Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects people with normal intelligence and normal vision. A person with dyslexia has a hard time interpreting words on a page, and in some cases, words that he hears. Most of the time, dyslexia is present in children from toddlerhood or preschool-age. Sometimes, an adult can develop dyslexia after an accident, trauma or other incident that affects the brain.
Symptoms
Children with dyslexia are often not diagnosed until they start school. Before that, a child with dyslexia may talk later than normal or have trouble understanding the concept of rhyming. Once he enters school, he may learn to read much more slowly than his peers. He may have trouble following directions, both verbal and written. He may see and write letters or words backwards past the age of eight years. Before eight years of age, it is normal for children to occasionally reverse letters and words. Dyslexics often have trouble with spelling, sequencing and learning a second language.
Diagnosis
If you suspect that your child has dyslexia, your doctor will take a thorough medical history and may recommend that she see a specialist. The child will have her vision, hearing and neurological system checked to see if there is a physical reason for her learning problems. An evaluation of her mental health may be done to check for any psychological problems, such as anxiety or depression. Finally, an educational assessment will be done to evaluate her reading and processing ability.
Treatment and Prognosis
Children with dyslexia should have a tutor or a teacher who is experienced in helping children with learning disabilities. His educational plan should be customized to the way that the child learns best. Not all children with dyslexia learn the same way, but they need to be taught new ways to decode words, read out loud, comprehend what they are reading, and build their vocabulary. Family support and involvement is important, as a parent may need to spend time each day reviewing or building upon what was done in school.
Children with dyslexia that is diagnosed early in their lives have the best prognosis for learning to read well and doing well in school despite their disability. Some children, especially those with severe dyslexia, may never learn to read or spell well. Those who do not have their dyslexia treated may suffer from anxiety, depression, aggression or social withdrawal due to their condition. These complications should be treated as well.
