PSYE201

PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS OF CHILDHOOD

Discuss the underlying etiology or causes as well as interventions based on theories and
models in psychology.

Student Name: Dulini Gunawardane

Student Code: DCP21A
Word Count: 2142
Student (ID): DCP21A011
Name of tutor: Janaka
 Part 1 - Interview

The parent who faced the interview is Chinese and her child was diagnosed with dyslexia at the
age of five. At first they have had the difficulty in accepting the fact since nothing has gone
wrong at birth. “One end it was a relief to find out why she was struggling at school and then we
had to stop ourselves at one point and take a look around to see what it is that we could do” she
said. They have done a lot of research and above all trusted their own instincts. They have talked
to their child’s teachers and found out how the child responds to the reading strategies they use at
school. If at one point she didn’t respond well, they had to find a different strategy. “We had to
start with clear goals. Child needs to have clear goals too. So we talked to her to understand her
thinking style. It’s predominantly visual” she said.

They had to understand that they aren’t her and the ways she does things are different from them.
When outsiders see her it’s kind of a shock and they think that she is disabled. So they find it
difficult to explain in a favorable way that she is going to be better at creative thinking. The
current education system is difficult for dyslexic students. Dyslexia is the grit that creates the
peril. Most of the time children masks their dyslexia. To fit in with people, they would memorize
passages, so that they won’t be bothered in school. She enjoys different subjects from others.
When they ask her to do things, she would go and complete one thing, completely forgetting the
other. They have to constantly reassure her that it’s not a difficulty that it’s just a difference.
They find it challenging to keep her confidence level. When she is being asked to read out loud,
it affects her self-esteem and confidence. “She has real anxiety if we bring a book out. So we
encourage her with graphic novels” she said.

They have joined different parent support groups where they discuss about their personal
challenges. “Doctors said that she would be fine, because I was worried about what kind of a job
she could get or what would become of her. They helped me a lot” she said. The doctors have
educated both the parents regarding dyslexia and have encouraged them saying that she is going
to come along and they had to trust that they were telling the truth and hope for the best. “By the
end of summer she started to read. And I wished that I had known sooner that first IEP wasn’t
the end of the story, but the start of the journey and it’s an upward climb.” she said. She works
hard. “Success is much sweeter that she works harder than an average student.” She said.
Technology has been helpful with the pandemic. “Having everything online and school
providing teaching material to listen to and read, played in her favor. It was a mixed bag, she had
successes and not so successful moments. But she was doing well just as others and it really
highlighted the things that would’ve been adaptations for her in class were standards when
working remotely.” She said. They want her to learn things that would highlight her so that it
would help her when she grows up. It has been a good learning experience to everyone. It has
helped her to get more responsibility of herself and understand that she could achieve things
without them. “She struggles academically, but she isn’t worried. She is just excited to meet her
friends and back into the routine with school. She doesn’t struggle with transition and change.”
She said. As much as they believe that it’s wonderful to be back in school, she has had her own
pace at home, studying. She doesn’t access the material quickly at school since there are no
online videos or tests. “But of course she looks healthier and happier. Teachers are wonderful,
they are giving them individual time and attention, they go extra mile to help her.” She said.

“We love if she could excel in math. But we have accepted the fact that if she left her school
knowing her strengths, being confident and positive about life, that’s all we wish for as parents.
We will always be proud of her trying her hardest. She is extremely creative and being a non-
dyslexic, I see that and hope that one day she would see herself the same.” She said.
 Part 2

Learning Disability – Dyslexia.

Even though the terms learning disorders, disability and difficulty sounds similar, they aren’t the
same thing. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders mentions the term
“Disorder” as a medical term.1 There are two types of learning disabilities; based on information
processing and based on impaired function. In a broader sense, this could be connected to any
type of an issue such as mental retardation, brain damage, sensory issues, or emotional
disturbances possibly brought on by accidents which would represent a genetic abnormality.
Typically this term is used in a narrow sense as a child’s inability to master a scholastic skill
while having necessary intelligence, maturity, cultural context and educational background. The
term “specific learning disability” more clearly identifies the narrow meaning.2 This is possible
to be comorbid with other learning difficulties. It’s a categorization that covers a range of
functioning areas where a person has trouble learning in the traditional way, generally as a result
of an unidentified factor which is the capacity of the brain to take in and absorb information.
Only a psychologist, a pediatrician, or a psychiatrists could diagnose such impairments. The
degree, frequency and intensity of the reported symptoms determine how the drug is used. It can
be challenging for those children who suffer from these conditions to pick up new information as
rapidly as those who aren’t afflicted. The underlying etiology or causes of dyslexia as well as
interventions based on theories in psychology are being discussed in this essay.

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability.3 This disability can impact any part of reading
processes including word decoding, reading rate, prosody, accurate or fluent word recognition, or
even both. The performance is “substantially below that expected given the person’s
chronological age, measured intelligence, and age- appropriate education”4, 5. Phonemic
awareness, or the capacity to dissect words into their constituent sounds, and the ability to match
letter combinations to particular sounds are two indicators of this issue. This is identified as the
phonological processing impairment theory. They could struggle with rhyming words, may
unknowingly reverse numerals and characters on paper. They also have a hard time in
concentrating or forming answers to questions. Children may have trouble in keeping up with
their peers, which would later cause low self-esteem, behavioral issues, anxiety, anger and
distance from friends and teachers. This would eventually prevent a child from reaching his full
potential and may have long-term effects on education, society and the economy.

