Of a given population, up to fifteen percent may be affected by dyslexia, making dyslexia a fairly common disability. Despite this, not many people are even aware of what dyslexia is. Dyslexia is a learning disability in which a person’s ability to read and spell is impaired. Typical signs of dyslexia include number and letter reversals, perpetual spelling errors, and delayed speech for other dyslexics.
Like autism, there is no known cure for dyslexia, but there are treatments that can significantly improve some of the problems associated with it. For difficulties or delays with speech stemming from dyslexia, parents can receive help from a licensed speech and language pathologist. The Anaheim Hills Speech and Language Center (AHSL), located in Anaheim Hills, California, utilizes a variety of methods to tackle the auditory language processing difficulties many children with dyslexia face. These methods include one on one speech therapy, Linda-Mood Bell programs, Fastforword, and InteractiveMetronome. According to Katherine Bowman, the director of AHSL, it is “extremely, profoundly important” to help kids who have dyslexia through early intervention. She believes that with the use of the right treatments, the child can even recover from dyslexia. But there are complications to providing children sufficient help. Ms. Bowman noted that even with a diagnosis of dyslexia, the child’s parents face an uphill battle trying to get help through their local school district. In her view, “schools don’t do anything” to help. Therefore in many cases, the parents are left to find other methods to help their kids.
Parents who have a child with dyslexia must be very proactive in addressing the problems associated with this disorder. Many kids with dyslexia are extremely intelligent individuals who can be treated to overcome most, if not all, of their symptoms. The key is early intervention.
