Understanding Dyslexia

Today we looked at dyslexia in detail, and it is interesting to see how people judge people with dyslexia, yet they do not realise that it does not mean that these people will never succeed. So many creative people are dyslexic, and that is their gift.  Just looking at the list of famous people who are dyslexic, Tom Cruise, Richard Branson, Pablo Picasso, Magic Johnson, Steven Spielberg, Mohammed Ali, and look at what they achieved in their lives. It really shows that we should not judge people, nor shut them out as if they will achieve nothing.  We also spoke of how children are victimised at school for being 'different'. Who determines 'different' to be quite honest, I would rather say 'Gifted' because we are all born with special abilities and talents. How boring it would be if we were all the same!  Let's celebrate our children and their uniqueness

Here is what we shared on the show:

Dyslexia is a lifelong condition that makes it difficult for people to read. It’s the most common learning issue, although it’s not clear what percentage of kids have it. Some experts believe the number is between 5 and 10 percent. Others say as many as 17 percent of people show signs of reading issues. The reason for the wide range is that experts may define dyslexia in different ways.

Dyslexia is mainly a problem with reading accurately and fluently. Kids with dyslexia may have trouble answering questions about something they’ve read. But when it’s read to them, they may have no difficulty at all.

Dyslexia can create difficulty with other skills, however. These include:

• Reading comprehension
• Spelling
• Writing
• Math

People sometimes believe dyslexia is a visual issue. They think of it as kids reversing letters or writing backwards. But dyslexia is not a problem with vision or with seeing letters in the wrong direction.

It’s important to know that while dyslexia impacts learning, it’s not a problem of intelligence. Kids with this issue are just as smart as their peers. Many people have struggled with dyslexia and gone on to have successful careers. That includes a long list of actors, entrepreneurs and elected officials.

If your child has dyslexia, she won’t outgrow it. But there are supports, teaching approaches and strategies to help her overcome her challenges.

Here are some examples of signs of dyslexia:

Preschool

• Has trouble recognizing whether two words rhyme
• Struggles with taking away the beginning sound from a word
• Struggles with learning new words
• Has trouble recognizing letters and matching them to sounds

Grade School

• Has trouble taking away the middle sound from a word or blending several sounds to make a word
• Often can’t recognize common sight words
• Quickly forgets how to spell many of the words she studies
• Gets tripped up by word problems in math

Middle School

• Makes many spelling errors
• Frequently has to re-read sentences and passages
• Reads at a lower academic level than how she speaks

High School

• Often skips over small words when reading aloud
• Doesn’t read at the expected grade level
• Strongly prefers multiple-choice questions over fill-in-the-blank or short answer.

https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/dyslexia/understanding-dyslexia#item0

It is important for us as parents to look out for these signs and get our children help as soon as we can.  


Till next Monday

Stay Blessed

#beingaparent

Common Types of Learning Disabilities

Today we discussed a very crucial topic which is learning disabilities. So many children in Zimbabwe go through the education system with learning disabilities mainly because of lack of awareness. Some parents thing a child is just being lazy, stubborn, or just hates school. Sometimes it could be true but sometimes it could be that the child has a learning disability. 

Today we just gave definitions of the leaning disabilities from the Special Needs website, next week we will go deeper into some of the more common disabilities.

The important lesson is that we must closely monitor our children's developments and if there is a recurring pattern in their learning challenges, it would be best to go for an assessment or alert the teacher


Overview of Common Types of Learning Disabilities
If your child has trouble with schoolwork and learning, it can be both frustrating for you and your child.  Your child may feel unintelligent, and you may feel that your child is not trying his best.  However, there can be a hidden factor that explains why your child is struggling.  Your child may have one of several types of learning disabilities.
If your child is constantly struggling with learning and developmental stages, it is a good idea to get them tested for one of the many types of learning disabilities.  If your child ends up having a learning disability, they may qualify for an Individualized Education Plan, IEP, as well as for extra help and resources.  A child with a learning disability does not make them unintelligent or lazy.  It simply means that he is not able to function or process in a certain area as well as a child without a learning disability.

Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a common learning disability that affects a child’s reading and how they see and understand written words.  Children with dyslexia can mix up letters, have a hard time with reading speed and fluency, and may even complain of physical ailments when reading.

Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is the learning disability that revolves around arithmetic and numbers.  Children with dyscalculia have difficulty telling time, counting in a sequenced pattern (such as by 2s or 5s), and handling money.  Dyscalculia also affects one’s ability to memorize number sequences as well as comprehending number sequences.

Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is the learning disability that affects one’s writing, spelling, and information comprehension.  The learning disability of dysgraphia is usually present alongside with dyslexia.  Dysgraphia makes it hard for one to organize sentences and words, comprehend writing structure and organization, as well as copying letters and words accurately. 

Dyspraxia 
Dyspraxia is the learning disorder that affects the fine motor skills and gross motor skills.  Children with dyspraxia have a hard time with hand-eye coordination and completing simple fine or gross motor skills, such as cutting, buttoning, jumping, and running.  Usually those with dyspraxia are clumsy and hard to understand due to their trouble of pronouncing words.

Aphasia or Dysphasia
Aphasia or Dysphasia is the learning disability of understanding language.  Children with these types of learning disabilities have a hard time retelling a story they heard, as well as difficulty understanding the meaning of words or directions. 

Auditory Processing Disorder
Those with auditory processing disorder have a difficult time hearing words correctly in the right speed as well as the difference between different word sounds.  This issue makes it difficult for them to read and comprehend language and written words.

Visual Processing Disorder
Those with the learning disability of visual processing disorder find it challenging to read and comprehend the meaning and difference of symbols, shapes, maps, charts, and pictures.  They will often reverse letters and numbers, skip lines, or skip words. 

While there are many types of learning disabilities, there are also many resources and aids to help parents and their children. Many of these types of learning disabilities are usually not present alone in a child.  Instead, many children will have a mixture of two or more learning disabilities in different severities. 

http://www.specialneeds.com/children-and-parents/general-special-needs/types-learning-disabilities

Should We Push Our Kids To Be Academic?

Many parents that I know, prays that their child excels from the moment they start school; they want to be the parent that goes for prize giving and is too tired from getting up to clap for their child because their child is getting most of them! The child should be good at sports too and other activities, an all-rounder. I must admit I am like that too. I would love my children to be excellent in their academics, so I will admit I am a pushy mum (They say the first step is acceptance ...hahahah). My push comes because I am an academic, so unfortunately I push. But the importance is understanding WHY you want your child to be an academic and understand the consequences

So some of the effects on your child could be:

1. Stress: The child could feel pressure to excel and could be depressed, be angry, and physically they could have headaches or stomach aches.

2. Anxiety: Children feel the pressure to please their parents and thus put more pressure on themselves to succeed. The need to be praised and rewarded is always there. If they fail, they feel they have let you down.

3.  Anger: Sometimes the pressure can affect a child to get to the point of resenting you the parent.  Your child may refuse to follow rules or guidelines, lying or acting out

4.  Withdrawal: Some children internalise their 'failure in your eyes' by thinking they do not deserve to be loved.


So how do you manage your expectations, which is what we need to do?

1. Find out why: Take time to find out why you want your child to succeed. Is it a failed goal that you wish you had achieved? Is it pressure to show your child off?

2. Find out if your child is really good academically 

3. Accept your child for who they are. The importance is their happiness

4. Have an open relationship with your children. Offer them help where you can, or understand what they enjoy at school and what they are not strong at. This makes them feel like you care. 

5.  Monitor your child.  Watch how they eat, sleep and interact with others to see if they are feeling any pressure from school or from you

6. Enjoy your child.  Enjoy the uniqueness of your child and enjoy being their parent. Be balanced and supportive and celebrate your child's achievements and efforts, academically or not

You only live once, make the most of the time you have with your children

Till next Monday

Stay Blessed

#beingaparent