If you’ve been wondering if your child might have dyslexia, you might have turned to the web to look for a list of dyslexia symptoms. not long into your search, you begin to feel confused: every website lists a different set of dyslexia symptoms. why can’t the collective “they” on the worldwide web get their act together? why does the list of symptoms differ from one site to the next?

The fact is that dyslexia cannot be defined according to a set list of symptoms, since every case is unique. Some cases may be so mild there are almost no discernible symptoms while other cases are so severe that the manifestations of the condition are devastating. in addition to the level of severity of the condition, dyslexia is often accompanied by other learning difficulties such as ADD or ADHD.

It is also important to consider the fact that dyslexia is caused by a physiological impairment of the brain. There are actual physical differences in the brains of dyslexics which can be seen in imaging studies. These deficits are not “standardized.” Dyslexia, in this light, is almost a catch-all term encompassing many difficulties and levels of difficulties, according to the individual.

Still, early diagnosis is crucial for a number of reasons. for one thing, it is important to make a child’s educator aware that the child has an actual deficit. this is important even from a psychological standpoint: children with dyslexia should be met with understanding and a helpful attitude by their educators. Without a firm diagnosis, it’s possible an educator might adopt the attitude that your child “just isn’t trying hard enough.” Such an attitude may have an adverse effect on your child’s self-esteem, compounding his problems even further.

Also, youth is an important factor in ameliorating reading difficulties and other issues relating to literacy skills and math. The earlier we discover the nature of the problem, the sooner we can get the child the help he needs to cope and improve. The brain is capable of making changes throughout the entire lifespan, but certain types of brain changes—specific characteristics of neuroplasticity—are more available at a younger age.

Despite the impossibility of building a cut and dried list of dyslexia symptoms, a parent may notice some differences in his child that lead him to suspect dyslexia. if you think your child might have dyslexia, have him tested when he turns five. this is even more important for children who have dyslexia or ADD/ADHD in their families, since there may be a genetic factor predisposing a child to these learning difficulties.

A lack of awareness of learning difficulties can be to the detriment of not only our children, but also the nation. INTAN MAIZURA AHMAD KAMAL finds out more

YOUR child is a school-going, bright child, but he just can’t seem to pay attention. He doesn’t listen to instructions, underperforms in school and always gets his letters and numbers mixed up. is he lazy? too playful, or simply rebellious?Sound familiar?

These are not symptoms that parents should ignore, advises Sei Herng San, programme consultant with KidzGrow, a centre that provides brain-based therapy programme to help kids between the ages three and 16 improve their learning ability and performance.

“Some parents feel that it’s quite normal and something that the child will outgrow as he gets older. Others make the conclusion that their child is basically born naughty, slow or stupid, so they don’t do anything. or they decide to wait and see.” and that’s the worst thing a parent can do.

A huge part of the problem, says saw Hooi Chen, KidzGrow director, is that they are unaware that there is a problem. Awareness of LD, (or learning difficulties), remains rather sketchy. “why we want to create awareness is because we’re dealing with something so specialised, so misunderstood, and neglected in a way. Twenty-five to 30 per cent of the population have some form of learning issues. These issues actually stop a child from maximising his or her potential.”With a wry smile, she continues: “It’s like you’re a Porsche, but you’re moving around like an ordinary car. now with neuro-science and the programmes we run, we know we can enhance the brain-processing speed so you can have a better quality of life.”

LD is a disorder that affects a person’s ability to interpret what he sees or hears, or link information from different parts of the brain. Contrary to popular belief, a child with LD is quite smart. Yet, at school, he is the struggling learner. He has trouble reading and writing and lags peers no matter how many hours he puts in. “We want to say it’s normal to have LD,” says saw, who stumbled into this business when looking for something to help her nephew. “But you need to be able to recognise it and do something about it.”LD is a neurological condition where certain areas of the brain are wired differently, she explains. Depending on which area is affected, the result can be anything between attention deficit disorder, attention deficiency hyperactivity defect, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, auditory processing disorders and visual processing disorders. People with LD are just as smart as the next person, stresses Kuala Kangsar-born Sei, a psychology graduate from National Taiwan University. the only reason they have difficulty learning is because they’re unable to see properly, hear properly or focus their attention long enough to learn. and of course, they then get mislabelled and punished for problems they can’t actually help.These disorders, chips in saw, are medical conditions, not behavioural or academic problems, and it’s possible to correct them with the appropriate therapy. But sadly, they continue to exist because of ignorance. Creating awareness, she adds, is the first step towards saving children afflicted with these conditions from being misjudged or worse, neglected. Parents, too, need to be educated on proper treatment so they can save their kids from a potential life of mediocrity. saw says: “We believe that everyone, kids included, can be motivated if they don’t have a problem. We all have the potential to accomplish more. Every one of us has a factor that can be our motivator. “for kids, it’s even easier. If they’re not motivated, the first thing we do is get them assessed. the kids go through an evaluation test known as the Learning Skills Evaluation so our therapists can get a better understanding of the areas that need to be developed and then recommend a programme which suits the child’s need.”the programmes at KidzGrow are designed to equip the child with learning skills by retraining their brain. Each programme focuses on developing different areas of the child’s skills — reading, writing, concentration and fine motor skills.Sei says: “It’s important for parents to come and see us as early as possible. When they come in late, the child is already so frustrated and demoralised, which makes it harder to sort out his behaviour. You end up with more issues to solve.” One of the challenges that the newly married Sei faces as programme consultant here is managing parents’ expectations. “It’s not easy when they come in late and they expect instant improvement,” she says, smiling wryly. “the child may be smart but you want him to catch up with everything that he’s not been able to do for the last five years, in six to eight weeks? That’s a miracle!”is LD a serious problem in Malaysia?saw nods. “If you go by the statistics, 25 to 30 per cent of the population has this issue, so it’s serious. in the US, 60 per cent of the delinquents have LD issues. They drop out of school and get embroiled in a life of crime. “in Malaysia, where we’re trying to push towards developed nation status and derive world-class talent from our youngsters, you can’t afford to let this problem go untackled.” for details, email kl@kidzgrow.com.my or pg@kidzgrow.com.my, or visit kidzgrow.com.my.