1. What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes difficulty in reading, understanding speech sounds and determining how people relate to words and letters. In simpler terms, dyslexia is a reading disability, and it affects the brain regions that process language.
2. What causes dyslexia?
Dyslexia has a number of risk factors and is linked to certain genes. The factors include:
1. A family history of dyslexia
2. Premature birth or low weight at birth
3. The difference in regions of the brain involved in learning
4. The foetus's exposure to substances, such as drugs, alcohol, nicotine or infections, that affect the brain
3. What are the early signs of dyslexia?
The early signs of dyslexia include:
1. Delayed talking abilities
2. Difficulty in forming words and learning new words
3. Trouble remembering names, colours and words
4. Struggle to learn nursery rhymes
5. Word order reversal and trouble to form words that sound similar
4. How can I help my child with dyslexia?
As you suspect your child has dyslexia, you should:
1. Take them to a doctor and get a test done.
2. Get in touch with the child's school and bring the condition to their notice so that they help you.
3. Encourage them to read on a daily basis.
4. Make a schedule for reading every day and make it fun.
5. How is dyslexia diagnosed?
Diagnosing dyslexia involves making a number of careful observations and gathering information on a few factors
1. Family history and home life: To check if there are any family members with the condition
2. Intelligence: If the child exhibits high IQ but does not do well in reading
3. Oral language skills: To determine if the child can understand and respond to what is being told