Dyslexia: reading and writing difficulties in children

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Extract from the article: Dyslexia is a persistent difficulty in learning to read and acquiring reading skills in children who are normally educated and have no pre-existing sensory or psychological disorders. This disorder can lead to academic failure and behavioral probl...

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Dyslexia is a persistent difficulty in learning to read and acquiring reading skills in children who are normally educated and have no pre-existing sensory or psychological disorders. This disorder can lead to academic failure and behavioral problems if it is not detected early enough. What are the symptoms ? What do we know about the causes ? What support and care is available for children with dyslexia? Can treatment lead to a complete cure ?

In Togo, more than 10 children are affected by this disorder each year, according to figures from the CNAO (close to a prevalence of 2% of the school population). Not all dyslexic children have the same symptoms. “Can I borrow your bomylette (instead of ‘mobylette’) ?” “Have you seen the hippotame (instead of ‘hippopotame’) ?” These are some common reading errors made by a dyslexic person.

Dyslexia is a lasting and significant deficit in written language that cannot be explained by any obvious cause. It is therefore a reading disorder that occurs mainly in boys, in the absence of neurosensory disorders or sociocultural difficulties, despite adequate schooling. Patients therefore have difficulty identifying, recognizing, and manipulating letters, syllables, or words.

What are the causes ?

The majority of dyslexics have a family history of the condition, making the genetic hypothesis plausible. However, the condition is certainly multifactorial. Dyslexia is a dysfunction of the brain circuits involved in phonology, i.e., in the representation and processing of speech sounds. It can be accompanied by other disorders such as: dysphasia (difficulty in developing oral language), dyspraxia (difficulty in performing movements), dyscalculia (difficulty with reasoning, logic, or using numbers), dysorthography (difficulty learning grammar rules), dysgraphia (difficulty with handwriting), and concentration and attention disorders.

What they feel

A child with dyslexia experiences significant delays in learning to read compared to other children of the same age. They have great difficulty identifying words, which makes reading and spelling inaccurate.

The child may make several types of reading mistakes, such as: auditory confusion: the child has difficulty perceiving the difference between similar sounds, such as p/b, f/v, r/l, m/n; visual confusion: the child has difficulty distinguishing between similar shapes, such as f/t, m/n, n/r, p/q, b/d; visual working memory deficit: the child has difficulty remembering the shape and order of letters when they need to convert them into sounds; auditory working memory deficits: the child has difficulty remembering the sounds heard within a sentence; omissions: adding or reversing letters (pote = porte; arbustre = arbuste), partial reading of a word, merging of words (féduski = fait du ski), poor segmentation of units and elements read.

The repercussions are numerous: poor schoolwork, difficulties with writing and reading, lack of interest in reading and writing, learning difficulties, low self-esteem, lack of motivation for school, dropping out of school.

What are the signs ?

The child reads more slowly and has difficulty reading long, dense texts. There are early warning signs that should alert the family to seek professional help quickly.

The child does not pronounce certain sounds in a word, does not pronounce them in the right order, or pronounces extra sounds. They have difficulty expressing themselves, their sentences are incorrect, and they leave out words. The child has difficulty mastering letters or syllables. They always read syllable by syllable, regardless of the word. Copying is difficult and often letter by letter, despite their level (third grade, for example). The child has difficulty memorizing nursery rhymes, is clumsy, and has difficulty coordinating their movements. The child has difficulty orienting themselves in time and space. They perform well orally but have difficulty understanding questions asked in writing. They show a desire to do well, but their written work appears sloppy even though they make a real effort to do well. There may be noticeable attention difficulties due to fatigue or attention deficit disorder, a change in behavior, the child becomes withdrawn, seems tired, lacks enthusiasm and energy in class.

What treatments are available?

Not all dyslexic children have the same difficulties, so the child's treatment plan must be personalized, multidisciplinary, and based on the initial assessment by the teacher, school nurse, pediatrician, speech therapist, psychologist, and occupational therapist. It must be constantly adjusted according to the progress made, persistent difficulties, the child's psychological state, and the educational objectives of the class. This requires close collaboration between the various parties involved.

Rehabilitation focuses on providing personalized assistance for each child and a plan based on short-, medium-, and long-term goals. The clinical examination can be performed at a specialized referral center, the CNAO, which brings together several health professionals. This examination includes speech therapy, psychological, neuropediatric, psychomotor, ENT, ophthalmological, and orthoptic assessments.

The importance of the role of parents and teachers in supporting children with dyslexia is also emphasized.

By Raymond DZAKPATA

Article validated by the National Center for Orthopedic Equipment and Functional Rehabilitation (CNAO-Lomé)