Adenike Lydia Adediji

Everytime I get back from school, I always see Solomon’s mum beating and punishing him for not always doing well in school. Sometimes she will even compare him to me asking why he can’t be like me or other kids in our compound. As the first son of his parents, they have high expectations from him and that includes going to school and becoming an engineer which can’t happen if he always fails in class. Every end of the term when they gave us report cards, he was always dragging the bottom positions and his teachers always complained of him not being able to read simple sentences or even pronounce and spell them. Mummy Solomon got multiple after school teachers to assist him with learning but they either leave after no improvement or keep flogging and insulting him. His siblings don’t like to associate with him because he disgraces them among their peers and they feel they are more brilliant than him. Solomon began to withdraw himself from everyone till he wasn’t noticed and till date I don’t know what later became of him. I always wondered why even after all the lesson teachers and what the school teachers do for Solomon yet he wasn’t improving. Sometimes I even think he was nonchalant about school and lazy, wanting to waste his parents money by being a delinquent. His mum will even take him to different religious houses for cleansing and deliverance as she was of the belief that her son had been tied down by witchcraft because of his glorious future. All these are assumptions and things we do when we have someone around us making slow progress with reading and learning. Have you ever heard of the word DYSLEXIA?. Dyslexia also called reading disability is a disorder which involves difficulty in reading whereby the person has problems identifying letters,words and sounds. This is not a problem caused by sorcery or witchcraft but by neurological deficit whereby the part of the brain responsible for reading is affected by certain genes. Sometimes it could even be hereditary. Persistent times, children who have dyslexia show their signs but we as parents due to negligence and ignorance don’t pay attention. Growing up, I have seen some kids bullied just because they can’t read and write like their peers. Teachers insulting them, their mates making fun of them and their parents feeling ashamed and embarrassed because of them. I amongst many were also part of people that call them dullards because it looked strange. Getting to a certain stage in life with a little bit of knowledge, I have come to realize that it’s not their fault nor do they wish to be like that but because of a neurological deficit they have, called Dyslexia. Common signs that the child portrays from a tender age should make us understand that such a child is a special one. Signs like late talking, problem remembering words or forming words correctly, difficulty in spelling or even avoiding activities that involve reading all together. There are other signs to show for it, but only attentive parents and teachers can detect a dyslexic child early. Detecting them early, allows them to be supported emotionally and given special attention. Undiagnosed and undetected dyslexia from childhood continues into adulthood. Though there is no defined cure for dyslexia, early assessment and intervention brings out a better outcome. As a neighbor, religious member, school mate or even colleague, you can come across a dyslexic patient anywhere and begin to see such a person as abnormal or a dullard,your reaction towards them can either make or destroy their self esteem. They already have to live with it for the rest of their life and they don’t need nobody judging or looking down on them based on their disability.Dyslexic patients are always hardworking and intelligent and should be encouraged to find their language and skill. We have popular people who are dyslexic and have made history e.g Albert Einstein, Steven Speilberg just to name a few. They should be encouraged and made to understand that there is no barrier to greatness even with dyslexia. There are various ways to help a dyslexic child. You either help by allowing them to take their time and pace to complete their tasks, play games to help support their speech and reading development, always make reading fun and interesting to them, and provide them with hands-on activities. All these and more help assist them against dyslexia and make them confident in themselves. When dealing with one, always expect anger, anxiety,depression,low self esteem,frustration as these are emotional problems they experience because they feel different from other people and are seen as abnormal. People with dyslexia have a whole lot of characteristics to make up for their inability to read,spell and write. Their puzzle solving skills are excellent,their level of imagination and thinking is top notch. Their level of intelligence is always above average simply because they are critical and logical thinkers. They don’t see things the way normal people do instead, they go outside the box. Dyslexia is a language processing disorder and not an intellectual disorder. They should always be encouraged to do more handy and challenging work. I do wonder how they become successful in life because I used to think that if you can't read and write, then you can’t do anything. A programme I attended made me understand that with determination and support from the right people you can do anything you so desire regardless of any disability you have. Doing my research, I discovered a whole lot of dyslexic people who are achievers. Earlier on, I mentioned Albert Einstein and Steven Speilberg who are history makers and achievers. Growing up for them was not easy but yet they pulled through. If they have supportive parents and neighbors around them,growing up will be a lot easier and won't have to struggle to become somebody in life. Dyslexia and self esteem works hand in hand and as a dyslexic person who has low self esteem, to be an achiever will be difficult or next to impossible. We as individuals surrounding them, what impact or assistance do we render to them?. Do we make them dependents or independent? Are we always shielding them from life in fear of people making fun of them or keeping them at home so you won’t be insulted? All this makes up the confidence they have in themselves. What you do makes or kills them as a person and determines what the future has in store for them. Achievements for a dyslexic patient depends on their strength. These are strengths that have been discovered early and worked upon as they grow to reach its desired potential for a successful outcome.Parents and communities can support and help them discover their strengths by paying utmost attention to the child/adult to help them become aware of the strengths they possess. For people with dyslexia, acceptance amongst family members and within the community people is important. They need to feel assured and loved as it helps make them confident in themselves and helps grow their self esteem. Always share inspirational and successful stories of other dyslexic patients to them because knowing there are others with the same issues before them who have been successful and still are is a sort of encouragement and hope for them. Make them know that there is no profession on earth they can’t become. It might be difficult but never impossible when determination comes in. Dyslexia is an uncommon but present condition in our society which has been neglected for a very long period of time and not properly understood. An avenue has been opened for a change in the way we act and react towards a dyslexic patient. Be accommodative towards them and assist in any positive way you can to make them confident. Assure and reassure them that they are not abnormal but are Above Normal people and children and will do Extraordinary things.