Brief overview
- Diagnosis: Previous medical history, physical examinations such as vision and hearing tests, electroencephalography (EEG), intelligence test, specific dyslexia text.
- Symptoms: slow, halting reading, slipping on the line, transposing letters, among others.
- Causes and risk factors: Probably genetic changes in congenital dyslexia, damage to certain areas of the brain in acquired dyslexia.
- Course of the disease and prognosis: The prognosis is better the earlier the diagnosis is made.
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a disordered reading ability that occurs due to language processing disorders caused by neurological disorders. If the disorder occurs during development, for example during school years, it is also referred to as developmental dyslexia (dyslexia of reading and spelling).
The term dyslexia is also now used as a synonym for dyslexia.
Dyslexia or alexia?
In dyslexia, the ability to read is impaired. In alexia, on the other hand, reading is not possible at all. Alexia usually occurs when the nerve pathways responsible for reading have been interrupted. This happens, for example, as a result of a stroke, a craniocerebral trauma or as a result of a tumor.
- Phonological alexia: Affected persons recognize individual letters, but are unable to combine them to form a word.
- Semantic alexia: Affected persons are able to combine letters to form words, but do not understand what they read.
How do you test for dyslexia?
The pediatrician will first discuss symptoms and past medical history with you and your child. Possible questions to ask are:
- What are the specific manifestations of the reading disorder?
- Do other family members suffer from dyslexia?
- How has your child developed so far – for example, in terms of walking and talking?
- How motivated is your child to learn?
- Does your child only have problems with reading or also with spelling?
Examinations
The doctor will then examine your child thoroughly. The goal is to rule out certain diseases as the cause of the reading disorder. The examinations include, for example:
- Vision and hearing tests: the doctor uses these to find out whether the reading problems are due to a visual or hearing impairment.
- Electroencephalography (EEG): Measuring the electrical currents in the brain reveals any structural or functional brain disorders that may be present.
Dyslexia test
The physician checks the reading ability itself with a special dyslexia test. The child reads a short text aloud. Depending on how confidently the child reads, the test is positive or negative.
How does dyslexia manifest itself?
What are the causes of dyslexia?
In congenital dyslexia, changes in the genetic material (genetic mutations) on chromosome 6 are probably responsible for the dyslexia. The mutation causes certain areas of the brain responsible for reading to be less active. Affected individuals are able to read individual letters, but fail to put them together to form words.
Treatment
Once the diagnosis has been made, it is advisable to inform the child’s social environment (teachers, classmates, relatives, friends). This is because dyslexia often puts the affected children under great psychological pressure – many are ashamed of their reading disorder, suffer from self-doubt and are afraid of failure.
It is advisable to provide children with dyslexia with targeted support both inside and outside of school to enable reading success and thus increase their self-confidence and enjoyment of reading. In most cases, support over several years is necessary. Experts also recommend that such support be provided by special therapists with appropriate expertise.
Compensation for disadvantages
This is to protect children suffering from dyslexia from further disappointment. A doctor’s certificate must be submitted to the school psychologist in order to apply for disadvantage compensation.
Most children feel relieved by the disadvantage compensation, because they are no longer expected to read aloud, for example, and they get better grades.
Prognosis
The earlier dyslexia is recognized and treated, the better the prognosis. Above all, it is important to treat possible psychological problems professionally. For example, if children with dyslexia suffer from fear of school and failure, it is advisable to consult a child psychologist.
