Learning issues occur in children for a variety of reasons. A child may be suffering from a lack of adequate social and educational opportunity. It may also be the result of a socially redundant, harmful or abusive environment at home or at school. They may be subjected to sexual abuse, domestic abuse and/or bullying by their peers and adults. For a parent, teacher or guardian, it is a priority to first rule out these factors; ensure that the child has a safe environment with adequate learning opportunities. If the child is still experiencing the listed indicators of dyslexia, then they should be tested for it. However, there is no single test for dyslexia, and getting a formal identification often involves a team of professionals. As part of the evaluation process, parents and teachers may be asked about the particular learning issues that the child is showing. The following steps are required to conclusively diagnose a child with dyslexia.

Medical Exam: Before examining a child for dyslexia, it is important to rule out any alternate audio-visual impairment that may be interfering with their learning abilities.

Specialist Referrals: If the child is not diagnosed with any other impairment then they must be screened by a child psychologist or other professional who specializes in learning issues. These specialists can provide insights into how the child thinks.

If a child tests for dyslexia, then it is important to have an in-depth evaluation. This includes an understanding of the severity of the condition, if the child has any alternate learning difference, the programmes best suited to treat the child.

Sources: UNESCO MGIEP, www.understood.org

• Read out loud every day. If your child is very young, read picture books together. For a grade-schooler or middle-schooler a copy of Harry Potter or Enid Blyton’s work is a good choice. For a teenager, consider reading magazine or newspaper articles or maybe a recipe. Billboards, store-discount signs and instruction manuals are also fair game. Hearing you read can let your child focus on understanding the material and expanding their overall knowledge base. Do it every chance you can get.
• Tap into your child’s interests. Provide a variety of reading materials, such as comic books, mystery stories, recipes and articles on sports or pop stars. Look for good books that are at your child’s reading level. Kids with dyslexia and other reading issues are more likely to power through a book if the topic is of great interest to them.
• Use audiobooks. Listening to a book while looking at the words can help your child learn to connect the sounds she’s with the words they are seeing.
• Look for apps and other high-tech help. Word processors and spell-check can help kids who have trouble with reading and spelling. Voice recognition software can help older students tackle writing assignments by letting them dictate their ideas instead of having to type them. There are also lots of apps and online games that can help your child build reading skills.
• Observe and take notes. Watching your child more closely and taking notes on her behavior may reveal patterns and triggers that you can begin to work around. Your notes will also come in handy if you want to talk to teachers, doctors or anyone else you enlist to help your child.
• Focus on effort, not outcome. Praise your child for trying hard, and emphasize that everyone makes mistakes—you included! Help your child understand how important it is to keep practicing. Your encouragement will help your child stay motivated.
• Make your home reader-friendly. Try to stock every room (including the bathroom!) with at least a few books or magazines your child might be interested in reading. Look for other creative ways to encourage reading and writing at home.
• Boost confidence. Use hobbies and afterschool activities to help improve your child’s self-esteem and increase resilience. Try different ways to identify and build on your child’s strengths.

Sources: UNESCO MGIEP, www.understood.org

• Early Intervention is Key
• Decouple the myth that Intelligence and Reading go together
• Advocacy – allow the child, parent, and mentor to participate in the learning process and explain the particular difficulties the child is or is not facing to you.
• Advocate for the child with higher authorities in the institution.
• Collaborate with other teachers and counsellors
• Be patient and encouraging. Do not press upon any failures the child may have, praise them for trying.
• Classroom Accommodations:
  • Do not accidentally reveal the struggles of dyslexic students to their classmates by asking them to read aloud or write answers on boards
  • Test them orally for their assessments
  • Assess on the basis of content instead of spelling
  • Allow them to use calculators
  • Allow them to listen to their coursework through audio tools instead of reading. Eventually, let them follow the text with fingers or pointers while listening to the text, thus implementing the understanding that they are readers and writers
  • Allow them to use computer systems for reading that have fonts with bigger, heavier (thicker) base that does not allow the brain to reverse or flip the alphabet. (e.g. there are free fonts designed specifically for dyslexics. In their absence, other fonts include Arial, Comic Sans, Century Gothic, Verdana, Trebuchet, Calibri)
• Reduce their workload in terms of homework because an hour’s worth of class-work on an average amounts to three hours’ worth of classwork for a child with LDs. A normal workload causes excessive unnecessary strain for the child that constantly tires and frustrates them

Sources: UNESCO MGIEP, www.understood.org

• Orton-Gillingham
• Alpha to Omega Programme
• The Hickey Multi-sensory approach
• Units of Sound Program
• Write/Right to Read Program
• Davis Counselling Approach
• Auditory Integration Training
• Tomatis Listening Program
• The Fast Forward Language Program
• The A.R.R.O.W. Program
• Meares-Irlen Program
• TintaVision Program
• The Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Attention Disorder Treatment
• The Brain Gym Approach
• Barton Program
• Laurel School of Princeton Program
• Wilson Reading