Around 10 per cent of Australians suffer from Dyslexia. The common symptoms include having trouble spelling, getting confused with numbers and reading difficulties. For more
TODAY was joined by speech language pathologist Devon Barnes.
Dyslexia is resistant to traditional teaching and tutoring. Individuals with dyslexia have average to superior intelligence and can learn; they just learn differently and therefore need to be taught differently.
Assessing children and early diagnoses is the best way to help kids.
Knowing whether kids have Dyslexia can be difficult if symptoms are not apparent. Kids can be healthy, active, have intelligence and be verbally able to read but experience troubles with reading.
The ADA (Australian Dyslexia Association) are positively assessing around 3-5 people per week, including young children considered "At Risk".
ADA refers to dyslexia as a difference in learning and cognition.
Dyslexia can be seen as a language based disorder that affects the written word.
Kids symptoms:
- Difficulty naming colours, objects, and letters rapidly, in a sequence
- Weak memory for lists, directions, or facts
- Needs to see or hear concepts many times to learn them
- Distracted by visual or auditory stimuli
- Downward trend in achievement test scores or school performance
- Inconsistent school work
Kids characteristics:
- Difficulty acquiring and using oral and written language.
- Struggling with speech, blending words and sound manipulation.
- Difficulty putting sounds to letters.
- Slow, inaccurate laboured reading. (lacking fluency)
- Difficulty learning to spell accurately
- Difficulty learning and retaining multi-syllabic vocabulary
- Oral language skills are often stronger than written language skills
Adults common characteristics:
Avoiding reading and writing whenever possible
Trying to conceal difficulties with reading and writing from other people
Poor spelling
Relying on memory and verbal skills,rather than reading or writing
For more information visit www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au
