After hearing about so many cases of dyslexia from people close to me, I am wondering what it is all about. There are no statistics available for Malaysia, according to MyHEALTH, but it is estimated that 4% – 8% of school-aged children have dyslexia.
In addition, this condition affects more boys than girls. Meanwhile, the International Dyslexia Association estimates that 15-20% of the population has some form of dyslexia.
Such alarming information, don’t you think?
Now that my kids are in primary school, I am worried about them. It’s because my kids have a habit of writing certain alphabets and numbers reverse or upside down.
I even asked a friend who has a dyslexic daughter in a special programme how he learned about his daughter. He stated that he had a feeling something was wrong because he couldn’t understand anything his daughter was writing.
Therefore, he took her to a dyslexia centre for several tests before she was diagnosed with dyslexia. His daughter’s case was so severe that she needed to enrol in a school for dyslexic children.
With two children in primary school, I am constantly concerned and scrutinising their writing. If they ever write numbers or alphabets incorrectly, I would immediately correct them and see if they are aware of the errors.
So far, my eldest, who is in Year 3, has moved past this behaviour, but my son, who has only recently entered Year 1, is still struggling.
Before I go any further, I believe it is important to understand what dyslexia is and what it entails.
What Is Dyslexia, And Why Am I Concerned?
Dyslexia is defined by NeuroHealth as a learning disability that impairs a person’s ability to read by interfering with spelling, writing, and comprehension skills.
Dyslexia is not a learning disability that a child will outgrow, so it is critical to seek a diagnosis and implement strategies to improve the kids’ ability as early as possible. This means knowing how children are doing in school from the start is crucial.
I’m concerned because when both my children started kindergarten a few years ago, I noticed that some of their writings were jumbled up. The most obvious ones are that they were confused with the letters b and d, p and q, as well as writing the numbers 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 backward.
At the same time, they were reading much slower than the other kids. I was worried and started asking my parents about it, and they said it’s perfectly normal as long as my kids are aware of their mistakes and able to do it correctly when asked again.
That gave me some comfort, but I still keep track of my children’s reading and writing progress. My daughter was getting better when she was nearing the end of Year 1, and she no longer appears to have that problem now.
I am extremely delighted, but I must keep an eye out for my son, who has improved in reading but not in writing. He just started Year 1 and is doing better than he did in kindergarten. So, I’m still working with him to see if he remembers how to write alphabets and numbers correctly.
Besides that, I have read online that identifying early dyslexia symptoms can aid in a quicker diagnosis of the condition.
So, What are the Symptoms and Causes?
First of all, it’s important to acknowledge that dyslexia is unrelated to IQ.
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health discovered that children with dyslexia exhibited the same patterns of brain activation regardless of whether they had high or low IQ scores concerning their reading abilities.
However, dyslexia can manifest in a variety of ways. Although not everyone with the condition will experience all of them, the symptoms do vary with age.
Let’s look at how dyslexia affect people of various ages, as described by MedicalNewsToday:
Babies and Preschool (Age 2-5)
By the age of 3 years old, or even earlier, children can show signs of dyslexia. Every child develops at their own pace when learning to speak. But a delay in speaking can be a warning sign of dyslexia.
Young children may also exhibit the following additional symptoms of dyslexia:
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- issues relating to rhyme
- not being able to quickly recognise the letters in their name
- not using the right word for a specific object
- difficulty with sequences, such as difficulty telling stories, following instructions, or reciting the alphabet
Elementary School (Age 5-10)
A person with dyslexia has trouble understanding words and associating their sounds and meanings. Dyslexia may show one or more of the following symptoms in elementary kids:
- confusing letter shapes and sounds
- making mistakes when reading aloud, such as saying a synonym for the word on the page or skipping prepositions
- difficulty distinguishing between left and right
- problems with spelling
- difficulty talking about or describing what they have read
- find books boring and frustrating
- having a hard time sounding out new words
- switching up the sequence of letters in a word
Middle Grades (Age 11-13)
Untreated dyslexia may put a student at risk of falling further and further behind their peers. They might be less capable of picking up information than other students, and their vocabulary might not develop as quickly.
It might be challenging for them to prove their knowledge in tests with essay-style questions and other assignments where writing is crucial. Around the age of eleven, additional dyslexia symptoms can start to emerge, such as:
- utilising words with the correct phonology but the incorrect meaning, such as ‘assimilate’ in place of ‘simulate’
- poor handwriting
- lack of self-esteem brought on by challenges in academic performance
- social isolation
High School and College
Slow reading speed is one of the most difficult dyslexia symptoms for high school or college students to deal with because it can make it difficult for them to finish assignments on time. Dyslexic students in high school and college may also:
- struggle to come up with the right word to use
- find learning a foreign language incredibly challenging
- be unable to grasp wordplay such as puns
- possess a large listening vocabulary but limited reading or writing vocabulary
- consider themselves to be dense or worry about their academic progress despite receiving good grades
Adults
Adult dyslexia frequently exhibit these symptoms:
- trouble comprehending the components of spoken communication
- poor working memory
- limited ability to process visual information
The following signs and symptoms are also possible in adults with dyslexia:
- difficulty remembering lists and numbers
- excessive use of ‘um’ and ‘er’ when speaking
- frequent forgetting of names
- issues with organising and preparing written work
How Can Dyslexia Be Diagnosed?
After reviewing the symptoms, I am not particularly concerned about my children having dyslexia, but I am keeping an eye on them.
Nonetheless, it is critical to understand how dyslexia is diagnosed, so here is what I discovered on Persatuan Dyslexia Malaysia.
For dyslexia to be treated effectively, a diagnosis must be made. This is especially true because dyslexia in children is frequently misdiagnosed. After all, several of other conditions can exhibit similar symptoms.
Tests like the IQ test and reading test can be used to diagnose dyslexia. When a child exhibits symptoms that resemble dyslexia, these two tests evaluate them.
An IQ test will be conducted prior to performing a reading test. An average to above average IQ test score would be obtained for a dyslexic child, but they would perform poorly on the reading test.
The other test is the ‘Checklist’ Method, which involves examining a child for any signs of dyslexia using a checklist of questions created by experts. A variety of diagnostic techniques are available, including computer game-based screening tests.
The best course of action when your child exhibits dyslexia symptoms and signs is to consult a healthcare provider who can either confirm or rule out the diagnosis.
Keep Track of Your Kids’ Performance in School
Wherever you read about dyslexia or any other learning disability, the key to getting the condition better is to diagnose it as soon as possible. That is why, once the children start school, it is critical to monitor their progress.
Speak with their teachers if you notice them struggling academically or socially. It is said that when a child is diagnosed with dyslexia it cannot be overcome. People with dyslexia can, however, succeed in school and the workplace with the right instruction and support.
As a result, if parents are aware of the condition early on, they will be able to determine which stage of dyslexia their child is in and what kind of treatments will be most effective.
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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