Dyslexia is the most common and well known learning disability affecting up to 10% of the population; yet misconceptions and myths run rampant. The common understanding of dyslexia is that it causes children to read backwards. Sometimes people might even think it means children can’t read. While some misconceptions about dyslexia may be based upon some amount of truth, many of it are also just misconceptions and myths.
These misconceptions also may affect how people misidentify, or miss the signs of dyslexia.
Slow in reading books of their age level
A child that is having a difficult time reading shouldn’t automatically be seen as not being smart or advanced enough in their development. Neither should it be dismissed as the child just being uninterested. If the child is not reading to their age level, it is a good signal to take notice as it could be a sign of dyslexia.
Young children may be smart enough to get around any learning disabilities they may have by essentially ignoring the problem and powering through. They may even excel, but once they start entering secondary school, and the reading material and subject matters become more complex, it gets harder to ignore the problems. This is especially true with dyslexia as long, complex pages of text start to look arcane and illegible.
Messy handwriting
Children with dyslexia also commonly have dysgraphia. Children with dysgraphia have a difficult time writing properly. Their writing is inconsistent, messy, and may have problems spacing letters out properly on a page.
Difficulty keeping organised
Children with dyslexia also may have problems with keeping themselves organised. There is a process to organisation that dyslexic children may have issues with, and this can easily be dismissed as the child just being messy. Taken in conjunction with other signs, it could signal that the child may have dyslexia.
When a child shows consistent signs of these issues, it might be that the child has undiagnosed dyslexia or other learning disabilities that escaped notice. It is important to note that the child does not necessarily have a learning disorder just because they may have some issues with certain subjects in school. If the child is showing consistent issues with their learning, it’s always recommended to have the child professionally diagnosed to know the best method to help the child develop.
Join us at College of Allied Educators to see how you can develop an understanding of the different types of exceptional children, their needs, and the different special needs programmes and specialties that are available to you, for them.
CAE’s 12-month Advanced Diploma in Special Education course trains educators and parents in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of these needs and the basic principles and practices of effective teaching and learning. The programme is highly practice-oriented to ensure that what you learn in class can be applied to children with special needs under your charge.
CAE’s Diploma in Learning Disorders Management & Child Psychology programme is designed specifically to train potential teachers, parents and caregivers to identify, detect and support children with special needs, such as Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyspraxia, and Dyslexia.
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