My child is not interested in his/her lessons. What is happening?
-What is DYSLEXIA?
Dyslexia is very misleading because it doesn't appear in everyday verbal communication, since dyslectics don't have speech problems and they usually have excellent logic and intelligence. Only when we know its existence, we can treat it promptly and properly. In contrast, ignorance worsening their specific learning difficulty that appears in reading, spelling, written speech and particularly in the transfer of their thinking in writing.
-What are the early symptoms?
Because dyslexia is mainly hereditary, it exists from birth. Thus, it can be identified from pre-school age. Possible symptoms to watch out in pre-school age and in early primary classes are: Inheritance, difficulties in synchronisation-coordination of activities (Jumping rope, head-shots in football) & keeping rate-rhythmic movements (pace, dancing, timing). Moreover, they present sequence problems, such as slower learning of automatic execution of sequential movements-actions (dressing, tying shoelaces).
Dyslexia usually coexists with the neurological, hereditary problem of divided attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity [= Impatience]. Children with divided attention are often unable to concentrate for a certain period of time, they are impatient, disorganised, lively, rebellious, and restless, they cannot wait for their turn and they don't finish what they start, they are irritable, intensely emotional, they are people of last minute and they don't have the sense of time. The divided attention usually appears with learning problems, but can rarely exist without them.
-What scientific specialty is the appropriate to make the diagnosis?
Specialised psychologists or special educators make the diagnosis of dyslexia, usually as members of groups of specialists. Without psychologists the diagnosis cannot be achieved because the IQ test is necessary in order to exclude the mental retardation as a cause of learning problems. Only qualified psychologists can give the IQ tests. Stress, lack of self-confidence as well as divided attention and impulsivity that characterise dyslectics reduce significantly their performance in IQ tests, which, in inexperienced and non-expert hands are so dangerously as a loaded gun in the hands of children. The most dangerous and tragic mistake is that of being diagnosed, because of ignorance, as mentally retarded an intelligent but shy dyslectic child!
-Why psychological problems?
Dyslectic students and students with learning difficulties differ in their social skills, behaviours and psycho-educational distribution. They understand what is the acceptable social behaviour, but they have difficulties to adapt in the appropriate social conditions and to behave in a similar manner.
School failure but also negative treatment and rejection because of ignorance by parents and teachers with derogatory comparisons and negative adjectives (lazy, indifferent, irresponsible) cause serious secondary psychological problems, which are crashing the confidence and the self-respect of our children. The early diagnosis of dyslexia or better, the prognosis during the pre-school age has as a result its early treatment in order to decrease the consequent psychological problems.