Unlike a learning disability, intelligence or vision is not affected. With tutoring or a customized
education program, the majority of dyslexic youngsters may achieve academic success.
Additionally, emotional support plays an important role. A child with dyslexia is more likely to
benefit from educational treatments if they are started earlier than later. However, because the
indications and symptoms in young children are not always clear, both parents and teachers may
find it challenging to diagnose the condition. At this point, speaking with the teacher will be the
best. Prior to the evaluation, the child’s school will receive a questionnaire with questions
regarding their general state of health, how well they handle certain duties, what they believe
must change while the assessment itself observe a child and his learning environment to test the
child’s language acquisition, vocabulary, logical thinking, memory, processing speed of both
visual and aural information, learning methods and organizational skills. After the evaluation, the
parents would receive a report outlining both strengths and weaknesses along with suggestions
on how to improve the areas they are struggling with. Depending on the degree of challenges, the
child should be taken to a doctor if the issue continues. For instance, they may have difficulties
in hearing due to a condition such as glue ear, short sightedness or a squint and other disorders
like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or even dyscalculia. According to
research, there may be a heredity connection between reading and math problems. Seasonal
allergies, asthma, and eczema are among the autoimmune diseases while poor short-term
memory, poor time management and organization, Development Coordination Disorder
(Dyspraxia) also could occur. If there are no evident underlying health issues, it may be that they
aren’t responding well and would benefit from an alternative approach. A dyslexia diagnostic
assessment can be done by a professional and most likely include questions regarding the child’s
family dynamic and their medical history.

There are no recognized diagnostic dyslexia subtypes. Recent classifications include four
varieties that are suggested based on symptoms. Phonological or auditory dyslexia prevents one
from matching the sounds of the written forms to the individual letters and syllables. Surface or
visual dyslexia is characterized by trouble recognizing complete words due to problems with
vision or visual processing in the brain. Rapid naming deficit troubles an individual rapidly and
instinctively in naming a letter, number, color or an object. Double deficit dyslexia demonstrates
deficits in both phonological process and naming speed. This group includes the vast majority of
the worst readers.

Dyslexia is directly linked to genes, therefore it often runs in families. Changes in the DCDC2
gene have been linked by some studies with dyslexia and reading difficulties.6 Researchers have
so far identified a number of genes that are connected to such problems. Strong readers rely more
on regions at the rear of the brain, commonly referred to as the “wordform” area between the
Occipital and Temporal lobes, whereas weak readers rely more on Brocca’s areas in the left
frontal lobe of the cerebrum. Dyslexic people use more of the frontal lobes which is less
efficient. They gradually use parts of the right hemisphere, however since this area isn’t effective
for reading, those who read slowly but accurately wind up exerting a lot more mental energy for
less results. fMRI studies also demonstrate that the brain is plastic. The scans performed prior
and after successful training has shown different brain activity. That doesn’t imply that dyslexia
disappears, however can improve a child’s reading skills over time with practice.

Evidence supporting environmental causes of dyslexia are prenatal exposure to harmful

chemicals including nicotine, narcotics and alcohol may impact a child’s brain development,
infections in the mother during pregnancy, premature birth or low birth weight, being stressed
out at an early age etc. If dyslexia is detected in children who have been raised in poor reading
environments, they can react swiftly to treatment as long as it’s done when they are young.
Although acquired types of dyslexia (trauma, stroke) might be considered environmental in
origin, they are actually different reading problems.

A few reading programs are designed for dyslexic children.7 Orton-Gillingham is a method
which teaches children to connect letters and identify sounds in words. Multisensory instruction
trains children acquire new abilities by using all of their five senses; for example by tracing their
fingers over letters made out of sandpaper. Parents could consider having their children listen to
audio books, promoting reading time each day by repeating the same text to reinforce their
understanding and encouraging them to read alone. Many dyslexic children like to use a
computer over an exercise book. This could be because the visual environment is more in line
with their preferred learning style. Majority of word processing programs allow the computers to
read a text out loud as it appears on the screen. A speech recognition software could convert
spoken words into written texts which could help since they frequently excel verbally rather than
in writing. Despite the fact that dyslexia has no known cure, the Yale Center for Dyslexia and
creativity suggests tips for studying with dyslexia.8 By implementing time management
techniques like dividing tasks into smaller components and creating an outline before beginning
work by utilizing resources like flash cards and texts, using highlighters or colors to visually
organize notes using text-to-voice technology, functioning in a clear, peaceful environment with
earplugs or noise cancelling headphones could be helpful.

It is vital to study the issue well in order to properly comprehend learning disabilities. The
practical and emotional challenges encountered when working with these children are inevitable.
By clearing up all the barriers and directing evaluation, intervention, and welfare benefits to all
these children who actually deserve them may be accomplished by having a good understanding
of the overlapping areas and the etiology.
 References

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders. 5thed (DSM-5) Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.

2. National Centre for Learning Disabilities. (2014) Disorder, disability or difference:

What's the right term?

3. Characteristics of children with learning disabilities. (2017) National Association of

Special Education Teachers LD Report.

4. Lorusso, M.L., Facoetti, A., Pesenti, S., Cattaneo, C., Molteni, M., & Geiger, G. (2004).
Wider recognition in peripheral vision common to different subtypes of dyslexia. Vision
Research, 44, 2413–2424. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

5. Fletcher, J.M. (2009). Dyslexia: The evolution of a scientific concept. Journal of the
International Neuropsychological Society, 15, 501–508. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
[Google Scholar]

6. Powers et al. (2014). Alleles of a Polymorphic ETV6 Binding Site in DCDC2 Confer
Risk of Reading and Language Impairment. The American Journal of Human Genetics.

7. A.S.M.D. (2021, March 22). What Are the Treatments for Dyslexia? WebMD.

8. The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. (2017). http://dyslexia.yale.edu/.

http://dyslexia.yale.edu/resources/dyslexic-kids-adults/tips-from-students/