#Dyslexia: We look the same as you, but our brains are wired differently.
There is always the odd one out — “Can he not sit still for one minute?” Lindy Moll© shares a glimpse into a world that not every family has to deal with — the world of Dyslexia. And how this hidden disability can someday become a #superpower.
Jordan (12) is the youngest of my three children, and the levels of this child’s energy will blow your mind. “Our ping pong ball with supercharged batteries” is how they described him in his school.
He is happier now, but at the beginning of 2019, we noticed that he had no clue what was going on in his classroom, and he failed the first term of grade three miserably.
As mothers, we give our children the benefit of the doubt, but there was no more doubt in me. I knew my child was struggling, and it ripped my heart into pieces just knowing my little guy looks the same as his friends on the outside but is battling something I knew nothing about, something hidden in his brain. Jordan was diagnosed in the same year with severe Dyslexia. “Dysnemkinphoneidesia”
From a young age, Jordan struggled with the pronunciation of words and letters. He could hardly focus and was not interested in going to school. The struggle was real, and we had to face a massive challenge.
Three years later, getting him to focus is still a daily challenge. However, when you realize that you are working with a little genius, you start to see your child as a unique individual. Having a diagnosis makes it easier to understand. And seeing that he is thriving in his own little world, is priceless. But it takes hard work and a lot of patience to reach that point.
How many adults today, even children, struggle out there with something that comes so easily to some of us?
In today’s world, we are too shy to speak out regarding our own or our children’s learning disabilities. However, as stated by “Stark Griffin Dyslexia Academy (IDA International Dyslexia Association) and the National Institute of Health in the USA, statistics show that 1 out of 5 struggles in the world with a learning disability. This means that around 20% of today’s population are diagnosed with a type of learning disorder called “Dyslexia”. It is a “hidden disability” that has no visible physical signs. Studies have also shown that Dyslexia is hereditary and never skips a generation. It is a lifetime condition and cannot be outgrown.
In my case, Jordan inherited his dyslexia from his father’s side, and recently we discovered that our oldest son also shows signs of being affected by it.
“Often more than one member of the same family presents dyslexia.”
Dyslexia is found in persons who are experiencing difficulties in reading, writing, spelling, and sometimes speaking. “If I have to define Dyslexia to you, it is a neurological-based disorder. It interferes with the acquisition of processing language. Furthermore, Dyslexia comes in different types and has severity levels that will depend on whether it is mild/moderate or severe,” says Este Jansen van Vuuren.
Pretoria-based, Este is a qualified Speech Therapist with nine years of experience. She is also working hand in hand with Stark Griffin Dyslexia Academy (IDA) and is registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Currently, they are the only approved dyslexia academy doing assessments in this field in South Africa. As reported in their reviews, “the biological origin of a learning disorder is likely an interaction of genetic and environmental factors. It affects the brain’s ability to perceive or process verbal or non-verbal information.”
Below are the three main types of Dyslexia.
These types of Dyslexia vary from person to person. It is also possible for a person to have either one kind of Dyslexia or all of them.
• Dysnemkinesia (Motoric Dyslexia) is letter reversals. Example “b” and “d”. The affected part of the brain is in the motor cortex, situated in the frontal lobe of the brain’s left hemisphere.
• Dysphonesia (Auditory Dyslexia) is when a person struggles to form words, breaking words up into sound (spelling). The affected part of the brain is in the Wernicke’s area in the left temporal and parietal lobes of the left hemisphere of the brain.
• Dyseidesia (Visual Dyslexia) is when a person is struggling to recognize sight words. The affected area in the brain is the Angular Gyrus, the left parietal lobe in the brain’s left hemisphere.
The combination types are where the person is struggling in a mix of the above areas, for example
• Dysphoneidesia — (Auditory and Visual areas)
• Dysnemkinphonesia — (Motoric and Auditory areas)
• Dysnemkineidesia — (Motoric and Visual areas)
• Dysnemkinphoneidesia — (Motoric, Auditory and Visual areas)
According to Este, children start to show early signs between eight and ten years old, when they are generally in grades two, three, or four. The basic signs to look out for in your child present in their emotional behavior towards school. Are they focused during class, and can they memorize things? How’s their work performance and are they falling behind? Also, look at their handwriting. Note excessive chewing of pens or other items.
Acting out as the classroom clown is a vital behavior sign, as they are redirecting attention from the fact that they are not coping. “Getting your child assessed as early as possible can have a massive impact on their future life,” says Este.
On a social level, there is a lot of discouragement and frustration in children who struggle to cope with Dyslexia if not assessed at an early age. Jordan’s situation started to show in all areas as I struggled to understand him daily.
People with Dyslexia are most of the time labeled then as “stupid”, “lazy”, or “careless” by people who are unaware of their condition. European Journal Interdisciplinary Studies (Volume 2, Issue 2) explains “that no one knows how hard the person with Dyslexia is trying. They have to overcome quite a few barriers in their lives to fulfill their dreams and achieve their targets.”
In most cases, dyslexic children show more signs of immaturity in comparison to their peers. A lot of anger, anxiety, and impetuousness form when confusion occurs when a dyslexic person feels they cannot meet certain expectations. It leads them to feel depressed, creating low self-esteem and, in some cases, emotional breakdowns. The more the inner pressure builds up, the more significant the risk they will experience in pulling back from social events and family. It affects their whole lifestyle, from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night.
“With the appropriate intervention, these bright minds can produce significant results.”
So, what to do?
Knowing what your child is going through can help everyone in the household function better. Ensure that they understand that their frustration in their daily struggles with Dyslexia does not make them any ‘less’. Knowing that today’s life is a 24/7 rush, try to create a structure where you and your dyslexic (whether your child or your spouse) have daily interaction to help them build on their strong points.
Help them to acknowledge that they have Dyslexia and that there is nothing to be ashamed of. They need to know that they are not alone and that there are many out there that think the way they do.
Start to work on the basics and move up slowly. All of us eventually learn at our own pace. So, encourage and motivate them daily.
Although it can be hard on us as parents, we are the ones they look up to the most. “You have to be your child’s greatest advocate and cheerleader,” says Este. Parents must play an active role in helping their dyslexic child to overcome setbacks.
Today there are so many platforms where we can educate ourselves to help our loved ones. The leading dyslexia platform for South Africa is the non-profit organization RED APPLE DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION. All over, support groups are popping up on Facebook and Twitter, groups that you can join to help you with encouragement. You are not alone!
My advice as a mother with a dyslexic child is to educate yourself to understand your child in a way that will make him/her strive under you. You will be amazed by the positivity these bright minds engage with and how they mature in themselves. In my experience, they think entirely outside the box. Listen carefully, the cool thing about dyslexics, they make up their own words. Some of these are gems, like Jordan’s word “Rememberized”. They can make you see the world differently.
A strict disciplined schedule helps them to stay consistent. For example, all Jordan’s chores are written with chalk on his bedroom door, so he knows daily what to do. When they see that consistency pays off, they start to feel proud and take on more responsibilities. Keep them on a strict sleeping pattern and a healthy diet. This will help them with their outbursts, mood swings and help them to think better.
Try and work hand in hand with their schoolteachers and get involved. The Department of Basic Education has accommodations for learners with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Do not give up. Push through. The day when they walk out of the schoolyard with a massive smile on their face, feeling the sense of “I can do this!” and accomplishment, you know that every second of it was worth it!
And most importantly, take care of yourself, so you are able to help them.
“Dyslexia is not a pigeonhole to say you cannot do anything. It is an opportunity and a possibility to learn differently. You have magical brains; they just process differently. Don’t feel like you should be held back by it.” ~ Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice