There are many diseases in the world that are associated with dysfunction of the brain and spinal cord, as well as various groups of nerves. These diseases are called neurological disorders and one of the most common of them is dyslexia. The exact cause of this disease is still unknown, but everyone already knows well how it manifests itself. People with dyslexia have difficulty learning skills related to writing and reading. Due to difficulties with reading and writing, dyslexics often fall behind in their learning, which negatively impacts their quality of adult life. Since the exact cause of dyslexia is unknown, there is no effective treatment for the disease. But recently, researchers in Switzerland have become one step closer to creating such technology - they have made it easier for patients to read by exposing their brains to small electrical discharges.
Dyslexia affects approximately 10% of the world's population
Concept
So what is dyslexia, what are its features and what forms of the disorder exist?
It is important to remember that dyslexia is not a disease, but only a disorder of speech development. This is a pathological condition that causes difficulties in reading - errors, decreased speed, changes in the way of reading - while the mental and intellectual abilities that are necessary for learning in general are not affected. Dyslexia mainly manifests itself in children of primary school age. Dyslexia should not be confused with dysgraphia (a writing disorder) - they often go side by side, but not always. Many studies devoted to the problem present different, sometimes contradictory, opinions about it. Some even say that dyslexia is a general name for all problems with written language. But in Russia, separate names are recognized for different disorders: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, dysorthography and others.
As Russian Minister of Education Olga Vasilyeva says,
The current situation is that approximately 64% of first-graders are at risk of developing dyslexia and some other speech problems.
It is also known that approximately 15% of the world's population suffers from this disorder.
These are serious numbers, which indicates the urgency of the problem.
There are several forms of dyslexia.
- Phonemic
- Analytical-synthetic
- Optical
- Mnestic
- Ungrammatical
- Semantic
It is worth talking in more detail about the characteristics of each of these forms.
Historical chronicle
The first suggestion about a special disorder - dyslexia - was made in 1887 by the German ophthalmologist Berlin. Nine years later, a sensational publication “Congenital word blindness” appeared in one of the English publications.
Its author, therapist Morgan, described a unique mental disorder that was manifested by the lack of fluent reading skills in a 14-year-old teenager who excelled in mathematics.
The medical community explained this phenomenon as the result of a defect in visual perception. In 1925, the American neuropsychologist Orton associated dyslexia with a disorder in the interaction of the cerebral hemispheres.
In the 70s of the 20th century, the culprit of word blindness was declared to be a deviation in phonological development, that is, the ability to distinguish sounds. This version finds the largest number of supporters in the modern scientific world.
Symptoms of dyslexia and signs inherent in each form in a child
Phonemic for poor word recognition by a child
In this case, the problem is that the child does not distinguish similar sounds well (even those in a strong position). For example, he can read the word “bug” as “shuk”, and “house” as “tom”.
Analytical-synthetic form in a child
Children suffering from this form of dyslexia mix up syllables and letters. Let’s say it says: “Behind the house,” and the child reads: “Yes by the house,” or “Behind the fashion,” and so on.
Optical - difficulties in recognizing letter patterns in a child when reading
Here there are difficulties in visual recognition of letter images (for example, confusion among similar spellings V/Z, T/G, and so on), as well as disruption of orientation on the sheet of paper among lines, cells, and other things.
Mnestic - problems remembering letters in a child
From the name you can see that the problem is related to memory. A child simply cannot remember the letters, how they look or read.
Tactile - occurs in a blind child
Expressed in problems with tactile recognition of Braille by blind children
Agrammatic - incorrect reading of the end of a word by a child
This problem occurs in children when reading fluently. Several signs can be identified. In each of them, the child reads the beginning of the word correctly, but distorts the end and “completes it” in his mind due to haste.
- Change of case or number in the ending.
- Changing the endings of third person verbs in the past tense.
- Incorrect agreement of gender, number and case of a noun with an adjective. (For example, “beautiful flower”, “tall tree” and so on.)
Semantic when a child’s understanding of word reading is impaired
This form of dyslexia occurs when there is a problem in understanding correctly read text.
- Reading letters separately - a word is not an image, but actually a set of symbols.
- Insufficient vocabulary.
- Very low level of grammar acquisition - children understand words separately, but cannot relate their meaning to each other. (For example, the task “sign the drawings with a pencil” is not perceived, while the words “drawing” and “pencil” do not present any difficulty.)
- A combination of violations of the mechanical and semantic aspects of reading.
