Delayed onset of speech development, poor memory, confusion of sounds and words during conversation, and problems communicating with peers in preschool age can be symptoms of dyslexia . This term means a specific disorder that is accompanied by difficulty in mastering reading skills. Adults should understand that dyslexia does not affect the child’s mental (brain) abilities, this problem only concerns reading.
Usually, the first symptoms of dyslexia in children are noticed by parents at school age, when the child has difficulties with learning, in particular, with reading. You do not need to immediately blame your child for laziness and punish the baby. See a professional to understand the possible causes of school failure. These can be problems with vision, hearing and, finally, dyslexia , which should be diagnosed as early as possible.
MOST COMMON SIGNS OF DYSLEXIA IN CHILDREN
An indicative symptom of dyslexia in children: slow reading, skipping and confusion of words or letters in words.
As practice shows, parents start to sound the alarm in primary school when the child begins to learn symbols (letters, numbers, arithmetic signs). Children with dyslexia make incomprehensible mistakes, are very reluctant to read, have difficulty reproducing geometric shapes, and tend to have poor handwriting. Parents should be alert if the child:
- when reading, brings the book very close to the eyes, “squints” or closes one eye;
- reads very slowly, constantly skips and confuses words or letters in words;
- instead of reading, he tries to “guess” the words;
- does not understand (has difficulty understanding) what he has read;
- complains of fatigue or headache while reading;
- writes words backwards.
If dyslexia can also be problems with spatial orientation and coordination of movements.
SYMPTOMS OF DYSLEXIA IN CHILDREN DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DISORDER
It should be noted that experts distinguish between several types of dyslexia , depending on the impaired reading mechanism.
To establish what is the cause of the learning disorder, and what form of dyslexia occurs in each case, a specialist (speech therapist, psychologist, neurologist) conducts tests on reading skills, the level of development of oral speech and cognitive abilities of the child. There are various testing options for children of different ages. Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that the following forms of dyslexia are present :
- phonetic (problems with the sound system, mixing / replacing sounds ( house-com , masha-porridge, etc.);
- semantic (problems with reading comprehension);
- agrammatic (underdeveloped speech, for example, not understanding the difference between cases, gender, singular and plural);
- mnestic (problems with memorizing letters);
- optical (a problem with the assimilation of letters – children can confuse them by their external spelling and other signs);
- tactile ( dyslexia , inherent in children with poor eyesight).
CAUSES OF DYSLEXIA IN CHILDREN
To identify the cause of this disorder, the specialist evaluates all psychophysiological and emotional aspects. For this purpose, the doctor collects information regarding pregnancy, the presence of congenital diseases and pathologies acquired at an early age, plus the peculiarities of the child’s development in the first years of his life are studied.
One of the main causes of dyslexia is called hereditary predisposition (there is even a term “familial dyslexia “).
Among the biological factors that provoke the occurrence of this disorder are called:
- perinatal injury;
- protracted labor;
- lesions of the central nervous system;
- infectious and mechanical brain damage, etc.
Other possible reasons include social factors, including a deficit in verbal communication, too early a child’s beginning of education, as well as communication with others in two or more languages (bilingualism).
In some cases, functional brain diagnostics (MRI) is done. Usually, children with dyslexia experience a decrease in the density of brain tissue in the left temporal lobe.
HOW IS DYSLEXIA TREATED IN CHILDREN?
Why is it important to timely identify and begin treatment for dyslexia in children?
For starters, it is worth noting that people suffering from dyslexia can make significant progress in their lives. For you to be convinced of this, it is enough to list the names of several world famous dyslexics – Leonardo da Vinci and Albert Einstein, Hans-Christian Andersen and Henry Ford, Quentin Tarantino and Marilyn Monroe.
Most children with dyslexia are curious toddlers with a rich imagination, they are active and talented, they often show outstanding abilities in some specific industries. Nevertheless, having seen the first signs of dyslexia in children, you need to immediately think about correcting this disorder, because, ignoring it, you can in the near future face such problems as:
- poor school performance;
- the development of an inferiority complex in a child – as a reaction to ridicule from peers.
The answer to the question of how to help a child with dyslexia will be helped by a neurologist, speech therapist, and psychologist. For each child, the method is selected (first of all, special phonetic methods), which will allow mastering reading techniques, taking into account the peculiarities of his form of dyslexia . For this purpose, direct and indirect training is used.
When treating dyslexia , a high concentration of attention is required from a child. If it is difficult for a child to concentrate, Tenoten for children can help him – a drug that helps to improve the memory and attention of the child, and is not addictive.