A study has found that 15 to 20 per cent of children are impacted by dyslexia, making it difficult to read, write and spell.
Organizations and parents are raising awareness of the learning disability this month. October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.
Tracy Wilson’s son Aidan was diagnosed with dyslexia at the end of grade 5, but she says he has always struggled.
“It has been very hard as a parent watching him go through this. Getting his report card, year after year and he is below average every time. Now that he is older, he sees it as well, so it has been very hard on his self-esteem,” Wilson says.
Aidan is 13 years old now. He has been on a waiting list for around two years to receive tutoring with a local non-profit organization called the Moncton Scottish Rite Learning Association. They specialize in helping kids between the ages of 6 and 16 who have been diagnosed with dyslexia. Finally, in January, he will begin his tutoring at the Centre.
“He just absolutely hates to read. He cries. In class, when the teacher goes around the room and each child has to read a bit. A dyslexic child doing that, the anxiety, I can’t even imagine,” Wilson says.
Tracy was given an opportunity to see what life is like through the eyes of a child with dyslexia. The Scottish Rite Learning Association gave parents examples of what it would be like, “After I did the examples, I was in tears. I hugged Aidan and said how sorry I was for all of his struggles. That was very hard.”
The Association uses a teaching method called Orton Gillingham to help dyslexic children, I think it should be taught in schools more. Not everyone learns the same way,” Wilson says.
Her advice for other parents, who suspect their child may have dyslexia, but hasn’t been diagnosed, “Don’t wait years for the school district your child is attending school in, to initiate testing. Go private. It is better for your child to get help sooner, and they may not develop high anxiety from struggling.”
Wilson says another place to get help and information is the Learning Disabilities Association of New Brunswick. They offer the Barton Tutoring Program, which is a specialized one-on-one tutoring program, also based on the Orton-Gillingham method.
As a part of Dyslexia Awareness Month, buildings across the country are taking part in the Mark It Read campaign.
The New Brunswick Legislative Building in Fredericton took part last night, by lighting up the exterior in red.
Donald J. Forestell, Clerk for the Legislative Assemble told us, “During the course of the year, the Legislative Assembly Building is lit up for various worthwhile campaigns. I believe this is the first time that the Legislative Assembly was requested to light up for the “Mark it Red for Dyslexia” campaign and we are very pleased to do so.”
Wilson would like to see the City of Moncton take part in the “Mark It Read” campaign as well.
For more information on the Moncton Scottish Rite Learning Association, click HERE
