EDUCATION IN FOCUS
difficulties and does something about wrong feet. Other learning difficulties they start to walk or talk that parents
it. Jo Petty, director of the Dyslexic can also be “co-morbid” (exist of dyslexic children have to confront
Teaching Centre (DTC), stresses that simultaneously) like developmental the reality that something is not quite
it is vital not to ignore warning signs delay and ADHD, although a child right. And there is no cure for dyslexia.
so that the child receives help before unable to follow the class because of From diagnosis, it’s an expensive path
they have become demoralised by their dyslexia will be seen as not paying filled with hope and moments of despair
inability to keep up in class. “If we get to attention and may be misdiagnosed. – but it doesn’t have to be a lonely one
them early enough they may not need to “Some very bright children with mild in England. A range of support services
fail at all,” she says. dyslexia will find ways of managing,” are offered through organisations like
The sooner parents and schools react, says Bidwell. “They will come across as the Dyslexia Teaching Centre, Dystalk,
the better the long term prognosis for the average children who have managed to the British Dyslexic Association and
child. “With help and encouragement, learn to read but at some point they will PATOSS, the Professional Association
the most dyslexic child can learn to read start to struggle.” Having said that, “it is of Teachers of Students with Specific
and write,” says educational psychologist much easier to spot learning difficulties Learning Difficulties.
Veronica Bidwell. “But as they go in a bright child because sensible stuff As a mother, sister and daughter of
through school they will have to learn is coming out of their mouths,” says dyslexics, I have to ask whether dyslexia
strategies to cope with the difficulties Petty. “If you think there is something is not sometimes over-diagnosed. It is
that often go hand in hand with wrong, there probably is. I wish I could one of many learning disabilities, but
dyslexia, such as poor working memory, say I have lots of mothers knocking on because of its prolificacy – according
difficulty memorising times tables, my door with false alarms but I never to another Yale study, one in five are
learning French vocabulary and so on.” do.” School reports with phrases like born with dyslexia – it is now widely
A child cannot be tested for dyslexia “lazy and careless” and “lets themselves acknowledged by schools. Many now
until they are seven but vigilant parents down on their spelling”, should have carry their own special educational
might spot signs in a younger child parents wheeling their children off in the needs (SEN) departments to deal with it.
if they are late talkers, for example. direction of the nearest paediatrician. But is everyone I speak to talking about
“Difficulties associated with dyslexia My journey started early with a child with dyslexia? ”I would say that
can include a poor ability to pronounce Mungo who, like many dyslexics, has a the number is closer to ten per cent, with
polysyllabic words, such as saying cocktail of co-morbid learning disorders. less than two per cent being severely
‘Pacific’ as ‘sapific’; difficulty taking in I won’t pretend it wasn’t without pain. dyslexic,” says Bidwell, who doesn’t
instructions – in one ear and out the When our babies are born we check their believe that dyslexia is over-diagnosed.
other; difficulty remembering names; fingers and toes, their eyes and their “But it is not about intelligence.
difficulty in learning days of the week; normal brain function but it isn’t until Just as there is a spread of
✒
difficulty in identifying rhyming words,”
says Bidwell.
For the school age child, parents or
teachers might notice problems with
grammar and comprehension as well as
mixing up words, numbers and letters,
writing ‘p’ instead of ‘q’ or ‘d’ instead of
‘b’. An inability to follow instructions,
T
O
absentmindedness and confusing right
O
H
P
K
and left can also be indications. When
C
T
O
S
leaving the house to go to school, my
:
I
S
T
O seven-year-old son Mungo, who has
O
H
P dyslexia, invariably has his shoes on the
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