While it may appear that a dyslexic child does not recognise the alphabet, hence their difficulty in reading, spelling and writing, the truth is that they can recognize letters and words; only their brain structures process them differently.
Students with dyslexia struggle to link the sounds in words to their corresponding letters, resulting in literacy difficulties and a slower learning pace that frustrates them. However, the lack of phonological awareness is not the basis of intelligence. Children with dyslexia are just as smart and capable as other children, but because they have a unique brain activity pattern, they need extra time and guidance.
Dyslexia Awareness Month was created to raise awareness about dyslexia and assist those who deal with it in achieving their full potential. The annual event is celebrated every October around the world with various online and in-person activities that aim to change the lives of people with dyslexia for the better. In Australia, you can participate in the Light it Red for Dyslexia Awareness, a campaign that was conceived six years ago by the Code Read Dyslexia Network, a national charity run by mothers of children with dyslexia.
How Does One Get Dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a long-term issue that is rooted in genetics and starts in childhood. Brain imaging studies show that parents with dyslexia tend to have children with developmental dyslexia as a result of a brain structure similar to theirs. As they are excellent with oral language, and in fact make good conversationalists, it is difficult to tell if a child is dyslexic until you ask them to read. A dyslexic child struggles with the most basic language skill called phonemic awareness, hence they find rhyming words excruciatingly difficult. Besides reading difficulties, other common symptoms of dyslexia include:
- Poor handwriting skills
- Difficulty in sounding out letters
- Difficulty with spelling
- Reading below average readers
How Does One Overcome Dyslexia?
We all have unique brain structures that explain our learning differences. While there is no cure for dyslexia, there are plenty of ways to improve students' and adults' reading and writing skills, as well as helping them overcome their learning difficulty.
Different events have been scheduled for Dyslexia Awareness Month 2021 that aim to educate dyslexic people and give them hope, as well as parents whose children suffer from the condition and are afraid of the future they face.
What Can You Do in Dyslexia Awareness Month 2021?
There are many things that you can do to support dyslexic people. To begin with, you can participate in a dyslexic support group by volunteering your time or money. Alternatively, you can donate decodable books, such as the Simple Words Books, to help dyslexic students improve their reading skills and learn to pay attention to the sound that comes with each letter in a word.
Moreover, you can put together an informational sheet about dyslexia and share it through social media. Even if you don't know anything about the condition, you can be productive. Attending a symposium that focuses on it is a good way to gain knowledge and a better understanding of what goes on inside the head of a child with dyslexia.
Most importantly, you'll want to do all these things while wearing a red awareness ribbon on your shirt. Why red? It represents the red pen that most teachers use to mark a student's mistakes. As part of Dyslexia Awareness Month 2021, the color red is used to represent positivity and hope for the future of all dyslexics.
