WITH DYSLEXIA ON SCHOOL

In the past, dyslexia was often viewed as a deficiency that needed to be addressed. Both within the scientific community and in education, the emphasis was on 'curing' dyslexia. However, after decades of research, no effective treatment has been found. In education, students with dyslexia are often taken aside for special assistance, but they frequently lag behind in regular classes.

The current education system often focuses on pointing out mistakes and emphasizing weaknesses, which can be harmful to the confidence and motivation of dyslexic students. This can lead to traumatic experiences at a young age, where students feel they are not good enough.

The "word-picture" I mentioned is a good example of how people with dyslexia use their strengths to compensate for their weaknesses. Multisensory learning, which involves not only words but also images, sounds, movements, and even smells and tastes, can be highly effective for learning.

Although reading for people with dyslexia may never be as automated as it is for neurotypical individuals, these alternative learning methods can accelerate and enhance the learning process. It requires more effort, but the results are often better than trying to decipher words without a "dyslexia translation." I often liken it to learning Chinese characters without translation: with a visual translation, it becomes much easier and more memorable.

Even later in life, we can apply these methods, such as when learning a foreign language. For instance, watching English movies with subtitles, where we both listen and read, can enhance our understanding of the language. While writing may remain a challenge, we can still develop our listening and comprehension skills in this way.

The way we learn shouldn't just apply to people with dyslexia but to everyone. Look at countries where everything on TV is dubbed, like Spain, Germany, and France. People here generally have lower proficiency in English compared to countries where English is used without dubbing. With the internet and computer games, learning English is now more accessible than ever, benefiting the new generation.

I once received a question from a Belgian teacher about what she could do for her dyslexic students, as she noticed that traditional teaching methods were not effective. I advised her to show an English-language film once a month, followed by questions about the content of the film. This way, students are actively engaged in the learning process and learn in a different way.

It's high time to embrace a different approach when it comes to educating children with dyslexia. While the ideal of education from a neurodiversity perspective differs significantly from the reality, where teachers are often overwhelmed, and classes are too large to provide individual attention, we can still take small steps. An important first step is to ensure that teachers are better trained to understand dyslexia and effectively support students with dyslexia. Instead of solely focusing on mistakes, teachers should look at what is going well and how it can be further developed. In this way, we can create an education system that is inclusive, where every child, regardless of their neurological differences, has the opportunity to thrive.

The latest research involves examining children before they start school to see if their brains light up differently during certain tasks compared to children without dyslexia. Can we use this to test for dyslexia before children start school and provide specialized lessons tailored to their needs?