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The condition does not affect a child’s intelligence or ability to grasp things
New Delhi, November 12, 2018 :
Estimates by the Dyslexia Association of India suggest that about 10% to 15% of school-going children in India suffer from some form of dyslexia. Multilingualism, which is common in the country, could be one of the factors that increases the difficulty associated with this condition. Children with this condition, however, possess normal intelligence, curiosity and intuition. They can do well with good support and guidance.
Dyslexia is a term used to describe the disability that impairs a person’s ability to read. This means they will also have problems with developing spelling and writing skills. If the alphabet is considered as a code for communication, a person with dyslexia cannot decipher the code, due to certain neurological complications.
Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr KK Aggarwal, President, HCFI, said, “Dyslexia is a disability that can be worked upon and fixed. In India, the school system mostly uses marks and grades as the guide to good performance. This makes it difficult for children with certain learning disabilities to cope with the constant competition and peer pressure. Dyslexia can often expand to other areas including writing (called dysgraphia); and difficulty with numbers and calculation (called dyscalculia). It is not a simple condition to diagnose as many signs such as hearing or visual impairment, low intelligence, etc. must be ruled out first.”
Dyslexia and learning disability are often used synonymously. Children with the former possess normal intelligence levels and it is better to put them in a regular school. Good communication between the parents and teachers will help in understanding the child’s difficulty and working together to support and enable them.
Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, who is also the Group Editor-in-Chief of IJCP, said, “every child learns and understands differently. While some students grasp better by reading or listening, others retain information through alternative methods. Even children with dyslexia can excel at anything provided they are given adequate support and tools to cope with their condition. This small hiccup in life can be overcome with help.”
Some tips from HCFI
- Ensure that you follow the path of positive reinforcement. It is important to not lose patience with dyslexic children and be appreciative of even a small progress they show.
- Children with this condition are more inquisitive and therefore learn better when they are given logical answers.
- It is a good idea to use an audio-visual medium to teach children with dyslexia. This way they can grasp content and subjects faster and better.
- Play some memory games with them to encourage retention of concepts. Writing can be made fun and engaging too in a similar manner. One example is to use flash cards.
