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Dyslexia is a learning disability, the symptoms of which usually appear in children or adolescents. It is mainly characterized by difficulties in mastering reading and writing and poses problems in assimilating written language. If the causes are still complicated to determine, it is certain that dyslexia in no way affects the intelligence of the child and that it is now framed by concrete solutions.

Louise, 13, remembers the first signs of dyslexia

Louise vividly remembers the first symptoms of her dyslexia: difficulty in learning to automate reading and writing mechanisms, spelling complications, and a discomfort in staying focused over time. It was in fourth grade that she took her first test showing signs of dyslexia. After a complete occupational therapy and speech therapy, the news arrived. Louise remembers feeling reassured: her difficulties have names and have solutions! She is learning to understand her disorder. Today, Louise is supported by an occupational therapist and a speech therapist who provide her with tailor-made rehabilitation and tools adapted to dyslexia. She regains self-confidence and can now explain very simply what she is going through to those around her

Symptoms of Dyslexia

Signs of dyslexia detectable even before learning to read.

Some early symptoms are easier to observe: problems with differentiating certain letters, pronouncing long words, writing one's first name, memorizing the alphabet or learning a foreign language. But also problems of coordination, motor skills or comprehension.

Other symptoms seem more subtle but may arouse the attention of loved ones: delayed language, difficulty in finding one's bearings in space, in constructing sentences, telling a story or more general memory impairment.

While all these difficulties are not necessarily signs of dyslexia, a first combination may encourage you to meet a specialist to establish a diagnosis.

The diagnostic stage

Referring professional:

The speech therapy assessment must be carried out on medical prescription. It will allow to investigate in case of suspicion of the parents or to estimate the importance of the disorder to prescribe a rehabilitation plan. The speech therapist will get to know the child to understand his way of life, his story and the reasons for carrying out an assessment. Oral and written tests will be offered to him to assess his level of language and writing. If the disorder is proven, rehabilitation treatment will be initiated.

An accompaniment by an occupational therapist, under medical prescription, can bring a lot in the care. Specialized in learning, his support will focus on the motor, sensory and cognitive aspects of the child. They will allow him to regain autonomy thanks to strategies and tools to help him in his daily and school life.

Specific needs

Appropriate and responsive support.

The student will need help to overcome his language disorders: read the writings with him, repeat, personalize his assessments, grant extra time, choose specialized DYS books, help with organization and planning... To help the child better manage his disorder, it is essential to offer him tools, in particular computer tools, which will allow him to compensate for his disorders without favoring the response to exercise. These include tools dedicated to DYS disorders and designed specifically for children.

Finally, the child will need to be reassured about his intelligence and abilities. He will be able to get help from those close to him to learn to explain what he is going through and to prevent a feeling of exclusion in his social and school life.

Concrete solutions

Read the instructions with the child, ensure that his reading and/or writing disability does not affect his understanding.

Focus assessments on the student's progress, and not on a traditional results base, and favor oral exams capitalizing more on the good understanding and assimilation of the method.

Give the child the keys to understanding his disorder, make him able to explain it in his own words to his classmates and thus exclude a potential lack of self-confidence.

Offer computer tools to the whole class with specialized DYS functionalities to boost school inclusion and relieve the child.

DID YOU KNOW ?…

There are at least 5 forms of dyslexia. yes !

Understanding dyslexia is not always easy, and there are several studied types! Let’s look at these different forms of dyslexia as a way to better understand the specificity of the disorder in children.

* Phonological dyslexia: difficulties in associating a sound with letters, problems with spelling and oral speech.

* Lexical dyslexia: difficulty remembering the pronunciation of a word and confusion over the image of the letter.

* Mixed dyslexia: association of the two dyslexias and slower comprehension, causing difficulties in assimilating new words.

* Motor dyslexia: difficulty memorizing movements for writing, slow and hesitant writing, inversions and / or lack of coordination.

* Visio-attentional dyslexia: lack of attention, hyperactivity, inversions, omissions and / or additions, vocabulary that may be limited.

A dyscalculic child. Yes and ?

Leonard de Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci was a genius artist, scientist and inventor! He marked the 15th century with his many ideas and achievements. He rarely finished his work, always wanting to improve, never considering his dyslexia a disability. When asked why he wrote from right to left, he replied that it prevented him, as a left-hander, from soiling the page while writing. With an incredible intelligence, his phonetic writing never stopped him from producing some of the most famous works in the world! Would the famous Mona Lisa have a word to say? :)

DYS disorders and their particularities

Pour accompagner les enfants souffrant de troubles d’apprentissage, il est important de comprendre chacune de ces singularités. Qu’ils soient DYS ou multi DYS, ces enfants méritent qu'on se plonge sur chacun de ses besoins.

Reading disorder manifested by difficulty in identifying letters, syllables or words.

Gesture disorder inducing difficulty in performing specific movements (pathological clumsiness).

Numerical learning disorder, more specifically related to the calculation and perception of numbers.

Writing disorder related to difficulty in performing graphic and drawing gestures.

Written expression disorder causing difficulty in writing words with the correct spelling.

Communication disorder relating to difficulties in oral language and in constructing sentences.

Disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, impulsivity and uncontrolled motor restlessness.

Many learning disabilities are still unrecognized and are being studied for better support.

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