It’s Dyslexia Awareness Week! So, I thought I’d pen a post on dyslexia…
In 1887, a German ophthalmologist called Rudolf Berlin was the first person to use the term ‘dyslexia’. Before Herr Berlin came along, people used the phrase ‘word blindness’ to describe the same condition. Dyslexia describes a specific difficulty with spelling, reading and writing. These days, ‘dyslexia’ is a well-known term, but the condition itself is awash with controversy. Some experts argue that there is no single, clear definition of dyslexia and that many of the symptoms overlap with other medical conditions. However, dyslexia is still a term, and diagnosis, currently in use in the UK. The British Dyslexia Association says that 10 percent of the UK population have some degree of dyslexia. This means there is an average of 3 children with dyslexia in every classroom. So, what does dyslexia mean for the children who have it?
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a lifelong condition that impacts on reading, writing, spelling and sometimes speaking. People who have dyslexia have no problem with their intellect. It is language that they have difficulty with, particularly once it’s in written form. More boys have dyslexia than girls. There is a genetic/family link too. If someone else in your family has dyslexia, then you are more likely to have it yourself.
How do you know if someone has dyslexia?
People with dyslexia have more difficulty with spelling, reading and writing than their peers. As so much of our learning in school depends on reading and understanding written material, children with dyslexia often struggle academically as a result. Like many other conditions, dyslexia is variable in terms of its severity and how it affects different people. Even before children are old enough to tackle the written word, there can be early indications of difficulty. Some children with dyslexia are slow to reach their early developmental milestones. For example, some are late to start crawling, walking, speaking and throwing. Some have difficulty pronouncing words correctly, have problems with concentration or are unusually clumsy. There are lots of possible symptoms. Different people have their own unique and individual pattern of strengths and difficulties.
The good things about dyslexia
Dyslexia does have its positive aspects. The brains of people with this condition are wired slightly differently. So, people with dyslexia are often very creative and tend to have good spatial awareness skills and lateral thinking ability. This has led to adults with dyslexia having great success in design, engineering, business, artistic endeavours and science. Billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson has dyslexia. So too does successful business-man and Apprentice boss Sir Alan Sugar. There are lots of other famous people with dyslexia, including co-founder of Apple, Steve Job and arguably the greatest scientist that has ever lived, Albert Einstein. So, the good news is that dyslexics can do extremely well in their careers. In fact, the sky’s the limit!
Is diagnosis a good idea?
Some experts argue that children benefit just as much from help with their reading as they do from a diagnosis of dyslexia. So, why bother with a diagnostic label? One benefit of getting a diagnosis might be the financial help which is then possible…extra finance means extra help, extra one-to-one support in school and extra resources such as hardware and software too. Children with a diagnosis of dyslexia get extra time in exams and are sometimes eligible for free laptops, tablets and software which will type essays and projects as the child speaks them – no need for them to do the pesky typing! Another possible benefit of getting a diagnosis is that an explanation for reading difficulties can come as a relief. Your child might harbour the secret belief, or have overheard from others, that they are “behind with their reading”, “slow”, “stupid” or even “lazy”. Once they are diagnosed, you can reassure them that their brain is wired a little differently, so they might need extra help with their reading, writing and spelling…but that’s okay, they are not alone and they are certainly not “stupid”.
How do I get my child diagnosed?
Parents can ask for the school to pay for an assessment with an Educational Psychologist or qualified Specialist Dyslexia Teacher. However, each assessment costs several hundred pounds. Hence, schools are sometimes reluctant to go ahead with this. Alternatively, parents can opt to pay privately for assessment by an Educational Psychologist or qualified Specialist Dyslexia Teacher. The cost of this can vary between £300 to £450 or more.
Before going ahead with the assessment process, parents may wish to ‘screen’ their children for likelihood of having dyslexia. The Bristol Dyslexia Centre has an online quiz, on its website. This is free of charge and takes around 5 minutes to complete. Once you have answered all the questions, it calculates a percentage score. It also tells you something like “It is unlikely that you are dyslexic but keep a close eye on progress” or “There are some positive indications of dyslexia”. It won’t give you a diagnosis, but it might help you decide whether to go ahead with a full assessment.
More information
British Dyslexia Association website http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/
Dyslexia Research Trust website http://www.dyslexic.org.uk/
Bristol Dyslexia Centre website http://www.dyslexiacentre.co.uk/
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