Dealing with Dyslexia

I want to start my post with a short story about myself. After I graduated from my school in my home country, Kazakhstan, I was admitted to a British college. Straight after my arrival at the college, I was tested for a number of learning disabilities. A few weeks after, I was called into the principal’s office and was informed that I was dyslexic. My initial reaction was: “Dylse…What?” I never heard about this condition before and started to justify myself by saying that the diagnosis was wrong, as I was never told that I had some sort of learning disability. It simply did not make any sense to me, as I had always been a straight-A student.

I was soon made aware that it did not mean that I had any intellectual impairment, it simply meant that I had some difficulties in writing and reading. This conversation made me analyse my years in primary school and I came to a realisation that indeed till 6th form I was a very slow reader and I used to struggle A LOT with spelling. Thanks to my brilliant headteacher and supporting classmates, I was never too worried about my condition and just carried on studying to the best of my abilities. 

According to the British Dyslexia Association, more than 7 million people in the UK and 15% of the world’s population are diagnosed with dyslexia. In the UK and most Western countries, students with dyslexia are given extra support during their studies, for example, extra 20% time during exams and permission to type the exam questions’ answers as opposed to writing it by hand. I find it great that dyslexic students get the support they need, which ensures that all students get to achieve their full potential. I hope that soon the support for dyslexic students will be a worldwide practice. 

The exact causes of dyslexia are unknown, but it is likely to be passed on from parents to their children. The signs of dyslexia can be spotted from early childhood, even before children start reading and writing. These signs include late talking, difficulties in pronouncing long words, problems and difficulties in expression of thoughts and ideas and disinterest in learning the alphabet. Some young children with dyslexia would also struggle to learn nursery rhymes. 

During school years, signs of dyslexia become more apparent and easier to detect. School children with dyslexia have a slow speed of reading, difficulty in pronouncing long and unfamiliar words, spelling difficulties and problems in remembering sequences. 

If you suspect that your child might be suffering from dyslexia talk to a paediatrician as soon as possible, as early intervention may improve the condition more efficiently. Parents should work together with their child’s school to make sure that the child gets the required support. Be kind and understanding as  Dyslexia may have a significant impact on a child’s self-esteem and cause anxiety.

To finish off this post, I would like to stress that dyslexia does not affect one’s intelligence, and millions of people with dyslexia are able to achieve amazing results in their careers. If you are ready to learn Biology and smash your GCSE/A-level/IB exams, book a lesson with me:) 

If you are interested in more fascinating health science posts please follow my blog on Instagram @kadani_health_sciences, where my best friend and I post some cool scientific content.