RANZCO has partnered with the Australian Dyslexia Association (ADA) in an effort to demystify dyslexia – and thereby ensure children get the correct support in a timely manner – as part of Dyslexia Awareness Week (4-10 October).
In a joint statement announcing the partnership, RANZCO and the ADA stress that dyslexia is not a vision problem and cannot be treated or managed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist using eye exercises or glasses.
“There are many misconceptions about the cause and treatment of this learning disorder. Timely diagnosis and the correct treatment are key,” the organisations note.
“Dyslexia is an impairment of reading that can affect anyone. Dyslexia is not the result of problems with someone’s eyes or vision or ability to focus and track words and letters across a page.”
Paediatric ophthalmologist Dr Maree Flaherty notes that “the reversal of letters, numbers and words are not a sign of dyslexia, and do not occur with increased frequency in dyslexia”.
RANZCO and the ADA are working to improve understanding of dyslexia, which is the most common of the specific learning disorders that affect between 5-15% of Australian school-aged children.
They point out that while dyslexia does not go away as children get older and will continue into adulthood, it can be managed through intervention and regular appropriate support.
They are urging parents and teachers to be on the lookout for children who seem to be having difficulty learning to read despite normal intelligence and adequate educational opportunity.
“Dyslexia is a language processing disorder. It is often, but not always, accompanied by a history of language delay or speech therapy,” RANZCO and ADA said.
Flaherty suggested a two-step approach if a parent or teacher suspects a child may have dyslexia.
“Check it out – rule it out. Book an appointment for a comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist or an ophthalmologist. This will identify or rule out any underlying problems such as an eye disorder, need for glasses or rarely a more serious medical cause. An optometrist may choose to refer on to a paediatric ophthalmologist for a more comprehensive opinion,” she said.
“If the eye exam uncovers no refractive error or eye disease, parents should seek a referral to an educational psychologist to formally assess for dyslexia.”
The evidence-based treatment for dyslexia is an individualised remedial reading program comprising intensive instruction in the language areas, particularly of phonics and phoneme awareness.
Flaherty notes that “scientific evidence does not support the use of treatments like vision therapy, tinted lenses or colour filters for the treatment of dyslexia”.
“If you or your child’s teacher have concerns, book in for an eye exam or visit the Australian Dyslexia Association for more information. Importantly, it has been shown that the earlier the intervention the greater the improvement,” she said.
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