Newcastle Child Psychologist Daniel Wendt discusses Dyslexia.
 Dyslexia is a condition that many professionals and parents often misunderstand. In the community it is often incorrectly believed to be a visual difficulty when in most instances this is not the case. Dyslexia is a condition which affects a child's ability to efficiently process sounds and link them to letters. It's important to identify Dyslexia early in a child's life in order for them to get the help they need.
One to one direct reading instruction by a qualified professional is extremely important if your child is diagnosed as having Dyslexia. Commencing intervention as early as possible in a child's life promotes success and improves outcomes. Children with Dyslexia can become functional readers and can have the same opportunities as others. If your child has reading difficulties and is falling behind in class talk to their teacher as a first step. Teachers can give you an indication of where exactly your child's literacy levels are compared to other children. Monitor your child's difficulties and give them individual support. Read to them and with them regularly. Start with the basics and try and make it fun. Give them choices over what they can read and appeal to their interests. There are many great iPad apps to help with developing fundamental reading skills. Look up 'phonological processing', 'phonics games' and 'children's reading games' in the app store initially to get some ideas. It's important to remember that all children develop at different rates with regards to academics, social skills and language. Some children do need more time to develop certain skills however sometimes it is more than just a delay. 5-15% of children experience Dyslexia which is a brain based disorder and not merely a delay. If your child has Dyslexia or another learning disorder early assessment and treatment is extremely important. If you have ongoing concerns, your child is not improving or you feel that there is more to it than just a delay your child may benefit from a comprehensive learning assessment. An assessment by a Child Psychologist will provide a detailed overview of your child's learning strengths and weaknesses and can identify learning disorders such as Dyslexia. If you have further questions about Dyslexia you may be interested in viewing this article which provides a good overview for parents. You can also call us on 02 4929 2223 and we would be happy to help you and your child.  Our understanding of intellectual and learning difficulties has come a long way in the last 100 years. We are now able to use comprehensive educational, academic and intellectual assessments to assist in identifying a child's or teenager's learning strengths and weaknesses. With the start of the school year just around the corner it can be helpful to consider where your child's learning is currently placed.
Child Psychologists and Adolescent Psychologists use a wide variety of research based assessment tools to investigate learning strengths and weaknesses. Intellectual ability, memory, concentration, attention and language processing are all factors which can impact on a student's performance in the classroom. An experienced Psychologist can help investigate these areas of a child's functioning and determine how to best meet their learning needs. Difficulties such as Developmental Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Intellectual Disability can all have a tremendous effect on a child's academic success. Comprehensive assessment by a Child Psychologist can assist in identifying such conditions, as well as helping parents and teacher to understand the needs of the individual. Raising awareness of these needs can be an important first step which allows tailored strategies and techniques to be implemented in the best interest of the individual. Gifted and Talented (GAT) students can also benefit from assessment by a Psychologist. Some individuals have unique intellectual strengths. By identifying their higher level of ability their curiosity and learning potential can be nurtured. Raising awareness of a Gifted student's abilities can help teachers and parents to provide intellectual stimulation in order to allow them to flourish. Some students may also be eligible for additional assistance or support at school. Learning assessments can help in determining a child's eligibility and guiding access to services. If you or a teacher have concerns about your child's performance at school please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your situation. We can provide advice on whether a learning assessment may be helpful for your unique circumstances. E: admin@oraclepsychology.com.au P: 02 4929 2223 #ChildPsychologist #Newcastle #NewcastleNSW #LearningDisorder #Education  Imagine going to work everyday and having to complete tasks much more complex than you could cope with. This is what it can be like for many Dyslexics in a world full of writing.
Dyslexia is an often misunderstood condition which affects 5-15% of individuals. More accurately Dyslexia is a Specific Reading Disorder, meaning that people with this disability have unique weakness in literacy. They are often of average to above average intelligence but struggle with understanding the written world. Like everyone, individuals with Dyslexia can have many other strengths and it's important to identify and encourage these. Children with Dyslexia are often identified at a Primary School age due to difficulties learning sounds, identifying letters and remembering sight words. Such children find reading very tiresome, slow and as a result may struggle to understand what they have read once they finish reading. Many people incorrectly believe that Dyslexia is due to a visual deficit, which requires coloured lenses to be corrected. However in most instances this is not the case. In fact Dyslexia is primarily due to Phonological (speech sound) Processing weaknesses in most cases. This means that Dyslexics are not able to process the sounds in words as efficiently as everyone else. These sound processing weaknesses make it difficult to group sounds in words and link sounds and letters together (phonics). While Dyslexia is generally a life long condition, fortunately early identification opens many doors for assistance. Diagnosis by a Child Psychologist experienced in the assessment of learning disorders can be an important first step. This allows children to get the best start possible by accessing appropriate interventions, increasing the awareness of teachers and gaining assistance. #Dyslexia #Newcastle #Newcastlensw #Childpsychologist |
AuthorChild Psychologist Daniel Wendt is the Principal Psychologist of Oracle Psychology in Newcastle, NSW. Archives
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