Having spoken with hundreds of parents over the years, there are some questions that I get asked very often. Here are 26 of the most commonly asked ones related to dyslexia.
Is dyslexia rare in Singapore?
About 10% of the population in Singapore has dyslexia, making it one of the more common learning difficulties here.
Can dyslexia be treated or cured?
It does not have a “cure” or “treatment” like how you would cure a headache, but it can be mostly overcome. Dyslexia is a lifelong condition so it will never fully go away, but when you find the right people to help, your child should be able to overcome most of of his or her weaknesses.
Why does my child have dyslexia?
Dyslexia is widely regarded to be hereditary and linked to genetics. In other words, it runs in the family. Your child might have inherited it from you, your partner, or even your parents (as in the child’s grandparents).
Note that this mainly applies to developmental dyslexia, which is the most common form of dyslexia. There is also acquired dyslexia, which happens when a person experiences symptoms of dyslexia after a major illness or injury, but that is outside our area of expertise.
I don’t know anyone in my family who has dyslexia, so how come my child has it?
There are a few reasons for this:
- One of your family members (or even yourself) may have dyslexia, just that it hasn’t been diagnosed or even detected. Maybe its severity is mild, or that person was able to find strategies around it.
- The passing down of the dyslexia “gene” may have skipped a generation or some members of the family tree.
- Your child’s dyslexia may manifest more clearly due to factors like family environment. For example, if no one models good reading behaviour for your child, then that might lead to him disliking reading, which may further widen the ability gap between him and his peers.
This is why you may have multiple children, but not all of them have dyslexia or even show signs of it.
Do letter reversals mean my child is dyslexic?
Possibly, but not always. Younger children may write letters backwards or upside down, but they may not have dyslexia. Likewise, some dyslexic children can self-correct their letter reversal issues but continue to exhibit other symptoms. You need to look at other signs to tell if your child might have dyslexia.
Does dyslexia mean my child is stupid? Does he have lower IQ?
Both dyslexia and one’s intelligence quotient (IQ) are very broad terms. Dyslexia is a spectrum of issues hindering one’s literacy ability, while IQ is determined by how strong one’s cognitive functions are. Thus, a dyslexic child might fare lower in certain areas of IQ testing like working memory and reading, but could be very strong in fluid reasoning and visual-spatial manipulation.
So, to answer this question, dyslexia does not mean your child is stupid, or that he necessarily has low IQ. Ultimately it depends on what symptoms of dyslexia your child is exhibiting.
Do dyslexic students normally go to G2 or G1 in secondary school?
Overall, I’ve seen more dyslexic students taking G2/N(A) and G1/N(T) subjects than G3/Express ones in secondary school. It is still possible for dyslexic students to do all subjects under the G3 banding, but they must be very motivated to do well and have a good foundation in the English language.
Read this next: How Do Dyslexic Students Fare in Secondary School?
Can my child do well in school if he has dyslexia?
Yes, dyslexic children tend to do well in school if:
a. they have strong intrinsic motivation to do well;
b. they receive intervention;
c. they have a supportive environment at home.
Of course there are other factors at play. For example, some dyslexic students have co-morbidities like ADHD which may hinder their ability to pay attention. However, from personal observation, students who meet the above 3 criteria tend to do better in school.
How come my dyslexic child isn’t as smart as Lee Kuan Yew or other famously smart dyslexics?
Everyone is wired differently and goes through his or her own unique pathway in life. Besides, dyslexia is a spectrum of issues affecting one’s literacy ability. Having dyslexia does not guarantee your child will develop specific traits or qualities that other dyslexics might have. I have students who are brilliant at math but just aren’t good at art; I also have students who are writing geniuses but can’t do algebra. Go figure!
How come my child isn’t good at anything if people say that dyslexia is a gift?
The reason is simple (and this is going to be controversial): I do not believe dyslexia is a gift. It is a set of learning challenges that forces your child down a unique developmental trajectory. Through this trajectory, your child may develop certain skills faster than those without dyslexia. It could be because the dyslexia wiring has boosted certain cognitive abilities. It could also be because he has chosen to spend more time to hone these skills instead of working on his weaknesses. There are too many reasons to list, but dyslexia is not a natural gift per se.
However, it can be used to your child’s advantage. As mentioned, some dyslexics are strong in certain areas due to how their brain is wired, so they can pursue further studies or even career pathways in those areas. Some may develop positive qualities like grit and charisma over time to compensate for their weaknesses. The important thing here is to be active in supporting your child’s journey, not just let things be.
Can dyslexic people read?
Yes. Many of my older students can read fluently and accurately. They just need more time to decode texts, especially if the text is a complex one.
Can dyslexic people write?
Yes. Many of my students are able to write very eloquently. The important thing is to find a good educator or therapist who can bring out the writer in your child.
