Dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia • Dealing with learning disabilities

When the kindergarten teacher asked to send my 5-year-old father for a diagnosis, to see if he is suitable to go up to the first grade next year, Anat, whose father is her eldest son, became stressed. "Why a diagnosis? The child is so intelligent, attentive, and has a good memory and a rich vocabulary, why now a diagnosis?" But the kindergarten teacher insisted, saying that she sees a problem with eye contact, and maybe even a special difficulty in everything related to writing, because all the children in the kindergarten already write their names, and my father doesn't yet, and even when he copies his name from a page the kindergarten teacher gives him, he reverses letters. "It has nothing to do with his intelligence, he is an intelligent child, but he may have a learning disability that will make it difficult for him and he should stay another year in kindergarten and work on his writing skills," she said and sent Anat to get a professional opinion.

Dyslexia: unable to decipher the words

Dyslexia (from Greek: dis = defective, lexis = word) is a learning disability manifested in reading difficulties. Dysgraphia is a writing disability, and these two often go together, although there are researchers who claim that each of these disabilities is an independent entity. And there is also dyscalculia, which is a difficulty in understanding calculations and arithmetic. Dyslexia is the most common disability. In the past it used to be thought that this was more common in boys, in the meantime there have been those who disagree on the matter claiming that girls in certain societies are not required for intellectual growth and therefore it seemed that it was mostly boys.

In professional language, one can say that dyslexia is a neurodevelopmental impairment that affects reading. It stems from a difficulty in phonological processing, which is the ability to break down and understand the sounds in the language. According to studies, children with dyslexia have difficulty deciphering the sounds in words, which makes it difficult for them to decipher what is written, remember the shapes and names of the letters, recognize words and fully understand the text. Because of this, it often takes longer to achieve reading proficiency.

A combination of early intervention and adapted learning strategies may significantly improve the abilities of students with dyslexia. For example, teaching using a "multi-sensory" method was found to be particularly effective. With this method, students are exposed to reading through several channels - sight, hearing and touch, to improve phonological processing and strengthen the brain connectivity related to reading.

Other studies show that a child with a learning disability without support, finds it difficult to cope with tasks that challenge his difficulty and suffers from a lot of frustration that harms motivation and the ability to deal with educational challenges.

Dysgraphia: spelling errors inverted letters

dysgraphia It is a neurological disability that affects the ability to write clearly and quickly, and is often manifested by poor spelling, unclear handwriting and difficulties with fine motor skills. Children with dysgraphia may encounter difficulty in the process of forming words and fluent writing, which can lead to frustration and loss of motivation. In addition, they may have difficulty organizing their thoughts in writing.

Treatment methods for dysgraphia include exercises to improve fine motor skills, technological adjustments such as using a keyboard and computer for writing purposes, and adjusting the learning environment. There are studies that indicate that practicing and experiencing writing skills combined with emotional support help children develop self-confidence and a higher ability to function in writing, and despite the spelling errors they will dare to write and express themselves.

Dyscalculia: difficulty with invoice tasks

Dyscalculia is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects the ability to understand numbers and engage in mathematical tasks. People with dyscalculia have difficulty performing basic mathematical operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They may have difficulty following mathematical steps and quantitative perception.

Even in old age, people who suffer from dyscalculia fail to follow series of numbers, fail to calculate sums of money and may fall into exploitation and fraud. That's why it's important to help, support, and give tools to deal with the simple accounting challenges that every person needs.

Studies indicate that intensive training in teaching methods that focus on practical understanding of mathematical concepts, and not just practice, improves mathematical functioning. Techniques such as the use of visual learning materials, working with 3D materials and implementing practical mathematical experiences have been found to be effective for students with dyscalculia.

In addition, adjustments such as extending the time in tests and using visual aids improve students' ability to deal with mathematical tasks. And with all of this, people with dyscalculia find it difficult to calculate excess when they buy a product, find it difficult to manage their own bank accounts and sometimes need help.

