is one of the most common learning difficulties, affecting a person’s ability to read, write and spell (NHS). Although intelligence is unaffected, it is a lifelong condition and can cause daily difficulties. The organisation Edutopia uses the following passage to highlight what it is like to live with dyslexia.

“The bottob line it thit it doet exitt, no bitter whit nibe teotle give it (i.e. ttecific leirning ditibility, etc). In fict, iccording to Tilly Thiywitz (2003) itt trevilence it ictuilly one in five children, which it twenty tercent.”

According to this organisation, after reading this passage you will have “experienced dyslexia for one minute.” Exercises like this are important as dyslexia is often misunderstood and underappreciated as a serious condition that requires specialist help. Identification is a crucial stage so that appropriate help can be given to the person whether at school or in the workplace. According to the NHS, dyslexia can be identified in a child before school in some cases so it is important to be aware of the indicators. These include:

• delayed speech development compared with other children of the same age (although this can have many different causes)
• speech problems, such as not being able to pronounce long words properly and “jumbling” up phrases – for example, saying “hecilopter” instead of “helicopter”, or “beddy tear” instead of “teddy bear”
• problems expressing themselves using spoken language, such as being unable to remember the right word to use, or putting together sentences incorrectly
• little understanding or appreciation of rhyming words, such as “the cat sat on the mat”, or nursery rhymes
• difficulty with, or little interest in, learning letters of the alphabet

For children of school age who are beginning to learn how to read and write, the symptoms are more obvious and wide varied:

• problems learning the names and sounds of letters
• spelling that is unpredictable and inconsistent
• putting letters and figures the wrong way round – such as writing “6” instead “9”, or “b” instead of “d”
• confusing the order of letters in words
• reading slowly or making errors when reading aloud
• visual disturbances when reading – for example, a child may describe letters and words as seeming to move around or appear blurred
• answering questions well orally, but having difficulty writing down the answer
• difficulty carrying out a sequence of directions
• struggling to learn sequences, such as days of the week or the alphabet
• slow writing speed
• poor handwriting
• problems copying written language, and taking longer than normal to complete written work

Along with these, there are issues of phonological awareness which can be defined as “the ability to recognise that words are made up of smaller units of sound (phonemes) and that changing and manipulating phonemes can create new words and meanings.” (NHS) This can make learning how to pronounce words extremely difficult and prevent confidence in reading aloud. Dyslexic children can also struggle with “word attack” skills which involves understanding new words and finding smaller words within them, that the child already knows. For example, “a child with good word attack skills may read the word “sunbathing” for the first time and gain a sense of the meaning of the word by breaking it down into “sun”, “bath”, and “ing”” (NHS). A dyslexic child can struggle in this area and so can be slow to learn these larger words.

Although diagnosis is easiest during the ages of 5-12, sometimes it is missed and so teenagers and even adults can suffer without the proper help. According to the NHS, the specific symptoms for teenagers include:

• poorly organised written work that lacks expression – for example, even though they may be very knowledgeable about a certain subject, they may have problems expressing that knowledge in writing
• difficulty planning and writing essays, letters or reports
• difficulties revising for examinations
• trying to avoid reading and writing whenever possible
• difficulty taking notes or copying
• poor spelling
• struggling to remember things such as a PIN or telephone number
• struggling to meet deadlines

Correctly identifying these indicators even at a secondary school age is extremely important as these symptoms can have a huge impact on a student’s ability to take exams and complete coursework. Succeeding in these incredibly important exams could depend on a student getting the extra help they need to fulfil their potential. These problems become even more acute at university or in the workplace where the help may not be as readily available. This further highlights the importance of early diagnosis.

Management

As dyslexia is a life-long condition, the strategies to best manage it are crucial. Having a good awareness of all of the above symptoms is important for teachers and parents alike so that help can be given as early as possible. Correct and timely interventions can make all the difference to a student’s academic success. Edutopia argue that “for many of these students, accommodations in the classroom can be the difference between academic success and academic failure and frustration.” These accommodations can take many forms. According to the NHS, help for dyslexic students often focuses on “phonological skills”, which is the ability to identify and process word sounds”. It is also recommended that the student is taught in a “multisensory” way that allows the student to utilise several senses at once. The part of parents must not be forgotten in helping a child with their dyslexia, especially if they’re younger. For parents, the NHS recommends the following:

• Read to your child – this will improve their vocabulary and listening skills, and it will also encourage their interest in books.
• Share reading – both read some of the book and then discuss what’s happening, or what might happen.
• “Overlearning” – repetition will reinforce their understanding and means they will become familiar with the text.
• Silent reading – children also need the chance to read alone to encourage their independence and fluency.
• Make reading fun – reading should be a pleasure, not a chore. Use books about subjects your child is interested in, and ensure that reading takes place in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

Tuition can play an important role in helping dyslexic students manage their symptoms and reach their full potential. Children enjoy the one-on-one learning environment that tuition provides, and that schools can often not. A balance must be found as The British Dyslexic Association highlights. There is the need for both one-on-one teaching which may require separate tuition as well as in-class support.

Reference

National Health Service, Dyslexia Overview, https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dyslexia/ [accessed 04 June 2018]

Kelli Sandman-Hurley, ‘Dyslexia in the General Education Classroom’, Edutopia, https://www.edutopia.org/blog/dyslexia-in-general-ed-classroom-kelli-sandman-hurley [accessed 04 June 2018]

British Dyslexia Association, Literacy Tuition, http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/educator/literacy-tuition [accessed 04 June 2018]