Friday, August 9, 2019

Facts On Reading Disabilities Carlsbad Residents Should Know

By Mark Parker


Reading disabilities are estimated to affect one in every ten children. The severity of the problem is variable and is almost not noticeable in some children while in others the signs are quite dramatic. Learning disabilities in general impact academic progress negatively. There are several things on reading disabilities Carlsbad residents need to know.

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.

10 to 15 percent of learning disabilities are related to comprehension. In this category, the leaner is neither a fast nor a slow reader but they have difficulties putting words in context thus cannot understand the meanings of a passage, for instance. Possible causes include problems with language comprehension, abstract verbal reasoning and disordered social reasoning.

Another category is that associated with retention problems. A number of children have difficulties decoding and thus will end up with problems of remembering content. Such children use a lot of effort to grasp individual words such that they are left with less mental energy for remembering. Some of the telltale signs include frequent confusion about word meanings, lack of concentration when reading and omission of details.

The management of these problems varies from one individual to another. Solutions are customized depending on what is predominant. For example, in the case of learners who have a problem with text printed in certain colours or against particular backgrounds may benefit from a change of the same. Use of text overlays and colour tinted glasses are other possible solutions.

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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