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Thursday, 8 August 2019

Facts On Reading Disabilities Carlsbad Residents Should Know

By Mark Parker


Reading disabilities are estimated to affect one in every ten children. The severity of the problem is variable and is almost not noticeable in some children while in others the signs are quite dramatic. Learning disabilities in general impact academic progress negatively. There are several things on reading disabilities Carlsbad residents need to know.

The exact cause of reading problems is not well understood. Some of the theories that attempt to explain it center around functional and structural problems in the brain. Some of the patients may even have visual impairment that has not been diagnosed. The important thing is to ensure that a professional is brought on board as early as possible. A paediatrician would be the most appropriate at the beginning. They will help in ruling out medical conditions and make referrals to any other specialist depending on their findings.

A number of categories of this problem exist. The classification is mainly based in the predominant symptom. One of the commonest types is what is teemed processing speed deficit. It is characterized by slow recognition of seemingly simple words and making sense of them. While this may not be suggestive of low IQ, it certainly contributes to learning difficulties and affected children will often lag behind their peers. It may be accompanied with executive functioning deficits resulting in problems with focusing, goal setting and arithmetic problem solving.

Hyperlexia is the opposite of processing speed deficit. The learner is abnormally fast in reading. Although it may be mistaken for a talent, it actually posses a big disadvantage to the individual. This is because they tend to have very poor comprehension. Many of the affected children will be noted to have other characteristics that place them in the autism spectrum. Speed training can be undertaken so as to ensure they have enough time to understand the content read.

10 to 15 percent of learning disabilities are related to comprehension. In this category, the leaner is neither a fast nor a slow reader but they have difficulties putting words in context thus cannot understand the meanings of a passage, for instance. Possible causes include problems with language comprehension, abstract verbal reasoning and disordered social reasoning.

Another category is that associated with retention problems. A number of children have difficulties decoding and thus will end up with problems of remembering content. Such children use a lot of effort to grasp individual words such that they are left with less mental energy for remembering. Some of the telltale signs include frequent confusion about word meanings, lack of concentration when reading and omission of details.

The management of these problems varies from one individual to another. Solutions are customized depending on what is predominant. For example, in the case of learners who have a problem with text printed in certain colours or against particular backgrounds may benefit from a change of the same. Use of text overlays and colour tinted glasses are other possible solutions.

There is a need for parents and teachers to work together in diagnosing and solving reading disabilities. Both groups are important in recognizing the early signs. Misspelling of words is a common early sign that can be picked up. One of the strategies of handling this is to ensure that the leaner gets enough practice. A number of online exercises can be accessed online for free to help with the problem. It is also advisable to have a reward system for the learner which serves as positive reinforcement.




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