Things to overcome, and the way...

Children with dyslexia often have the following characteristics:

         i.  Low self-esteem/self-confidence and motivation.

        ii.  A pessimistic approach.

       iii.  Inferiority complex.

       iv.  Very high potential but the methods of expressions are limited in number. This creates confusion in their lives.

       v.   Behavioral issues (escapism, hyperactivity, easily distracted, apprehensive, wants to hide from everyone, scared, frightened of people).

       vi.  Emotionally weak, dependent & unstable.

      vii.  Poor socialization & relationship skills.

Through “Support” and encouragement, these small behavioral discrepancies can be sorted out. Once that is done, the child will be free to harness his/her talent and potential without any barriers and reach for the stars. Nothing will bar their way to lead a normal life.

We shall surely overcome……..

"If you work hard, you'll learn..."!

Don’ts:-

•    Don’t use words like “If you work hard you will learn.” Among dyslexics who succeed, Dr. Shaywitz says many dyslexics give up their social lives and everything else to spend more hours studying. They are very bright, but they are terribly anxious and think, 'I've just been fooling everybody.” This is not right.
•    Dyslexic children have been hounded because of their failure at school, and further failures arouse such strong emotions and feelings in them that the brain’s normal systems are simply unable to cope with the stress and become overwhelmed. This taxes the brain’s normal functioning ability and may pose a danger to the child’s overall development.
•     Don’t demoralize them.
•   Don’t pressurize them into learning, reading and writing. “You have to come first in class” is probably the worst thing you can say to a dyslexic child.
•    Don’t blame the child for not understanding something in class or at home. The child is not at fault. The learning difficulty is such that certain things skim over the child’s mind entirely.
•     Don’t exclude the child from normal social life or intellectual discussions. Let him/her be as much a part of those activities as you are.
•     Don’t underestimate the child’s potential. You never know how the child is going to blossom.
•    Don’t send him/her to schools meant for mentally retarded children or special school. Your child is not mentally retarded, only dyslexic.

"Honey, this is not the correct page...

The school’s role in assisting with dyslexia: The school is one of the first places where it can be ascertained/ diagnosed that the child might have dyslexia, because it has to do with reading and writing. Therefore, the school also has a huge responsibility to ensure that the child receives a different educational treatment and not blindly follow the conventional system.

If, due to some reason, the school fails to identify the problem, two major difficulties will arise:-

1.    The benefits of early identification will not be accessible.

2.    The child’s fragile ego and self esteem will be shot, as he/she will be subjected to the taunts and jeers of his/her classmates and sometimes, the teachers. This will damage his/her self image permanently.

A healthy, caring, supportive attitude and environment is an extremely integral part of nourishing and nurturing a dyslexic child. But in a country like ours, where even basic problems are swept under the rug, dyslexia is hardly acknowledged. Many children in India with physical and mental handicaps never attend school, just because the school is not adequately equipped to deal with their problems. The children miss out on school and friends solely due to the inability of the schools to tweak their system a little, to accommodate such children. Despite being bright, their unconventional difficulty renders them useless in the traditional schooling system and they are deprived of their fundamental right to education.

The recently amended Right to Education Act 2009 decrees that every child, irrespective of the state of mental or physical health, must have equal access to quality education - this should be adapted to meet the needs of special children, who require a different approach. This Act will ensure that differently abled children are not discriminated against, and they will slowly gain acceptance in society. Special considerations are routinely made for dyslexic children in board exams. Depending on the severity of the problem, the following concessions have been made:

• ·         They will get an extra fifteen minutes per hour to answer their paper.
• ·      If the problem is with language, they will be exempted from that subject.
• ·         They can use calculators for maths exam.
• ·         Marks will not be deducted for poor spelling.
• ·         Readers/writers will be provided on request.

This is the scenario with the 'Board' exams, which is okay. But what about the children who attend kindergarten? Or the first and second grades? The ages between five and eight are crucial in building both mental acuity and confidence levels in the child. So, what can be done?

·         A shadow teacher/ sensitive teacher at school should accompany the child to the class and make sure that nobody bullies the child. He/she should also work towards making the child self-reliant and self-sufficient in class. Schooling is important, but not at the cost of the child’s self-esteem. Once it is broken, it is extremely difficult to build it again.

·         Teachers should be made aware of the difficulty and should be competent enough to identify the child and refer him/her to the right place. A compassionate and caring teacher can do wonders with such children.

