We just read this article in the Straits Times. How encouraging that more and more children (and adults) are now getting help for Dyslexia. Kudos to the Dyslexia Association for reaching out to more people and raising awareness!
ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG
It is interesting that the numbers of the students enrolled in the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) programme have risen so much... is it because there are more people with Dyslexia? Is it because tests are more accessible? Or could it be that there is a correlation between spending too much time looking at screens and thus losing some of the main visual perception skills?
When we look at the individuals with dyslexia the fact is that many dyslexics became very successful in life. How is that possible? In some instances it is due to a very strong will and good coping strategies while in others it is simply the intuitive approach to the learning process in general.
It is difficult to see two dyslexic individuals alike, as generally in life we all react differently to the challenges that we are exposed to. By removing an obstacle (in this case the problem with visual sensory perception and visual processing) most individuals with dyslexia are able to process visual information presented.
We could go back to the subjective approach of the educators and other specialists assisting the individuals with dyslexia; tests are given to them and results are taken as a law. However, how many parents or educators ask themselves how the child perceives the information presented before labeling the child?
As we see a child before and after the integrated vision therapy, the difference in perception and therefore the child’s performance is enormous. Most of the parents are interested in their child’s academic performance, forgetting the bigger picture of what life is.
Facing visual perceptual challenges affects individuals in many aspects, not just in terms of education, most of the time affecting self-esteem, confidence and their positive outlook on life. Remediating the visual perceptual challenges and working with educators or other specialists in the area of learning support, if necessary, gives very rewarding and long-lasting results.
Lots of those children will successfully transform the challenge into the advantage; the creative resourcefulness in building the coping strategies and lateral thinking will remain as their strength.
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