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As Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate the 2024 International Dyslexia Day today, experts have suggested ways of tackling the learning disability in reading among affected children in the country.
They advocated early detection and interventions for students with the disorder to boost their academic performance.
International Dyslexia Day is celebrated on October 8 every year.
According to the British Dyslexia Association, dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that primarily affects reading and writing skills. It explained that dyslexia affects both reading skills and information processing.
“Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills”, the association added.
Speaking at an event organised by Women Foundation for Improved Living Standards in collaboration with Nwafor Orizu College’s Primary School, Anambra State to commemorate the day, a Sub-Dean at the Faculty of Arts, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof. Ifeoma Udoye, said there were scientifically proven methods of tackling the condition.
She stressed the need to raise more awareness about the disorder, citing millions of children affected worldwide.
Udoye, a Professor of Linguistics, identified early detection as a crucial method of tackling dyslexia in children.
The don also listed other key methods for identifying children at risk, including monitoring linguistic development such as difficulties in pronunciation and rhyming, observing challenges in connecting printed text to languages like recognizing individual letters, and being aware of family history as dyslexia and other language-related challenges could be genetically inherited.
The professor explained that dyslexia is not a disease but a difficulty in learning to read which impacts a child’s capacity to identify and manipulate linguistic sounds or comprehend new words.
According to her, one in five children have dyslexia and 80 percent -90 percent of children with learning disabilities are termed dyslexic while undiagnosed children carry the condition to adulthood.
She pointed out that many children who go about with the condition undiagnosed had challenges in schools and were mistaken to have low IQ.
The attendant consequences she stated include low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.
Udoye reiterated that early detection and intervention were crucial as research had shown that 70 percent of dyslexic children who received educational intervention in kindergarten or first grade became proficient readers and manifested other hidden talents.
The professor called on government at all levels, policymakers, parents, and teachers to take collective and decisive action on formulating and implementing policies to combat dyslexia in children nationwide.
Senior Special Assistant to the Anambra State Governor, Hon. Obiora Nwachukwu praised the efforts of the event organizers and emphasized the importance of continued public awareness campaigns to combat the stigma associated with dyslexia.
He assured attendees that the Anambra State Government is committed to addressing dyslexia in children in the state.
Another speaker, Mr. Ezenwanne Obinna, highlighted the prevalence of dyslexia in Nigeria, stating that 32 million Nigerians, including school children, are affected, with a 30-50% chance of the condition being genetically inherited.
He emphasised that individuals with dyslexia can still succeed, citing examples such as entrepreneur Richard Branson, journalist Anderson Cooper, and actress Jennifer Aniston.
