Medically reviewed by Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Shera.
Understanding dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning disorder of recognizing letters and words. Young kids with this disability tend to have trouble reading accurately. Moreover, they also have problems with spelling, writing and comprehending. For example, if your kid is writing ‘teapot’ as ‘tǝadot’ or complains of headaches or dizziness while reading then it means that they are exhibiting some characteristics of this disorder and you need to get professional help for it.
Warning signs of Dyslexia.
Majority of you would have understood the hazardous‘Yahan khatra hai’ signs put up on roads which indicate a potential obstacle or condition that requires special attention. But, then there are people who would have trouble identifying learning disabilities and ignore them by labeling their kids as ‘lazy’ or ‘difficult to work with’. Well, your ‘lazy’ child might have a serious learning problem, so check if they have any or some of the symptoms * mentioned below:
- They excel in their oral tests but don’t do that well in the written ones.
- They are easily confused by numbers, letters, sequences or verbal explanations.
- They keep on re-reading because their comprehension and decoding skills are weak
- They seem to have a blurry vision, yet optical exams do not show any problem.
- Their pencil grip is shaky and they have trouble writing
- They have difficulty managing time, counting objects and dealing with money
Being the parent that your dyslexic kid needs!
Don’t beat yourself up if your kid turns out to be dyslexic. If something is wrong with your kid, then initially you need to educate yourself as much as you can about the learning disability. Moreover, you need to look at your mistakes and change your approach and expectations according to your child.
· Constant praise helps the sun rise up.
It is extremely important to let your child know that you believe in them. Dyslexia does the worst to kids, and sometimes they start questioning their capabilities and their self-esteem falls. Therefore, you need to remind them that they are significant and that talent varies from child-to-child. Motivate them, love them and understand them and their failures.
· Educate yourself and people around you about dyslexia
Some people are just too ignorant about dyslexia, and therefore you need to educate them. Your kid’s peers, teachers, and family need to realize the condition the kid is in. This way they will not only learn about the disability but also know how to help your kid. Make sure that teachers in your kid’s school have taken some sort of a dyslexia training course before enrolling them over there.
· Forgive their forgetfulness
Brilliance isn’t affected by dyslexia, but sadly, memory might. Dyslexia upsets the way information is processed, stored or received and therefore problems with memory occur. Therefore, if your kid forgets their homework or instructions then forgive them instead of forcefully pushing them to remember. However, you can help them be more organized by introducing fun and innovative strategies that might help them remember.
· Comparison breaks hearts and hopes
Kids with dyslexia are often sensitive to criticism and comparing them with their peers or siblings harms their self-esteem. Comparing might be a common method to ascertain the performance of your child but it can do more harm than good. Remember, your kid has individual traits with a layer of dyslexia therefore instead of comparing them boost their spirits up.
Before improving their reading and spelling, you need to make your child believe that they can succeed. Be the building block of your child’s confidence and you will see amazing results in their new mentality towards learning and success.
*(Please note: These are only some of the symptoms, your child can exhibit more or other symptoms out there.)
Guest Post Credit: Asma Qadri
