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If you are trying to understand Dyslexia in children by Manus Academy, here’s what you should know.

What is Dyslexia?

The source of the word dyslexia is two greek words. ‘Dys’, meaning ‘hard or difficult or bad’, and ‘lexia’, meaning ‘words’. Put together, the words mean ‘difficulty with words’.

Dyslexia is therefore a learning disorder in which a child finds it difficult to read and understand written language. Dyslexia tends to run in families as it is largely linked to genetics.

Signs and Symptoms

Most children with dyslexia tend to have average or above average intelligence, and are motivated to learn. While this is the case, these are some of the symptoms that they tend to experience:

• Difficulty in spelling. 
• Mispronouncing names/words. 
• Difficulty in learning a foreign language. 
• Difficulty recalling what was just said to them.
• Difficulty reading. 

In fact, these symptoms are common for individuals of all ages, whether they are children, teenagers, or adults.

Effects of dyslexia on a child

While it is true that dyslexia generally tends to affect a child’s ability to read, it also tends to affect other areas of their lives. This will range from memory to concentration and to how the child perceives themselves. This is greatly affected by how much emotional support the child receives.

• Effect #1: On memory

A dyslexic child may easily forget something you just mentioned to them. This may be an instruction you just gave them or the name of an object you just mentioned. Such a child will constantly need reminders so they know what they ought to do.

• Effect #2: On their self-esteem

Children with dyslexia will face a lot of challenges interacting with other children without the condition. They could easily be made fun of or bullied for their inability to read. They may even be mistaken for being foolish while in reality they have above average intelligence levels. This is why they need extra care and protection, as well as a lot of emotional support as they grow up.

• Effect #3: On time management

Time management can be a significant challenge for children with dyslexia. This is especially the case for task involving reading or writing. They will often become distracted and start to do something else. They therefore need a lot of patience and supervision to help them successfully complete these tasks. 

• Effect #4: On their emotions

Because of their poor memory, children with dyslexia may easily forget where they placed an item like a toy. They can become frustrated and emotional when they are unable to find it.  This requires a lot of understanding and patience from their parents.

Dyslexia Treatment

Although there is no cure for this condition, treatment for dyslexia is available. It is also worth noting that treatment is more effective if started while the child is younger. The goal is to teach dyslexic children with the skills they need to improve reading. Different treatment approaches can be used, and specialists develop programs that meet the unique needs of the individuals.

• Reading Plans: This provides children with the extra support they need to learn how to write and read and is conducted by a reading specialist.
• Special learning plans: The law requires schools to set these up. Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) will seek to meet the unique needs of your child. They are updated annually based on the child’s progress.

Children with dyslexia are not foolish. They are just normal kids facing a specific challenge, as does any human being. By loving and giving them the care and support they need, we can help them thrive even with their limitations.

Children need basic skills as they grow up. In school, some of the basic skills they learn include arithmetic, which involves simple activities like adding one apple to another. Unfortunately, not all children can understand arithmetic so easily, and this is especially the case for those with dyscalculia.

What is Dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a learning disorder in which a person, whether a child or adult, has difficulty learning or comprehending math.

How do you spot Dyscalculia in children?

Children with Dyscalculia will have difficulty comprehending basic mathematical concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions. The children will also have a hard time reconciling the number figure to their associated word. For example, the children will not be able to link the word ‘seven’ to the figure ‘7’.

Other signs will include difficulty recognizing mathematical patterns like smallest to greatest and vice versa. The child may also find it difficult to count. This can be noted when the child skips over numbers when counting while his or her peers can do so with great ease.

Children do not outgrow dyscalculia. As they get into different phases of schooling, the signs will manifest in different ways. In grade school, you can observe their learning habits. Some of the signs include having trouble associating mathematical signs and their symbols, or the inability to perform simple mathematics mentally.Such a child will still count his fingers while his peers have progressed.

Types of dyscalculia

Verbal Dyscalculia: Children have a hard time understanding mathematical concepts when explained verbally. It is easier for them to write down the figures-they cannot express them verbally or understand them if they are presented in written words.

Lexical Dyscalculia:Children have trouble reading and understanding mathematical symbols and numbers. They find it difficult to understand symbols when they occur in equations.

Graphical Dyscalculia:Children understand mathematical concepts, but find it hard conveying their understanding using mathematical symbols.

Operational Dyscalculia:Children find it difficult to conduct mathematical operations. They are able to understand mathematical concepts such as the relationship between numbers, but experience trouble when trying simple operations like adding the numbers.

Ideognostic Dyscalculia: Mathematical concepts such as number eight being larger than two may seem easy, but not for these children. They find it difficult to understand mathematical concepts as a whole-from oral to written presentation.They will often have trouble understanding the relationship between numbers and how to operate with them.

Practognostic Dyscalculia:Children with this find it difficult to transfer mathematical concepts to real life scenarios. They are unable to perform practical operations.

How to deal with Dyscalculia in children

As is common with learning disabilities, Dyscalculia is not treated with medication. There are specialized strategies and activities used by medics to handle this condition from children to adults. The strategies used are aimed at compensating for the individual’s weaknesses and helping them deal confidently with mathematical problems.

Some of the activities include:

• Playing games that are number-centred, like walking down the street and looking for numbers on doors and sign posts.
• Involving the children in things like shopping where you help them calculate items in the cart slowly, checking the prices, and checking how many items remain in the list, among others.
• Enrolling them in specialized classes specifically for children with their disorder where they use approaches different from the normal class setting.

As is the case with other learning disorders in children, these kids are smart. Despite the difficulties they face with mathematics, they and can thrive in environments that are inclusive of them despite their shortcomings. Love, care, and support will go a long way in helping them overcome their challenges.

According to research, about 9.4% of children in America have ADHD (Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder). This means that in every 100 children, nine have the disorder. When it comes to ADHD in children, there are some common misconceptions that you should be aware:

Without a proper understanding of this medical condition, individuals are prone to assume the worst or be lax. For instance, they may not seek proper professional help, and this could be harmful for the person with the condition and their loved ones.

ADHD is a medical neurological condition characterized by a range of behavior sand symptoms that include impulsivity, restlessness and distractibility. It is important to note that all children are prone to exhibit some level of these behaviors as they develop. However, for ADHD diagnosed children, the symptoms are experienced consistently for a long period of time, and these behaviors are considered excessive for their age.