Dyslexia
- how parents can help |
All parents
with a dyslexic child or teenager (or young adult) face a real struggle in supporting
them. Deepika Mundle describes some techniques which
will help to build up a child's self-confidence.
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All children need to be recognized in some way or the other when they do something well, either with a hug, a gesture, or a word of praise that tells the child that he or she is special. Giving children recognition for something well done boosts their egos and helps them gain confidence, self respect and security. With dyslexic children it is the other way around Usually with dyslexic children it is the other way around. They rarely experience feelings of good self-esteem and self respect. Their ego gets beaten with every failure. The dyslexic child feels dejected and angry and he is usually withdrawn because he does not understand why he is different from other children. Parents often feel helpless as they watch their dyslexic child move about without purpose.They should realise that every child whether dyslexic or not needs love and appreciation. Parents can find out the individual likes and dislikes of their child and give him/her a lot of encouragement and praise for every effort whether big or small. A dyslexic child needs constant support and praise to gain self esteem. One of the biggest problems for the dylexic child is that he may never have the opportunity to discover his strengths because his mistakes get in the way. The following are a few suggestions that may help a dyslexic child or an adolescence lead useful, fulfilled and happy lives.
A dyslexic child might have difficulty in organizing his day-to-day tasks and learning skills.As a parent one cannot simply tell them to clean up their room.They should be specific. e.g. Pick up the clothes and put them in the laundry or hang them, pick up papers, putting away those that are needed and throwing the rest away. Put things like radios, CDs and tapes where they belong. Parents can also make use of simple checklist to instill organizational skills in their child. Making a child more organized can also be done with the help of the following things: 1. Using transportation: Try to teach the child to use a map, learn the bus routes. 2. Cooking: Teach the child to read and then follow recipes eg, making soup, sandwiches etc. 3. Setting a table: Teach the child to set a place at the table correctly with knife, fork, spoon, napkin, plate and glass. 4. Shopping: Show him how to buy things, make a shopping list, estimate the amount of money needed and make choices at the store. 5. Money: Teach him how to count, keep an account, use a budget.
A dyslexic child needs much more time to complete tasks, as well as some additional time between difficult tasks; thus parents have to deal very patiently with them. When the dyslexic child experiences difficulty with reading, writing and math/s the parents can patiently take them through various processes until he becomes more proficient in them.( there are various exercises available for reading,writing and arithmetic). Short Attention Span Some dyslexic children and teenagers have difficulty in focussing on a particular task because they have a short attention span. Students with a short attention span often find homework impossible to complete, and they are often slow and easily discouraged. They can allow a restless child to take several breaks while working on a task. Dyslexic children are easily distracted by too much noise or too much going on around them. Parents can help by removing all distractions and by keeping the room fairly quiet when the child is at work. Test Jitters
Parents can help here by giving simple practice tests so that the child can develop a test-taking habit. A particular time limit (about 15 minutes) should be maintained so that the child does not become restless and disinterested. One can give him constant assurance that there is nothing wrong in making mistakes. Point out answers which are wrong. Ask the child to read the subject again. Have the child explain the answer as this helps him relax. Parents can be warm and close to their children. Sometimes their presence, for support and comfort is all that is needed. There should be a good amount of communcation between the parent and the child. Parents should respect their teenager by treating him as an adult, at the same time also set limits laying emphasis on ones own values.They should try and be honest and face any problem that may occur. Both parents and teachers must give the child a sense that he is important. By working together, the home and the school can help a dyslexic teenager change his poor self perception from "I can't succeed" to "I can make it", "I will try" and "I can succeed."
Deepika Mundle |
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Organizational
skills 
6.
Telephone: Teach the child the home phone number, emergency numbers and
how to dial numbers; answer the phone politely and to take messages. 
Taking
a test is often extremely frustrating for the dyslexic. He may know the
answer to a question and be able to answer orally but find it difficult to put
the answer on paper. Many dyslexics have failed so many times that they have lost
confidence in their ability to pass any kind of test.