Did you know that upwards of 30 million Americans suffer from dyslexia, a condition by which they are unable to interpret letters, words, and symbols in the same way most people do, making learning to read and write extremely difficult in some cases? And did you further know that symptoms can present themselves in children as young as toddlers? Even if your child is not yet old enough to attend school, you are probably keen to start teaching him the alphabet and how to count to ten. But memorizing the progression of letters and numbers doesn’t necessarily mean he can identify them out of order if he has dyslexia. In fact, there are all kinds of indicators, even at this early age, that your child may suffer from dyslexia. Most parents just don’t know what to look for.
But you are no doubt aware of issues with learning to speak, or speak precisely, understanding directions, and of course, learning letters and numbers. And all can serve as early warning signs of dyslexia. Luckily, there is help out there for you and your child. ‘The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: A Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of Learning’ by dyslexia advocate Ben Foss is an audio book that not only explains the difficulties your child is experiencing from the point of view of someone who has dealt with the condition, but also gives you valuable information and advice about how to help your struggling child to overcome his issues and learn to read along with his peers.
Although dyslexia has been labeled a learning disorder, it’s important to remember that it has nothing to do with your child’s level of intelligence; his brain simply interprets visual data a little differently than most people, making it difficult to recognize the symbols that we rely on to represent language in a visual format. Of course, dyslexia may also affect the way your child hears or produces sounds, and there may be other issues at play, as well. Foss describes all of these experiences for parents so that they can understand how their child is absorbing and interpreting language. And this is a good place to start.
However, Foss takes the instruction even further by offering concrete directives on how to help those who are dealing with dyslexia. The trick is to determine not only the level of dyslexia that affects your child, but also to figure out where his strengths lie when it comes to the learning process. Reading, specifically, can be an extremely frustrating and embarrassing task. So according to Foss, you need to place the focus on learning as a whole, rather than solely on the ability to read. This will help to foster confidence in your child, combatting the shame that many school-age kids feel when they’re unable to read along with their peers.
In truth, you will probably need some help along the way from specialists that can accurately diagnose your child’s particular issues and create a plan for learning and success. But Foss sets up a three-step plan for parents to engage in: identify your child’s profile, help your child help himself, and create a community. If your child is having trouble following the vocabulary on his Baby Einstein DVD, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s dyslexic. But if he is exhibiting signs of the condition, this audio book can give you the tools you need to understand and help him progress. If you want the very best for your child, and all parents do, then ‘The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan’ can provide you with the information you need to help your child overcome dyslexia and develop a lifelong love of learning.
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