“It's not a disease, it's how I communicate with the world. I speak a language no one can understand. But if people could listen with their hearts, they would understand what I am saying..."
I'm Seung Ko
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of dyslexia may include tasks such as:
- find the right letter;
- come up with as many words as possible starting with a certain sound;
- highlight all vowels or consonants in a given word;
- compare the sound composition of words that differ in one sound (kot-kit, mak-rak);
- count the number of letters in a word or words in a sentence;
- make up a short story based on a series of pictures.
Such a comprehensive examination allows you to find out the level of speech development of the child, understand what his main difficulties are, and draw up an individual plan for correctional classes. It is necessary to establish exactly what form of dyslexia the student has; exercises and their complexity will depend on this.
Causes of dyslexia in a child
One of the things that is also very important for parents of dyslexics to understand is, in fact, the cause of the disorder. Without this, you will not have a clear idea of how to help your child. Of course, this is not easy because the symptoms and causes can be different. Some of them depend on the form of dyslexia.
Without a specialist - a speech therapist - we will not be able to determine the cause, but we can become familiar with most of the factors causing the disorder.
Mental retardation or delayed mental development of a child
Now I ask you not to panic, because this reason does not always occur. It is mainly associated with optical dyslexia (which is obviously a particular challenge). Mental retardation and mental retardation have many other signs; only specialists can make a full diagnosis.
Systemic underdevelopment of a child’s speech
Failure to master the rules of the Russian language, coupled with other speech problems, can cause agrammatic dyslexia. Uncoordinated work of the left and right hemispheres of the brain This factor can be caused by birth injuries, disorders during pregnancy, as well as disorders of motor development. The latter may be associated, for example, with children learning to walk too early. Gross motor skills began to develop earlier than fine motor skills, and therefore the latter did not reach the required level of development and problems with speech appeared. If the left hemisphere, responsible for speech, works significantly worse than the right, then this will most likely be reflected in a further tendency towards left-handedness.
Hereditary predisposition in a child
If a child has been transmitted qualitative immaturity of certain areas of the brain responsible for speech, this can lead to speech difficulties in understanding text. This phenomenon is more common in boys than in girls.
Research shows that among identical twins, the likelihood that both will suffer from dyslexia is approximately 70%, and among normal siblings (brothers and sisters) it is approximately 40%. This method of genetic research is called the “twin method”, because identical twins have exactly the same DNA data, as if they are biologically the same person.
Insufficient speech experience of a child can lead to other problems
Inattentive attitude of adults to the development of children's speech or lack of communication, as well as improper speech training, illiterate speech of others or bilingualism in the family can lead not only to dyslexia, but also to many other problems.
Child's early learning age
If a child does not yet go to school or has just begun his education, then sometimes a low reading rate and mistakes are excusable for him.
However, if there is no progress in the learning process, the problem remains until the end of primary school or greatly interferes with the child - this is a reason to seriously think about it.
Are there preventive measures?
Like any other disorder, dyslexia can be prevented or its development can be slowed down altogether.
You need to be attentive to your children so as not to miss the moment when speech should develop at a rapid pace.
But for some reason it was delayed.
Few people know, but the development of speech very much depends on the development of hand motor skills.
We are created in such a way that impulses go through the nerve endings on the fingers to the brain areas responsible for human speech function.
Therefore, it is very important for children to engage in drawing, modeling, and other activities.
It is now that modern methods of speech development have begun to be used through sand therapy, plasticine applications, etc.
Classes need to be made more difficult from time to time so that the child’s fingers do not have time to get used to monotonous actions and stop developing.
Classes should not be too long so as not to tire the baby.
Consequences for the child
Before moving on to treatment itself, it will be useful for you to learn about what complications dyslexia can lead to in order to understand the importance of correctional work.
Child's performance at school
Perhaps, in almost every lesson at school (sometimes even in physical education, drawing and labor) there are textbooks. To learn effectively, children need to have basic reading skills. You need to read every weekday for several lessons in a row, and then do your homework at home.
Think about it, what will the quality of a student’s education be like if he reads slower than all his peers, or reads quickly but makes many mistakes at once?
Child's educational motivation for learning to read
Your student may be as ready and motivated as possible for school, but what's the point if they lose interest and give up during their studies? And this will definitely happen sooner or later in a dyslexic child. Imagine how difficult it is for him when everything turns out very badly, and the reading lesson (literature) looks like a nightmare. In addition, all the children around, most likely, do not have this problem.