·        The teacher should support the child in class. If the teacher asks the class to open a particular book at a particular page, the teacher should make sure that the child is following the instruction, whether he has to repeat or go slow, because as we know understanding multiple  instructions is difficult for the dyslexic child. For instance: if the teacher asks everyone to open page 63, the dyslexic child might open page 36. They also struggle to find the paragraph or line which is being taught in the class. In this confusion, much of what the teacher is teaching will not be understood by the child. Simple politeness is needed here. A gentle tap on the shoulder, followed by a smile and a line,”Honey, this is not the correct page. This is the correct one.” Just that and the child is ready to participate in the class. Profoundly simple in theory, but hardly anyone practices it in real life. This is a sad situation.

• ·      The parents should immediately be informed about the child’s difficulty.
• ·      There should be special educators in every school.
• ·      Child Development Paediatrics should visit the school periodically.

What Can Be Done (2) - Bring out the strengths...

 6.Weakness Vs Strengths: It is very easy to make a list of weaknesses which the child has, but we need to focus on the bright side. What is the child good at? Singing? Dancing? Painting? Does he/she have a mechanical ability? Is the child creative? Once your child’s talents and strengths come to the fore, it will be easier to just think of what can be done with those talents, as opposed to worrying about his lack of writing skills or counting ability. These accomplishments will also help boost the child’s self image and self esteem.

 7.Change the methodology: It has been proven that they are intelligent children with lots of potential. We need to change the teaching methodology in order to utilize their potential to the maximum. The traditional methods of teaching and education are very inconsistent and at times, even barbaric, for such children. They lose interest very fast and become discouraged at the lack of results. Even with a high IQ, dyslexic children fail to cope up with the demands of a traditional classroom and testing system and fall further behind in the rat race. Studies have shown that dyslexic children use four times as much lactic acid in the sound processing portion of the brain as compared to normal children. This shows they have to exert four times the normal effort to read, as compared to normal reader. We need to go in for a remedial or alternate system of education, which employs the maximum use of colorful presentations, web chats, smart phones, computers, televisions, e-chats etc. These technology-aided methods are sorely needed to make the process of education easier and interesting for dyslexic children. 

 8.Create a support group or system: Support systems have been around for a long time. They should not be viewed in the negative sense. The family which has a dyslexic child should try and create a group of close friends and families from their immediate neighborhood or similar social circles and inform and educate them about dyslexia. But before doing this, the sensitivity level of the individuals participating in the social group must be evaluated. An insensitive person or someone with misguided zeal may do more harm than good. Other than support, these groups also offer a close bonding ground for the children, whose social skills are already rusty. The group contributes towards the social, moral and all-round upbringing of the child and therefore, is a valuable asset.

 9. The child should not be left behind in terms of knowledge and information:

The main consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge of the child – that should not happen. With all the other sources and methods, we need to ensure that part. They might just surprise you with their grasping powers and ingenuity.

 10. Support

·         Sensitive society &school

·         Understands the child

·         Proper guidance

·         Protects child’s self –esteem

·         Opportunity should be equal

·         Right to be in normal schools/Remedial education

·         Treatment or Therapies

Ma... How should I change my writing?

5. Work hard on building the child’s self –esteem:     

  

   We have seen that quite a few people have overcome their difficulties and made it big in life. The difference is, if the child feels good about himself/herself, the child will definitely succeed in life. If s/he feels inferior, s/he will fail. The self image of a child has an important role in this which makes him/her self confident.

Strong Ego ----> Positive Self Image ----> Confidence ----> Self- esteem ----> Perform better

Dyslexic leaders around the world have something to say about confidence and self esteem.

•   "Reading is just one way of communicating—and in the future, I think it won't be as important as in the past."
•   "I frankly think dyslexia is a gift. If you are supported in school and your ego remains intact, then you emerge with a strong work ethic and a different view of the world.” -Dr. Cosgrove.

Yes, all of the above will happen if the ego remains intact. The “if” is important here. Sigmund Freud’s theory said - the id, ego and superego are functions of the mind. According to this model of the psyche, id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual trends; the super-ego plays the critical and moralizing role; and the ego is the organized, realistic part of the mind and affects the individual personality.

If somebody’s ego is targeted, for the most part, it affects him/her negatively. It also puts a downward spin on his/her self-image, which consequently leads to a low confidence level and self-esteem. Children start thinking that they’re good for nothing, and that their presence in society is a burden. This line of thinking is extremely dangerous, both for the child and for the parents, and can lead to disastrous consequences, if not checked in time.

A simple example will help you understand. A six year old girl comes home in tears. When asked by her mother, she says, “Ma, my best friend showed my writing book to the entire class today and they laughed at me. When the ma’am came, I asked her to help. But she took one look at the book and laughed with the rest of the class and told me that I had the worst handwriting in the whole class. How should I change my writing?” 

