“Dyslexia can have a hereditary component and, generally, it is discovered when the child begins to read, as they begin to have problems identifying sounds and confuse the letters. Dyslexia not only affects the child’s school performance, but it can also affect their self-esteem, cause anxiety or isolation and manifest behavior problems and aggression “, says Dr. Carmen Bravo de Rueda, a prominent psychologist at our clinic.

What is dyslexia?

It is a learning disorder characterized by difficulty in reading and understanding what is read. It is not related to an intelligence problem or other cognitive abilities such as memory.

Some signs of dyslexia in a school child can be:

• Very low reading level for their age
• Problems processing language and difficulty answering questions
• They confuse similar letters, but of different orientation such as b, d, p, q
• Difficulty spelling as well as pronouncing an unfamiliar word
• Delay in completing tasks related to reading and writing
• Difficulty remembering sequences of elements: objects, thoughts, actions, etc.

Some tips to help a child with dyslexia

• Parents must be very patient and teach with affection. Motivate the child to continue their training, without putting pressure on them
• The materials to stimulate them must be adapted to their age and level. If they are very complex, they will get frustrated and want to give up training
• Divide the tasks into steps. For example: to set the table first we put the tablecloth, then the placemats, napkins, cutlery, etc. This will develop your ability to plan, organize and execute sequences
• Read stories to them by showing them the figures so they can remember what is said about them. If they are prepared, they can read single words and color them.
• Play different games with words, according to age. For example: say a phrase and have each participant increase a word. This will improve your verbal fluency, creativity, and memory. They can also guess the missing letters to make a word, etc.
• The first years are very important to develop neural connections. You can train your baby, for example, by saying: “you are going to drink your milk” and not just give them the bottle or: “look at the dog” when it passes near them, and so on.
• Seek a specialist to treat dyslexia as early as possible to prevent it from continuing into adulthood.

Dr. Carmen Bravo de Rueda
Psychologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma