What are the symptoms of dyslexia? At what age does dyslexia become a problem? My child is dyslexic. How can I help? I've heard about colour filters. Can they help? I've heard about essential fatty acids. Can they help? Is fatty acid deficiency more likely in ADHD, dyslexia, or dyspraxia? My husband is dyslexic. Will my daughter be dyslexic too?
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty which specifically affects reading ability in between 5% and 10% of children. It is found in all socio-economic groups and countries. Dyslexics are often above average in other respects, but their reading is unexpectedly poor. Many learn coping strategies, but have continuing difficulties with spelling and writing. They typically also have problems with numbers and other symbols, with making fine distinctions between sounds, and with holding large pieces of information like phone numbers in their memory. Problems with text often go along with advantages in other areas - creativity, empathy and strong visual-spatial skills. The exact pattern of problems and skills varies widely between individuals. Dyslexia is a clear physical syndrome. It affects all levels of intelligence, and is nothing to do with ‘he's just thick’ or ‘she's too lazy to try’.
Children seem to learn language skills best during a short ‘critical period’. If they have hearing problems (like an ear infection) during this time, this could affect their language abilities. Similarly, hearing problems when they are learning to read could affect their ability to pick up reading skills. Also, visual problems (such as squint or shortsightedness) can make reading very hard and so deter the child from persevering with it. As well as this sort of acquired dyslexia (which is due to visual or hearing problems), there is also developmental dyslexia. The cause or causes of developmental dyslexia are not fully understood, and are the major focus of our research. It is an inherited condition which appears to affect more boys than girls, and involves clear differences in the way the brain is wired up.
What are the symptoms of dyslexia? Perhaps the most obvious symptom is unexpectedly poor reading, given the individual's general ability. However, spelling problems, problems remembering telephone numbers and appointments, and bad handwriting can also be signs of dyslexia, particularly in the many high-achieving dyslexics who have managed to compensate for their reading difficulties. Other symptoms include difficulties in learning things by rote (for example the months of the year), a tendency to clumsiness, poor concentration and phonological problems (finding it hard to sort out the sounds within words). Many dyslexics also report visual symptoms, such as a tendency for letters to blur or move around on the page, strain due to glare from the whiteness of the page, or a sensation of "crowding" of the letters on the page.
At what age does dyslexia become a problem? The British education system places enormous emphasis on reading and writing skills, which can make life very difficult for dyslexic children. English is also a particularly difficult language to learn to read, because of the many irregularities in its sound-spelling relationships (compare rough, bough, lough, through, though, cough). It has been estimated that as many as 20% of British adults may be functionally illiterate. In Italy, where the language is much more regular, and the education system depends less on written work and more on oral tests, dyslexia is much less frequently diagnosed. Dyslexic children's difficulties may become apparent when they begin to learn to read. However, developmental dyslexics often show signs before they learn to read. They may be unexpectedly clumsy, or have problems concentrating. There may also be dyslexia in the family.
In a society such as ours, which places so much importance on reading and spelling, dyslexia is undoubtedly a problem. However, many dyslexics, value the gifts which their dyslexia has given them, and would not want to be ‘cured’. There are many opportunities for dyslexics, particularly since the development of computer and film technologies has created a huge demand for programming, artistic and graphic design skills. One well-known architect's practice prefers to employ dyslexic people because of their spatial awareness and lateral thinking abilities. Dyslexia can often be helped by specialist remedial programmes. In addition, other treatments designed to address the visual symptoms (colour filters etc), phonological symptoms or underlying biological basis of dyslexia (fatty acids) may also help. Beware of the many groups purporting to offer treatments, or even cures, for dyslexia for a large, upfront fee. These may or may not help (you have little recourse if they do not). They are frequently based on little or no scientific research, and often involve treatments (such as nutritional supplements, coloured overlays, or intensive reading programs) which you can do yourself much more cheaply. There is no magic pill for dyslexia; but long, hard work can often help. Although awareness of dyslexia is much higher than it was, it can still go undiagnosed, with the result that the child can be stigmatised and disadvantaged. This can be very bad for a child's self-esteem.
