Over the years, many children have been found facing learning disabilities or disorders. One of these is dyslexia. Dyslexic children find it difficult to identify certain speech sounds and relating them to words and letters. As a result, they sometimes cannot read properly, or have a difficulty in writing certain letters. Dyslexia is often observable once the child starts reading. Before that, symptoms are much visible. Some symptoms that can show a risk of dyslexia are talking late, slow learning, difficulty in understanding or learning new words, nursery rhymes and problems playing rhyming games.

By the time a child is in school, some more visible symptoms may occur. These include reading capabilities lower than other children of similar age, slow processing of what the child hears, problems in deciphering instructions given at a quick pace, hardship in remembering the right sequence of things. Some other symptoms include difficulty in recognizing the difference and similarities in letters and words, difficulty in learning the correct pronunciation of new words and difficulty in spellings.

Dyslexia symptoms remain same in older ages, though early detection can help overcome learning difficulties through therapies. Dyslexia is not curable, but doctors and therapists can suggest techniques on making reading and understanding easier. Dyslexia tends to be inherited and affects the segments of brain dedicated to language skills.

If dyslexia is not detected or is left untreated, it can lead to social problems like low self-esteem, behavioral issues, aggression, anxiety and social withdrawal. Dyslexic children feel disadvantaged due to the disorder and cannot keep up with other children of similar thus leading to esteem issues. When undetected, dyslexia can hinder in a child’s progress towards his or her full potential, even in his/her adult life.

Dyslexia is not diagnosed through a series of medical tests. Rather, a number of behavioral factors are considered before declaring a child to be dyslexic. Doctors observe the educational difficulties, development issues and family medical history. Psychological testing and reading ability tests help a doctor diagnose dyslexia.

There isn’t any medical cure for Dyslexia. But there are some educational techniques that lead a dyslexic child on his way to a better life. Special tutors can help the child learn sounds and help them relate visually to words. They can teach a child to read aloud, and comprehend what they read. They also help a child build vocabularies.

Parents have to have patience and the stamina to interact with their child. Emotional support is necessary for the children. Parents can encourage reading, helping the child through his difficulties. Parents can instill the idea of success in a dyslexic child, and make them understand that dyslexia is not the fault of the child. Parents should also keep in touch with the child’s teachers and tutors and request extra help whenever necessary.

Dyslexic adults, who hadn’t been diagnosed in early age, can also reach out to support groups and try to build a better life by applying behavioral techniques.