Predominant in males and, in most cases, caused by genetic factors, dyslexia is characterized as a developmental disorder that affects basic everyday skills, such as reading, writing, and language.
For some parents, identifying dyslexia in children can also be a challenge. Therefore, it is essential to be aware of the symptoms and seek help through a treatment with a psychologist or speech therapist. Follow the reading and learn how to identify dyslexia in children!
What causes dyslexia in children?
Dyslexia in children is due to changes in brain systems, which are responsible for speech processing. That is, the result is the difficulty of processing sounds, words, and letters.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, dyslexia can be caused by genetic alterations and hereditary factors.
How to identify symptoms?
It is very important that dyslexia is treated with respect, care, and attention by parents, teachers, and people in the child's social environment. The main form of care is to pay attention to the signs that are presented on a daily basis.
During preschool is the literacy phase. It is precisely at this stage that dyslexia in children begins to show signs, through learning difficulties. Difficulties may appear in the child's reading, writing, and oral language. Other common symptoms are:
- Delay in speech development;
- Pronunciation errors, including phoneme swaps and substitutions;
- Difficulty expressing yourself verbally;
- Word recognition errors;
- Slow and incorrect reading (poor fluency and inadequacies of rhythm and intonation);
- Difficulty in textual productions;
- Difficulties in memory and reasoning;
- Confusion between syllables and letters (they can confuse "d" with "b" or "h" with "n", for example).
Importantly, the level of symptoms will vary with each child. Dyslexia can present different degrees, being divided between: mild, moderate, or severe. What will define the degree of dyslexia is the level of difficulty presented in daily activities.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is made through exclusion, by a team of professionals, such as psychologists, speech therapists, and neurologists.
Before stating the diagnosis of dyslexia, it is necessary to rule out other conditions, including: attention deficit, visual and hearing impairments, emotional problems, and other neurological and psychological disorders.
In consultations with psychologists, the diagnosis can be made through playful games involving singing, drawings, numbers, and rhymes.
Treatment
Dyslexia is not curable, but through qualified treatment it is possible to live with the disorder.
As with diagnosis, the treatment of dyslexia in children requires the participation of professionals from various fields (pedagogy, speech therapy, psychology and neurology).
How can parents and teachers help children with dyslexia?
Parents and teachers play a key role in providing support to children with dyslexia. It is essential to highlight the child's strengths and strengths so that he feels able to develop his skills and is also empowered. Also, it is important not to judge or draw attention to the child's difficulties. Always support!
It is also important that teachers include children with dyslexia in all activities and school groups.
When carrying out tasks at school and at home, it is important for parents and teachers to read some questions aloud and review the reading individually with the dyslexic child.
Board games can also be interesting, as they stimulate the logical thinking of a child with dyslexia.
Thus, the support of parents and teachers is essential for the development of children living with dyslexia. Relying on professional help is also the main pillar for quality treatment, and consequently, in the evolution of the child's abilities.
