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Child Dys: How to help a child with “Dys” disorders?
Among the children of an age group, nearly 6 to 8% of them are confronted with disorders known as Dys, dyspraxia, dyslexia, dysorthography… It therefore becomes important to understand and be trained in the different methods that can be used. improve their daily lives and facilitate their learning.
The different forms of Dys
Under the term Dys are grouped the difficulties of language, reading, mathematics, attention, and many others.
They appear in a child following a head trauma, a brain operation or are simply present from birth in an innate way.
These so-called specific cognitive disorders are classified according to several consequences related to learning and motor development.
There are commonly 6 categories of Dys:
- Specific disorders in the acquisition of written language, named dyslexia and dysorthography ;
- Specific disorders in the development of oral language, called dysphasia ;
- Specific disorders of motor development and / or visuospatial functions, dyspraxia ;
- Specific disorders in the development of attentional processes and / or functions; executives, appointed attention deficit disorder, with or without hyperactivity ;
- Specific disorders in the development of memory processes (memory) ;
- Specific disorders of digital activities, dyscalculia.
When relatives or teachers raise learning and / or development difficulties linked to Dys disorders, it is important to consult a health professional quickly in order to take these difficulties into account and support the child.
Screening, as well as its diagnosis, will allow children and those around them to put words into everyday life and to feel less alone in the face of the problems they encounter. The repercussions can be academic, professional, social, psycho-emotional and generate isolation as well as psychological suffering.
How to best support the child
In order to support their child on a daily basis and not “do it for them”, relatives will need to rely on trained professionals: speech therapists, attending physician, teaching team. This virtuous circle will allow the child to be able to overcome his difficulties and maintain his self-confidence.
It is therefore essential to inform those around the child about the capacities of the child following the diagnosis made by health professionals, then to establish methods with his teachers:
- computer reading
- AVS-type assistance by setting up a file with the MDPH (Departmental House for Handicapped Persons).
This file can be a little scary but it will allow the child to be recognized in his difficulties and to obtain assistance, such as extra time for exams, or specific arrangements such as computer equipment or dedicated additional lessons.
A tip for reading, for example, is to suggest colors to the child according to the letters or groups of words. There are many children’s books that take this way of reading into account.
For arithmetic, learning takes place in more or less long stages depending on the difficulties, but with the time and patience of the trained teachers, the children succeed in reaching a very correct level of manipulation of the figures.
Some tips
In order to facilitate reading, for example, it is possible to suggest to the child to use a layer of yellow color, in order to contrast the black ink as much as possible.
For the laces, techniques exist to simplify the lacing such as telling a story “I turn around the well, I put the snake in the well …”. It is also possible to provide them with laces that do not require knots. The great sportsmen use it besides.
For people who have difficulty getting organized, specific agendas are available in bookstores, they are produced in partnership with the French Federation of DYS.
It is also possible to obtain albums containing images, in order to communicate by symbols, as also does the teaching of Maria Montessori.
There are so many tools that can make life easier for these children. It is enough simply to observe their difficulties and to look for what could help them.
Parents’ concerns
Every parent wants their child to be fulfilled. This adaptation plunges him into his concerns which are not necessarily those of the child.
It is important not to transfer and to be able to talk to a professional or a loved one when doubts are too present. Thus the child will feel that his parent is relaxed and confident. It is a service to render him.