What a terrible thing to happen to a little dyslexic girl? Beautiful penmanship is not in the child’s hands. She simply cannot do it. But our education system gauges a child’s ability to learn by the amount of work he/she writes down. This is next to impossible for a dyslexic child. How one wishes that the system had some alternative methods for assessing such children’s acuities! The educators themselves need to be educated with regard to this matter, otherwise it will definitely prove to be detrimental to the child’s mental health.

Furthermore, we need to teach our dyslexic children how to handle critical situations and not allow anybody to attack their ego.   He/she should be trained like a soldier and prepared to tackle any social situation that might arise out of sheer ignorance. Their defences should be well polished and ready for “attack” as and when required. That is not to say we teach them to be rude to others. We’re simply trying to empower the children to protect their fragile ego and defend themselves.

For instance, if someone says to a dyslexic child,” Oh, your writing is so bad. No one can read it.” The child can reply, ”Yes, that’s true, but my presentations and oral skills are excellent and no one can beat me in them.”

Despite all the precautions we take, the child may go back to point zero and start harboring negative thoughts and feelings, the result of his/her daily interactions with people and situations. As a parent, you should understand that the child will feel bitter, lost, sad, angry and worthless, but if you handle him/her with love, acceptance and warmth, the child will surely come out of his depression and try again. Your only tools are your love, support and encouragement. Go all out and envelop the child in your safety blanket, but also make him/her strong from within. 

What can be done?

Understanding the problem is the key to achieving any solution. Now that we have gained some insight into the matter, let us read about what can be done to facilitate the intellectual growth of dyslexic children:

1. 1. Early identification: As soon as some of the aforementioned symptoms are seen, don’t take it easy. Many parents fall into the “we’ll see later” trap, and by the time the diagnosis is made, it’s too late. Some things are not corrected by time and age. A certified educational psychologist should thoroughly evaluate the child at this stage. The main advantage of early identification of dyslexia is that we can aid the child’s self esteem. Going to a school where not writing and reading in the conventional manner will definitely attract punishment, it is simply not in the child’s best interest to be sent to such a school in the first place. This is why early identification is necessary. Alternative educational arrangements can be made.

1. 2. Acceptance: Now, when dyslexia is confirmed, do not panic. It is not a life threatening disease. It is a learning disability, which can be overcome with patience and suitable learning techniques. Read and try to know as much about it as possible.  The fact is in our country people have very less idea about the subject. So what if they are working in the Dyslexia industry? India still has a long way to go before people understand and come out in the open and discuss issues like dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Remember, these are just small kids, who have learnt intrinsically that they will never be able to match their friends’ standards. Children are very sensitive and astute, and any stray remark about their learning difficulty will only make them retreat further into their shell. Learn to accept them the way they are. You don’t have to “fix” them, nor treat them any different from your other kids. The right attitude matters the most in handling such issues. Do not consider them as dumb or stupid. Allow them to find their own path and see them flourish. Then they will not be further ignored or crushed. They will get equal opportunities to grow. 

   Right Information => Right attitude => Right behavior => Create

   acceptance

1.  3. Take Expert Opinion: There are a lot of specialists who routinely work with such cases and who should be contacted immediately at different stages, like - child development specialist, paediatrician, neuro-paediatrician, child psychologist, special educator, occupation therapist, remedial educator etc. They are professionally qualified people who can guide your child and facilitate his/her learning needs. A normal paediatrician might not be of much help, but he/she can certainly recommend/refer the child to a specialist.

1. 4. Tell the child we are with you: This is the most important thing of all. We have no idea since how long the child has been struggling with this problem all alone.  Without knowing What, Why and why only he/she is suffering etc. He already knows something is different about him. Reassure the child with a big, warm hug that tells him that he is not alone now. Your unconditional love and support is all that the child needs. 

My alphabets have become very naughty...

Here are some common symptoms of dyslexia:

“My alphabets have become very naughty. They are flying all around. My “c” becomes a rabbit hiding in the bushes, “a” is standing upside down, and “t” has become a cloud hanging in the sky.” 

Just think about what goes on in the mind of a little child who has been asked to write sentences, but all she sees are dancing and hopping alphabets.

• The child is unwilling to go to school and has constant difficulties in keeping up with the class.
• The child may be too quiet or he/she will act up to either distract the teacher or get attention from other children.
• There is a marked discrepancy between the child’s apparent intelligence and his/her achievement in reading and spelling.
• Difficulties with spelling, visual tracking and confusion between left and right.
• Difficulties in copying from the board, following simple instructions and reading and comprehension.
• Trouble with organizing and writing thoughts and ideas.
• Difficulties in multi-instructions & multi-tasking.
• Poor grammar, handwriting and weak memory.
• Difficulty in verbalizing short or long words, weak vocabulary (at least initially) and delayed spoken language.
• Possible difficulty with mathematics (though not necessarily)
• Additional diagnosis of ADD/ADHD in some cases.

