Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding).

Contrary to popular beliefs, dyslexia is not caused by issues with one's eyes. Dyslexia occurs due to a dysfunctionality in the brain (Broca’s Area). Individuals with dyslexia see words and letters as others do, but struggle with manipulating and processing them. 

Symptoms

• 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

Causes of Dyslexia

As mentioned, dyslexia stems from biological differences in the brain's functioning and processing of language. It is thought that these differences have a genetic basis, as dyslexia often runs in the family.

How Can I Support My Child With Dyslexia?

Here are some tips that you can use to support a child with dyslexia:

✽ Be a Reading Buddy 

✽   Provide a Quiet Space 

✽   Use Large Print Text 

✽   Using Audio Support or Text-to-Speech Software 

✽   Guiding Questions When Reading 

✽   Using Colours to Illustrate Words

✽   Implementing Multisensory Learning 

• Integrating Visual, Auditory, Tactile (Touch) and Kinesthetic (Movement) Learning Elements
  • Visual Learning:
    
  • Kinesthetic + Tactile Learning (e.g. Trips to Museums or Animal Parks) 

“We should not only try to see the world through their eyes, but understand it through their brains” - Sandman-Hurley

Let’s change the way we view dyslexia. Watch the video attached to learn more.