How come my child can read if he is dyslexic?
Your child’s dyslexia might be less severe, so that he or she was able to pick up basic reading skills and compensatory strategies along the way.
Can dyslexics go to university?
Yes. A number of my students have gone on to university and are doing well.
Can my child outgrow dyslexia? Will it go away?
If intervention is provided and the therapist is good, then yes, your child can mostly outgrow dyslexia. He will still make reading and spelling mistakes from time to time, of course. But, with specialist help and support from a loving family, he can overcome most of his weaknesses.
Does dyslexia only affect the English language?
No. Dyslexia can affect other languages too, including logographic languages like Chinese. A lot of my students have dropped their Mother Tongue Language (MTL) subject as they could not cope with it.
Interestingly enough, a few of my students are better at their MTL subject than their English. Dyslexia really affects people differently, huh!
Is dyslexia a visual problem?
It often is, but not in the way you might think. It’s not an eyesight problem, but rather how the brain decodes graphemes (Georgiou, et al, 2012). Dyslexia is also largely regarded to be an issue with one’s phonemic awareness and the ability to process phonemes. This leads to many dyslexics taking more time to process what they’re reading, as not only is their letter-sound correspondence significantly weaker, but they also take more time to identify unfamiliar letter clusters like “igh” and syllable chunks.
Does dyslexia affect my child’s behaviour and social skills?
Some dyslexic kids also have delayed speech or other speech impairments. In this case, yes, it might affect how they speak, and thus their social skills and behaviour.
It might also be a case of dyslexia causing your child to have low self-esteem. It is not uncommon to see kids with dyslexia getting bullied by their peers. This will of course affect how they act in front of others (e.g., preferring not to speak when in a large group setting).
Should I do a psychological assessment?
YES! If you suspect your child has dyslexia, please get him or her assessed. This will open many more doors for you and your child, and offer more assurance in the next steps to take.
What is the difference between dyslexia screening and dyslexia assessment?
Dyslexia screening refers to simple tests that might indicate (but not confirm) the possibility of dyslexia. Screening can be conducted by a facilitator or even done through apps. The Dyslexia Association of Singapore regularly conducts free screening tests for kids, so if you think your child might have dyslexia, keep an eye out for their next window.
On the other hand, a dyslexia assessment is a standardised test that has to be conducted by a trained and registered psychologist. The test (usually the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) will take hours, but it also provides a thorough and detailed look at the child’s learning profile.
Should I send my child for more tuition and enrichment classes?
That depends on whether your child can thrive in such settings. Sometimes they backfire as the educator may not know how to deal with dyslexic kids. One of the worst things you can do is to pack your child’s schedule with tuition classes instead of sending him to an intervention programme. Not only does this not resolve the underlying weaknesses, but it will likely also make your child feel inadequate compared to his peers.
However, if your child has been able to overcome his dyslexic challenges and you think he can keep pace with the others, then by all means go for it!
Is intervention worth the money?
Yes, intervention is worth the money as you are getting trained specialists to help your child. However, it also depends on what the programme is like, how it’s priced, and how reputable it is. My advice is to call up different centres, find out more about their programme and fees, then do a cross-comparison. That should give you a better idea of which is best for your child.
What is the difference between tuition and educational therapy?
The goal of traditional tuition is to ensure the student improves academically. It involves coaching them through methods like rote memorisation, repetition, and practice. Lessons can be made more fun through hands-on activities and videos, but the methods are usually fixed.
Educational therapy is a remediation process to help students with specific learning difficulties improve academically, socially and emotionally. There is at least one learning objective behind every therapy session; oftentimes this includes helping the learner to make progress towards overcoming a particular learning challenge. A therapy session is typically planned out and executed based on the strengths and weaknesses of the learner, taking into consideration his or her needs. As such, although the educational therapy programme follows a specific approach, the methods are not fixed.
How long will it take for my child to improve after we start therapy?
It depends on the programme, therapist, and your child’s ability.
To provide some perspective, most of my students could read bisyllabic words independently after about 6-8 months into the programme. After about a year, they would see significant improvement in their academic performance.
Are there any supplements that can help?
If we’re just talking about dyslexia alone, then the answer is… I can’t say as I’m not a doctor or nutritionist. Some experts recommend healthy fatty acids like Omega-3, which may boost metabolism and concentration. However, I’ve never noticed supplements or specific diets to make a significant difference for my dyslexic students.
What I would suggest, however, is Vitamin R(ead)! Good reading habits combined with intervention will most certainly accelerate your child’s progress.
How can I help my child do well in life?
Focus on things that are within your locus of control, like your child’s behaviour, goals, and values. A dyslexic child who has an intrinsic motivation to do well is more likely to succeed later on in life.