Siddharth's Blog: Dyslexia

Dyslexia

Posted by Siddharth Kapoor at 1:31 AM Labels: Dyslexia

Introduction

Dyslexia (say: dis-lek-see-uh) is a learning problem some kids have with reading and writing. It can make words look jumbled. This makes it difficult for a kid to read and remember what was read.
So what's going on inside the person's brain? Well, it doesn't mean the person is dumb. In fact, some very smart people have had dyslexia. How smart? Well, some people say Albert Einstein was dyslexic.
The problem does occur in the brain, though. Sometimes the messages the brain is sending get jumbled up or confused. A kid who has dyslexia might get frustrated and find it hard to do schoolwork. But the good news is that dyslexia doesn't need to keep a kid down.

What Is Having Dyslexia Like?

A kid who has dyslexia might start out doing fine in school. But gradually, it can become a struggle, especially when reading becomes an important part of schoolwork. A teacher might say that the kid is smart, but doesn't seem to be able to get the hang of reading. If a teacher or parent notices this, the best thing to do is to go to a specialist who can help figure out what's wrong.
A specialist in learning disabilities knows a lot about learning problems that kids have - and what to do about them. During a visit with a specialist, a kid might take some tests. But the idea isn't to get a good grade; it's to spot problems. Discovering a learning disability is the first step toward getting help that will make it easier for the kid to learn.

How Does Reading Happen?
Most kids begin learning to read by learning how each letter of the alphabet looks and sounds. Next, they start figuring out what the letters sound like when they're put together to form words. Reading is a little like riding a bike because you have to do a bunch of things at once. It's hard at first, but once you know how to do it, it feels easy and natural.
Reading means your eyes and brain have to do all these steps:

1.focus on printed marks (letters and words)
2.control eye movements across the page
3.recognize the way letters sound
4.understand words and grammar (the way words are put together)
5.build images and ideas
6.compare new ideas to what is already known
7.store the ideas in memory

Is there any treatment?
The main focus of treatment should be on the specific learning problems of affected individuals. The usual course is to modify teaching methods and the educational environment to meet the specific needs of the individual with dyslexia.