Dyslexia

Overview The definition of Dyslexia literally breaks down in dys- difficulty and lexia- words so word difficulty. In other words it is an inherited condition that makes it difficult to read, write and spell. However it can also be broken down to the medical view and the psychological view. The medical view is a condition resulting from neurological, maturational, and genetic causes. The psychological view is basically specific reading problems.
What are the symptoms? (This page is only generic characteristics of Dyslexia, however as other pages can explain in much more detail better than we can then we shall be brief) Here are some of the common symptoms of Dyslexia… * Problems with reading and spelling- including recognising words, phonetics and long term memory of how to spell words. They will also confuse similar letters such as b and d. Copying from a board is also difficult as they may often loose their place. * Handwriting Dysgraphia-being unable to write properly leading to unreadable handwriting. * Poor written work * Problems with direction, including left and right, North South East and West and tasks including direction such as tying shoelaces. * Problems with sequencing, (shoelaces, letter writing, long division are all difficult for Dyslexics.) *Problems with rote memory of none meaningful facts-including difficulty with times tables, science facts, times and dates. * Issues with telling the time- * Messy bedrooms, lockers, workspaces, bags. * Problems with math are common-such as memorizing subtraction and addition facts, reading word problems etc. However Dyslexics can often excel at higher mathematical concepts such as algebra, calculus and geometry.
How is Dyslexia diagnosed? How is it treated? If the child is at school then they should be able to help. If not then privately to a specialist teacher for a diagnostic assesment or an education psychologists should be able to help. There are also a number of online tests that can be done. Just like Dyspraxia, Aspergers Syndrome or colour blindness if you’re born with Dyslexia then it’s a life long condition. However there are a number of strategies that can be applied to help Dyslexic people. Dyslexics will often find these themselves however parents and schools can also help. http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/D/dyslexia/how_to_help.html and http://81.89.134.99/main/information/extras/x09frend.asp offer some good starter advice. However “treatments" can include multi-sensory teaching methods. Once diagnosed a child’s school can put into place an individual teaching plan. Special tinted glasses are available as are computer software to read text to you, and there are also microphones that allow you to type text via your voice. In school strategies such as taping lessons or using a computer may help. Alternatively getting a copy of your friend’s notes or asking a teacher or a friend to write down homework assignments for you. It may take a bit of trial and error to find what works best for the child in question however it is worth it.
what causes Dyslexia? In a word nobody is entirely certain. However there is research looking into the causes of Dyslexia. As far as I can ascertain there is two different common schools of thought on this. The first one is Genetics. If one of your parents has it chances are you are going to have it. Doughty in 1997 using genetic linkage analysis has shown that regions of human chromosomes 6 and 15 account for much Dyslexia. Hearing problems at an early age, Such as glue ear or frequent colds- May prevent the child from receiving sounds. This causes a delay in acquiring speech and language skills because the brain is unable to discriminate and process sounds. Environmental factors may include changes in the brain or illness before during or after birth. However nobody knows for certain. There is research investigating the causes of Dyslexia happening all the time though. Famous Dyslexics. Dyslexia does not mean that a person is stupid. In fact the opposite could be applied as they have normal or above average intelligence. And dyslexics can be very successful to in fields as varied from literature and entertainment to science and politics. Do NOT believe me? Well the following where/are all Dyslexic. Famous Dyslexics include :) Tom Cruise (Actor) :) Marlo Brando (Actor) :)Pablo Picasso (Artist) :) Winston Churchill (Former Prime minister and writer) :) Richard Branson (Businessman) :) Cher (Actor and Singer) :) Albert Einstein (Scientist) :) Guy Ritchie (director) :) Henry Ford (The man behind the first cars), :) George Bush (American President), :) Hans Christian Anderson (Writer) :) Fred Astaire (Actor/dancer) :) Robbie Williams,(Singer) :) Walt Disney (Disney movies!):) George Washington (American President):) Alexander Graeme Bell, (Inventor of the light bulb and the telephone) And that IS just for starters. So Dyslexics, you are in good company. Sources for this page. http://www.dys-add.com/define.html http://www.beingdyslexic.co.uk/ http://www.dyslexiatreatment.com/famous_dyslexics.htm http://web.onetel.net.uk/~johnolivier/page12.htm http://www.dhea.org.uk/dyslexia/famous_dyslexics-2.htmlhttp://www.pediatricskerala.com/html/weekbk.htm http://www.drkoop.com/encyclopedia/93/267.html http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_781530229/Dyslexia.html http://kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/dyslexia.html http://www.napier.ac.uk/specialneeds2/staffDyslexia.htm#treating http://www.dyslexic.org.uk/aboutdyslexia2.htm http://81.89.134.99/main/information/extras/x09frend.asp http://www.dyslexiaa2z.co.uk/Dyslexia/DyslexiaFAQs.htm http://www.dys-add.com/qanda.html http://kidsource.com/kidsource/content3/dyslexia.html http://www.iamdyslexic.com/