Dyslexia is the most common learning disability affecting up to 10% of the population; yet misconceptions and myths run rampant. We have all heard them at some point. A common example is that dyslexic children are not smart and have lower IQ, or dyslexic people can’t read.
There is a lot of misunderstanding that leads to people beliving in myths and tall-tales about what dyslexia is and who gets it, or even how it’s cured.
In reality, it’s impossible to judge whether a person is dyslexic just from their appearance. Some can speak fluently but struggle with writing words. While others can write well, but struggle with pronouncing the words. This has caused some parents to panic whenever a warning sign appears, and they end up self-diagnosing and misdiagnosing their child as having dyslexia.
A common myth and misconception is that the parents may be at fault.
Children with dyslexia can find simple reading or writing challenging. This can cause them to give up doing their homework, lose motivation to study and consequently receive poor grades. It’s easy to dismiss the child as being lazy and see this as the parent’s fault for not monitoring their child’s academic performance. It is important to recognise that dyslexia affect a child’s ability to read, spell and decode words as their brain processes written material differently. It is not the result of poor teaching or upbringing.
What many people may not know about dyslexia:
- Dyslexia can vary from mild to extreme and can affect spoken, and written language comprehension. So two dyslexic students may require different levels of assistance and attention.
- There is no relationship between IQ, success and dyslexia. In fact, not only can dyslexic people be incredibly smart, but many have become incredibly successful. Examples include scientists like Albert Einstein, entertainers like John Lennon, authors like Anne Rice, and many more.
- Dyslexic individuals can sometimes be gifted in other areas such as puzzle and problem solving, and may even have a larger spoken vocabulary than is typical for their age.
- A dyslexic child may be able to read but due to difficulties in breaking down unfamiliar words into component sound and letter segments, they are slower at reading and may face higher error rates reading these words.
For a child with dyslexia, early diagnosis and early intervention is critical to improving the child’s academic and life outcome.
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 15-months Postgraduate Diploma in Special Education is a part-time programme is designed specifically to train potential candidates to be effective educators to children with special needs. At a graduate level, the Post Graduate Diploma in Special Education focuses on developing and enhancing candidates’ experiential knowledge and skills professionally through a holistic approach.
CAE’s 12-months 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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