"Stupid or dumb"?!

Myths Surrounding Dyslexia

‘People with dyslexia are stupid or dumb.’ No. In fact, mounting evidence shows that many people with dyslexia are highly creative, out of the box thinkers and extremely intelligent. That helps explain the long list of entrepreneurs, inventors, scientists, actors, doctors and lawyers who have excelled despite, or perhaps because of, their affliction. Neuro-imaging studies demonstrate that the dyslexic brain really does things differently. The second, very peculiar myth about dyslexics is that they have vision problems. That is also untrue.

People with dyslexia

We have a long list of successful people who were afflicted, or rather, blessed with dyslexia, who went on to become famous in their own right. People like Archer Mortin, Tom Cruise, Pierre Curie, Michael Faraday, Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali, Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford, William Hewlett etc. This list can go on and on, and one of these leaders has said, "I frankly think dyslexia is a gift. If you are supported in school and your ego remains intact, then you emerge with a strong work ethic and a different view of the world." Truer words were never spoken.

I was trying to look for people from India who have embraced their dyslexia and achieved success. There are 1.27 billion people living in this country (according to the latest census report) and I still couldn’t manage to meet a single person with dyslexia. What a crying shame! As per official records, more children are attending school now, as compared to the last decade. In a developing country like India, what exactly are we developing? Around 17% of school children today suffer from one or the other learning disability, and out of those, 3-6% are dyslexic. Where are these children?  Or, do we really not have any dyslexic in this country or they have been killed/crushed? How are they handling this conservative society? There is a big WHERE and How in this question which needs to be answered. 

Brain wiring

What is dyslexia? The word is based on two Greek words-“dys” meaning difficulty, and “lexic” meaning anything to do with words.

According to the World Federation of Neurology, “Dyslexia is a disorder manifested by difficulties in learning to read, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence and socio-cultural opportunities.”

It has been found that 20% of school-going children have several difficulties in learning to read and write, out of which 14% to 17% have a learning disability (LD). But 3% to 6% are dyslexic. It is a fairly rare disorder. It is a neurological condition and there is no known cause or cure for dyslexia till now. 

Dyslexia is a specific reading disability due to a defect in the brain's processing. The brain has two important areas-the cerebrum and the cerebellum. The cerebrum receives and processes stimuli from the outer environment with the help of sensory organs, and the cerebellum takes care of body control and movements and makes it possible to connect the body’s responses effectively with the outside environment. When this connection is delayed, or when the neural pathways are incomplete, it creates a condition known as “cerebellar delay”, which causes dyslexia.

Two innocent questions...

A little six year old girl looks up to her mother and asks,”Ma! When will I be writing like my friends? All of us started writing at the same time. They’re writing and drawing so nicely, why does my writing look like this? Am I stupid?”

A touching question by a little girl, who is troubled by the fact that her handwriting is indecipherable to others. If it’s just a question of bad handwriting, why am I going forth with this blog? What is my objective? There are two very powerful reasons behind my writing this blog and trying to get it across to millions of readers out there. One, to try and answer the queries of parents and teachers of children who have been struggling with learning difficulties for a long time, and two, to let these children, who have been called ‘stupid’ and ‘slow’ all their lives, know that they are not!

Some children are extremely different from their peers. Some might be slow to grasp concepts, some might have trouble with their motor coordination, some might struggle to speak ordinary sounding words, some simply have trouble looking at an object and understanding its significance. These kids are usually put into brackets like “slow”, “stupid”, ”not motivated”, ”mentally retarded”,”hyperactive”, ”destructive” and so on. These are the kids you usually find in the last row of the classroom, laboring over the classwork, struggling to understand the teacher’s rapid teaching and grappling with their homework at home.

The little girl, mentioned earlier, watches a science show on TV with intense concentration. After it’s over, she asks her mother,” I have understood that the earth moves around the sun and the moon moves around the earth. If, for some reason, the earth falls down, what will happen to the moon?” The mother is nonplussed and starts thinking. Without giving her time to ponder upon the first question, the little girl now asks,”Ma, why do we need a rocket to launch a satellite in space? Why can’t an aeroplane do the same job?” Mentally retarded? Stupid? Slow to understand? I think not. On the contrary, the girl is displaying a serious knack for science and scientific thinking. This little girl, with her sunny smile, extensive vocabulary and a charming disposition wins hearts everywhere she goes. 

But let me tell you she is also dyslexic.