When Irene Nansikombi gave birth to her son Raphael (not real name) in 2011, she didn’t realize he would be different. Indeed, he went through all the development milestones just like any other child and even breastfed more than her other children. He sailed through the three years of nursery school smoothly and joined primary school.

Ms Nansikombi, a resident of Kakiri Kyabalamba in Wakiso District is a teacher and a mother of three. Raphael, her second child, was born with a condition known as dyslexia, a learning disorder that involves difficulty in reading. She notes that the journey of raising him wasn’t any different from her other children and in fact, he was brighter than the siblings. He would quickly think out of the box.

“During Covid-19, their father told them to do different projects using the available resources at home. One did poultry, another farming and he did a hand-washing tap. None of us knew that he would pull off a unique project,” says Nansikombi, adding that Raphael does all house chores just like the siblings.

How she got to know Raphael was different

“When he started nursery school, everything was okay and I think it was a level of shading and reading objects; I never detected it early. Around primary three when things were getting tougher, I started getting complaints from his teachers that Raphael would not complete his class work and yet he seemed to understand everything. Indeed, since I am a teacher, I used to rehearse some work with him at home so that he understands everything very well.

“But whenever I could tell him to write for me a story about how his day was or do his work, all his homework could be full of spelling mistakes. And every time I could visit him at school to check his performance, he would be among the last learners in class.”

Teachers advised Nansikombi to start private coaching for the child, something she says she didn’t believe in. She said being a teacher, she would wonder how her child could perform badly yet he understands everything.

After the Covid-19 restrictions were eased, Nansikombi transferred Raphael to the school where she teaches so that she could monitor his progress closely. Surprisingly even at her school, teachers complained that her son is always the last in class.

When he reached Primary 6, she discussed with her husband to have him checked because he would pass on probation and he was advised not to sit for Primary Leaving Examinations. Nansikombi started searching the Internet for clues about their son’s condition. That is when she came across the term dyslexia. She also recalls reading about some articles from Dr Njuki Eria Paul on the condition.

As a couple they decided to visit Dr Njuki where they were advised to carry out several tests and the results indicated that their child has dyslexia. “As a mother this blew me off, I remember crying for over one hour not believing that this was happening to my son. I could not accept it.”

After coming to terms with it, Nansikombi made a decision to read widely about the condition in order to help her child thrive. She credits her husband for offering comfort and support. She explains that as a mother, it took her a long time to come to terms with it.

Signs to look out for

As a parent who has observed her child over time, Nansikombi shares what parents should look out for, purely from the perspective of a mother. Any unusual patterns observed should be referred to a medical personnel for proper diagnosis and expert guidance.  

According to Nansikombi, signs and symptoms differ depending on the age of the individual but in early stages, one of the key indicators is delayed speech. For example, if the child is two years old and hasn’t said the first ten words, then there is need for close monitoring for other patterns.

Another symptom in dyslexic children is that they are not enthusiastic about school. A practical example Nansikombi gives parents is to ask their children to write them letters. She says they tend to only write a few words, often with spelling mistakes. For instance, the word boy will be written as ‘doy’, or writing a letter like b facing anti-clockwise because that’s what they see behind their brain. She notes that when you ask them what they mean, they will explain it to you very well and this confuses most teachers who handle such children.

When a teacher crosses their work and punishes them, it traumatizes them because teachers do not understand them and they feel disconnected.

Another indicator Nansikombi shares is mixing up things like sounds of letters where the child brings the last letters at the beginning, and substituting words in sentences.

In adults, following directions is a big challenge. Right and left often confuse them; a child may also exchange the sides of slippers and if that happens consistently, together with related patterns, then there is need to see a medical personnel. 

Additionally, dyslexic people find it difficult to memorize addresses, numbers, and alphabets.

Research indicates that 1 in 5 people have dyslexia but parents and teachers are often unaware of the condition, labelling them as slow, instead of employing appropriate learning methods to help the child cope.

Nansikombi advises that parents should handle dyslexic children with caution because once you put them under a lot of pressure to achieve what you expect of them and tick off development milestones, the child can easily lose focus and confidence in figuring out what to do right.

What to do

Nansikombi advises that once you detect some of the signs mentioned above, it is important to take the child for a psycho-education assessment by a qualified person. She guides that while it is common to go through denial in initial stages, it is important that parents remain positive and find ways to appreciate, affirm and support their child to enjoy learning.

She further advises parents to talk to the teachers and explain to them the condition of their children so that they are not traumatized while in school. If this is not addressed, the highly competitive and sometimes hostile school environment might affect the child even more. Parents should work closely with teachers to help nurture and develop the talent of dyslexic children.

It is equally important to speak to schools to develop “Individualized Education Plan”, which teachers can employ to accommodate the needs of the child. At home, ensure to create an enabling environment so that such children feel part of the family.

In Uganda, there are schools like Njuki Diagnostic Center that accommodate such children and they excel both in exams and life because during UNEB, they are given extra time and they usually have tutors who support them in writing while they speak the answers.

Enrolling dyslexic children in schools where they are not accommodated is unhelpful and in the long run, they are deemed dull, leading to loss of self-esteem, depression and other negative effects on their wellbeing. 

On nutrition, Nansikombi advises parents to seek professional advice but also do research about healthy diets. Importantly, she says parents should reduce sugars, food colors, diaries, and wheat products as well as ensuring the child is well hydrated.

About Dyslexia: Doctor’s Opinion

According to Dr Njuki, dyslexia is a neural condition that affects someone’s language acquisition and expression. This can be verbal and nonverbal symbols like road signs.  

Dyslexia has no cause because it’s a genetic condition. For example, if the mother or father is dyslexic, there are high chances of giving birth to children who are dyslexic. For instance, if you give birth to 5 children 2/3 can be dyslexic and if both parents have dyslexia then children are varied to have high degrees of different levels of dyslexia: mild, moderate, and severe ones.

Njuki adds that for a couple, if one has dyslexia 50% will be inherited by their children.

Statistics on people with dyslexia in Uganda is, however, inadequate according to Njuki but he gives general signs and symptoms that can help parents detect areas of concern to take the next step.

He points out the following:

• Lack of vocabulary and challenges in writing and spellings. Instead of a book they will write a dook. P as 9, instead of letter M they will write W, they also omit letters in words.
• Speech delay is also another symptom Dr Njuki highlighted. Most people with dyslexia speak after two years or older.
• The history of class repeating is also another big pointer of dyslexia. If a child takes longer to master the days of the week, months of the year and writing alphabets in order and finds trouble writing letters and sounds, then there is need for expert advice.
• Also, it is crucial to pay attention if a child cannot remember the names of their family members. Dr Njuki advises parents to take their children to a professional who is qualified to check dyslexia if they notice some of the symptoms pointed out. He also advises that there are schools where such children can be guided to do well with support from professionals.
• Lastly to note Njuki advises parents and teachers not make the children repeat classes because it does not solve their problem. What they require is school settings that accommodate their needs.

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