Dyslexia Fast help for children with reading-spelling weakness important

Early promotion of children with dyslexia
According to estimates, about one in twelve Germans is affected by reading and writing difficulties. With lack of intelligence, the disorder has nothing to do. Experts point out that those affected need the earliest possible support.

Every twelfth German affected
Millions of people in Germany can not read and write properly. According to expert estimates, every twelfth German citizen suffers from dyslexia. Experts point out that the reading-spelling weakness has nothing to do with a lack of intelligence and that it is important for those affected to be supported at an early age. A few months ago, a new dyslexia guideline was published, which for the first time provides clear interdisciplinary recommendations for the diagnosis and promotion of children and adolescents with reading and / or spelling disorders.

Early promotion in a reading-spelling weakness important. Picture: photophonie - fotolia

Dyslexia has nothing to do with lack of intelligence
In the medical-psychological professional world, the disorders are distinguished in reading, spelling and reading spelling disorder. According to the Federal Association Dyslexia and Dyscalculia, up to eight percent of children and adults are affected by dyslexia. And according to the association, up to seven percent of the population suffer from dyscalculia. This dyscalculia does not help sufferers, among other things with the basic arithmetic. In addition, they lack the basic understanding of quantities, weight and units of measure. Both disorders are not due to the fact that those affected are more stupid, as was sometimes assumed earlier. Meanwhile, it is known that genetic dispositions play a major role, reports the "Hamburger Abendblatt". Professor Gerd Schulte-Körne, director of the Clinic and Polyclinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the University of Munich, said according to the newspaper: "Concerned, for example, have changes on chromosome 2, 6, 15 or 18 - conversely, does not get automatically a dyslexia who has these changes. They only increase the risk. "In addition, sufferers can demonstrate a reduced or slowed activity in brain areas that are responsible for word recognition.

Reading spelling weakness is not always detected early
As you learn to read and write, you understand that letters are associated with sounds and that you can use them to form syllables and then words. "From an evolutionary point of view, this ability is quite young," says Schulte-Körne. Depending on the form and severity, dyslexia becomes noticeable because the children have problems deciphering individual letters and sound combinations while reading. Or by the fact that they seemingly arbitrarily interchange letters when writing. "The same words are misspelled in different ways - they can not be saved properly," said Annette Höinghaus, spokeswoman for the German Association of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. In the past, this was also called "word blindness".

Dyslexia is often not discovered right at the beginning of school. Some children develop strategies so as not to attract attention: "They compensate for the weakness by memorizing words and entire texts," explained Schulte-Körne. Some pedagogical concepts such as "true-to-the-letter writing" do the rest: words are written by ear, and spelling rules are irrelevant. Children should achieve such fast successes, and then later learn carefully. But just that meant for the small dyslexics "unnecessary irritation," because they hear like all the others, the word processing in the brain but is disturbed, said Annette Höinghaus.

Teach language with clear rules
According to the expert, these children learn better if they are taught the language logically and with clear rules, so that they can orient themselves by systematic derivations. "Of course, there are also words that do not follow a rule that sounds about the same, but written differently," said Annette Höinghaus. Then help only stubborn memorization. Many professionals, however, find it difficult to make clear recommendations. Last year, German scientists published results of their study, in which various approaches were examined to address the problem. Only one method was able to show clearly proven success: the so-called "phonics instruction". It is all about the intensive practice of the phonetic letter assignment, together with a continuous training of the reading fluency.

Victims often lack the right support in school
Theoretically, children with dyslexia are well able to create and study high degrees of cognitive performance. But according to the experts, there is often a lack of proper support at school. "It often fails not even at the will of the teachers, but because they are not familiar with the funding opportunities," said Höinghaus. Each federal state has its own regulations, in some the funding ends after primary school. "With mild forms of progression, the problems can indeed bring in an unobtrusive area," explained Höinghaus, "in moderate to severe forms, however, this will break open again and again in stressful situations - even in adulthood." Typical side effects of dyslexia such as anxiety and depression are usually the high pressure and the lack of qualified support owed.

German health insurance numbers not for therapy
For children with dyslexia it is important to accept their handicap. Parents can help them by "strengthening existing areas of competence rather than looking at the shortcomings," recommends Schulte-Körne. You should seek professional help early on, says Annette Höinghaus. The Federal Association Dyslexia and Dyscalculia offers on its website a targeted therapist search depending on the residential area. The association also supports those affected in their search for financing options. In Germany, the health insurance companies refuse to recognize the reading-spelling weakness as a disease, since this affects the health insurance, not "participation in life in society."

In individual cases, an application for so-called integration assistance can be made, for example if the mental health of the child is endangered. If this is approved, the youth welfare office jumps in financially. According to the graduate pedagogue Sebastian Bertram from Hannover, early help is very important. Years ago, he told heilpraxisnet.de: "Dyslexia is not a sign of lack of intelligence. It is just a reading and writing disability that can be treated well if started in time. "(Ad)