Q: My daughter’s teachers think she may have dyslexia because she is slow at reading and writing. Can you tell me what this means and what we can do to help her?
A: As many as 25 million North Americans may suffer from some form of dyslexia. The brain in these cases shows little activity in the areas known to be important in linking the written word with its phonetic or auditory components. Dyslectic individuals compensate by making greater use of the front part of the brain known as Broca’s area, which is associated with other aspects of language processing.
Read Also
Well-being improvement can pay off for farms
Investing in wellness programs in a tight labour market can help farms recruit and retain employees
Dyslexia may be hereditary. Three times as many boys as girls have it.
People who suffer from this condition frequently experience distortion of the written word. Sometimes they focus on the spaces rather than the words themselves and see “rivers” running down the page. Other people see words that are fuzzy or surrounded with a halo effect. Although not everyone with dyslexia has problems with the same letters of the alphabet, common ones are paired letters such as “b” and “d” which can be reversed or “p” and “q”.
Children may be labelled slow learners or unmotivated as they struggle to cope with these subjects in school. As a result they may also develop behavioural and emotional difficulties. However there are some bonuses because they often excel in other areas such as art, creativity, design and working on computers. Albert Einstein was dyslectic.
Three years ago, Natasha Frensh, a student at the Royal College of Art in London, England, was given an assignment in the use of black and white. At the same time she was struggling to read a book. She researched the problem and discovered that about 25 percent of her fellow students at the RCA had some form of dyslexia, compared to 10 percent of the general population.
You could help your daughter by getting an evaluation by a psychologist who specializes in this area. If dyslexia is confirmed, you should meet with the teachers again to discuss how they could help. It is particularly important that they are not punitive and do not push her to do more of the subjects that she has the most difficulty with. The teachers should focus on her strengths and make use of auditory aids such as tapes and verbal rather than written instructions.
Clare Rowson is a medical doctor with a practice near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding medical questions and treatments.
