Dyslexia: 10 Intervention Guidelines for Educators

Several tips for educators who must work with children with this disorder.

Dyslexia has become one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in children in recent years. in recent years. Although it is very difficult to detect an exact percentage of prevalence due to the problems in establishing a clear diagnosis, the latest studies state that approximately 15% of school students have these difficulties. For this reason, it seems more and more necessary to define which psycho-pedagogical and psychological orientations are more effective in order to attend this population group in an efficient way.

Dyslexia: main indicators

Dyslexia is the usual nomenclature for dyslexia. Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) related to the presence of difficulties in reading and writing skills.. As provided by the Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in its most updated version (2013), it refers to the presence of difficulties in fluent word recognition, poor reading decoding in spelling ability and deficits in reading comprehension.

In addition may be accompanied by impairments in written expression or in mathematical reasoning, which should be further specified.These should be further specified in the initial diagnosis. Another key aspect is the presence of a preserved level of general intellectual capacity, so that ASD-Literacy is incompatible with significant levels of mental disability, nor can it be explained by sensory deficits, whether visual or auditory. The difficulties indicated must be persistent for a minimum period of six months and must cause significant interference in the student's academic development.

More specifically, by observing the following behaviors, the presence of an ASD-Literacy may be suspected, from which it is necessary to propose an exhaustive psycho-pedagogical evaluation to corroborate these indications to corroborate these indications:

• Altered placement or omission when writing the letters that make up a word. that make up a word.
• Difficulty in the acquisition of reading skills, low reading fluency.
• Confusion or forgetfulness of some words..
• Difficulty in establishing the temporal sequence between days, months, etc.
• Alteration in attentional capacity and concentration difficulties.
• Greater mastery in manipulative tasks than in verbal activities.
• Better oral than written expression.
• Lack of mastery of the alphabet or multiplication tables.
• Need to read a text several timesPoor written comprehension.
• Greater mastery of creative or imaginative abilities.

Guidelines for the educational care of children with dyslexia

As educators, it is essential to take into account the following guidelines when dealing with a child with this particularity, since an empathetic attitude, reinforcing their potentialities and flexible according to their difficulties will have a protective effect in order to avoid problems of low self-concept or self-esteem and even situations of school failure in the long term:

1. Establish a daily reading habit of about 20 minutes maximum duration.

The content of such reading is recommended to be of a subject of interest to the child, regardless of whether it is a story, a magazine or a comic book. The relevant point is to acquire a positive attitude towards reading. It will also be necessary to assess whether the volume of school reading to be done during the course should be limited.

3. Flexibility in the correction of spelling.

It seems more effective to work on 3-4 spelling rules as a priority until they are mastered and then add new ones. and then adding new ones.

5. Provide brief, concise statements and requests.

Use short sentences to give indications using visual support that can be used for consultation. The indications should be segmented and expressed gradually. It also seems essential to to adapt the statements of exercises and exams so that they can be so that they can be understood by the child, allowing for specific explanatory clarifications.

6. Establish a plan of objectives adapted to each case.

These objectives should specify realistic and achievable goals for the student on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis.

7. Facilitate a planning of activities, homework, exams, etc., well in advance.

In this way, the student with dyslexia will be able to organize his or her study timeThis way, the student with dyslexia will be able to organize his/her study time, dosing his/her work in order to avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed.

8. Positively reinforce the effort made by the student.

This should be done by ceasing to prioritize the result obtained at a quantitative level.. In many cases there is a decrease in motivation to do school work, so the support of the educator will be essential for the child.

9. Avoid comparisons with other children in the class, siblings, etc. as educators.

As it has been indicated, it is very frequent that the self-esteem of this type of students is affected. This fact can be very detrimental to their academic performance and achievement of their potential..

10. Emphasize their autonomy when doing their homework.

It is very positive to transmit the idea to the student of his potential learning capacity. It is recommended Avoid overprotection regarding the non-fulfillment of their academic responsibilities..

Due to his preserved general cognitive capacity, the child is capable of assuming his school obligations, even if these are adapted to his specific difficulties. The application of these adaptations is evaluated by the educational center in order to adapt the methodology, correction criteria and learning objectives for each individual student quantitatively and qualitatively.

By way of conclusion

As mentioned in the text, usually the assimilation of the presence of psycho-pedagogical difficulties in the student is a process that can interfere significantly in the psychological development of the child, causing in certain situations an aggravation of the initial diagnostic situation. For this reason, early detection and intervention of the indicated deficits is a fundamental process to prevent further deterioration in the to prevent further deterioration in the different vital areas of the child, both academic and emotional.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
• Tamayo Lorenzo, S. Dyslexia and difficulties in literacy acquisition. Profesorado, 21(1): 423-432 (2017).