Understanding Dyslexia

Diagnosing Dyslexia

There is no cure for dyslexia, but it is a condition that lasts for life and affects how the brain understands reading and speech. However, people with dyslexia can manage it by learning ways to improve their reading and writing skills.

 

  • Educational and emotional support is one of the most effective ways to deal with children with dyslexia. It is significant to notice early signs and give more time to children with dyslexia. For instance, teachers can give more time to children who show signs of dyslexia. They can be provided with audiobooks or written reports. Moreover, specialized reading programs can be designed to help people with dyslexia improve their reading skills. “A child is experiencing reversals in reading, such as b for d and was for saw, teaching should be focused on meaning rather than on specific letters. This can be achieved by using the problem some letters in words and using these words in highly predictable sentences. Although the child may be experiencing reversals with b and d when looked upon as individual letters, chances are greater that the child will not when these letters are placed into words, for example: big and dig"(Mollica, 1996). For more information, please visit https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/advice/children/is-my-child-dyslexic/diagnosis

 

  • Electroencephalography (EEG) can be used as a tool to understand brain activity related to reading difficulties. It measures brainwaves and identifies patterns in which the brain processes the information; therefore, it can help in identifying children with dyslexia and treat them with proper techniques and approaches. “The treatment of disorder could be achieved if detected at early stage with proper learning activities, approaches and techniques. EEG potentially provides practical scanning of neurological defects and analysis for dyslexia detection with machine learning techniques” (Ahire, Awale, Patnsil, & Wagh, Apr 2023)

 

  • Multisensory learning This method involves using more than one sense at a time like sound, sight, and touch to help reinforce learning. For example, a child might trace letters while listening to their sounds. Moreover, language and speech therapies can be provided to improve their phonological awareness. “The strength of technology is that it presents the information by means of multimedia elements (audio, text, images, or videos), it can be stored and transferred, and it allows for the combination and transformation of different media. This is considerably beneficial for the attention to the student's individual needs and contributes to the treatment of dyslexia” (Evaluation of motivational learning strategies for children with dyslexia: A FORDYSVAR proposal for education and sustainable innovation, 2021).