October 4th – October 10th.
Dyslexia comes with many challenges and, sadly, many people in the community feel like their struggles are unseen. As dyslexia isn’t visible, individuals with dyslexia may often feel unsupported, and invisible.
So, what is dyslexia?
Dyslexia affects 10% of the population and is a learning disability which affects peoples reading and writing skills. Dyslexia is also known as a reading disorder. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning but can also impact on other areas such as skills. Dyslexia is a lifelong problem that can present challenges on a daily basis, but support is available to improve reading and writing skills and help those with the problem be successful at school and work. Click on the link below, skip the ads to find out more.
What are the signs of dyslexia?
Signs of dyslexia usually become apparent when a child starts school and begins to focus more on learning how to read and write.
A person with dyslexia may:
- read and write very slowly
- confuse the order of letters in words
- put letters the wrong way round (such as writing “b” instead of “d”)
- have poor or inconsistent spelling
- understand information when told verbally, but have difficulty with information that’s written down
- find it hard to carry out a sequence of directions
- struggle with planning and organisation
Getting help
If you think your child may have dyslexia, the first step is to speak to their teacher or their school’s special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) about your concerns.
They may be able to offer additional support to help your child if necessary.
If your child continues to have problems despite extra support, you or the school may want to consider requesting a more in-depth assessment from a specialist dyslexia teacher or an educational psychologist.
This can be arranged through the school, or you can request a private assessment by contacting:
- an educational psychologist directly
- a voluntary organisation that can arrange an assessment, such as a local dyslexia association
But people with dyslexia often have good skills in other areas, such as creative thinking and problem solving. There are many famous names who have dyslexia and they have gone on to achieve some rather amazing things. Take a look at this list:
Albert Einstein Tom Cruise Jamie Oliver Whoopi Goldberg Keira Knightly Roald Dahl
Will Smith Prince Harry Johnny Depp Walt Disney Winston Churchill
Picasso to name but a few!
As well as the more common difficulties with reading, writing and spelling, pupils with dyslexia find it hard to remember instructions, think on the spot and do timed activities. All pupils with dyslexia are different, but here are10 top tips for teachers:
- Don’t ask me to read out loud in the class
- Allow me to use technology to help with things like copying from the board
- Give me extra time with big pieces of work
- Give me time to review new topic vocabulary before the topic starts
- Don’t worry about neatness
- Break tasks and instructions into chunks
- Let me use my iPad to take notes
- Give me time to think of the answer and don’t ask me a question unless I put my hand up
- Help me capture my strengths and praise them
- Don’t tell me I just need to try a bit harder!