Dyslexia
By peace | November 27, 2005
Be inspired!
Guy Ritchie, the film director and Madonna’s hubby, is dyslexic.
The facts
Dyslexia is an inherited condition. It’s a specific learning difficulty which can affect reading and/or spelling. It can also affect other written symbols like maths and written music. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence - many dyslexic people are extremely clever.
Between four and five percent of the population are severely dyslexic — “ that’s a total of two million people in the UK. Of those, about 375,000 are school children. Dyslexia affects boys and girls equally.
Dyslexic people have tiny differences in specific language areas of the brain which can cause varying degrees of difficulty in learning when using words and symbols.
About 60 percent of dyslexic people find it hard to sort out sounds within words. This can leads to problems with reading, writing and spelling.
Dyslexia can make people feel:
Stupid because they have difficulty reading and writing.
Frustrated because a page of words look meaningless.
Angry as people can mistake dyslexia for being lazy or not listening.
Less confident and lacking in self-esteem because of continuous under-achievement.
Careers
The differences that cause language difficulties are also believed to enhance dyslexics’ visual, spatial and lateral thinking abilities, leading to success in a wide range of careers.
Living with dyslexia
A full assessment with a chartered educational psychologist will establish what the individual’s specific difficulties are and whether or not they are the result of dyslexia. The educational psychologist will then be able to advise on a teaching programme that is tailored to the individual’s needs.
The earlier dyslexia is diagnosed, the better; but it’s never too late to improve your reading and spelling.
Topics: Children, Diseases, Health |
