Dyslexia Solutions Southern Africa (DSSA)

Has your child child recently brought home a rapport like this, or similar remarks from teachers?

• Use his finger as a placer
• Can’t maintain focus
• Concentration is poor
• Lost content of story
• Restless
• Short attention span
• Can’t answer comprehension tests
• Reading is poor
• Guessing answers?

Is This Your Child’s profile?

• Academically falling behind his grade level, despite appearing bright, highly intelligent and articulate?
• Does not like reading?
• Experiencing problems with spelling?
• Knows his/her subject facts very well, but fails written tests?
• Labelled as lazy, slow, careless, and not motivated, isn’t “applying” him/herself and has low self-esteem?
• Frequently getting “demerits” for homework not done?
• Experiencing difficulty to sit or stand still, seems not ever to give full attention, except in tasks of personal interest (like TV games or cartoons)?
• Is taking mood stabilizing medications (Ritalin and others) or in a worst-case scenario, already taking anti-depressants, anxiety releasers?

The child is most probably dyslexic.  Do not despair. 

• Dyslexia is NOT a disease –
• It is NOT a mental disturbance –
• It is NOT linked to any levels of intelligence –
• It is not a disorder, not a disability – 
• It is genetically “inherited” from parents/grandparents –
• It CANNOT be cured, but the effects of dyslexia CAN easily be corrected.

Teachers and tutors have most likely already noticed that an otherwise extremely clever learner is falling below the appropriate grade level due to reading, comprehension and spelling difficulties. These could already be fast developing a learning challenge most likely resulting from dyslexia.

Picture-based thinking causes dyslexia. Visual, multi-dimensional thinkers dominate the dyslexia population. Their creativity and hands-on learning skills are exceptional. Most are highly intelligent, think very fast; see the world in 3-Dimensions and evaluate detail in holistic ways.

Language-based reasoning is not their forte. They have trouble recognising and  understanding some letters, numbers, symbols, and words, because they think in images/pictures. For non-dyslexic learners to think in words,  being able to do internal dialoque, (like talking to oneself) rarely causes learning problems. Mainly because typical Western schools teach word or verbal thinkers.  This language instruction method for dyslexics can lead to labels of slow, dumb, and unteachable. The reasons for such untrue labels are mostly by noticing the learner is struggling with reading, spelling, memory, falling behind, and no-participation in class activities, to name a few.

Once it is suspected that the learner  is showing dyslexic traits, such  learner  is probably …

• … experiencing signs of a developing permanently learning problem,
• that has probably been bothering him/her for a long time,
• creating emotional feelings of frustration, fear, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, to mention a few, and
• resisting any form of reading and learning and the extreme reaction:
• hating school.

Here at Dyslexia Solutions Southern Africa,  based in Pretoria in Gauteng, we are using proven and highly effective interventions in successfully correcting dyslexia obstacles to reading, writing (and handwriting), spelling, attention (ADD), and Math. (NOTE: Dyslexia is not a disease, and can’t be cured).

The earlier we start with the Dyslexia Intervention Process, the better for the learner’s progress at school,  learning ability, and overall happiness.  The first crucial step to obtaining DYSLEXIA WISDOM is to INFORM ONESELF to really fully understand what the child with dyslexia is experiencing. At this stage, the child is probably desperate for someone to understand him/her.

The way forward?

5 easy steps with no costs.

1. First of all, decide how serious you as parents are to find a solution to reading, writing and studying disabilities caused by your child’s dyslexia.  Dyslexia is life-long – it will never go away or being outgrown. Contact me, Jan Viljoen, Dyslexia Intervention Practitioner , anytime at +27 83 413 1428. for a free 15 min info-sharing chat,
2. or email me in either English or Afrikaans at info@dyslexiasolutions.co.za    giving an indication of your specific interest in Dyslexia and concerns. You will then receive a short questionnaire asking for as much as possible background about the dyslexic experience.
3. Do the FREE ONLINE DYSLEXIA SCREENING TEST, save the answers, and send it to me.   Please read the free dyslexia articles that I will give you.
4. Make an appointment for a formal Consultation (2-3hours) which includes a full Dyslexia Intervention Assessment. This is to determine whether the person’s goals and the objectives of the Dyslexia Intervention Programme will be compatible.
5. Depending on the outcome, it will be up to the parent and/or the client’s decision to enroll in the fformal one-on-one program. The program is offered in Pretoria.

BENEFITS OF THE  PROGRAMMES