My child is dyslexic. How can I help? The most important thing you can do is be understanding. Don't blame or put pressure on your child for not achieving. Explain to them that their dyslexia is a real physical condition, like deafness or having to wear glasses: it does not mean they are stupid or lazy. Praise them for effort as well as achievement. Encourage areas in which they can feel successful, such as creative work (e.g. verbal storytelling), and hobbies or sports. Be flexible about your hopes for their choice of career. Dyslexia varies widely from child to child. If your child has mild problems, and is still very young, it may be possible to help just by spending more time reading with him or her. Children develop at different speeds, after all. Motivating your child to enjoy reading, and giving them the time they need with you, can be a great help. It is also important to check your child's vision and hearing to make sure that these are working properly. If your child's problems are more severe, you may want to get an assessment. You will need an official diagnosis of dyslexia to persuade your school to set aside extra help for your child. The key here is to go armed with facts, and to persevere. The Dyslexia Association can help you in your discussions with the school, and Oxfordshire LEA has a Parent Partnership Scheme which can provide you with independent advice and support.
The development of technologies like voice recognition and spell-checking can be extremely helpful to dyslexics.
I've heard about colour filters. Can they help? Many dyslexics have problems with some aspects of their vision. These may be very subtle and so may not be detected by an optician. There is evidence that using a coloured overlay or coloured glasses can help such individuals with their reading.
I've heard about Essential Fatty Acids. Can they help? Many dyslexics show signs of being deficient in essential (unsaturated) fatty acids, which are especially important for the proper functioning of brain cells. Fatty acid deficiency has been linked to high levels of saturated fat in the typical Western diet, and to the recent rise in many serious diseases. It is possible that dyslexia may involve a difficulty in processing fatty acids in the body. If so, the lack of fatty acids in our modern diet could have a particularly noticeable impact on dyslexics. There is currently some research on the relationship between fatty acids and dyslexia.
Is fatty acid deficiency more likely in ADHD, dyslexia or dyspraxia? In our view, these kinds of diagnostic labels should usually be treated with more than a degree of caution. There is huge variability in both access to formal assessments and the diagnostic methods used. All of these conditions exist in graded form, with core features often blending imperceptibly into the general population range. More importantly, perhaps, the overlap between these conditions in practice is so great that so-called ‘pure cases’ are the exception rather than the rule. Research suggests that a significant proportion of people with any or all of these conditions (and some others with no such official label) could be helped by simple dietary supplementation with highly unsaturated fatty acids. However, it must be emphasised that: this approach
can’t be expected to benefit every individual with dyslexia, dyspraxia
or ADHD – simply because the causes of these kinds of problems can
be so varied, and although good nutrition is the foundation for optimal
brain function, many other factors obviously need to be considered in
the management of these conditions. Our treatment trials have involved children and adults identified primarily for either dyslexia or ADHD. However, we have taken care to assess features of all three conditions as far as possible. (For the record, more than half of our dyslexic and ADHD children met clinical criteria for dyspraxia, and we found the usual high overlap between dyslexia and ADHD in both children and adults). In our adult study, we also included a non-dyslexic group, and we assessed them using the same measures, as there is already some evidence of benefits from fatty acid supplementation in the general population.
At the moment no single gene for dyslexia has been identified. It seems likely that there will be several important genes involved. However, we do know that dyslexia has a large inherited component. We also know that boys are more likely to be affected than girls. Dyslexia in a parent is certainly a risk factor for dyslexia in the child, so you should be aware of the possibility. However, it is by no means certain that your child - and especially your daughter - will be dyslexic. Thanks to the Oxford University Dyslexia Research Group for permission to reproduce some information from their website. |