Dyslexia

What is dyslexia?
The word Dyslexia has its roots in the Greek language and means 'difficulty with words'. Because there are so many different possible underlying problems (many of which have yet to be understood fully) dyslexia is difficult to define as it affects children (and adults) in many different ways. However, the basic problem can be described is a difficulty learning to read, spell and write, with associated normal general development.
 
Prevalence of dyslexia
It is estimated that about four per cent of the general population experience severe dyslexia, while a further six per cent have mild to moderate problems.
  
Symptoms of dyslexia
Dyslexia may become apparent in early childhood, with difficulty in sequencing (days of week or numbers, for example). Toddlers may confuse words and/or phrases, forget the names of common objects, have problems with rhyming and/or show slightly delayed speech development.
In the physical development they might have problems with getting dressed, putting shoes on the right feet and clapping rhythms.
At school, children may lack interest in letters and words, have problems with reading and spelling, put letters and figures the wrong way round, be slow at written work as well as displaying poor concentration.
These problems persist as the child grows up, with poor reading, writing and spelling skills, which in turn might adversely affect their self-esteem.
 
Possible causes of dyslexia
Dyslexia might be caused by differences in the areas of the brain that deal with language and which aren't yet fully understood.
Several areas in the brain are involved in processes of reading, writing and spelling, so the features and associated symptoms of any one person's dyslexia will depend on which areas are affected and how.
There may be problems receiving information through vision or hearing, holding it and/or retrieving it later, or there may be problems with the speed of processing information.
Thanks to the development in brain-imaging scanning methods scientists learnt that when dyslexic people try to process information their brains work differently to those without dyslexia. It is important to note that this has nothing to do with intellect as people with dyslexia show a normal range of intelligence.
Inherited factors are important in dyslexia and it has been found that other family members are often affected.
 
Dyslexia treatments and intervention
Dyslexia should be diagnosed after testing by a psychologist or specialist dyslexia teacher. Affinity Consultancy offers this kind of a comprehensive dyslexia screening assessment.
There's no cure for dyslexia, but recognition that a child has a specific problem in addition to appropriate teaching methods can help a great deal. It is vital children are diagnosed and given the help they need. Once diagnosed the children are usually given significantly longer time to complete their academic tests at school, which might help to achieve higher grades.
Other approaches can help, too. In cases linked to visual differences, coloured overlays and lenses can lead to improvement because they may stop the letters from 'dancing on the page' (which is a common complaint by dyslexia sufferers).