It is even possible that classmates make fun of the child, and the teacher swears, not realizing that the dyslexic is not to blame for anything (not all teachers are competent in speech therapy).
Difficulties may also arise during correctional work, because the child no longer wants to read, but needs to.
Child's speech and vocabulary
As you know, reading books (including textbooks) plays a very important role in the development of speech and replenishment of the vocabulary. Also, from books, a little person will learn how words are written correctly, what patterns exist in the Russian language, and much more.
He learns this not just as a rule, a formality, but absorbs it into himself, develops intuitive literacy.
Therefore, the sooner treatment for dyslexia begins, the faster the child will begin
“absorb speech literacy.”
Dyslexia in adulthood
If dyslexia is not corrected in childhood, the problem will remain with the person into adulthood, and then it will be extremely difficult (if not impossible) to cure it.
This will greatly complicate a person’s life, and the consequences listed above may worsen. Therefore, we move on to the most important question - how to still help children with dyslexia.
Reading ceremony
Speech and writing made people unique. The mechanism for acquiring fluent reading skills is a multifaceted process in which the beginning reader must combine a visual element (letter) with an auditory element (speech sound) into a new audiovisual unit.
From a neurobiological perspective, literacy is supported by two evolutionary neural systems primarily located in the left hemisphere: one for spoken language and the other for recognizing visual objects. Since reading is a recent cultural invention, these systems must adapt to the newly learned skill.
You can fight dyslexia only by getting to know it!
Correction of dyslexia in a child
Seeking help from a specialist
Remember that only a speech therapist and a neuropsychologist can make a diagnosis, only they will help you understand the cause of the difficulties, and only they will tell you how to treat dyslexia (or neutralize its complications if treatment is impossible)!
If the diagnosis is confirmed, then a PMPK (psychological-medical-pedagogical commission) is assigned to the child. It’s good if there is a specialist at the school, but if not, you need to look for him in specialized institutions. Yes, the correction process will take a certain amount of time, you will have to spend effort and, possibly, money on it, but eliminating it yourself, turning a blind eye to the problem or self-medicating are not the best ways out of the situation. Those correction methods that will be discussed below are not a treatment for complex forms of dyslexia and can only help to overcome difficulties more easily.
Development of a child's fine motor skills
It has long been known that speech development is associated with fine motor skills.
Do modeling, appliqué, origami, other handicrafts and activities aimed at improving fine motor skills with your children at home.
In this way, you will not only help children develop speech, but also become closer to them by spending time together doing interesting things.
Psychological comfort and whether it is necessary to force a child to read a text for a long time
This point can be divided into several sub-points, but I think the main principle is clear - to provide psychological assistance for children, to create a comfortable environment for solving the problem.
- Make sure that the teachers (or teacher) understand the complexity of the whole situation and are tolerant of it. For example, they should restrain the ridicule of other children, not draw the attention of others to the problem (forcing the child to read aloud, etc.), not scold the dyslexic, and remember that a speech development disorder does not allow him to keep up with the pace of the whole class.
- Let these children understand that reading is not bad, it can be learned if you have patience, and they will definitely succeed without mistakes, like all the children in the class.
- Do not force your child to read a lot at a time, because this is very difficult for him: the longer he reads, the more mistakes he makes. Allow yourself to take breaks, rest, stretch your eyes, and so on.
- Show only positive emotions, praise for success, be happy. And leave the disappointed sighs from failures and curses - they will be of no use.
Exercises to overcome reading difficulties in a child
Typically, a speech therapist works with the child using certain exercises, periodically conducting tests for control. Sometimes you can work on such exercises at home (if the child does not get tired of them). Activities can be very different.
- Compose sentences (from short to long, from simple to complex).
- Finding and completing letters and numbers.
- Folding letters and numbers from sticks or sculpting them from plasticine.
- Some speed reading techniques (that are feasible and adaptable to the problem).
- Working with text that has missing letters (you need to figure out which ones fit and insert them).
- Making words from jumbled syllables or letters.
- English crossword.
- Adding an additional letter to the letter (for example, make it from R - V, from G - T, from L - A, and so on).
- Reading crossed out words (write words and cross them out several times, but so that you can see the letters).
- Reading lines that are half covered at the top or bottom (for example, with a ruler).
- Schulte tables.
- Pieron-Ruser technique (using letters and numbers) and many, many others.
Demonstration
Signs of a reading and spelling disorder:
- Reduced speed. Dyslexics take two to three times longer than other children. Slower reading makes it more difficult to understand what has been read, especially in long sentences.