Anat: To learn in other ways

Anat took my father for a diagnosis that lasted several hours. A week later, she received the diagnosis that her son, Avi, has a learning disability and it is worth working with him on developing reading and writing skills in order to improve his condition, at the same time, the diagnostician explained to Anat that this is not a disease that needs to be cured, but a condition related to the development of areas of the brain, and even if the practice will improve the function , it's good to know that there will be difficulties and that it will be necessary to accompany my father throughout his school years so that he can build a stable self-image and be able to cope with the school assignments.

Anat: "It was hard to hear. My son, the prince, has a learning disability. Today I know that his father also has a learning disability and that's why he writes with errors and doesn't read books, but at first it was a shock. I felt as if I was being told that my child was worth less. The prince Mine. I knew I had to protect him with all my might. As if he was smart and he would be able to take tests by heart. , will develop in all kinds of fields that do not require reading and writing, what's more, today there are software that help.

But at the time it didn't reassure me. I felt terrible. I cried endlessly. I was afraid that the children would make fun of him, that his life would be difficult instead of flowing like I had hoped. But we coped. He liked sports, so I bought him sports newspapers, and he slowly tackled reading, because it interested him. Then I took him to a teacher who taught him in other ways to get to know the letters, through games and drawings, and he learned the letters, and then also started to recognize words. It took several years until he recited an entire sentence, and at a bar mitzvah he learned his parasha by heart so as not to make a mistake in the reading."

Differences in brain structure

In research on neurological patterns in dyslexia, he based his review on brain imaging studies such as MRI and showed that in people with dyslexia there is a change in activity in areas related to phonological processing and word recognition. These findings indicate that dyslexia is the result of differences in brain structure and function, and not of low intelligence.

Learning disabilities is an umbrella term for a diverse group of disorders that lead to difficulties in academic functions and school assignments, and it is important to understand that these functions do not depend on a person's general intelligence. dyslexia, which is manifested by difficulty in reading; dysgraphia, which manifests itself in difficulty in writing and controlling spelling; and dyscalculia, which manifests itself in difficulty in mathematical thinking. Each of these disorders has a unique expression and requires different coping strategies.

Learning disabilities continue with a person throughout his life, and have an impact on many areas of life. Adults with learning disabilities sometimes face feelings of insecurity, difficulty coping in social and academic situations, and frustration from dealing with basic tasks on a daily basis.

Emotional support and accompaniment are important, along with imparting effective functioning strategies to deal with the challenges. Studies show that strengthening self-confidence, encouraging a positive approach to learning, and adopting adapted learning tools, improve the functioning of both learners and adults. A combination of technological approaches, such as the use of applications to assist reading and writing, is an effective tool in dealing with learning difficulties.

A study that examined the effect of learning disabilities on the sense of self-confidence and motivation to learn of children and adults, finds that there is a tendency to feel a decrease in self-confidence and motivation among learners with learning disabilities. Care and support processes, which include emotional counseling and imparting learning management strategies, led to an improvement in self-confidence and motivation.

Rami: It's hard to pick up languages

Ever since Rami was a child, he has known about his learning disability related to reading comprehension and writing with spelling errors. According to him today, at the age of 40, he reads normally but the spelling errors remain. Rami: "I'm not for studies. It's hard for me to pick up languages ​​but I don't suffer and I didn't suffer either when I was a child. My parents weren't born in Israel that way and they both know languages ​​they heard from their parents at home, and when they arrived in Israel they learned Hebrew.

They spoke Hebrew to me at home so I know Hebrew. I didn't go for something that required languages ​​or formal studies and I developed in the field of real estate, where I am successful. I was always good at math, I did 5 units of math for matriculation, and I learn from life. What kind of child was I? I was a good child.

I got to school on time, I was good at math, and probably because of the dyslexia, I was weak at reading comprehension. I only learned to read and write in the fourth grade. In elementary school, they sent me to a special education school, I did normal high school, but I didn't graduate," he says.

"I have self-confidence and I have friends. They don't have learning disabilities and they say I have ambition and a strong will. I still write with spelling errors, and I say in advance that I have a learning disability, so they understand it. I'm not ashamed of anything. I've been that way since I was My father was also learning disabled. I can see that I was not behind others and the disabilities are not bothering me.

