The First Hurdle for Every Child

On the way to an education, the first hurdle for every child is learning to read. For some it is easy. For a child with dyslexia, the name for difficulty with written language and spelling, the first grade can be very difficult. Between three and seventeen percent of children have trouble learning to read. More boys than girls have the problem. Reversing letters, transposing letters and "not hearing the sound" are signs of dyslexia. There is no cure, but there are ways to help a child over this first hurdle.

Dyslexia affects individuals of all intellectual abilities. A disproportionately high number of successful entrepreneurs have been dyslexic, Thomas Edison and Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs for example. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and John Kennedy all reached the Presidency despite being dyslexic. Da Vinci, Picasso and Winston Churchill are also examples of dyslexic men who were great successes.

Early recognition of a child's dyslexia is critical to getting over the reading hurdle. Teachers and parents must look for symptoms such as reversing letters and confusing words such as 'here', 'where' and 'there'. Also, a child that reads in poor light is shielding the book from refracted light that makes it hard to read rather than "ruining his eyes."

Furthermore, spelling, writing and mathematics are more difficult for a dyslexic child than for other children. Therefore, early intervention is important if the child is to keep up with his classmates.

The Internet is an excellent source of information about dyslexia. (Much of this editorial is base on that source.) If you have a child, grandchild or young acquaintance facing the unnatural task of deciphering lines of chicken tracks in a book, be on the lookout for reading difficulties. And, don't ignore it!