La dyslexia It has become a more or less serious learning difficulty that is preventing hundreds of children from studying properly. In most cases, this translates into reading problemsespecially when it comes to recognizing words accurately and fluently. Although that's not all, as there are also difficulties in detecting accented words, understand what is read and automate basic skills such as spelling and orthography.
According to the University of Granada, children with dyslexia should receive annual of oral expression and reading to be able to differentiate tones, accents, and intonation. It must be taken into account that they have problems with recognize words to write correctly, without spelling mistakes, and to decode vocabulary. You already know the consequences: if it's not detected in time, the academic performance It can drop significantly and, in addition, emotional problems such as low self-esteem, anxiety or rejection of school may appear.
What is dyslexia and why is it not an illness?
La dyslexia is a specific learning disorder Included within neurodevelopmental disorders. It is characterized by a persistent difficulty to acquire reading and writing skills despite having adequate intelligence, proper schooling, normal vision and hearing, and a sufficient level of motivation. It affects the ability to recognize words, decode them accurately, read fluently, and write with proper spelling.
It is not considered a disease nor something that heals with time, but a condition of origin neurobiological which will be present throughout life. What can change, and significantly, is the impact of dyslexia: a early detection and intervention They help minimize its repercussions in the future, improving school performance and emotional well-being.
Research indicates that dyslexia is one of the most frequent learning disorders and studied. It is estimated that a significant percentage of the child population presents this disorder, affecting both girls and boys, and with a strong hereditary componentIt is common that, when a child is diagnosed, one of the parents remembers having had similar difficulties during their school years.
Causes and neurobiological bases of dyslexia
The main cause of dyslexia is neurobiologicalNeuroimaging studies have shown differences in the activation of brain areas involved in language and reading between people with dyslexia and good readers. In many cases, a connectivity less between the areas responsible for processing spoken language and those that manage the visual information of letters and words, which makes the automatization of reading difficult.
From a genetic point of view, dyslexia has been shown to have a hereditary burden Important. The risk of developing dyslexia increases significantly when one of the parents has or has had it. This explains why there is often family background when studying the case of a child with persistent reading difficulties.
One of the most widely accepted theories indicates that dyslexia is, above all, a phonological disorderIn other words, there is a difficulty in perceiving, identifying, and manipulating the speech sounds that make up words (phonological awareness). This complicates the creation of stable phonological representations in memory and their rapid and accurate association with the corresponding letters, which directly impacts learning to read and write.
In addition to phonological skills, some people with dyslexia may show difficulties in areas such as denomination speed (quickly name colors, objects, or numbers), the verbal memory In the short term, automation of verbal series (days of the week, months of the year, multiplication tables) or the fine motor coordination needed for writing.
How children learn to read and what happens in dyslexia
To better understand how children with dyslexia function, it's helpful to review how reading is learned. First, one learns the relationship between... lyrics and their sound And when you put the whole sequence together, the word appears. This is what is known as phonological routeThis procedure is slow and laborious, requires a lot of attention, and is usually the main way to begin learning to read.
With practice, many words are read so often that the brain forms a orthographic representation in memory. At that point, it is no longer necessary to decipher them letter by letter; instead, they are recognized at a glance, as a whole. This faster and more automatic form of reading is called lexical routeThanks to it, one can read fluently, better understand texts, and dedicate cognitive resources to understanding the content.
It is especially difficult for people with dyslexia automate the lexical routeThey find it difficult to create stable representations of words, so they need to continue relying on the phonological route for longer and with greater effort. The consequence is a slow reading, intermittent, with frequent omissions, substitutions or investments of letters, and with visual tracking problems (skipping lines, losing their place).
Su reading comprehension Their learning may be affected not because they don't understand spoken language, but because part of their resources are consumed by deciphering letter by letter. They struggle to remember what they have just read and relate it to what comes next. For this reason, many children with dyslexia They learn best when they listen texts read by other people or when they rely on audiobooks and oral resources.
Manifestations according to age and warning signs
In dyslexia, symptoms change As the child grows, early signs can be observed even in infancy, although formal diagnosis is reserved for when reading skills should be more established. A child doesn't need to show signs of reading difficulties. all The signs described below may suggest dyslexia, but the combined presence The fact that several of them are at different stages should attract attention.
In early childhood education Difficulties may arise in learning songs and rhymes, remembering the names of things, numbers, or colors, or following routines. Motor clumsiness during play, alternating hands and feet, lack of awareness of body parts, and somewhat slower language development with difficulty expressing oneself clearly are also common.
Among the first years of primary school The problems tend to become more evident for learn the alphabet, associating each letter with its sound, memorizing verbal series (days of the week, months, alphabet) or the multiplication tablesThe reading appears very slow and forced, with numerous errors of omission, substitution or inversion of letters, and difficulty copying from the board.
In later primary school years and in the secondary school stage, a reading with limited automationwith frequent errors and comprehension difficulties. Spelling is often severely affected, with both natural errors (inappropriate word joining or separation) and arbitrary errors (accent marks, b/v, etc.). In addition, problems may arise with to organize and express in writing The ideas, for learning foreign languages ​​and for automating calculation, especially multiplication tables.
In adolescence and adulthood, many people with dyslexia continue to show a slow reading, spelling mistakes, concentration problems when reading long texts and difficulties in planning and writing complex texts, even though they have developed strategies to compensate for some of their difficulties.
Dyslexia, school performance and associated difficulties
All these difficulties have a direct impact on the academic performanceChildren with dyslexia often need more time to complete written tasks, tend to tire more easily when reading, and may show aversion to activities that involve a lot of reading or writing. Frequently, their written performance does not reflect their learning abilities. true intellectual capacity nor what they know about a subject.
In addition, there is the possibility that other specific learning difficulties may coexist, such as problems in the deed (dysgraphia), in calculation and mathematical reasoning (dyscalculia), or in attentional and executive functions, as happens in some cases of ADHDThis combination can multiply the impact in school and in daily life.
As a result, it is not uncommon for children with dyslexia to develop Emotional problemsLow self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, exam stress, anxiety, frustration, or even depressive symptoms are common. It is essential that families and teachers consider this emotional dimension and provide a supportive environment with understanding and realistic expectations.
How to help: support, motivation and coordination with the school
To help children with dyslexia, you just have to support and motivate to them, dedicating enough time to do their homework and maintaining a regular contact with the professionals who teach him (teachers) and with the specialists who may be intervening (guidance counselors, speech therapists, educational psychologists, etc.).
It is also necessary to implement different types of specific exercisesespecially those that promote proper reading and provide verbal activities that reinforce phonological awareness, vocabulary, and comprehension. Recommendations typically include intensive, small-group sessions with daily practice of reading and writing skills and, later, instruction in compensatory strategies and adapted study techniques.
Not all children wear the same rhythmThis means we will have to adapt the activities and objectives to each specific case. A preliminary study may be necessary to assess the situation through a... neuropsychological evaluation that assesses intellectual level, oral and written language, attention, memory, and other functions involved in learning.
It is important to eliminate some Myths which hinder diagnosis and intervention. Dyslexia is not caused by simple crossed laterality, nor by problems exclusively with eye movement, nor does it disappear on its own with maturation. It is also not true that it can only be detected from a very specific age or that it is completely cured with brief treatment; what is achieved with appropriate intervention is reduce the impact and provide the child with resources to learn in a different way.
If dyslexia is characterized by something, it is because it causes many difficulties to those affected at school and in their daily lives, but also because, with a adequate support With the support of family, teachers, and professionals, and with evidence-based interventions, children can develop their academic and personal abilities to the point where dyslexia ceases to be a central obstacle in their life project.
When a early detectionWith a well-planned intervention and an environment that respects individual rhythms, most children with dyslexia manage to progress in their learning, find areas in which to excel and build a self-image adjusted to their potential, without the reading difficulty defining who they are or limiting their goals.