What helped me? I went for a diagnosis when I was a child, and I got a discount at school. I had a private teacher 4 times a week and at the same time it was very difficult for me to absorb the reading. At home there was encouragement all the time. My mom kept telling me I was smart. Today she has already forgotten about having learning disabilities. Languages ​​are a subject that is still difficult for me to grasp. At home they spoke Hebrew and other languages ​​that the parents spoke, but I did not understand them. Today it's not a problem because there are translation apps and I use them."

Learning disabilities can be noticed already in childhood. It can be difficulty in writing, reading or arithmetic. The learning environment becomes challenging for those who suffer from learning disabilities, and there were studies that identified in children with learning disabilities an overflow of brain sugar before facing a reading assignment, similar to the state of an anxiety attack. A study that examined the activation of the senses such as hearing and touch in the context of dyslexia, revealed that multi-sensory teaching helps to improve reading and comprehension of texts in students with dyslexia. This is a method that combines different channels for imparting reading skills, and improves academic performance over time.

Yaffe: Not an easy childhood

A study that examined the use of technology such as a keyboard, apps to improve writing, and reading software, found that they improve the ability to express oneself and the ability to type texts, along with improved performance and a benefit in self-concept. The students' frustration decreased, and their self-confidence increased. Technological support, such as voice-to-text software, also showed a marked improvement in performance.

Another study that focused on teaching methods that emphasize understanding rather than memorization regarding mathematics, such as the use of visual materials and tangible tools, concluded that these methods improve the mathematical achievements of students with dyscalculia and help them grasp mathematical concepts more accurately.

All of these studies emphasize that learning disabilities are complex and diverse, but with appropriate support, it is possible to significantly improve the academic and emotional functioning of those who suffer from them.

Pretty The 57-year-old says that only after her children were born and it turned out that they had learning disabilities, she realized that she too suffers from dyslexia and dysgraphia. "I had a difficult childhood. Both the teachers treated me like a fool and the students didn't accept me. In my time, they didn't take care of the issue and if the parents didn't intervene, every school term was literally a daily battle for survival. I graduated from a vocational school without a high school diploma and had a hard time advancing at work.

To this day it is difficult for me to calculate or read long texts. I did continuing education courses and that's how I progressed, because I didn't dare face academia, nor did I dare change jobs because I was sure I wouldn't be accepted anywhere. In the end I'm fine, I have a good status at my workplace, I'm loved and I love what I do, but because of the disabilities and because they didn't know how to support and strengthen me, I didn't even dare to dream about other things."

Support and develop compensatory skills

Difficulty in following texts, difficulty in writing or applying invoice operations can indicate a learning disability. People with a learning disability tend to develop compensatory skills that help them in their daily functioning, and often their intelligence is normal and even high. It is important to recognize that the difficulty in learning is not due to laziness or unwillingness, but is the result of a unique neurological structure that sometimes has a genetic basis. It is important to support the development of compensatory skills in order to give the child and the adult a sense of vitality, meaning and ability, so that he can meet the best that exists within him regardless of the learning disability he carries.

Learning disabilities are a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that appears in children and continues even after leaving the education system into adult life. The lack of adequate attention to these disabilities may significantly harm a person, both in academic achievements and on a personal level. These effects may lead to a decrease in self-confidence, affect the value that the person attributes to himself and reduce his social involvement.

People with learning disabilities tend to choose jobs and fields that allow them to express their strengths, such as creativity, analytical understanding or excellent communication skills. However, even in these jobs, difficulties may arise that originate from the learning disabilities. In order to deal with these challenges in a beneficial way, it is of great importance to develop tools and methods that will allow a person to function optimally, both through technological adaptations, learning strategies and appropriate professional training.

In conclusion, it can be seen that learning disabilities are a diverse and multifaceted phenomenon. The ability of children and adults to learn and develop, despite their disabilities, depends to a large extent on personal coping methods, the support they receive and the tools that the education system, employers and society in general can offer.