Do you suspect Dyslexia?
Gene-controlled developmental processes in the brain influence sensory perceptions in children with dyslexia and dyscalculia. As a result, affected individuals process information differently and have a different learning ability. Thoughts often do not align with actions.
Due to different sensory perceptions and the resulting inattentiveness, those affected make perceptual errors that occur at the moment when a word is written or read. Many mistakenly dismiss these as spelling errors. Perceptual errors in dyslexic children or adults usually occur with already known and frequently used words. In contrast, spelling errors arise when someone is unfamiliar with the word or the associated rule knowledge.
Dyslexia is not a disease, disability, disorder, or weakness. People with dyslexia are often very intelligent (especially talented in technical and creative areas), highly gifted, and can achieve feats that others can never reach. However, dyslexic brains are wired differently – information is processed in a different way. This results in strengths and challenges. Those affected simply need educational methods specifically tailored to their needs, as they cannot cope with the usual teaching methods offered in schools. Therefore, dyslexia training primarily falls under the purview of educators.
Dr. Astrid Kopp-Duller, Dr. Livia R. Pailer-Duller (Book: Dyslexia in Adults)
Children with dyslexia need both understanding and targeted, individual educational support. Parents, teachers, and, if necessary, specialists must be involved.
With insufficient cooperation, psychosomatic issues can occur, even leading to psychopathological manifestations, and learning progress can be delayed. If secondary problems exist, additional specialists such as doctors, psychologists, psychotherapists, etc. must be consulted.
Signs of dyslexia or dyscalculia in students under 9 years old:
- Great difficulty in learning to read and write
- Constant and ongoing mixing up of numbers and letters (e.g., 15 for 51; b for d)
- Problems distinguishing between right and left
- Difficulties in remembering the alphabet, multiplying tables
- Difficulties in recalling sequences such as the days of the week, the months of the year, and the seasons
- Ongoing difficulties with tying shoelaces, catching a ball, skipping rope, etc.
- Inattentiveness when writing, reading, or computing
- Frustration that can lead to behavioral problems
Example of an error analysis of a text written by a dyslexic child
Please note that a correct diagnosis or the distinguishing between dyslexia and a reading and spelling deficiency cannot be made solely based on an error analysis from a writing sample!
Error analysis of texts written by dyslexic children provides valuable insights into their specific reading and writing challenges. Common errors include:
1. Substitutions: Replacing a word with an orthographic neighbor, such as reading “joy” as “jolly”.
2. Omissions and Additions: Skipping or inserting letters or words, which can alter the intended meaning.
3. Letter Reversals: Confusing letters like ‘b’ and ‘d’ or ‘p’ and ‘q’, leading to misinterpretation.
4. Phonetic Spelling: Writing words as they sound, resulting in misspellings like “sed” for “said”.
Furthermore, dyslexia cannot be determined through an intelligence test. As the name suggests, an intelligence test determines a person’s intelligence. However, this does not actually indicate the presence of dyslexia. Children with a low IQ are not referred to as dyslexic, but as cognitively less gifted.
If dyslexia is suspected, the educational AFS-Test can provide clarity. The AFS-Test quickly provides information about the attention span, sensory perceptions, and symptoms (errors) of the affected child.
A study showed that the AFS-Method helped 85% of the children. 85% of the participants continuously improved their reading, spelling, and arithmetic skills over a two-year observation period and were thus able to meet the school’s requirements.*
*A study showed that the AFS-Method helped 85% of the children. 85% of the participants continuously improved their writing, reading, and arithmetic skills over a two-year observation period and were thus able to meet the requirements in school.