What can you do if your child is dyslexic? Experts at the Department of Child Development, KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) shares tips.
Dyslexia is a lifelong reading disability with good potential for improvement. Dyslexia management involves intervention through teaching rather than medication.
A dyslexic child can overcome his reading difficulty with special training from professionals. Parental support and encouragement are also key factors in dyslexia treatment.
“Parents and family members can really make a huge difference to dyslexic children, and enable them to learn to read in a supportive environment,” says Associate Professor Lourdes Mary Daniel, Senior Consultant and Head of Clinical Services, Department of Child Development,
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), a member of the
SingHealth group.
Parents can:
- Identify the reading difficulty early and provide quality intervention themselves, and through professionals
- Read regularly to the child to develop a love of reading
- Encourage the child to discover other talents
- Build the child’s self-esteem by emphasising that dyslexia is a reading difficulty, unrelated to IQ
- Keep the child motivated and happy by creating an encouraging and secure environment at home
Dyslexia treatment: special reading programmes for dyslexic children
Since the prevailing method used to teach reading is not adequate for the dyslexic child, parents can enroll the child in special programmes that focus on his specific reading difficulty. Parents can also become their child’s reading teacher.
“The Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) runs a structured programme in small groups. There are many other resources, such as community programmes, dyslexia trained teachers and private dyslexia reading programmes. Many parents also learn for themselves how to teach their children,” says A/Prof Daniel.
Parents can foster a love of books in dyslexic children by reading regularly to them, particularly topics that they enjoy.
Since dyslexic children are likely to feel distressed because they can’t read like their friends, parents can help boost their confidence by helping them discover other talents and develop these.
“Children with dyslexia have many other wonderful talents and skills; parents should take the time and effort to discover and develop them,” says A/Prof Daniel.
Ref: R14
