Dyslexia has become one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in the child population in recent years. Although it is very complex to detect an exact percentage of prevalence due to the problem in order to rigorously establish a clear diagnosis, the latest studies affirm that approximately 15% of school students present such difficulties. For this reason, it seems more and more necessary to define which psychoeducational and psychological orientations are more effective to attend this population group in an efficient way.

Dyslexia: main indicators

Dyslexia is the usual nomenclature given to the Specific Learning Disorder (SLE) related to the presence of difficulties in reading and writing skills . According to the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in its most updated version (2013), it refers to the presence of difficulties in the fluid recognition of words, poor reading decoding in the ability to spell and deficits in reading comprehension.

In addition may be accompanied by alterations in written expression or mathematical reasoning , which should be further specified in the initial diagnosis. Another key aspect is the presence of a preserved level of general intellectual capacity, so that ASD-Literacy is incompatible with significant levels of mental disability, as well as cannot be explained by sensory deficits, whether visual or auditory. The difficulties noted must be petty for a minimum period of six months and must cause significant interference in the student’s academic development.

More specifically, by observing the following behaviours, the presence of a TEA-Lecto-writing, can be suspected, on the basis of which it is known that a thorough psycho-pedagogical assessment is necessary to corroborate these signs:

  • Altered placement or omission when writing the letters that make up a word.
  • Difficulty in acquiring reading skills, low reading fluency.
  • Confusion or forgetting some words .
  • Difficulty in establishing the time sequence between days, months, etc.
  • Alteration in attention span and concentration difficulties.
  • Greater mastery of manipulative tasks by the addition of verbal activities.
  • Better oral than written expression .
  • Lack of mastery of the alphabet or multiplication tables
  • Need to read a text several times , poor reading comprehension.
  • Greater mastery of the creative or imaginative capacity.

Guidance on educational care for children with dyslexia

As educators, it becomes indispensable to take into account the following guidelines when dealing with a child with this particular characteristic, since an empathic attitude, reinforcing his potential and flexible according to his difficulties will have a protective effect in order to avoid problems of low self-concept or self-esteem and even situations of longer-term school failure:

1. Establish a daily reading habit of about 20 minutes maximum

The content of such reading is recommended to be of interest to the child, regardless of whether it is a story, a magazine or a comic book. The relevant point is that the child should acquire a positive attitude towards reading. It will also be necessary to assess whether the volume of school reading to be done during the course should be limited.

3. Flexibility in spell-checking

It seems more effective the priority work of 3-4 orthographic rules until they are mastered and then adding new ones.

5. Provide short, concise statements and requests

Use short sentences to give indications using visual support that can be used for consultation. The indications should be segmented and expressed in a gradual way. It also seems fundamental to adapt the statements of exercises and exams so that they can be understood by the child, allowing for specific explanatory explanations.

6. Establish a plan of objectives adapted to each case

These objectives should specify realistic and achievable goals for the student, either weekly, monthly or quarterly.

7. Facilitate planning of homework activities, examinations well in advance

In this way, the student with dyslexia will be able to organise his or her study time , dosing his or her work to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

8. To positively reinforce the effort made by the student

This should be done by not prioritizing the result obtained at the quantitative level . In many cases there is a decrease in the motivation to do school work, so the support of the educator will be fundamental for the child.

9. As educators, avoid comparisons with other children in the class, siblings, etc.

As indicated, it is very common for the self-esteem of this type of student to be affected. This fact can be very detrimental to their academic performance and the achievement of their potential .

10. Emphasize their autonomy in performing their schoolwork

It is very positive to transmit the idea of the student’s potential ability to learn. It is recommended to avoid overprotection with respect to not fulfilling their academic responsibilities .

Due to his preserved general cognitive capacity, the child is able to assume his school obligations, even if these are adapted to his specific difficulties. The application of these adaptations is assessed from the educational centre in order to quantitatively and qualitatively adapt the methodology, the correction criteria and the learning objectives for each student individually.

By way of conclusion

As commented in the text, usually the assimilation of the presence of psycho-pedagogical difficulties in the student himself is a process that can interfere significantly in the psychological development of the child, causing in certain situations a worsening of the diagnostic situation initially raised. Therefore, an early detection and intervention of the indicated deficits is a fundamental process to prevent a greater deterioration in the different vital areas of the child, both in the academic and in the emotional aspects.

Bibliographic references:

  • American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
  • Tamayo Lorenzo, S. Dyslexia and difficulties in the acquisition of literacy. Faculty, 21(1): 423-432 (2017).