Children with Dyslexia: Problems and Solutions

Discussions of dyslexia require a definition of the term, and this is where we can come into some confusion if we are not careful. In fact, the “problem” itself exists in the defining of the word, and thus the labeling of those to whom the definition applies. However, with some knowledge of the etiology of “dyslexia” we can begin to ply our beliefs off the population of “dyslexics” and start to gain some understanding of their experiences with language learning. This is, after all, the intention of this research. Guardiola (2001) also assisted in redirecting the academic focus in this direction, towards the etiology of the term and how its history has shaped current social work, education, neurobiology, and psychology perspectives.

Dyslexia is not a disease or an identifiable physical condition, but a learning style. Dyslexia is frowned upon in the U.S and everyone is trying to figure out a way to cure it, but does it really need cured? Is dyslexia a true problem to the learner or could we just look at it as another obstacle to climb? In today’s world, dyslexia is not very common, but is the most common learning disability. Dyslexia only affects about twenty percent of the U.S population. Dyslexia is known as a learning disability, has many different causes, and many different symptoms.

Dyslexia was first diagnosed in 1896: since then there have been many new developments in its diagnosis and treatment (French, 2013). Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects reading, writing, and spelling in children and adults. Depending on the individual the diagnosis of dyslexia can be mild or severe (French, 2013). The following word “cat”, is a simple word to read, however a dyslexic would read it “ Tac, act, tca, atc”. Now that was not as easy as reading it as a person with no dyslexic disorder. Oftentimes, dyslexics confuse the letters of a word, and they are turned around or jumbled up because they look too similar. Dyslexic Individuals have to put more energy and effort into reading and are more easily distracted than the average person. When a person has dyslexia, his/her brain takes longer to make connections, and he/she has trouble matching the letters on the page with the sounds the letters make. Christian Boer, a graduate of the Utrecht Art Academy, created a new font to make reading easier for people, like himself, who have dyslexia.

Ms. Olsen is a student that suffers from ADHD. She enjoys her literature class but she has a hard time paying attention sometimes. She also suffers from dyslexia which makes it hard for her to read words. The curriculum have accommodated her with tools that have made her more enthusiastic about class.

When hearing the word Dyslexia what comes to mind? Nothing? Knowing the basic concepts about dyslexia can help teacher get a better understanding to help students improve and excel in school. It helps the students with improving their comprehension skills and getting a better grasp on phonics skills. Lastly, it can improve preparations for test and or quizzes. The problems caused by dyslexia will be reviewed with the goal of better understanding the condition so that we can better help students who have dyslexia improve in their reading comprehension skills, improve their ability to study better, and do better in school.

According to The International Dyslexia Association, the impact that dyslexia has is different for each person and depends on the severity of the condition and the approaches of the remediation. The

Causes of dyslexia or reading disabilities have been hotly debated by researchers and educators. Knowledge regarding the causes of reading disabilities is important as they define the strategies that will used to help students with dyslexia learn. Dyslexia is caused by differences in the information processing patterns of learning disability students. Language and phonological skills have been found to be the main cause of reading problems. This paper presents a critique and summarizes a paper dealing with phonological skills and how they affect the ability to read. Besides this the paper will highlight the main findings of

Dyslexia is a widespread and well-known disease that affects many. First of all, some symptoms are difficulty comprehending spoken, written, and language (DCU). Secondly, some children can take special classes if the disease is severe. Dyslexia can be mild to severe (DCU) depending on which the child was born with. Children may have to see a phonics teacher for help. These classes teach children sounds of letters and how the letters look (Silverstein 30). Third, this disease affects all nationalities and all races (Silverstein 9). Surprisingly, in the United States, twenty percent of the current population has dyslexia (DCU). In addition, one in ten adults has dyslexia (Austin Learning). Dyslexia is sometimes connected to attention deficit disorder and short term memory (Silverstein 25). Most children with dyslexia learn best by sight and touch.

Dyslexia is a family problem as well as an academic problem for children around the world. All cultures are affected by it. The entire family has to deal with the issue. It can be recognized as early as kindergarten, (Zieman). According to Theories of Childhood, Second Edition, “Vygotsky believed that learning and development are similar but not identical. The combination of instructing the child and honoring the child’s individual development optimizes learning.” When children are silent from socializing and are quiet most of the time, there is no way to observe them to get a complete assessment of their learning according to Vygotsky (Mooney, 2013). A dyslexic child whose self-esteem has been lower or the child has been called names, may

Research in the field of Dyslexia has grown twenty-five percent throughout the last few years. From recent studies, we have discovered new and improved ways to help people who are hindered by Dyslexia, even though we are still learning more about Dyslexia every day. Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that hinders the academic progress of over 40 million American students who struggle daily, and can be helped with accommodations. In order to help these 40 million students, we must acknowledge what is Dyslexia, recognize what it is like to be Dyslexic, and explore what accommodations should be given to those who need it.

The following paper discusses learning disorders, specifically, dyslexia, that are present within school age children between the ages of seven and twelve. During this age, most average children have the ability to read, write, spell, think, listen and do mathematical problems with minimal difficulties (Silver, 1993, p.109). On the other hand, children with learning disorders, specifically dyslexia, struggle to grasp these concepts because they have visual perception problems.

Dyslexia is the most prominent learning disability here in the United State but, it is also the most misunderstood. For centuries, those with dyslexia have been labeled as stupid and incompetent, when in fact they extremely intelligent, excelling in areas such as art, science and music. Due to our lack of knowledge and understanding, we as a nation are ignorant, deeming truth to the stereotypes that have long been associated with this so called “disease.” In order to reverse the damage that has already been done, we must differentiate fact from fiction. In order to fully understand dyslexia, individuals need to be provided with resources that address every aspect of the disability, including what it is, the possible causes, signs, symptoms and treatments available. Awareness is key to change!

According to the International Dyslexia Association (n.d.), “15-20% of the population has a language-based learning disability. Of the students with specific learning disabilities receiving special education services, 70-80% have deficits in reading” Language-based learning disabilities affect and impacts an individual throughout their lives. One of the most common diagnosis is specific learning disorder with impairment in reading, which is commonly referred to as dyslexia. Patients with dyslexia usually experience difficulty in reading and writing. They are often confused when pronouncing words and phrases, and usually have difficulty in reading fluency, comprehension, writing, spelling, recognizing and processing certain types of information.

Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).

One of my primary focuses was to find out how different literatures dealt with Dyslexia and how best to support the child. Dyslexia can be described from a number of different perspectives as we see in Ball et al (2007) who explain that it can be “how one learns (Cognition), what parts of the brain are involved (neurology), what genes are involved (genetics) and behaviour (p14). Their book entitled ‘Dyslexia: An Irish perspective’ is very relevant to my research as it gives a great insight into the history of the special education sector in Ireland. It also looks into some of the key debates that are facing the educational sector today.