Dyslexia

What is dyslexia?
If you look up the word dyslexia in the dictionary, you will find, that this word is derived
from the Greek word:
„dys “- meaning poor or inadequate
„lexis“ - meaning words or language
In normal speech dyslexia is disease.

The common problems which people with dyslexia have is transposing letters or numbers.
These problems can occur in listening, writing, reading, or spelling. In other words, dyslectic
people In other words, dyslexic people process language poorly, but that doesn’t mean they
aren't intelligent.

Dyslexia is a unique mind set that is often gifted and productive, but learns differently than
other minds. It is not related to low intelligence. The only common factor seems to be that
they read at levels significantly lower than typical people of a similar age and intelligence.

There are several types of dyslexia that can affect the child's ability to spell as well as read:

"Trauma dyslexia" usually occurs after some form of brain trauma or injury to the area of the
brain that controls reading and writing. It is rarely seen in today's school-age population.

A second type of dyslexia is referred to as "primary dyslexia." This type of dyslexia is a

dysfunction of, rather than damage to, the left side of the brain (cerebral cortex) and does not
change with age. Individuals with this type are rarely able to read above a fourth-grade level
and may struggle with reading, spelling, and writing as adults. Primary dyslexia is passed in
family lines through their genes (hereditary). It is found more often in boys than in girls.

A third type of dyslexia is referred to as "secondary" or "developmental dyslexia" and is felt

to be caused by hormonal development during the early stages of fetal development.
Developmental dyslexia diminishes as the child matures. It is also more common in boys.

What are the signs and symptoms of dyslexia?

Classroom teachers may not be able to determine if a child has dyslexia. They may detect
early signs that suggest further assessment by a psychologist or other health professional in
order to actually diagnose the disorder. Letter and number reversals are the most common
warning sign. Such reversals are fairly common up to the age of 7 or 8 and usually diminish
by that time. If they do not, it may be appropriate to test for dyslexia or other learning
problems. Difficulty copying from the board or a book can also suggest problems. There may
be a general disorganization of written work. A child may not be able to remember content,
even if it involves a favorite video or storybook. Problems with spatial relationships can
extend beyond the classroom and be observed on the playground. The child may appear to be
uncoordinated and have difficulty with organized sports or games. Difficulty with left and
right is common, and often dominance for either hand has not been established. In the early
grades, music and dance are often used to enhance academic learning. Children with dyslexia
can have difficulty moving to the rhythm of the music.

Auditory problems in dyslexia encompass a variety of functions. Commonly, a child may

have difficulty remembering or understanding what he hears. Recalling sequences of things or
more than one command at a time can be difficult. Parts of words or parts of whole sentences
may be missed, and words can come out sounding funny. The wrong word or a similar word
may be used instead. Children struggling with this problem may know what they want to say
but have trouble finding the actual words to express their thoughts.

Many subtle signs can be observed in children with dyslexia. Children may become
withdrawn and appear to be depressed. They may begin to act out, drawing attention away
from their learning difficulty. Problems with self-esteem can arise, and peer and sibling
interactions can become strained. These children may lose their interest in school-related
activities and appear to be unmotivated or lazy. The emotional symptoms and signs are just as
important as the academic and require equal attention.

The incidents of dyslexia in families have led researchers to consider the possibility of an
inherited factor. Not a 100% certainty of genetic transmission but a genetic predisposition.

Gene markers for dyslexia have been found in chromosome 15 (Smith, Kimberling,
Pennington and Lubs 1983) and more recently in chromosome 6 (Fisher et.al 1999).

Links have been established between the gene markers and the phonological difficulties
encountered by dyslexics.

Analyzing the Sounds:

Reading, whether silent or aloud, has to do with processing sound. Sound is a very complex
mixture of frequencies with varying intensities. Analyzing it so quickly and accurately is
exceedingly difficult. Even the most sophisticated computers still have trouble analyzing
sound fully. That is why many voice recognition systems are still imperfect. We analyze
sounds in the inner ear, more specifically in the cochlea. If the cochlea is not analyzing sounds
accurately, dyslexia can occur.

Each sound has a base frequency and some higher frequencies (or higher harmonics). When
some sounds have nearly the same frequency, differing only in the higher harmonics, a person
with dyslexia might misinterpret them.
Example:
B & P T & D
It could be “Bob” or “Bop” or “Pop.” By the time they have figured out what was said, the
speaker is already into his next sentence or maybe more. Consequently, the person with
dyslexia tends to process language at a slower rate. They just have an auditory processing
problem.

Educational Factors
Learning Environments

Dyslexic children will find it difficult to develop phonological awareness without instruction
and special assistance.
Individualised teaching for dyslexic students is particularly important at the primary school
stage as a means of intervention to prevent a lowering of self-esteem and early recognition of
failure. Unfortunately primary school classes are generally large with many demands on the
teachers’ classroom time.
Many of major problems become in a secondary mainstream environment with its multitude
of teachers, rooms and subjects.

In the Ofsted report on dyslexia (1999) it is recommended that:

“ Dyslexic pupils need continuing support at secondary school, particularly with ‘higher’
literacy skills such as skimming and scanning text. Dyslexic pupils should not be expected to
do as much reading and writing work as other pupils – alternatives include group-reading and
discussion using video equipment”

Good Practice

seating arrangements need to be flexible to suit individual needs;

the use of charts and diagrams to highlight the bigger picture;
display timetables in a variety of places around the school and colour code subjects on the
timetables. This simple method will help the pupil who finds it difficult to plan their day;
the use of signs with pictures or symbols with arrows on corridor walls to help with room
location ( they should also be subject colour coded to match the timetable);
the use of coloured paper for worksheets to reduce glare;
write on alternate lines on the blackboard/whiteboard and avoid using colours that are not
affected by glare;

Famos people

In fact some of the most brilliant minds of our time have been known to have dyslexia: Albert
Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin,
Mozart and John Lennon to mention only a few. There are people with dyslexia in many
types of highly respected careers such as: Walt Disney, Tom Cruise, Danny Glover, Cher,
Magic Johnson, Carl Lewis, Bruce Jenner and General George Patton. Most dyslexics often
have a better sense of spatial relationships or better use of their right brain.