According to a report, there are between 10% to15% of dyslexic children in Malaysia.
Many go undiagnosed, and many more struggle to keep up with their learning. Many fall behind as a result, which is not only unfair, but completely avoidable.
There is simply less awareness of the condition, with many labelling undiagnosed dyslexic children as slow, stupid or lazy.
These are cruel stigmas that need to end in order for there to be adequate changes in the education sector to accommodate special needs children so that they can lead normal, happy lives just like their neurotypical peers.
As of this moment, there is no support for dyslexic children in public schools. If your child has dyslexia, you will need to take them to a special needs centre. Something that may cost hundreds of Ringgits. Something that not many parents can afford.
However, just because you can’t send your child for therapy, doesn’t mean you can’t support their education at home.
In fact, Dr Cruger, child neuropsychologist, said that traditional tutoring may actually be counterproductive for dyslexic children. Especially if it’s a negative experience. So, a parent’s gentle guidance may actually be much better for their overall progress.
Here’s what you can do at home to help your dyslexic child.
Determine What Type of Dyslexia They Have
When it comes to special needs education, knowledge is key. Before you even decide on a lesson plan, determine how exactly your child experiences the world.
Contrary to popular belief, not all dyslexic children have the same symptoms. There are many types of dyslexia. Sometimes the words move around the page, disappear in chunks, become blurry or even reverse in order.
So, it’s important to find out about your child’s dyslexia in detail.
However, this can be particularly difficult to do if your child is young and don’t have a large enough vocabulary yet to describe their dyslexic experience. Plus, many dyslexic children also suffer from speech delays, which is another hurdle.
So, in these cases, it’s important to go to a professional to help you identify what type they have. And how to go about helping your child overcome their specific brand of dyslexia.
Hence, you may have to set some funds aside for a first or second visit anyway even if you’re not planning on enrolling your child on a reading intervention programme.
Try Type-Based Material Instead of Written Ones
Using a computer instead of pen and paper can actually take away some of the visual stress that dyslexic children often experience.
In general, larger texts with more space in between lines can greatly help letter recognition. The best font for dyslexia is usually Sans Serif fonts like Arial or Comic Sans which have fewer or no swashes.
You can use an Microsoft Word document instead of exercise worksheets, which allows for much swifter customisation for on-the-go lesson plans.
Plus, it saves a lot on printing or any other stationery that is often employed in traditional classrooms. With digital tools, you can re-use the same document indefinitely.
If you want to take it a step further, get them a keyboard with large lettering to help them recognise and remember letters more easily.
However, be sure to get them some glare-proof glasses while they work. Screen glare often makes it harder for dyslexic kids to read.
But it’s important to remember that dyslexic children don’t need prescription reading glasses. Their condition is neurological, not visual.
Make Use of Audio/Visual Books
Audiobooks are a great tool for dyslexic children. Contrary to popular belief, the condition only affects your child’s visual skills, a sort of dysfunction between how the eyes and the brain communicates. The condition, however, does not affect their auditory or hearing ability.
So, one of the ways that tutors circumvent the visual stress of dyslexia is by employing or emphasising sounds instead of words, or in conjunction with words. This creates sound-symbol (or sound-object) association that can greatly help when they read.
This is an auditory tactic often used as part of the multisensory approach that allows a child to create mnemonic triggers by associating sounds with objects (or ideas) and then later with their corresponding letters or words.
Some textbooks, for instance, employ art to make letters look like the sounds they represent.
The letter ‘S’, for instance, may be designed in the shape of an S-like ‘Snake’—to familiarise the child with the name and the sound of the letter using an object that contains the letter within it. This sounds less complicated when put into practice.
Try Some Dyslexia-Friendly Apps
There are dozens of apps that help make reading comfortable and easier for dyslexic children. Either by converting reading material into a dyslexia-friendly format, or allowing you to type/copy paste words in real time using dyslexia-friendly settings.
Some even have different settings for different versions of dyslexia.
You can easily customise these to fit to your child’s unique visual challenges. It’s important to remember that when it comes to dyslexia one size does not fit all.
There will be a lot of trial and error before you find the right setting or feature that facilitates reading for your child. Each child’s dyslexia is different. So, it’s important to cater as much as you can to their needs.
Repetition is Key
When reading to your child, or using materials, it’s important to keep repeating the same word, sentence, paragraph or story over and over again. You may eventually get bored of this even as your child is only just starting to get used to the routine.
The number of times you have to repeat depends on the child’s dyslexia.
Some children start recognising letters and words faster than others. It all depends on how well they can create their own internal coping strategies for remembering sounds.
If you think you’re frustrated repeating the same lessons over and over, imagine what it’s like for a dyslexic child. Some letters may appear broken, incomplete or out of order.
Make Sure They’re Comfortable
Parents often neglect the benefits of home-schooling or home-learning. You can take away all the official-ness of a regular classroom and make it fun and comfortable.
This means omitting the need to sit on a chair and table for hours. You can sit on the sofa, on a swing, on a mat in the backyard picnic style, or even on the bed. This will make your child much more receptive to learning.
In conjunction with this, it’s important to ‘sterilise’ the environment. Eliminate all distractions—be it noise, bright lights, pets, other siblings, or the television.
When using books, lessons or reading materials, customise the content to your child’s interest whether that’s dinosaurs, space or superheroes.
Managing Dyslexia at Home
Tutoring a special needs child at home requires a lot of patience. But it’s definitely cheaper and more manageable for them and for you.
However, it’s important to remember that even if this is the case, there may still be some financial costs. Some of the purchases mentioned earlier will still be required like the keyboard, the glasses and in some cases, even the apps.
But don’t think of these extra expenses as losses. Your child will likely be struggling with dyslexia for their entire lives. So don’t hesitate to invest in your child’s early intervention. It will ensure they lead a better more fulfilling life full of endless opportunities.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner.
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