By Dr Anand Ramphal
Being able to read and write reasonably well are important requirements in life - most jobs require basic literacy skills.
But not all children find it easy for a variety of reasons. Some find it difficult because they lack confidence or because they have not been taught properly. In others, undiagnosed defects in hearing or vision turn out to be the root cause.
Some children, however, continue to struggle with reading and writing despite good teaching, and their performance fails to improve at the expected rate. These children could have dyslexia.
What is dyslexia?
The term "dyslexia" comes from the Greek word meaning "difficulty with words".
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To the dyslexic, written words appear thus: are yon fihbihp tnis seuteuce bifficnlt to reab? whereas to the normal reader the words appear as: are you finding this sentence difficult to read? This is just one sentence. Frustrating, isn't it?
Pity the youngster with this problem who has to read pages and pages of history notes and, what's more, he labours under the mistaken belief that everyone sees the written word the way he does! Think of the impact that this has on his self-image when teachers keep writing in his school report comments like: "Must try harder", "Can do better". And, as if this were not enough, his caring, but "dyslexia-unenlightened" parents add to his perplexity by comparing him unfavourably to his more successful peers.
Youngsters with dyslexia try to avoid situations in which they have to read or write. Or they may try to hide their difficulty (as Kate Winslet in the film The Reader). Others play truant or pretend to be ill. But this does not solve anything.
How widespread is dyslexia?
The British Dyslexia Association estimates that about 4 percent of the population is severely dyslexic and 6 percent have mild to moderate problems with words.
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