Basics On Reading Disabilities Carlsbad Parents May Wish To Have

By Mark Parker


Reading disabilities may exist on their own or alongside other forms of learning disabilities. It is considered a continuum where on one end some of the affected individuals only show subtle signs while others are severely affected on the other end. There is almost always a negative effect on the academic performance of the learner. If struggling with reading disabilities Carlsbad parents should know several things on the condition.

The exact cause of this problem is largely unknown. However, a number of studies point towards either structural or functional problems in the brain. There is a need to see a paediatrician for a proper diagnosis to be made. The doctor will take you through the process of history taking and will also perform a physical examination with special emphasis on the central nervous system. Imaging studies such as the MRI and the CT scan may be required in select cases.

A number of categories of this problem exist. The classification is mainly based in the predominant symptom. One of the commonest types is what is teemed processing speed deficit. It is characterized by slow recognition of seemingly simple words and making sense of them. While this may not be suggestive of low IQ, it certainly contributes to learning difficulties and affected children will often lag behind their peers. It may be accompanied with executive functioning deficits resulting in problems with focusing, goal setting and arithmetic problem solving.

Hyperlexia is the opposite of processing speed deficit. The learner is abnormally fast in reading. Although it may be mistaken for a talent, it actually posses a big disadvantage to the individual. This is because they tend to have very poor comprehension. Many of the affected children will be noted to have other characteristics that place them in the autism spectrum. Speed training can be undertaken so as to ensure they have enough time to understand the content read.

Some children can read words accurately but have a comprehension problem. They can read and spell individual words at the right speed but are unable to understand the meanings of passages. This is different from dyslexia in which reading is usually markedly impaired. Some of the causes of this include problems in language comprehension, disordered social reasoning and abstract verbal reasoning. This subtypes is present in 10 to 15 percent of affected children.

Inability to retain information that has been read is yet another category that exist. This is mainly a result of decoding words and their meaning. Typically, the learner will use a lot of effort in recognition resulting in exhaustion such that it becomes quite difficult to remember what has been studied. They will exhibit signs such as omission of details, confusion about word meanings and inability to concentrate.

The mode of management is individualized and depends on the exact nature of the problem and its severity. For learners finding it difficult to read due to a particular colour of background or text, can opt for different colours. Colour overlays and putting on tinted glasses while reading have also been tried with variable success.

The teacher and the parent need to work closely to increase the chances of success in solving reading disabilities. They need to, for example, identify the words that are commonly misspelled and come up with strategies that can be used to enhance memory. There are a number of interesting games available online they can help with improving spelling. A reward system for correct spellings may be used as positive reinforcement.




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