The dyslexic child has a normal or even high intelligence but has a specific reading disability. The child’s chronological age may be 11 yrs, mental age12yrs, and yet the reading age only 8yrs.

Since reading enters into every part of school work, even arithmetic, this can be a very serious disability. Dyslexia is regarded as being a peripheral medical problem. There is rarely any neurological explanation for the condition, unless crossed laterality is considered a medical disorder. Normally in right-handed individuals, the left-side of the brain is dominant and contains the speech centre. Right handed people should also be right-footed, right-eyed, right-eared, that is, they should use those parts of the body in preference to the other side.

But with crossed laterality there is a mix-up. In Iridology observation of the psychological brain area location of the acquired mental speech area, abnormal function may denote, slow learning-stuttering-stammering-social maladjustment or dyslexia.

In most cases, a baby should be able to understand simple words and commands from the age of nine months. From around a year he should be saying his first words. By age two he should have a vocabulary of up to 200 words and be using simple two-word phrases such as “drink milk”. By age three he should have a vocabulary of up to 900 words and be using full sentences with no words omitted and speech comprehensible to strangers. By age four, the child should be fully able to talk, but may still make grammatical errors.

The term “dyslexia”was introduced in 1884 by the German ophthalmologist, R.Berlin.
He coined the word from Greek words “dys” meaning difficult and “lexis” meaning word. Today the term dyslexia is frequently used to refer to a “normal” child or adult who seems to be brighter than what their reading or writing work suggests. While the term is used to describe a severe reading problem, there is actually little agreement concerning the definition of characteristics that differentiate dyslexia from other reading problems.

More boys than girls are dyslexic, and there is often a history of retarded speech development. The child may show directional confusion, and this may include repeated changes of teachers or school, overcrowded classes and lack of encouragement at home. Using the symptoms below as an indication that a child has a reading problem may help to re-direct the learning ability of that child.

DIRECTIONAL CONFUSION : This may take a number of forms, from being uncertain of which is left and right to being unable to read a map accurately. A child should know his left and right by age of 5yrs. Directional confusion affects other concepts such as up and down, top and bottom, compass directions, position on the playing field, etc. As many as eight out of ten severely dyslexic children have directional confusion. Directional confusion is the reason for reversing letters, whole words or numbers, the so-called mirror writing. The dyslexic may reverse letters like ‘b’ and ‘d’ or ‘p’ and ‘q’, either when reading or writing. Or perhaps invert letters like ‘n’ as ‘u’ or ‘m’ as ‘w’. Reading or writing words like ‘no’ for ‘on’ or ‘rat’ for ‘tar’. An example of numbers confusion, such as 17 for 71.

SEQUENCING DIFFICULTIES : Many dyslexics have trouble with sequencing, ie, perceiving something in sequence and also remembering the sequence. Naturally this will affect their ability to read and spell correctly, because every word consists of letters in a specific sequence. The following are examples of dyslexic symptoms that indicate sequence difficulties: When reading, the dyslexic may put letters in the wrong order, reading ‘felt’ as ‘left’ or ‘act’ as ‘cat’. Or words may be put in the wrong order, reading ‘are there’ for ‘there are’. Dyslexics may also have trouble with the order of the alphabet, telephone numbers, months of the year, seasons or events of the day. Younger children may find it difficult remembering the days of the week. Some are unable to repeat words orally because they get the syllables in the wrong order.

OTHER DYSLEXIC SYMPTOMS : Language problems of one form or another are the underlying basis for many learning disabilities. Oral language disorders include poor phonological awareness, delayed speech, disorders of grammar, deficiencies in vocabulary and poor understanding of oral language. The dyslexic child will make up a story based on the illustrations, which bears no relation to the text. Reads very slowly and hesitantly. Reads with poor comprehension. Remembers little of what has read. Spells words as they sound, for example ‘rite’ for ‘right’. Ignores punctuation,ie, may omit full stops and commas and fail to see the need for capital letters. Poor at copying from the black board. Some dyslexics also suffer from poor handwriting skills. The word ‘dysgraphia’ is often used to describe a difficulty in this area.

If a child talks immaturely, or still makes unexpected grammatical errors in his speech when aged five years old, this should alert the parents to probable later reading problems and prompt the parents to take steps to improve the child’s language.