Dyslexia
  Introduction  
 
Dyslexia is a learning disability that manifests primarily as a difficulty with written language, particularly with reading and spelling. Dyslexia is most commonly characterized by difficulties with learning how to decode at the word level, to spell, and to read accurately and fluently.
 
Definition:
A disorder manifested by difficulty in learning to read despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity.
 
  Epidemiology/Vital Statistics:  
Dyslexia is the most common learning disability in children and persists throughout life. It affects 5 percent or more of all elementary-age children.
 
  Risk Factors:  
Dyslexia can be related to brain injury, hereditary, or hormonal influences. It usually runs in families.
 
  Sign and Symptoms:  
Some dyslexics also have difficulty learning to write, to spell and, sometimes, to speak, or to work with numbers.

  • Difficulty learning and remembering printed words
  • Letter reversal (b for d, p for q), number reversals (6 for 9), and changed order of letters in words (tar for rat, quite for quiet) or numbers (12 for 21)
  • Leaving out or inserting words while reading
  • Confusing vowel sounds or substituting one consonant for another
  • Persistent spelling errors
  • Difficulty writing
  • Delayed or inadequate speech
  • Trouble picking the right word to fit the meaning desired when speaking
  • Problems with direction (up and down) and time (before and after, yesterday and tomorrow)
  • Clumsiness
  • A child may have difficulty remembering or understanding what he hears. Recalling sequences of things or more than one command at a time can be difficult.
 
  Course:  
Left untreated, dyslexia may lead to low self-esteem, delinquency, aggression, and withdrawal or alienation from friends and parents. Behavior problems at home as well as at school are frequently seen. The child may become unmotivated and develop a dislike for school.
 
  Treatment:  
Children suspected of being dyslexic should be tested by a psychologist to identify the types of mistakes that are most commonly made. A person with Dyslexia would need treatment such as tutoring, summer school, speech therapy, or placement in special classes.


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