T<\/span>his piece was published on parenting portal <\/em>Makchic <\/em><\/a>on 14 December 2018<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Maria Montessori<\/a>\u00a0said, \u201cThe child builds his inmost self out of the deeply held impressions he receives.\u201d<\/p>\n Therefore, a \u2018labelled\u2019\u00a0 child carries the impressions others heap on him, for life. Dyslexia is a learning disability plagued by misconceptions. Common labels for children with dyslexia include \u2018slow\u2019, \u2018unintelligent\u2019 or even worse, \u2018stupid\u2019. Some are even left behind, overlooked or ignored in kindergarten or school settings.<\/p>\n Individuals with dyslexia have no issues with vocalisation and articulation. Instead, they have a\u00a0neurobiological disorder which impacts written word pronunciation and spelling.<\/p>\n No, dyslexia is not ADD or ADHD. However, issues with attention could stem from inability to understand via conventional teaching methods. It is crucial to grasp the learning style that best resonates with the child.<\/p>\n It is a neurological disorder. Therefore, motivation or the lack of it does not cause dyslexia. Low motivation can occur in dyslexic children, especially when they are compared to their peers or worse, labelled.<\/p>\n No, it is not an emotional problem. However, studies have shown a link between dyslexia and depression in adolescents. Typically, it stems from labels bestowed in childhood which they carry on for life. Nevertheless, emotional problems do not cause this disorder.<\/p>\n Not all learning challenges are the same. Dyslexia is unique in itself. It is not uncommon for people to associate one disability with another. Nonetheless, co-morbidity is possible. This is when an individual faces two learning challenges whereby one is not caused by the other. For example, dyslexic individuals could also have ADHD.<\/p>\n When a person is dyslexic, it does not mean they are not intelligent. On the contrary, those with dyslexia have normal to above average IQ scores. In fact, some famous personalities with dyslexia include Walt Disney, Richard Branson and Albert Einstein.<\/p>\n Blame is the game when something is not right. So when a child has dyslexia, some blame poor teaching or the lack of exposure due to lower family income. This is simply not true. It is a neurological disorder, which simply means that the brain functions differently.<\/p>\n \n Photo credit: <\/em>Sarah\u2019s First Grade Snippets<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n The picture above illustrates the three regions of a typical brain, which light up when reading. However, the brain of a person with dyslexia, does not function in the same way when reading.<\/p>\n As illustrated below,\u00a0 the brain of someone with dyslexia is unable to automatically recognise and analyse words.<\/p>\n Photo credit: <\/span>The Reading Well<\/a><\/figure>\n Rhyming words phonetically may not add up for a dyslexic person. Word analysis is tough. The words\u00a0 \u201ccould\u201d and \u201cshould\u201d appear as individual words and not rhyming words.<\/p>\n Automatic word recognition is difficult therefore, sounds and letter names are tough. Phonetically, the dyslexic brain finds it difficult to sound out the words they read.<\/p>\n Confusing similar looking alphabets is the most widely known sign of this disorder. It is also one of the earliest warning sign.\u00a0 For example the letters \u2018b\u2019 and \u2018d\u2019 may be used interchangeably.<\/p>\n Spelling may always be a challenge, which dyslexic children carry on into adulthood. However, in this digital age, there are many tools to assist children and even adults with this.<\/p>\n Since sounding out phonetic pronunciations is difficult, irregular words prove challenging. It is quite common for dyslexic children to question the spelling of irregular words e.g. why is \u201conce\u201d not spelled as \u201cwunce\u201d or \u201cone\u201d not spelled as \u201cwan\u201d.<\/p>\n Additionally, words with several syllables become tougher for a dyslexic person to pronounce.<\/p>\n Due to slow word perception, dyslexic children find it hard to read fluently. Dyslexic children with the proper diagnosis may apply for extra time or a \u201creader\u201d and \u201cwriter\u201d for main examinations such as UPSR, PT3 and SPM. This is to enable them a fair chance to perform well in such examinations.<\/p>\n How does one confirm if a child is dyslexic? Always see a paediatrician for a referral.\u00a0 A Child Development Specialist or Child Psychologist is the best person to diagnose dyslexia.<\/p>\n Dyslexia is a learning disability, not a label for life. Hence,\u00a0early intervention is key.<\/p>\n \n Some helpful links and resources on dyslexia in Malaysia:<\/strong><\/p>\n Dyslexia Malaysia Association<\/a>\u00a0(DMA) or\u00a0www.dyslexiamalaysia.org.my<\/a><\/p>\n Dyslexia Parents Support Group\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0(PSIDM)<\/p>\n Dyslexia Remedial Centre<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGetting Started with A Special Needs Child\u201d<\/em><\/a>\u00a0may have some useful information on getting an assessment for dyslexia.<\/em><\/p>\n \n Desiree is the founder of Project Haans and mother to Haans, the inspiration behind this project. She is based in Malaysia. Writing is her passion and she hopes the Spectrum of Voices will become a space for people to share their stories, learning, strategies and have their voices heard.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div> Project Haans is a self funded initiative. If you would like to support Desiree\u2019s work and Project Haans, you can do so via BuyMeACoffee here.<\/a><\/p>\n \n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n![\"Decoding](\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/60f8120a6908143274ff04a7\/1632191740158-N3GBBHC3CX0VIKD4U26L\/Decoding+Dyslexia.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHere\u2019s what Dyslexia is NOT<\/h3>\n
Oral language impairment<\/strong><\/h4>\n
A behavioural or attentional problem<\/strong><\/h4>\n
A result of low motivation<\/strong><\/h4>\n
An emotional problem<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Autism or Schizophrenia<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Limited intelligence<\/strong><\/h4>\n
The result of poor teaching or low family income<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/60f8120a6908143274ff04a7\/1632190934799-G0LIEEK6B33U5IMWWHOV\/Decoding+Dyslexia+-+1.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"Decoding](\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/60f8120a6908143274ff04a7\/1632191362025-RM9B43TEBYBIW9B3XN0R\/Decoding+Dyslexia+-+2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIndicators of dyslexia<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Unable to recognise rhyming words<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Challenged by letter names and sounds<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Difficulty differentiating letters of similar appearances<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Difficulty with spelling<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Hard to pronounce irregular words<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Problems with multi-syllabic words<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Poor reading fluency due to slow word perception<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/images.squarespace-cdn.com\/content\/v1\/60f8120a6908143274ff04a7\/1630981686217-UYE8QV9YA8J8PJNRZQOL\/Desiree+Kaur.png\")
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