Dyslexia is not a disability, it is just a case of different learning methods. The world becomes more colorful thanks to dyslexia; There are new and different ways. The world would be very boring without dyslexia. Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Leonardo Da Vinci and many other marginal people... We owe them a lot.
So what exactly does dyslexia mean? Dyslexia is a delay (at least 1.5 standard deviations) in reading comprehension and reading fluency that is inconsistent with the intensity and quality of education received by the person, his/her peers and his/her intelligence capacity. This inconsistent delay in mathematics is called dyscalculia, and this delay in writing is called dysgraphia. In fact, the three should not be considered as separate disorders. Because these are often seen together, they have been called "specific learning disorders" by scientists since 2013. There are studies showing that the frequency of specific learning disorders is between 5-15%. In the USA, this rate goes up to 20-25%. It is more common in underdeveloped countries. Here, this diagnosis cannot be made unless the mental capacity is normal. For this reason, although the term "disease of geniuses" has been used, it should not be forgotten that this diagnosis can be made in individuals with normal intelligence as well as in individuals with high intelligence. Before this diagnosis is made, the individual must have an ear, nose, throat and eye examination. Again, before the diagnosis, it should be learned whether another language is spoken at home. In psychiatry, "DSM, which is an important diagnostic guide, does not make this diagnosis without seeing whether it responds to six-month intervention." says. In other words, additional education should be made in cooperation with the guidance counselor, classroom teacher and family. If it gets better in six months, we can't call it dyslexia. The principle of inconsistency is that the child has surprising abilities, his memory is far behind (below 1.5 standard deviations) in being able to describe what he read, although he can describe what he hears. Reading fluency, that is, reading speed, is more effective in making the diagnosis than understanding what you read. Reading speed performance per minute should be measured without tiring the child. Word count should not be measured more than once a week.
Pre-primary school children with speech delays, poor sorting skills such as before and after, and who cannot learn the concepts of right and left need to name objects quickly. Those who cannot understand it, who say it is on the tip of their tongue but I can't think of it, should be taken into consideration that they may be at risk for this disorder and should have the necessary tests done by specialists. If his teachers cannot reflect his capacity during the primary school period, he says; If there is an inefficiency, dyslexia should be considered and evaluated. Dyslexic individuals hear the sounds of letters very close to each other and always mix these sounds. Confusing sounds is more evident in these children rather than confusing the letter symbols they see. On this subject, the 2007 Indian movie "Every Child is Special" should definitely be watched. In this movie, the symptoms of the child and how wrong it is for the family to unnecessarily label the child as lazy, irresponsible, or spoiled are explained. In the movie, there is a solution: Techniques such as reading aloud together in chorus, reading aloud while listening through headphones, and reading in turns are demonstrated. We can also get a board at home, divide the board into squares, write the letters that are difficult for them first in uppercase and then in lowercase, and practice them. We can also solve puzzles with a lot of visual content. Of course, apart from the techniques I mentioned, we should also pay attention to factors such as the child's grade level and his/her intelligence capacity and get support from a teacher who is an expert on this subject.
If there is dyslexia, there is a high probability of other psychiatric disorders such as attention deficit, self-confidence problems, and anxiety disorder. Therefore, dyslexia must be diagnosed and followed by a child psychiatrist. Our teachers should identify at-risk children as much as possible, be knowledgeable about diagnostic tests on this subject, and know the reading speed per minute and the hour drawing test at least at the application level. There should also be awareness in families; families “Is there such a thing? ” should be able to say. Awareness activities are very important. Dyslexic individuals should be integrated into society with proper education. We can do many things for dyslexic individuals at young ages. It should not be forgotten that these special children have and will add many beauties to our Turkey and our world.
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