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Our SEND Education Series covers different Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Here we discuss Dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a language-based learning difficulty that affects the skills involved in reading and writing. It is the most common learning difficulty, with 1 in 10 people in the UK living with dyslexia. Young people with dyslexia might struggle with the following:
Spelling
Handwriting
Speech
Following instructions
Processing information
Knowing left and right
Organisation
So what actually is dyslexia?
Most people think dyslexia causes people to see words jumbled or reversed, however, the main problem for those living with dyslexia is the difficulty in recognising phonemes. Phonemes are the basic sounds in speech, for example, the word ‘chair’ consists of three phonemes, ‘ch’ ‘ai’ and ‘r’. The result is difficulty in recognising short words and being able to sound out longer words. This also translates into difficulty in spelling.
This difficulty in recognising phonemes is the result of individual differences in certain areas of the brain that are responsible for reading. It's also been observed that those with dyslexia use only the right side of the brain to process language, whereas those without dyslexia use three areas within the left side of the brain to process language. Such differences appear to be genetically related, and so it's often the case that dyslexia runs in families.
What to do if you think your child may have dyslexia?
The first step is to get in touch with either your child's teacher or their school's special educational needs coordinator (SENco). Alternatively, here at Learn With SAT we offer guidance and support in getting your child support and/or formally assessed. However, a formal assessment is not required in order to put in place support for your child.
What does a Diagnostic Assessment consist of
A diagnostic assessment will ensure that appropriate interventions are put in place, these assessments are carried out by a certified dyslexia assessor. A diagnostic assessment will consist of a series of tests assessing:
Reading, writing, and spelling
Handwriting and fine motor skills
Primary learning skills- phonological awareness, processing and memory speed, and language and auditory processing ability.
Our tutors at Learn With SAT have undergone career development programmes on dyslexia (as well as other SEND education topics), and can tailor their education to fit the needs of a child with dyslexia, whether this is for an Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) program, or for top-up tuition. If your child has, or you suspect your child has dyslexia and you'd like to discuss either of these options with us, we offer a free consultation, just fill in the free consultation form on our home page.