- Linking individual letters to corresponding sounds is very slow and mistakes are often made. Instead of words that are difficult to read, children tend to read other words with similar letters.
- Some children are able to infer the content of a sentence from other words it contains, even if individual words are misread.
- Limited reading speed is also a major symptom of reading disorder in adults. This happens with complex, polysyllabic and rare words. In stressful situations, symptoms intensify. May manifest itself in counting (for example, when reading math word problems) and in learning foreign languages.
- Significantly large number of spelling errors. In free writing, words are avoided when children suspect they cannot spell them correctly. This is often perceived as limited vocabulary or a lack of linguistic ability. However, this is usually a compensation strategy to avoid spelling errors.
Visual stress:
- About a third of children with dyslexia report eye strain or visual distortions while reading. This subjective symptomatology (Mars-Irlen syndrome) includes: seeing letters moving across the page;
- blurring or forming strange patterns;
- spatial distortions;
- frequent blinking;
- loss of space on the page;
- headache.
Every child with dyslexia should undergo vision testing and if any refractive error is found, prescribed glasses or contacts should be used.
Negative thoughts:
- 40-60% of children and adolescents with dyslexia experience psychological problems such as depression, gloomy mood and anxiety. They feel rejected and disapproved by teachers.
- The rate of suicide attempts in adolescents with dyslexia is three times higher than in adolescents of the same age without dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a disease of geniuses
Dyslexia, along with dysgraphia, is often called the disease of geniuses. There are no scientific reasons to put the equal sign, but there is a reason to believe so, besides statistics.
When any brain function is underdeveloped, it is compensated by other abilities.
But this does not mean that dyslexia does not need to be treated; a child can achieve success even without genius acquired in a dubious way.
Examples of brilliant successful people with dyslexia: Vladimir Mayakovsky, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Steven Spielberg, Nikola Tesla, Pablo Picasso and many others.
Clinical interview
Reading and spelling diagnostics
Must consider reading abilities: speed, accuracy and comprehension; writing ability. A combination of different diagnostic tests is required for verification. This involves individual testing. The child's performance is compared with the performance of children in the same school year.
Intelligence assessment
A test of linguistic ability, logical reasoning, processing speed and memory - allows the diagnosis of reading and spelling weaknesses due to lower intelligence and dyslexia to be differentiated from cognitive abilities.
Additional questionnaire:
- History of the school: the development of reading, spelling and other subjects.
- Development of written language skills (dictation samples).
- Assessment of emotional state.
Development trajectories
Like all other behavioral disorders, the etiology of dyslexia is multifactorial. Several theories have been developed to describe the underlying processes of the disorder.
Molecular genetic
The recent identification and cloning of gene mutations associated with dyslexia is allowing researchers to better define the pathogenesis of the disease.
Dyslexia-related genes are involved in controlling the migration of certain neural lineages as well as regulating axonal growth. There is some correspondence between their dysfunction and some of the structural and functional abnormalities found in individuals with dyslexia.
A child with a parent with dyslexia has a 40-60% risk of developing the disorder and increases when other family members are affected. There is a 3- to 10-fold increase in the relative risk for the brother and occurs in 68% of identical twins.
Phenotypic aspects and neurophysiological theories
Processing violations are suspected:
- Phonological – connections between phonemes and graphemes (sounds with letters).
- Auditory – short or rapidly changing sounds. Abnormal neurophysiological responses to auditory stimuli.
- Visual – visual, fast moving stimuli. The sensitivity of cells within the “magnocellular visual pathway” is impaired.
- The work of the cerebellum - the automation of cognitive processes and motor control is upset.
Comorbidity – “friends in misfortune”
Despite the strong link between reading disorder and mental disorders, the belief that dyslexia is a mental illness is erroneous. Their co-occurrence is often misinterpreted, leading to less than optimal treatment outcomes. Careful consideration of the possibility of comorbid disorders is critical to the differential diagnosis.
Comorbidity of pathological processes between dyslexia and concomitant mental disorders:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (occurs together in 30-50% of cases).
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Autism spectrum disorders.
- Generalized anxiety disorder.
- Depression.
Signs of the accompanying group: auditory and visual inattention; deficits in processing speed (verbal working and phonological short-term memory); impaired reading comprehension; external behavior; low self-esteem; bad handwriting.
Common risks: genes (MRPL19 and DCDC2); structural and functional nervous disorders; underdevelopment of oral processing and language skills; family factors.
Dyslexia is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, but like weight or height, it is expressed in varying degrees.
