Early diagnosis of dyslexia helps a child get back on track

By Keith G Emuang 

Sixteen-year old Rebecca was not doing well in school. For almost eight years, she had experienced repeated failure. Urged by a friend, Rebecca's mother decided to take her to the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) for an evaluation. After a series of tests, a psychologist determined that Rebecca was dyslexic.    

"If only her mother had brought her in eight years ago, her school life would have been transformed so much earlier," rues Robin Moseley, the DAS executive director. "Of course it is never too late to get help, but imagine all those wasted years. It's such a pity that she wasn't diagnosed earlier."
It is Moseley's ardent wish that more parents would put their children through early assessment instead of taking a wait-and-see approach until the teen years come along, because early intervention is vital. 

"If a child six to seven years of age receives proper help, he will be able to get back to his average level in reading, writing and spelling four times faster than a dyslexic child who seeks help at 11 years of age," he says. 

A NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER
Dyslexia is a characterised by neurological difficulties with accurate or fluent word recognition and problems decoding the elements of language. Essentially, when an individual is deficient in any one or more tasks involving reading, spelling and writing, he or she is said to be dyslexic.
Related weaknesses may show up in language acquisition, phonological processing (making sense of the relationship between letters and sounds), working memory and sequencing. 

These may then translate into problems with comprehension, which can lead the child to shy away from reading – one of the main avenues through which vocabulary and general knowledge are developed. 

COMMON INDICATORS Literacy One of the key indicators of dyslexia is a child's inability to learn to read, spell and write at the level expected by their intelligence and by the opportunities they have had to learn. Often, parents and teachers are baffled by how the child can be so capable and intelligent in many areas but have difficulty with basic tasks such as reading and writing.   Working Memory Known to be 'quick forgetters', dyslexics may learn and understand how to do something but need frequent reminders to remember. It is often necessary to have to keep repeating something over and over to a dyslexic to try and ensure they remember it.  Sequencing Many dyslexics have difficulty sorting or ordering information, which causes difficulties in mathematics, remembering a list of instructions or giving a good verbal explanation.  Letter Reversals This involves writing 'b' for 'd', for instance. However, this is normal even with non-dyslexic children up to Primary 2. Parents should only be concerned if a child continues to show letter reversals after Primary 2. Still, they should note that there are many dyslexic children who have never written letters in reverse.  Resource: Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS)

NO KNOWN CAUSE
Despite extensive research on the condition, the exact causes of dyslexia are still unknown. What is clear, though, is that contrary to popular belief, dyslexia is not caused by a lack of intelligence or any lack of opportunity to learn. 

Moseley, who is also a chartered psychologist, points out, "Dyslexia is a genetic condition which is there from birth to death. But with proper help, there is no reason why a dyslexic cannot go on to become a successful individual." 

Some studies have indicated that dyslexia may be due to the presence of small differences in brain structure and functioning. These are likely to be hereditary. However, this does not mean the child of a dyslexic parent will definitely have the condition, although the probability is high. 

It is also believed that due to these small differences in the brain, dyslexics think, learn and process information differently and in a different area of the brain than non-dyslexics.  

While the probable causes of dyslexia are thought to be biological, there is some evidence that environmental influences – such as teaching methods, intervention techniques, language system and exposure level, and home and school experiences – might play a part as well. 

WHO GETS IT?
Dyslexia is often inaccurately thought of as a middle-class or rich person’s excuse for being lazy or not bright. According to Moseley, anyone can be dyslexic, whether of average or above-average intelligence. Even individuals who are physically and emotionally healthy, and who come from good home environments can be affected. 

Three to five per cent of Singaporeans are reported to be dyslexic, but Moseley clarifies that these figures only indicate individuals for whom dyslexia has a severe or measurable impact on their performances and their lives. It does not reflect a greater proportion of people who may have mild dyslexic difficulties. 

"There may be those who have some difficulty spelling but suffer no adverse effects on their lives. In many international surveys, 10 per cent of the population were found to have dyslexia to some degree or other," he notes. 

Among school children in Singapore, it is estimated that about 18,500 are dyslexic. But this does not imply that they will not go on to live successful lives. Some famous individuals who are dyslexic include Albert Einstein, Agatha Christie, Bill Gates, Winston Churchill and Bill Gates. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is also known to be a mild dyslexic.
 
UNSEEN PROBLEM
While there are common signs of dyslexia, the emergence of these signs does not automatically mean a child is dyslexic. For instance, some factors that are associated with, but do not cause, dyslexia are poor motivation, impaired attention and academic frustration – all of which can be misinterpreted.
Moseley explains, "Unfortunately, dyslexia is not something that is easily noticed because it involves a very subtle set of difficulties. You can be dyslexic and yet appear perfectly normal, and even between dyslexics, the signs can show up quite differently." 

He says that only a well-trained psychologist would know the various tests to perform and thereafter, how to study the indicators to confirm dyslexia.
Because Singapore is essentially a multi-lingual society, detecting dyslexia is more challenging because children may show weakness simply because they do not use the language and are thus weak in it. Whatever the case, Moseley advises parents who have fears and uncertainties to seek professional evaluation.
 
"Being dyslexic is not an excuse for failing. It simply means that you have to be aware of and accept your condition and the extra work that you have to put in before you achieve success," says Moseley who, incidentally, is a dyslexic himself; he holds three degrees in Psychology, Child Development and Educational Psychology. 

If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg

- Mother & Baby
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