Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a common learning disability that hinders the development of reading skills. It impairs a person's ability to translate the sounds within words (phonemes) in the correct sequence, and this causes reading to be slow and inaccurate.
Dyslexia makes it hard to read, write, and spell. It also affects memory of spoken and written words.
The cause of dyslexia is not clear, although it may be genetic because it runs in families.
For treatment, educational tools can help retrain the way the mind processes the sounds within words. But reading will likely not ever be easy for a person with dyslexia.
What are the symptoms of dyslexia?
Symptoms of dyslexia in children may include difficulty reading or sounding out words. Your child may read slower than what is expected at your child's age. And they may also have a hard time remembering number facts. Having several symptoms of dyslexia may mean that your child should be tested.
How is dyslexia treated?
Treatment involves teaching methods to help your child read better. This includes teaching how letters are linked to sounds to make words, helping the child read aloud, and teaching the child to listen to and repeat instructions. You and your child's teachers and school personnel can help design a learning plan for your child.
How is dyslexia diagnosed?
No single test can diagnose dyslexia. A doctor or school professional will ask you and your child's teachers what signs of dyslexia you've noticed. Reading and other tests may help look at your child's learning style and their language and problem-solving skills. This can help check for dyslexia.
Helping your child who has dyslexia develop reading skills
You can be a positive force in your child's education. Following is a list of ways parents can help their young children who have dyslexia develop reading skills.
- Read to your child.
Find time to read to your child every day. Point to the words as you read. Draw attention to words that you run across in daily life, such as traffic signs, billboards, notices, and labels.
- Be a good reading role model.
Show your child how important reading is to daily life. Make books, magazines, and other reading materials available for your child to explore and enjoy independently.
- Focus on the sounds (phonemes) within words.
Play rhyming games, sing songs that emphasize rhyme and alliteration, play word games, sound out letters, and point out similarities in words.
- Work on spelling.
Point out new words, play spelling games, and encourage your child to write.
- Help with time and planning.
Hang up simple charts, clocks, and calendars, so your child can visualize time and plan for the future.
- Share in the joy of reading.
Find books that your child can read but that you will also enjoy. Sit together, take turns reading, and encourage discussion. Revisiting words that cause trouble for your child and rereading stories are powerful tools to reinforce learning.
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes it hard to read, write, and spell. Children who have dyslexia may read slower than what is expected at their age. Or they may have trouble remembering math facts or words.
What causes dyslexia?
Experts don't know for sure what causes dyslexia. But it often runs in families. So it may be passed from parents to children. Some studies have found problems with how the brain links letters and words with the sounds they make.
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